Abstract
Siddis are one of the Scheduled Tribes of post-Independence India, though they are of African origin. Their presence in India is traced back to 1100 AD in historical records, but it is believed that they came to India much earlier. Arab merchants and later the Portuguese, the British and the French brought them to India who worked as slaves, load carriers, soldiers and subsequently occupied important position in army and royal courts. For example, the Title of Amir-al-Umara (Leader of Leaders) was given to Siddi Jamal-ud-Din Yakut of the thirteenth century. In Bengal Shahzada Barbak founded the Habshi dynasty in 1487 and during colonial period there are instances of Siddi rulers in Sachin and Janjira. The famous Ahmadabad Siddi Sayyidnijali of Siddi Sayyid Masjid during the sixteenth century was designed by a Siddi soldier, Shaykh sa’id al-Habshi Sultani. In India, Siddis are found belonging to different religious denominations—Islam, Christianity and Hinduism. They were found fighting against the British, participating in freedom movement and fighting for the British in World War II. Undauntedly, they have contributed immensely in the making of history in different capacities. In view this, the present paper attempts to list their role in India with focus on colonial period.
Keywords
- Habshi/Siddis
- African slave
- Colonial period
- Portuguese
- East India company
- Slave trade
- Janjira
- Sachin
- Siddi Abdul Karim Yakut Khan
- Malik Amber
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
As defined in Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Habshi.
- 5.
- 6.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD7sp-L9lUk. Accessed on 13-12-2019. The educational documentary on Siddi people of Karnataka prepared by unknown anchor of citizentv.co.ke and along with the Interview of the Prof. Ashish Nandi during 2013.
- 7.
In 2013, in a video documentary, Mr. Bosco Kaweesi who was then president of Siddi Educational Society informed to a scholar. Available in You tube, accessed on 16/12/2019.
- 8.
- 9.
The colours of the veils worn by the nuns in Santa Monica convent were mainly two types. Black veil symbolized for those who belonged to Portuguese lineage whereas white veils reflected the Indians origin (see Christopher, 2010).
- 10.
Historical Archives of Goa, Ms. Moncaes n. 159B, fls. 592.
- 11.
There is no written record about the name of Father of Fr. Thomas, but few sources mention that his father name was also Thomas Sthephen (Steven) as in old days it was common practice to take the father name with prefix Senior for the father and Junior for the Son. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/soc.culture.portuguese/NT2hVqbmS4E and https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/stephens-thomas.
- 12.
http://www.gatewayforindia.com/history/british_history1.htm. Accessed on 16/12/2019.
- 13.
- 14.
Africans in India: From slaves to Generals, see https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/africans-in-india-from-slaves-to-generals.300816/. Accessed on 24th February 2020.
- 15.
- 16.
See Footnote 15.
References
Alam, A., & Jha, G. N. (2019). Raji of Uttarakhand in transition. In M. C. Behera & G. N. Jha (Eds.), Dimensions of tribal studies—Development and culture in perspective (pp. 40–53). Nation Press.
Albinia, A. (2010). Empires of the Indus: The story of a river. WW Norton & Company.
Ali, M. A. (1996). The Mughal nobility under Aurangzeb. Oxford University Press. First published in 1966.
Ali, O. (2011). The African diaspora in the Indian Ocean world. http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africansindianocean/index2.php
Ali, O. (nd). Islam, Africa, and the Indian Ocean world. https://omarhali.wp.uncg.edu/islam-indian-ocean/
Baptiste, F. A. (2006). Introduction. In K. X. Robbins & J. McLeod (Eds.), African elites in India: Habshi Amarat (pp. 12–29). Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd.
Bauss, R. (1997). The Portuguese slave trade from Mozambique to Portuguese India and Macau and comments on Timor, 1750–1850: New evidence from the archives. Camões Center Quarterly, 6(1–2), 21–26.
