Introduction / History

The Changar reside in Afghanistan and India and are among the Rajasthan people cluster. They are also known as the Chagar, Changgar, Chhanggar, or the Chungar. They are one tribe or the Urdu speaking Muslims which reside in Afghanistan. These Urdu speaking Muslims often come together and have a sense of group identity based on Islam, the common Urdu language, Persian cultural tradition, and the tradition in northern India of Muslim supremacy. Urdu is an Indian- Iranian language that come from the Hindi language. It contains many Persian and Arabic words and is written in a Persian script.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Urdu speaking Muslims can be found in many aspects of society. They are found among the poor and the rich, the educated and illiterate, landlords and religious leaders. There is no way to generalize their lifestyles. In the more rural areas, Urdu Muslims live in mud huts that have a separate living space for the women. Women are generally responsible for taking care of the home and children. Some practice Purdah, which is the seclusion of women. Women often live separately from their husbands and do not go outside the home without a male family member. They are often required to cover their entire body, with only a small screen around the eyes. This is done to protect the honor of both her husband, and her father's family.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Changar are Muslims. Currently, there are few, if any Changar Christians or churches. They have the Bible in their language as well as Christian radio, the Gospel on audiocassette, God's Story Video, and the Jesus film.