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Total population | |
---|---|
7,000 - 10,000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Sri Lanka | |
Languages | |
Memoni, English, Tamil, Sinhalese | |
Religion | |
Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Memons, Bohras in Sri Lanka |
Kathiawari Memons, a sub-group of the Memons, arrived in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) from the Kathiawar region of Gujarat, India beginning in the 1870s.
Sunni Hanafi Muslims by origin, the Memons are entrepreneurs and traders who settled in Sri Lanka for business opportunities during the colonial period. Some of these people came to the country as far back as the Portuguese period. They settled permanently in Sri Lanka after the partition of India in 1947.
The majority of these Memons were from the historical village of Kutiyana, in Junagadh, Gujarat, India; among other villages in Kathiawar.
Sri Lankan Memons are strictly following the traditional and cultural values of the International Memon community. Memons in Sri Lanka are represented by the Memon Association of Sri Lanka.