Arabs, Siddis and Armenians

Arab merchants came to India from the 7th century onward, and many settled on the west coast — in Kerala, Gujarat and Karnataka. They traded spices and other goods, married local women and formed new communities. In Kerala they became part of the Mappila Muslim community and helped build India's oldest mosque, the Cheraman Juma Masjid.

These early Arab settlers came as peaceful traders, not conquerors, bringing new ideas, culture and religion and adding to India's trade and cultural exchange. Compare this with the Arab armies in Sindh two chapters ago: the same people, arriving in two completely different ways.

The Siddis have a different story. They are of African origin. Enslaved in Africa, they were brought to India as slaves by Arab, Portuguese and British traders between the 7th and 19th centuries. Everyone else in this chapter chose to come; the Siddis did not.

In the 18th century, some Siddis rose to high positions in the armies of Muslim rulers and for a short time controlled parts of Bengal. Their culture mixes African and Indian traditions: they have a special dance with African-style drumming, have adapted their language to the region, and combine African religious practices with Hinduism, Islam or Christianity.

Today the Siddis are listed as a Scheduled Tribe, but many are still poor, and efforts are being made to improve their education and jobs. Hirabai Lobi, a Siddi woman from Gujarat, worked to help the women of her community — connecting them with banks and teaching them organic farming and other ways to earn. She received the Padma Shri in 2023.

Armenia is a small, mountainous country between Turkey and Azerbaijan, just north of Iran. Centuries ago, Armenian merchants traded in Indian spices and fine muslin cloth, and may have set up a first settlement on the Malabar coast in the 8th century.

In the 16th century, under the Mughals, many Armenians from Persia won the emperors' support. Their earliest settlement was in Agra, where Emperor Akbar let them build a church and practise their Christian faith. Armenians held important posts in the royal household, the army and the government: Abdul Hai was Chief Justice at Akbar's court, and Lady Juliana was a doctor in the royal palace.

Armenians also settled in Surat, Kolkata and Chennai, building schools, churches and cemeteries. Kolkata became a major Armenian centre, where the 18th-century Armenian College and Mother Mary Church are still active. In Madras they traded in silk, spices and precious stones. Their numbers have fallen over the centuries, but a few families and heritage groups keep their legacy alive.