The Siddi — The 1400 Year History of Africans In South Asia
By dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor
The Indian subcontinent is home to over 1.7 billion people or about 22% of the world’s total population. In the ages of antiquity no empire (with the notable exception of China) has been as large, wealthy, and powerful as India for as long a period of time. For the purpose of this diary when I refer to India, I will speaking of the entire Indian subcontinent. As the modern nations of India, Pakistan, later Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were formed out the 1947 political fragmentation of what was historical a united Indian empire. To be more accurate this diary is about the people of African decedent who live in South Asia.
During almost all of recorded history, Indian sailors and traders traveled the relatively warm calm waters of the Indian Ocean from present day Indonesia all the way to Mozambique. India traded extensively with all these area, and vice versa. One of the least recognized historical facts in the West is the presence of people of African descent in India. I may be speculating, but I believe that’s because people from Southern India share the darker skin tones of black Africans. Thus this migration hasn’t been as noticeable to Western eyes. Never the less, Africans have been present in India for fourteen centuries. People of African descent in South Asia are known as the Siddi.
On a personal note, my family is from the Caribbean where there are a large number of people of East Indian decent, with some countries in the Caribbean being as much as 50% East Indian (that’s a whole other example of unrecognized facts). I personally have a number of people with East Indian blood in my family. The Caribbean is one of the world’s great melting pots, as evident in Jamaica’s and Trinidad’s curry dishes, introduced by East Indian indentured workers almost two centuries ago. I have always had a fascination with Indian culture, but it was only as an adult I realized that historically the Indian subcontinent had both a significant presence and contact with ancient Africa. But it was more recently that I learned of a significant presence of Africans in India known as the Siddi. With so many South Asians celebrating Diwali this week, I once again thought about African South Asians.
There are various hypotheses on the origin of the name Siddi. One theory is that the word derives from sahibi, an Arabic term of respect in North Africa, similar to the word sahib in modern India and Pakistan. A second theory is that the term Siddi is derived from the title borne by the captains of the Arab vessels that first brought Siddi settlers to India. These captains were known as Sayyid.
Similarly, another term for Siddis, habshi, is held to be derived from the common name for the captains of the Abyssinian (Ethiopian/Eritrean) ships that also first delivered Siddi slaves to the subcontinent. As we get closer to the modern era Siddis are starting to be referred to as Afro-Indians.
The first Siddis are thought to have arrived in India at the port of Bharuch in 628 AD. Several others followed with the first Arab Islamic conquest of the Indian subcontinent in 712 AD. This latter group are believed to have been soldiers in Muhammad bin Qasim's Arab army. This group of enslved Muslim African soldiers were called Zanjis. Some Siddis escaped slavery to establish communities in forested areas, or places Janjira Island as early as the twelfth century. A former alternative name of Janjira was Habshan (i.e., land of the Habshis). One of the greatest stories of Africans in India revolve around the story of Queen Razia Sultan and Jamal-ud-Din Yakut.
Queen Razia was one of India’s most valiant queens and history tells the tale of her suspected liaison with her confidant and ally, Jamal-ud-Din Yakut. Whether or not they were actual lovers is unclear, but the outrage that this alleged dalliance sparked in the 13th century Mamluk Dynasty is well recorded. Much of the resentment against Yakut arose from the fact that he was a slave-turned-nobleman of African origin, and not from the ethnic-Turkish clique that dominated the nobility in the Delhi-based Sultanate. Conferred the title of Amir al-Umara (Amir of Amirs), by Queen Razia, Jamal-ud-Din Yakut was the first African to occupy a prominent position in India.
Yakut is only one of many Africans to have left their mark on Indian history. Many of these Africans proved themselves while in the service of local rulers. They enjoyed a great degree of social mobility, some of them going on to become military commanders, aristocrats, statesmen and even founders their own kingdoms
India’s Siddi population was later swelled via the forced migration of Bantu peoples from Southeast Africa brought to the Indian subcontinent Indian subcontinent as slaves by the Portuguese. Most of these migrants either were or became Muslims. The Nizam of Hyderabad also employed African-origin guards and soldiers.
But even before to the rise of the Islamic Mughals empire in India, several former African slaves rose to high ranks in the military and ruling class. The most prominent of these Africans was the famous Malik Ambar.
