The Faraizi Movement emerged in nineteenth-century Bengal as a socio-religious reform initiative aiming to purify Islamic practices and address peasant exploitation under colonial rule.

BulletsIn

• The Faraizi Movement was founded by Haji Shariatullah in 1818 in Bengal to revive Islamic practices and eliminate customs considered un-Islamic.

• The term Faraizi comes from “Faraiz”, meaning obligatory duties, highlighting strict adherence to prayer, fasting, zakat and core principles of Islam.

• The movement gained strong support among Muslim peasants suffering under oppressive zamindari systems and harsh economic exploitation during British rule.

• Alongside religious reform, it evolved into a socio-political movement resisting excessive taxes, forced labour and unjust landlord authority.

• After Haji Shariatullah’s death, leadership passed to his son Dudu Miyan, who expanded the movement and mobilised peasants across Bengal.

• The Faraizi Movement spread across Faridpur, Dhaka, Jessore and Khulna, becoming a major force for religious revival and social justice.

• Its legacy influenced later reform movements by combining religious purification with resistance to colonial and feudal exploitation.