How did the Siddis come to India

The historical migration of the Bantu and other African people into the Indian subcontinent is perhaps one of the most neglected parts of Indian history. Both academic scholarship and educational material ignore this significant movement of people into India and its cultural impact. 

There is some speculation that Africans came to India in the 4th-century but due to a lack of substantial evidence, one cannot entirely rely on this. The most common belief is that they were brought to India by Persian slave traders in the 7^th century and later by British and Portuguese slave traders around the 16^th century. While a lot of them did arrive in these large waves of forceful migration, some also arrived in smaller groups as personal servants to colonial personnel or as independent merchants.

The Siddis occupied a wide variety of posts ranging in rank and power in India. Some worked as slaves and laborers (masons carpenters, wood carvers, etc) while others fought in the army. Yet others managed to reach very high positions- becoming assistants to official ministers, assuming diplomatic positions themselves, or becoming rulers. 

Official colonial records are one of the primary sources of information regarding the migration of the Siddis to India. While it is harder to obtain details regarding the lives of those who were slaves, there is a fair amount of information about certain eminent historical personalities. An interesting fact that is often overlooked is that Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut- the famed soldier and nobleman and Razia Sultan's alleged lover was actually an Abyssinian slave who exercised influence over that period of history. 

Malik Ambar- the founder and ruler of Aurangabad, Siddi Masood Khan- an Abysinnian merchant who ruled over the Adoni region of present-day Rayalaseema, Andhra Pradesh during the 16th century, Barbak Shahzada or Ghiyat-al-Din Firuz Shah- who ruled in Bengal in the 15th century are all comparatively well-known people who give us a sense of their community.

Therefore, the Siddis have a long history and relationship with India. Despite originally migrating from Africa, they have made this country their home and have contributed to its diplomacy, sports, culture, and heritage in numerous ways. 

Citations 

1. Africans in India- From Slaves to Reformers to Rulers- Vikas Pandey

2. https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/p7LfTiQKXkTXkZHNBSZbLO/Indias-African-heritage.html 

3. http://www.focusongeography.org/publications/articles/siddi/index.html 

- Neelima