Malik Ambar was the regent of the Nizamshahi dynasty of Ahmednagar from 1607 to 1627. During this period he increased the strength and power of Murtaza Nizam Shah II and raised a large army. He raised a cavalry which grew from 150 to 7000 in a short period of time and revitalized the Ahmadnagar sultanate and repelling Mughal attacks from the North. By 1610, his army grew to include 10,000 Habshis and 40,000 Deccanis. Over the course of the next decade, Malik Ambar would fight and defeat Mughal emperor Jahangir's attempts to take over the kingdom.
As I wrote earlier most people in the West are unaware of the eastward African slave trade from Southeastern Africa to places like India. But the Siddis in South India are a significant social portion of the African Diaspora whose histories, experiences, cultures, and expressions are integral part of Indian history.
Although the Siddis have always been a numerical minority, their fourteen hundred year historic presence in India, their own self identity, and how the broader Indian society relates to them, marks them as distinctly Afro-Indian. Historically the Siddis have existed in a sort of ethnic limbo. Siddis maintained their own culture and did not succumb to the structures of imperial forces, but also they didn’t rebel against imperial rule. But a group of Siddi near the modern Indian tech capital of Hyderabad have had an outside influence on India culture.
In the 18th century, a Siddi community was established in Hyderabad by a group of the Siddi diaspora, who had served as cavalry and guards to the Asif Jahi Nizam of Hyderabad's army. The Asif Jahi rulers patronized them with rewards and the traditional Marfa music gained popularity and would be performed during official celebrations and ceremonies. The Siddis of Hyderabad by tradition began to reside in the A.C. Guards (African Cavalry Guards) area near Masjid Rahmania, known locally as Siddi Risala in the city Hyderabad.
Another group of Siddi that that became to influence India music were originally sold as slaves by the Portuguese to the local Prince, Nawab of Junagadh about 300 years ago. This group of Siddis live around Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife sanctuary. Today, they follow very few of their original customs, with a few exceptions like the traditional Dhamal dance.
Although Gujarati Siddis have generally adopted the language and customs of the surrounding general populations, some of their Bantu traditions have been preserved. These include the Goma music and dance form, which is sometimes called Dhamaal (fun). The term is believed to be derived from the Ngoma drumming and traditional dance forms of the Bantu people inhabiting Central, East and Southern Africa. The Goma also has a spiritual significance and, at the climax of the dance, some dancers are believed to be vehicles for the presence of Siddi saints of the past.
Goma music comes from the Swahili word "ngoma", which means drums. It also denotes any dancing occasion where principally traditional drums are used. The majority of the Siddis in Gujarat are Muslims.
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Today the city of Bangalore, India’s Silicon Valley, symbolizes the success story of modern India. There Indians keep the books of major American enterprises and work the call centers for corporations around the world. But directly to the North of Bangalore, in the same state of Karnataka, Sidis battle to keep access to their lands in the forests. Hundreds of years ago, their ancestors fled from slavery in Portuguese-ruled Indian city enclave of Goa to the mostly inaccessible forests of the interior.
The Siddi near Bangalore built villages, similar to the maroons in the Caribbean. They subsist on forest produce and tilling small plots of cleared land. It is widely shared belief by these Siddis believe that President Barack Obama share their genealogy, as Obama’s father was originally from Mombasa (in modern day Kenya) where traditions say their ancestors hail from. These Siddi widely celebrated his visit to India in 2010.
The Siddis near Bangalore have preserved elements of their African heritage, expressed by their music, songs, stories and uniquely African musical instruments. These performances are closely linked to Sufi sects, a mystical version of Islam that allows for culturally heterodox practices. These black Sufi practitioners venerate a black saint known as Gori Pir (Pir Mangho). Local oral tradition has it that Gori Pir came to Gujarat in the 15th century as a merchant from Africa, accompanied by his sister and several brothers.
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Else where in South Asia, in Pakistan locals of African Bantu descent are called "Sheedi". The estimated population of the Sheedi in Pakistan is over 250,000. In the city of Karachi, the main Sheedi center is the area of Lyari and other nearby coastal areas. The Sheedi consider themselves a brotherhood or a subdivision of the Siddi. The Sheedi are divided into four clans, or houses: Kharadar Makan, Hyderabad Makan, Lassi Makan and Belaro Makan.
