Siddi

:"Not to be confused with the Hindu term Siddhi (though sometimes spelt in the same way). For the Italian comune, see Siddi (Sardinia)"

The Siddi, Siddhi, or Sheedi (Hindi: शीदि, Urdu: شیدی) people are of Black African descent, whose ancestors arrived in India from the 11th to the 19th century due to slavery.

History

The Siddis (also called "Habshi", from Arabic حبشي "ḥabashi") are a Negroid people in India. They are the descendants of slaves first brought to India by Arab merchants in medieval times from the Bantu-speaking parts of eastern Africa. Siddis were referred to as "Zanj" by Arabs, and "Seng Chi" (a malapropism of Zanj) by the Chinese. [David Brion Davis, "Challenging the boundaries of slavery", (Harvard University Press: 2006), p.12] [Roland Oliver, "Africa in the Iron Age: c.500 BC-1400 AD", (Cambridge University Press: 1975), p.192] [F.R.C. Bagley et al., "The Last Great Muslim Empires", (Brill: 1997), p.174]

In Western India (today's Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra), the Siddi gained a reputation as being physically powerful and fiercely loyal. This made them popular amongst the local princes as mercenaries. The 17th century saw the largest influx of Siddis, as many were sold to Muslim Kings by Arab and Portuguese slave traders. Despite their reputation as good fighters, many were also used as domestic servants and farm labourers. Some Siddi slaves escaped into the forests to form their own communities.

In fact, small Siddi kingdoms were established in western India in Janjira and Jaffrabad as early as the twelfth century. The island of Janjira was formerly called Habshan, meaning the land of the Habshis. A few rulers of Bengal in the 15th century were of Habshi descent. The Habshis also played an important role in the history of Western India, particularly in the struggle between the Marathas and the Mughal Empire; with the Habshis often aligning themselves with the Mughals.

Siddis are categorized into two groups: the Zanji Siddis were brought to Pakistan and India by the Arabs as soldiers during their first Islamic invasion of the sub-continent in 712 A.D.; and Siddis brought as slaves to Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka later, during the 11th to 20th century. Some Indian Siddis are descended from Ethiopians and Mozambicans brought by the Portuguese. The ancestors of the Siddis of Southern Baluchistan and Karachi Pakistan were slaves from Ethiopia, Kenya and Zanzibar brought by the Omani Arabs. The Siddis descended from slaves live in their own tightly knit communities. Most of the original Siddis live in the Sindh region of Pakistan, and the Gujarat region of India, and some mixed with local Indian people.

iddis of Junagadh

Presented as slaves by the Portuguese to the local Nawab of Junagadh, a local Prince, the Siddis also live around Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, the last refuge in the world of the almost extinct Asiatic Lions, in Junagadh a district of the state of Gujarat, India.

On the way to Deva-dungar is the quaint village of Sirvan, inhabited entirely by Siddis, a tribe of African people. They were brought 300 years ago from Africa, by the Portuguese for the Nawab of Junagadh. Today, they are more Indian than African and follow very few of their original customs, with a few exceptions like the traditional Dhamal dance. [ [http://travel.expressindia.com/story/20499.html] ]

Origin of the terms "Siddi" and "Habshi"

The term "Siddi" is derived from the title borne by the captains of the Arab vessels that first delivered Siddi slaves to India. These captains were known as "Sayyid" (i.e. in the lineage of Prophet Muhammad), so their black captives were named after them.Vijay Prashad, "Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting: Afro-Asian Connections and the Myth of Cultural Purity", (Beacon Press: 2002), p.8]

Similarly, the term "habshi" (from "Al-Habsh", the Arabic term for Abyssinia) is derived from the common name for the captains of the Ethiopian/Abyssinian ships that also first delivered Siddi slaves to India.

Present Status

Siddis are found in both Indian and Pakistani society, but principally the latter. Most have adopted the religion of their former masters, so they are mainly Muslims.few of them had mixed with local Indian people. Siddis have long since lost their original Bantu names and culture. They have, however, retained some forms of Black African traditions in the form of dance and music.

Films

*2003 - "From Africa...To India: Sidi Music in the Indian Ocean Diaspora". By Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, in close collaboration with Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy and the Sidi community. DVD-R. ISBN 1880519291.

ee also

*Zanj
*Afro-Asian
*List of Scheduled Tribes in India
*Murud-Janjira
*Siddhis of Karnataka
*Malunga
*Black Indians (the Americas)

References

External links

* [http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/people/1097.htm Indians of African Origin]
* [http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/people/afro-indians/3358.htm Black, Indian, & Hindu]
* [http://www.colorq.org/MeltingPot/article.aspx?d=Asia&x=Habshi Habshis and Siddis - Africans and African descendants in South Asia ]
* [http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/ethiopia.html The Global African Community/Great Habshis in Ethiopian/Indian History]
* [http://www.addistribune.com/Archives/2000/04/21-04-00/Hist.htm History of the Ethiopian Diaspora]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1869876.stm Pakistan's Sidi keep heritage alive]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1035389.stm BBC: The lost Africans of India]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/africa_india0s_african_communities/html/1.stm BBC In pictures: India's African communities]
*http://travel.expressindia.com/story/20499.html
*http://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=xtras&subsection=womensextra&xfile=January2007_extraspecial_standard805&child=extraspecial