The Kulhaiya Sheikh (Urdu: کلاحیا) is a Muslim community found in the northeastern part of the Indian state of Bihar as well as the terai region of south-east Nepal. The founding members of this community belonged to the Hadhrami-origin tribe of Yemen settled on the coast of Horn of Africa who came as mercenaries and sellsword to North-east Bihar via Sindh and Kutchh, on the invitation of the Bengal Sultanate for reinforcement of Purnea Division army bastion. The mercenaries started marrying local Rajput & Babhan (Bhumihar) women in large numbers as well as the womenfolks from Rajbongshi, Kayastha, and Yadav communities. In the later stages the Gurjara nomads of Kutchh and Gujarat, Jats of Sindh and Kurmis of present-day Uttar Pradesh who were renowned for their agricultural acumen were in