Behera, M. C. (2004). Slavery or institutionalising efforts at perpetuating the source of labour? The case of the Nyishi-Sulung relationship. Man and Life, 30(1–2), 27–40.
Behera, M. C. (2019). Transformation of tribal economy: Understanding non-economic dynamics. In N. Panigrahi (Ed.), Tribal economy, culture and society in India (pp. 336–355). Concept Publishing Company.
Bhatt, P. M. (2017). The African diaspora in India: Assimilation, change and cultural survivals. Taylor & Francis.
Bhattacharya, I. (2016). Murud Janjira: The unsung legacy of Siddis. http://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30616.75521
Chauhan, R. S. (1993). Siddis of Janjira and the Portuguese (Unpublished Ph.D. thesis). Submitted to Department of History, Goa University.
Christopher, H. (2010). Social formation of the Siddhis in the Dharwad and Karwar districts of Karnataka State (Unpublished D. Phil. thesis). Submitted to Department of History, Mahatma Gandhi University.
Collis, M. (1946). The land of the Great Image being experiences of Friar Manrique in Arakan. Readers Union/Faber & Faber.
Da Fonseca, J. N. (1986). An historical and archaeological sketch of the city of Goa: Preceded by a short statistical account of the territory of Goa. Asian Educational Services. First Published in 1878. Thacker & Co Ltd.
Davies, C. E. B. (Ed.). (2008). Encyclopedia of the African diaspora: Origins, experiences, and culture (Vol. 1). ABC-CLIO.
De Silva, S. (2011). Introduction African migration: Understanding trends and traditions. African and Asian Studies, 10(1), 7–13.
Dias, M. (1989). Fr. Caetano Vitorino de Faria. In T. R. de Souza (Ed.), Essays in Goan history (pp. 139–154). Concept Publishing Company.
Epstein, M. (Ed.). (1946). The Statesman’s year-book: Statistical and historical annual of the states of the world for the year 1946. Macmillan and Co.
Gadgil, D. R. (1933). Industrial evolution of India in recent times. Oxford University Press.
Gauniyal, M., Chahal, S. S., & Kshatriya, G. K. (2008). Genetic affinities of the Siddis of South India: An emigrant population of East Africa. Human Biology, 80(3), 251–270.
Gerth, H. H., & Mills, C. W. (Eds. and Trans.). (1946). From Max Weber: Essays in sociology. Oxford University Press.
GI (Gateway for India). (nd). Indian history: Arrival of European traders. http://www.gatewayforindia.com/history/british_history1.htm. Accessed on 16/12/2019.
GoK (Government of Karnataka). (1985). Karnataka state gazetteer: Uttara Kannada District, Gazetteer of India. Director of Print, Stationery and Publications, Government of Karnataka.
Harris, J. E. (1971). The African presence in Asia: Consequences of the East Africa slave trade. Northwestern University Press.
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/africans-in-india-from-slaves-to-generals.300816/
http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africansindianocean/essay-south-asia.php
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/soc.culture.portuguese/NT2hVqbmS4E https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/stephens-thomas
https://thinkafrica.net/african-rulers-in-indian-history-sachin-gurjarat/
https://www.academia.edu/37290608/Murud_Janjira_The_Unsung_Legacy_of_Siddis
http://www.gatewayforindia.com/history/british_history1.htm. Accessed on 16/12/2019.
Jasdanwalla, F. (2011). African settlers on the west coast of India: The Sidi Elite of Janjira. African and Asian Studies, 10(1), 41–58.
Jasdanwalla, F. (2015). The invincible fort of the Nawabs of Janjira. Journal of African Diaspora Archaeology and Heritage, 4(1), 72–91.
Khalidi, O. (1989). African diaspora in India: The case of the Habashis of the Dakan. Islamic Culture, 63(1–2), 85–107.
Killingray, D., & Plaut, M. (2012). Fighting for Britain: African soldiers in the second world war. Boydell & Brewer Ltd.
