Group	Siddis(सिद्दी شیدی સિદ્દી ಸಿದ್ಧಿಗಳು)
Population	20,000 – 55,000 (estimated)
Popplace	Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka states of India, Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan and southern coastal Iran (where they are considered Arabs).
Languages	Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Konkani, Sindhi, Makrani dialect of Balochi
Religions	Mainly Sufi Sunni Islam, with Hindu and Catholic Christian minorities }}

The Siddi, Siddhi, or Sheedi (}}; Hindi: सिद्दी or शीदि; Gujarati: સિદ્દી; Kannada: ಸಿದ್ಧಿಗಳು), also known as Habshi, are an Indian and Pakistani ethnic group of Afro-Arab and/or Black African descent. The Siddi population is currently estimated to be 20,000–55,000, with Gujarat in India the main population centre. Siddis are mainly Sufi Muslims, although some are Hindus and some Roman Catholic Christians. Villages in the forests of northern Karnataka, for instance, have residents who likely are descended from Mozambican/Angolan slaves who escaped from Portuguese traders and ships.

Etymology of name

There are conflicting hypotheses on the origin of the name ''Siddi''. One theory is that the word was a 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'' (from ''Al-Habsh'', the Arabic term for Abyssinia), is held to be derived from the common name for the captains of the Ethiopian/Abyssinian ships that also first delivered Siddi slaves to the subcontinent. The term eventually came to be applied to other Africans and not only to emancipated Siddis. In time, it came to be used to refer to their descendants as well. It is sometimes pronounced "Hafsi" and is considered an insult.

Siddis are also sometimes referred to as Afro-Indians. Siddis were referred to as ''Zanji'' by Arabs; in China, various transcriptions of this Arabic word were used, including ''Xinji'' (辛吉) and ''Jinzhi'' (津芝).

History

The first Siddis are thought to have arrived in the Indian subcontinent in 628 CE at the Bharuch port. Several others followed with the first Arab Islamic invasions of the subcontinent in 712 AD. The latter group are believed to have been soldiers with Muhammad bin Qasim's Arab army, and were called ''Zanjis''.

Most Siddis, however, are believed to be the descendants of slaves, sailors, servants and merchants from East Africa who arrived and became resident in the subcontinent during the 1200-1900 CE period. A large influx of Siddis to the region occurred in the 17th century when Portuguese slave traders sold a number of them to local princes.

In Western India (the modern Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra), the Siddi gained a reputation for physical strength and loyalty, and were sought out as mercenaries by local rulers, and as domestic servants and farm labor. Some Siddis escaped slavery to establish communities in forested areas, and some even established small Siddi principalities on Janjira Island and at Jaffrabad as early as the twelfth century. A former alternative name of Janjira was Habshan (i.e., land of the Habshis). In the Delhi Sultanate period prior to the rise of the Mughals in India, Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut was a prominent Siddi slave-turned-nobleman who was a close confidant of Razia Sultana (1205–1240 CE). Although this is disputed, he may also have been her lover.

As a power centre, Siddis were sometimes allied with the Mughal Empire in its power-struggle with the Maratha Confederacy. However, Malik Ambar, a prominent Siddi figure in Indian history at large, is sometimes regarded as the "military guru of the Marathas", and was deeply allied with them. He established the town of Khirki which later became the modern city of Aurangabad, and helped establish the Marathas as a major force in the Deccan. Later, the Marathas adapted Siddi guerrilla warfare tactics to grow their power and ultimately demolish the Mughal empire. Some accounts describe the Mughal emperor Jahangir as obsessed by Ambar due to the Mughal empire's consistent failures in crushing him and his Maratha cavalry, describing him derogatorily as "the black faced" and "the ill-starred" in the royal chronicles and even having a painting commissioned that showed Jahangir killing Ambar, a fantasy which was never realised in reality.

Some Indian Siddis are descended from Tanzanians and Mozambicans brought by the Portuguese. While most African slaves became Muslim and a small minority became Christian, very few became Hindu since they could not find themselves a position in the traditional Hindu caste hierarchy.

Siddis of India

Siddis of Gujarat

Supposedly presented as slaves by the Portuguese to the local Prince, Nawab of Junagadh, 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 follow very few of their original customs, with a few exceptions like the traditional Dhamal dance.

Although Gujarati Siddis have adopted the language and many customs of their surrounding populations, some African traditions have been preserved. These include the ''Goma'' music and dance form, which is sometimes called ''Dhamaal'' (Gujarati: ધમાલ, fun). The term is believed to be derived from the Ngoma drumming and dance forms of Bantu East 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.

Siddis of Karnataka

The Siddis of Karnataka () (also spelled Siddhis) are a tribe of African descent that has made Karnataka their home for the last 400 years. There is a 50,000 strong Siddhi population across India, of which more than a third live in Karnataka. In Karnataka, they are concentrated around Yellapur, Haliyal, Ankola, Joida, Mundagod and Sirsi taluks of Uttara Kannada and in Khanapur of Belgaum and Kalagatgi of Dharwad district. Their language is a mixture of Konkani and Marathi, but they also speak Kannada. Many members of the Siddis community of Karnataka had migrated to Pakistan after independence and have settled in Karachi, Sindh. The majority of the Siddhis in Karnataka are descendants of Siddhi slaves who were brought from East Africa (mostly Mozambique) and Ethiopia to Goa by the Portuguese, British and the Arabs between the 16th and 19th centuries. During the Goan Inquisition, some of these slaves were freed and some escaped into the forests of the neighbouring Karnataka state. It has been reported that these Siddis believe that Barack Obama shares their genepool and that they wanted to gift a bottle of honey to him on his visit to India in 2010.

