The Deobandi movement was formed in northern India in the 19th century, and Darul Uloom Deoband was founded in ۱۸۶۶ It was an important institutional point. The school emerged in the context of British colonialism, the transformation of political power, and the restructuring of Islamic education, and later created a vast network of schools and graduates.

Deobandi, in its entirety, relies on Hanafi jurisprudence and religious education, and has also been linked to Sufism in many of its branches. The movement is a diverse educational and social network, not a single organization with the same vision in all countries; its relationship with political currents must also be examined on a case-by-case basis.