millat

Millat is a term used in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, and related languages to denote a community, nation, or people sharing a common faith, culture, or heritage. The word derives from the Arabic millah, meaning religion, faith, or a recognized religious community, and it is often employed to emphasize collective identity rather than ethnicity alone.

In Urdu and other South Asian languages, millat commonly refers to a cohesive religious or cultural group within a larger society. It can describe a particular religious community within a country, or a broader sense of shared affiliation among people who identify with a common faith or tradition. The term is frequently found in literary, journalistic, and political discourse, where it is used to evoke solidarity, mutual support, or a sense of belonging among members of the same community.

Historically, millat has played a role in debates over minority rights, national unity, and social reform in the Indian subcontinent and its successor states. It has also appeared in religious and political rhetoric to articulate collective interests or aspirations of a community perceived to share common goals or challenges.

In contemporary usage, millat remains a familiar concept in media, education, and public life. It can appear in titles, slogans, or discussions about community cohesion, interfaith relations, and national identity. While closely related to the global Islamic concept of ummah, millat is often more context-specific, referring to a particular nation or community within a given geographic or political setting.

See also: Ummah, Qaum, Millah.