Larsen, K. (1998). Faces of Goa. Gyan Publishing House.
Lodhi, A. Y. (1992). African settlements in India. Nordic Journal of African Studies, 1(1), 83–86.
Machado, P. (2003). A forgotten corner of the Indian Ocean: Gujarati merchants, Portuguese India and the Mozambique slave trade. Slavery and Abolition, 24(2), 17–32.
Mamdani, M. (2013). The Sidi: An introduction. In K. Sheth (Ed.), A certain grace: The Sidi Indians of African descent (pp. 8–20). Photo Ink.
M’Baye, B. (2006). The economic, political, and social impact of the Atlantic slave trade on Africa. European Legacy, 11(6), 607–622.
Obeng, P. (2003). Religion and empire: Belief and identity among African Indians of Karnataka, South India. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 71(1), 99–120.
Obeng, P. (2007). Service to god, service to master/client: African Indian military contribution in Karnataka. African and Asian Studies, 6(3), 271–288.
Patil, S. (1973). Problem of slavery in ancient India. Social Scientist, 1(11), 32–48. https://doi.org/10.2307/3516507
Pinto, J. (1992). Slavery in Portuguese India: 1510–1842. Himalayan publishing House.
Rai, K. M. (2003). Portuguese hegemony over Mangalore. In Proceedings of the Indian History Congress (Vol. 64, pp. 614–621).
Riddick, J. F. (2006). The history of British India: A chronology. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
Sharma, M. S. (2017, April 2). When black soldiers fought side by side with Indians. The Times of India.
Shepherd, A. (2020). Slavery: The crossed paths of the British and Portuguese. Newsletter 4. British Historical Society of Portugal. From the website https://www.bhsportugal.org/uploads/fotos_artigos/files/Slavery_PortugalandUK.pdf
Shirodkar, P. P. (1998). Research in Indo-Portuguese history—“Bund of Siddi Bastian in North Canara” (Vol. 2). Publication Schema.
Shroff, B. (2007). Sidis in Mumbai: Negotiating identities between Mumbai and Gujarat. African and Asian Studies, 6(3), 305–319.
Stein, B. (2010). Introduction. In D. Arnold (Ed.), A history of India (pp. 7–34). Willey-Blackwell Publishers.
Trivedi, R. K. (1964). Siddi—A Negroid tribe of Gujarat. In Census of India, 1961 (Vol. V, Part IV-B, No. 1). Ethnographic Series. Manager of Publications.
Walker, T. (2006). Slaves or soldiers? African conscripts in Portuguese India, 1857–1860. In I. Chatterjee & R. M. Eaton (Eds.), Slavery and South Asian history (pp. 234–261). Indiana University Press.
Warraich, T. A. (2008). Early Mosques of South Asia and impact of native architecture: A case study of Banbhore, Mansura, Udigram and Quwwat-Ul-Islam Mosque. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy (JRSP), 45(2), 159–168.
Wilks, M. (1989). Historical sketch of the South India in an attempt to trace the history of Mysore (Vol. II). Asian Educational Services.
Woodburn, J. (1988). African hunter-gatherer social organization: Is it best understood as a product of encapsulation? In T. Ingold, D. Riches, & J. Woodburn (Eds.), Hunters and gatherers I: History, evolution and social change (pp. 31–64). Berg.
Yimene, A. M. (2007). Dynamics of ethnic identity among the Siddis of Hyderabad. African and Asian Studies, 6(3), 321–345.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Additional information
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the chapter are the views of the author and do not represent those of any organization he is affiliated with.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ahmad, M.N. (2022). ‘From Africa’ to ‘Of India’: Siddis Through Colonial Period. In: Behera, M.C. (eds) Tribe, Space and Mobilisation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0059-4_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0059-4_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-19-0058-7
Online ISBN: 978-981-19-0059-4
eBook Packages: HistoryHistory (R0)