ABSTRACT
Ashrafiya is not the only madrasa where students from Bihar form the majority. Other madrasas in Mubarakpur belonging to a different and rival maslak also have a major presence of students from Bihar. It is important to remember that there are various kinds of madrasas in Bihar. According to the Bihar Madrasa Board, there are broadly two categories of madrasas: aided and un-aided. Aided madrasas receive full financial support from the state government. Their degrees are recognised by the state so that students having degrees from such madrasas can enter ‘mainstream’ education. In places such as Purnea where daily survival itself is at stake, there is not much of a choice in terms of secular or religious schooling for such families. There is a case for a strong relationship between socio-economic development and madrasa education. The social base of madrasas like Ashrafiya is provided by families like that of Muhammad Subhan and Abdul Shakur.
