Armenia–India relations

The relationship between Armenia and India is often characterised as amicable, with both nations fostering a growing partnership across various sectors including economics, culture, military, and technology. Reports from 2022 indicated that Armenia and India were considering avenues for long-term military collaboration. Armenia maintains an embassy in New Delhi, while India has its embassy in Yerevan.

Armenian-Indian relations

Armenia	India
Diplomatic mission
Armenian embassy, New Delhi	Indian embassy, Yerevan

Historical Context

Ancient Connections

It is believed that Armenians first journeyed to India as early as the time of Alexander the Great, when some joined his forces as auxiliary troops during his campaign through Armenia en route to India. The earliest documented evidence of the relationship between Armenians and Indians can be traced back to Xenophon's Cyropaedia (Persian Expedition), dating from 430 BCE to 355 BCE. This ancient text suggests that numerous Armenians travelled to India and possessed considerable knowledge of the land routes leading there, along with insights into the political geography, socio-cultural landscape, and economic activities of India.

An archive directory published in 1956 in Delhi records the arrival of Armenian merchant-diplomat Thomas of Cana on the Malabar Coast in 780 CE via overland routes. He was a prosperous trader primarily dealing in spices and muslins, and played a significant role in securing a decree from the Chera Dynasty, which was inscribed on a copperplate. This decree granted various commercial, social, and religious privileges to the local Saint Thomas Christians. In contemporary local parlance, he is referred to as Knayi Thomman or Kanaj Tomma, meaning "Thomas the merchant". By the 7th century, Armenians had established trade relations with several regions of India, leading to the emergence of Armenian settlements along the Malabar Coast in present-day Kerala, where they dominated a considerable portion of the international trade, particularly in precious stones and high-quality fabrics.

Medieval History

During the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar (1556 CE – 1605 CE), Armenians were invited to establish a presence in Agra in the 16th century, leading to a significant Armenian population by the mid-19th century. Armenian traders frequented Agra throughout the Mughal Empire. An imperial edict granted Armenian merchants exemptions from taxes on their imported and exported goods, as well as permission to travel within regions of the Mughal Empire where foreign entry was generally restricted. In 1562, the construction of an Armenian Church in Agra marked an important milestone.

From the 16th century onwards, Armenians, primarily hailing from Persia, became a vital trading community in Surat, which was the most bustling port in India at the time, situated on the western coast. Surat experienced regular maritime traffic with merchant ships arriving from Basra (modern-day Iraq) and Bandar Abbas (present-day Iran). The Armenian community in Surat established two churches and a cemetery; one tombstone from 1579 features inscriptions in Armenian. The second church, dedicated to Mary, was constructed in 1778. An Armenian manuscript dating back to 1678, now housed in the Saltikov-Shchedrin Library in St. Petersburg, documents a permanent Armenian colony in Surat. Armenians also settled in Chinsurah, near Calcutta, West Bengal, where they built a church in 1697, making it the second oldest church in Bengal, which remains well-preserved thanks to the efforts of the Calcutta Armenian Church Committee. Additionally, the Armenian Church in Chennai was established in 1712, and the city had a notable Armenian community that made significant contributions. Among them was Coja Petrus Uscan, renowned for constructing the Marmalong Bridge as a charitable act.

Modern history

In September 1964, Indian President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan made an official visit to the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, followed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's visit in June 1976.

India officially recognised Armenia on 26 December 1991, just three months after Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union. Diplomatic relations were formalised on 31 August 1992, and India established its embassy in Yerevan on 1 March 1999. Armenia had previously opened an honorary consulate in April 1994 and later set up its embassy in New Delhi in October 1999. The Armenian Presidents Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan, and Serzh Sargsyan visited India in the years 1995, 2003, and 2017, respectively.

In a 2019 interview with WION, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed Armenia's support for India regarding the Kashmir issue in the ongoing conflict with Pakistan.

In March 2020, Armenia entered into an agreement to acquire four Swathi Weapon Locating Radars from India for 4 crore US$ (2.88 arab ₹ ). By September 2022, Armenia signed a deal valued at 2,000 crore ₹ (24.54 crore US$ ) for four batteries of Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, anti-tank rockets, and various ammunitions from India. Since 2022, India has also begun supplying Armenia with anti-drone systems, ATAGS towed howitzers, TC-20 (MARG) wheeled self-propelled howitzers, Ashwin ballistic missile interceptors, and Akash air defence missiles.

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