Abstract
A recent interpretation of Islamization among south Indian Muslims suggests that ethnicity may develop in response to internal needs to acquire status rather than as a result of interethnic competition. An alternate hypothesis, however, is that more emphasis on Islamic identity, including local ideas of orthopraxy, occurs where Muslims face loss of power and status in a wider social system. This paper examines the structure of Muslim ethnicity and the process by which Muslim identity is maintained and intensified in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. The historical role of Muslims in this area is compared and contrasted with that of Muslims in Tamilnadu, and it is argued that recent political changes have heightened Muslim insecurity in Andhra Pradesh and have resulted in a continuing emphasis on religious distinctiveness. It is further suggested that the concept of ethnicity is more useful than that of Islamization in explaining social change.
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