Mallaah

The Mallah are the traditional boatmen caste and ethnic group of North India, East India and Pakistan. A small number of Mallah are also found in Nepal.

The word mallaah is said to come from an Arabic word which means navigation to navigate the sea and the air. It is very commonly used for boatman. In Bengali the words majhi and mallah usually go together and refer to communities affiliated with the river and sea. Those of India are largely Hindu, with a small Muslim minority, while those of Pakistan are Muslim. Phoolan Devi, the controversial dacoit and politician belonged to the Mallah community.