The sole objective of this Encyclopaedia is to present the descriptive ethnographical descriptions of 320 Muslim castes and communities-both past and present-and the factors that have caused to change their life style. Summaries of each entry usually provides information about demographic features, the origins and history of the ethnic groups, social life, rites and rituals, economic activities, administration and justice, religion and culture, inter-community relation, and process of modernisation. As the entries of this study show that  Muslims have much in common, they share an  universal trans-ethnic religion-Islam. They worship the same God, recognize more or less the same religious laws, observe many of the same rituals and share distinguishable culture traits derived from their Islamic heritage.