The Sufi saint Pir Mangho (Gori Pir in India) is regarded by many as the patron saint of the Sheedi, and the annual Sheedi Mela festival, is the key event in the Sheedi community's cultural calendar. Some glimpses of the rituals at Sidi/Sheedi Festival include visit to sacred alligators at Mangho pir , dancing and playing music. The instrument, songs, and dances are clearly derived from Africa.
The Sheedi are very active in cultural activities and organize many annual festivals, such as the Habash Festival. In the local Sheedi culture, dancing is not performed only by a select few and watched idly by onlookers. Sheedi dancing is participated by all the people present, with little difference between the performers and the audience.
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Famous Sheedi include the historic Sindhi army leader Hoshu Sheedi and Urdu poet Noon Meem Danish. Sheedis are well known for their excellence in sports, especially in soccer and boxing. Qasim Umer is a famous cricketer who played for Pakistan in 80s. The musical anthem of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, "Bija Teer", is a Balochi song in the musical style of the Sheedi with Black African style rhythm and drums. Younis Jani is a popular Sheedi singer famous for singing an Urdu version of the reggaeton song "Papi chulo... (te traigo el mmmm...)."
The Sheedi in Sindh proudly also refer to themselves the Qambranis, in reverence to Qambar, the freed slave of Ali. A politician from this area Tanzeela Qambrani became the first Sheedi woman to be elected as the member of Provincial Assembly in Pakistan’s 2018 general election.
Finally on the South Asian island of Sri Lanka , the self described Sri Lankan Kaffirs are an ethnic group who are partially descended from Bantu slaves who were brought by 16th century Portuguese traders to work as laborers and soldiers in wars against the Sinhala Kings. The term Kaffir is an obsolete term once used to designate natives from the African Great Lakes and Southern Africa coasts. Although in modern South Africa it has became a racial slur. "The Kaffirs speak a distinctive creole partially based on Portuguese. Their cultural heritage includes the dance styles Kaffringna and Manja and their popular form of dance music Baila.
Although most Westerner may be unaware of the eastward African slave trade from Southeastern Africa that gave rise to the Siddi. But the Siddi in South Asian a part of the African Diaspora that had a significant impact on Indian history and cultures. Although the Siddis have always been a minority in South Asia, their over five hundred years historic presence, and their own self identity, marks them as distinctly Afro-Indian. Today the contribution of the Siddi are an integral part of modern South Asian culture.
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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor
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However, some elections have consequences that far outweigh others and this year, the consequences are heavy indeed—up and down the ticket.
Likewise, I agree that some constituencies are more consequential than others—that’s just the fact of the matter—and I don’t mind saying that Black men are the most consequential voting bloc in this election and will continue to be so in the elections to come.
Of course, I don’t say this to somehow dismiss the importance of Black women. The fact is that, without them, there would be no us…politically or practically. However, the issues facing Black men, our votes and our voices are just as important and yet we ignore them at our peril.
That’s why you see so many GOP operatives targeting talking points and tactics to appeal to Black men. But while they seek to bojangle us with whitewashes, targeted disinformation and outright lies, we can see the truth if we look. We can see that they don’t have our best interests at heart, and, quite frankly, they would use us as simple tools in their ruthless pursuits of power.
But we won’t be used.
That’s why it’s so important, so consequential, that we meet this foolishness with fact.
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HBO Max’s long-gestating Green Lantern TV series is changing gears.
The drama, which has been in the works since late 2019, will now focus on John Stewart, one of DC’s first Black superheroes. The series, from exec producer Greg Berlanti, was to originally have revolved around Guy Gardner and Alan Scott and had already cast Finn Wittrock (Ratched) and Jeremy Irvine (Treadstone) as the respective Green Lanterns.
As part of the creative overhaul, writer and showrunner Seth Grahame-Smith has departed the series after completing scripts for a full season of eight episodes. Sources say Grahame-Smith, who signed on as writer and showrunner a year after Green Lantern was announced, chose to leave the project after weathering a number of regime changes at HBO Max, its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, producers Warner Bros. Television, and now DC Comics.
