Manganiar

The Manganiar are a Muslim community found in the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan, India; mostly in the districts of Barmer and Jaisalmer, and in the districts of Tharparkar and Sanghar in the bordering province of Sindh in Pakistan. They are known for various compositions describing stories focused on humans, nature, and salvation. They, along with the Langha community, are known for their folk music. They are groups of hereditary professional musicians whose music has been supported by wealthy landlords and aristocrats, especially their traditional Jajman (patrons) from the locally dominant Hindu Rajput and Charan communities for generations. Some of their ragas have originated in the Thar and are not found in the north Indian classical tradition.