Sheedis of Pakistan

In Pakistan, locals of Black African descent are called "Makrani", "Sheedi" or "Habshi". They live primarily along the Makran Coast in Balochistan (see also Makrani), and lower Sindh. In the city of Karachi, the main Sheedi centre is the area of Lyari and other nearby coastal areas. Technically, the Sheedi are a brotherhood or community distinct from the other Afro-Pakistanis. The Sheedis are divided into four clans, or houses: Kharadar Makan, Hyderabad Makan, Lassi Makan and Belaro Makan. The sufi saint Pir Mangho is regarded by many as the patron saint of the Sheedis, 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 2010 include visit to sacred alligators at Mangho pir, playing music and dance. Clearly, the instrument, songs and dance appear to be derived from Africa.

Linguistically, Makranis are Balochi and Sindhi and speak a dialect of Urdu referred to as Makrani. In Sindh, the Sheedis have traditionally intermarried only with lower caste Muslims such as the Mallahs (fisherpeople), Khaskeli (laborers), Katri (dyeing caste) and Kori (clothmakers). This accounts for the existence of non-African features such as the straight nose and lighter skin among some Sheedis. In Makran, many have intermarried with the Baloch.

Famous Sheedis include the historic Sindhi army leader Hoshu Sheedi and Urdu poet Noon Meem Danish. Sheedis are also well known for their excellence in sports, especially in football and boxing. The musical anthem of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, "Bija Teer", is a Balochi song in the musical style of the Sheedis 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...)."

Most Makranis in Pakistan have Black Africans links from the female side. Many Sindhi feudals imported African female slaves; so did the Omani Arabs of Gwadar, an coastal city of Balochistan which was in control of Oman in the 17th century. According to Dr. Sengupta's seminal study, the Y-DNA analysis reveals E3a at a frequency distribution of 5%. On the other hand, mtDNA analysis reveals approx 40% L1a, L2a, L2b, L2d.

Famous Siddis or Sheedis

Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut, confidante of Razia Sultana

Yakut Khan, naval admiral

Malik Ambar, prime minister of Ahmadnagar Sultanate

Hoshu Sheedi, Sindhi commander

Noon Meem Danish, Urdu poet

Nawab of Janjira

Juje Siddi, former Indian national football team and Salgaocar SC goalkeeper

Films

''From Africa...To Indian Subcontinent: Sidi Music in the Indian Ocean Diaspora'' (2003) by Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, in close collaboration with Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy and the Sidi community.

''Mon petit diable (My Little Devil)'' (1999) was directed by Gopi Desai. Om Puri, Pooja Batra, Rushabh Patni, Satyajit Sharma.

''Razia Sultan'' (1983), an Indian Urdu film directed by Kamal Amrohi, is based on the life of Razia Sultan (played by Hema Malini) (1205–1240), the only female Sultan of Delhi (1236–1240), and her speculated love affair with the Abyssinian slave Jamal-ud-Din Yakut (played by Dharmendra). He was referred to in the movie as a habshee.

See also

African Pakistani

Afro Asians (African Asians)

Chaush

List of Scheduled Tribes in India

Lyari

Makrani

Malunga

Manghopir Urs

Murud-Janjira

Noon Meem Danish

Pir Mangho Urs

Pir Mangho

Sheedi

Sheedi Mela

Sri Lanka Kaffirs

Siddis of Karnataka

Zanj

References

External links

Alice Albinia, Empires of the Indus, W. W. Norton & Company, 2010, 52–78.

Shanti Sadiq Ali, The African Dispersal in the Deccan: From Medieval to Modern Times, Orient Blackswan, 1996

Ababu Minda Yimene, An African Indian Community in Hyderabad: Siddi Identity, Its Maintenance and Change, Cuvillier Verlag, 2004, pg 201

Omar H. Ali, The African Diaspora in India, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library

Bantu origins of the Sidis of India; By Abdulaziz Y. Lodhi (2008-10-29) in PAMBAZUKA NEWS

Indians of African Origin

Black, Indian, & Hindu

Habshis and Siddis – Africans and African descendants in South Asia

The Global African Community/Great Habshis in Ethiopian/Indian History

History of the Ethiopian Diaspora

Historical overview of South Asian communities with African roots by Dr Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya

Pakistan's Sidi keep heritage alive

BBC: The lost Africans of India

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

Category:Ethnic groups in India Category:Ethnic groups in Pakistan Category:Peoples of the African diaspora Category:Muslim communities Category:Muslim communities of India Category:Sindhi tribes Category:Africa–Pakistan relations Category:Africa–India relations Category:Social groups of Gujarat Category:Social groups of Sindh Category:Tribal communities of Gujarat Category:Muslim communities of Gujarat Category:African diaspora Category:Immigration to India

ca:Habshis de:Siddi (Volk) gu:સિદ્દી hi:सिदी new:सिद्दि pt:Siddis ru:Сидди zh:希狄

colspan="3" style="font-size: larger"	right|80px|<	} FlagMukhtar Ali
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Mukhtar Ali is a First class cricketer from Bangladesh who made his debut for Barisal Division in 2006/07 without making much impact on debut against Khulna Division.

Category:Bangladeshi cricketers Category:Barisal Division cricketers Category:Chittagong Division cricketers Category:Living people

ta:முக்தார் அலி