Hajjam
Ethnic group in India
title: "Hajjam" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["muslim-communities-of-india", "muslim-communities-of-nepal"] description: "Ethnic group in India" topic_path: "geography/india" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajjam" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Ethnic group in India ::
::data[format=table title="infobox ethnic group|"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| group | Hijama |
| popplace | India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan |
| langs | Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi |
| rels | Islam |
| related | Saifi, Shaikh |
| native_name | Salmani and Turkia |
| :: |
| group = Hijama | popplace = India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan | langs = Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi | rels = Islam | related = Saifi, Shaikh | native_name = Salmani and Turkia | native_name_lang =
Hajjam are an ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent known for practicing cupping therapy, also known as*** Hijama***. The word Hijama has been derived from the Arabic word Al Hajm, means "sucking", referring to this therapy. A practitioner was called a Hijama in Arab countries, and the name was used in India as well.
They are on the OBC list of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
The Hajjam in Nepal
The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Hajjam (called Hajam in the Nepal census) as a subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Other Caste. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 117,758 people (0.4% of the population of Nepal) were Hajjam. The frequency of Hajjam by province was as follows:
- Madhesh Province (1.4%)
- Lumbini Province (0.5%)
- Koshi Province (0.3%)
- Bagmati Province (0.1%)
- Gandaki Province (0.0%)
- Karnali Province (0.0%)
- Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)
The frequency of Hajjam was higher than national average (0.4%) in the following districts:
- Saptari (1.5%)
- Dhanusha (1.4%)
- Parsa (1.4%)
- Rautahat (1.4%)
- Siraha (1.4%)
- Mahottari (1.3%)
- Sarlahi (1.3%)
- Bara (1.2%)
- Kapilvastu (1.1%)
- Banke (0.9%)
- Parasi (0.9%)
- Rupandehi (0.8%)
- Morang (0.6%)
- Sunsari (0.5%)
References
References
- (2001). "Encyclopaedia of the World Muslims: Tribes, Castes and Communities". Global Vision.
- Singh, Kumar Suresh. (1992). "People of India: Karnataka". Anthropological Survey of India.
- (May 2017). "History of cupping ( Hijama ): a narrative review of literature". Journal of Integrative Medicine.
- "List of Backward Classes {{!}} Directorate of Welfare of Scheduled Caste & Backward Classes, Government of Haryana".
- "National Commission for Backward Classes: Himachal Pradesh".
- [https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II]
- "2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report".
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