Kulhaiya

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Kulhaiya • کلاحیا

Regions with significant populations
Bihar, India • Terai Region, Nepal
Bihar	1,253,781 (2023)[1]
Languages
Kulhaiya boli (کلاحیا بولی) a dialect of Maithili
Religion
Sunni Islam

The Kulhaiya Sheikh (Urdu: کل حیا) is a Muslim community found in the northeastern part of the Indian state of Bihar, India, as well as the Terai region of south-east Nepal.

Founding members of the Kulahiya Sheikh community were preferred for soldiers in the Bengal Sultanate due to their mercenary background. The Faujdars of Purnea at the time of the Mughal Nawab of Bengal, Saif Khan, appointed Kulahiyas to protect Indian border on the side of Nepal against the invading Gurung and Gurkha tribes.^{[2][full citation needed]} The original members of this community were Arab mercenaries and sellswords from Hadhrami tribe of Yemen.^{[3][full citation needed]}

According to the 2011 Census, male literacy rate of the community is 66% and 55.6% for female. The community is categorised as OBC under education quota system.^{[4][full citation needed]}

The Kulhaiyas are predominantly found in erstwhile sultanate-era Purnia division of Bihar which includes present-day districts of Purnia, Araria, Katihar and some parts of Kishanganj of Indian state of Bihar.^{[3][full citation needed][5]}