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Musk’s procurement was welcomed with open arms in Telegram groups dedicated to QAnon (the home for right-wing and pro-Trump conspiracy theories). Since Twitter is a place where information is frequently shared and sought in real time, allowing users who spread election misinformation to have accounts can lead to dire consequences.
This rings especially true as the midterms are looming. Musk has shared in the past that he would vote Republican in the 2022 midterms. Also, he said he was likely to support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president in 2024.
When it was announced that Musk was officially in charge of Twitter, racist slurs were shared on the platform in droves overnight. For example, one tweet displayed a video montage praising Nazi Germany and was captioned: “I hear that there have been some changes around here.”
It was like more than 400 times. Musk insisted that there will still be “rules.” “Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!” Musk said in a tweet Thursday.
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A Canadian court has ruled that random traffic stops violate the country’s charter, striking down the “unbounded power” of police in searches that often amount to racial profiling.
A Quebec superior judge ruled on Tuesday that police cannot pull over drivers without cause.
“Racial profiling does exist. It is not a laboratory-constructed abstraction. It is not a view of the mind. It is a reality that weighs heavily on Black communities. It manifests itself in particular among Black drivers of motor vehicles,” wrote justice Michel Yergeau. “Charter rights can no longer be left in thrall to an unlikely moment of epiphany by the police. Ethics and justice must go hand in hand to turn this page.”
Yergeau’s ruling, which he has suspended for six months, invalidates the police power to conduct a “roving random stop”.
The case against the Canadian and Quebec governments was brought by Montreal resident Joseph-Christopher Luamba, who told the court that in the 18 months after he got his driver’s licence in 2018, he was pulled over nearly 10 times for no reason, both as a passenger and a driver.
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Last year Gold Fields announced it would start building a solar plant to help power South Deep, one of the largest gold mines in the world. Soon afterwards, the South African mining firm got messages from several self-styled “business forums”, a euphemism belying their real interest: extortion. The forums demanded a cut of the contract to construct the plant. They followed up with texts to employees and unauthorised visits to the mine, which lies just outside Johannesburg.
The consequences of non-compliance were not spelt out. But they could be assumed. Since 2015 forums have spread from the province of KwaZulu-Natal to the rest of the country, invading construction sites and demanding a share of any deal. In 2019 forums affected at least 183 projects, worth more than 63bn rand ($4bn). That year gun-toting forum members led to two firms pulling out of a project to build what would have been the highest bridge in Africa. After the incident the boss of the South African firm said of its German partner: “They have worked in 80 countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq, but have never experienced anything like this.”
There is a lot of crime in South Africa. In the past few months alone there has been a spate of shootings in taverns, a mass rape in a mining town and multiple kidnappings. These are not random incidents, notes Mark Shaw, director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (gi-toc), a think-tank headquartered in Geneva. They are a result of flourishing organised crime that is “an existential threat to South Africa’s democratic institutions, economy and people”.
In a report last month gi-toc described 15 illicit “markets”, ten of which it said are growing. (The other five are “stable”.) In an earlier paper it ranked South Africa 19th in the world for organised criminality, ahead of Libya and Russia. “Few [countries] host so many illicit markets across such a broad spectrum of criminal activity.”
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As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ottawa Thursday hoping to convince Canada to take the lead in helping Haiti confront criminal gangs blocking the flow of fuel and food from its seaports, Canadian officials announced that they were conducting an assessment mission in the Caribbean country.
Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly said a high-level Canadian delegation is currently in Port-au-Prince to consult with Haitians and others in the international community on how Canada can help restore access to essential goods and services amid escalating gang violence and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
“The Varreux terminal needs to be unblocked. It is fundamental that Haiti be able to supply itself with gas and as well with clean water,” Joly said Thursday afternoon during a joint press conference with Blinken.
There was no indication from the two officials that any agreement had been reached about sending foreign forces to Haiti to help shore up the Haitian national police and help them get a grip on gangs, which are not only blocking the flow of fuel but also kidnapping individuals. Blinken said a proposal before the U.N. Secuirty Council to get contributions of personnel, equipment and other resources “for a potential mission” that would be limited in scope and time, remains “a work in progress.”
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