99.226.221.7 at 04:10, 2 October 2020

2020-10-02T04:10:39Z

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{{Ethnic group
|group=Somalis in India
|regions= {{flatlist|
* [[Pune]]
* [[New Delhi]]
* [[Mumbai]]
* [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]]
* [[Mysore]]
* [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]]
}}
|langs= {{Flatlist|
* [[Somali language|Somali]]
* [[Arabic language|Arabic]]
}}
|rels= [[Islam]]
|population=5000<ref name="hrln"/>}}

'''Somalis in India''' include [[Naturalization|naturalized]] [[Citizenship|citizens]] and residents of [[India]] who were born in or have ancestors from [[Somalia]].

[[Somali people|Somalis]] have a long [[Maritime history of Somalia|history of maritime trade]] and interaction with the peoples of India as well as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, having established various commercial settlements, trade stations and partnerships with the [[Malacca Sultanate]] and the [[Khambhat|Kingdom of Cambaya]], among other ancient Indian polities.

After the outbreak of the [[Somali Civil War]] in 1991, some Somalis sought asylum in India. This small community of an estimated 600 people today comprises the bulk of Somali immigrants in the country.<ref name="hrln"/>

==History==
The [[Somali people]] have a strong tradition in trade, with a long [[Maritime history of Somalia|history of maritime enterprise]]. After the [[Nabatea#Roman annexation|Roman conquest of the Nabataean Empire]] and the Roman naval presence at [[Aden]] to curb [[piracy]], [[Arab]] and [[Somali people|Somali]] merchants by agreement barred [[Somalia|Somali]] ships from trading in the free port cities of the [[Arabian peninsula]]<ref>Eric Herbert Warmington, ''The Commerce Between the Roman Empire and India'', p.54.</ref> to protect the interests of Somali and Arab merchants in the extremely lucrative ancient [[Red Sea]]–[[Mediterranean Sea]] commerce.<ref name="EHW">Eric Herbert Warmington, ''The Commerce Between the Roman Empire and India'', p.229.</ref> However, Indian merchants continued to trade in the port cities of the [[Somali peninsula]], which was free from Roman interference.<ref>Eric Herbert Warmington, ''The Commerce Between the Roman Empire and India'', p.187.</ref>
[[File:Somali Enterprise.JPG|thumb|270px|left|The history of [[Maritime history of Somalia|Somali maritime trade]] and interaction with ancient Indian empires stretches back to antiquity.]]
The Indian merchants for centuries brought large quantities of [[cinnamon]] from [[Sri Lanka]] and [[Indonesia]] to Somalia and Arabia. This is said to have been the best kept secret of the Arab and Somali merchants in their trade with the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] and [[Greeks|Greek]] world. The Romans and Greeks believed the source of cinnamon to have been the Somali peninsula, but in reality, the highly valued product was brought to Somalia by way of Indian ships.<ref>Eric Herbert Warmington, ''The Commerce Between the Roman Empire and India'', pp.185-186.</ref> Through collusive agreement by Somali and Arab traders, Indian/Chinese cinnamon was also exported for far higher prices to [[North Africa]], the [[Near East]] and [[Europe]], which made the cinnamon trade a very profitable revenue generator, especially for the Somali merchants through whose hands large quantities were shipped across ancient sea and land routes.<ref name="EHW"/>

During the [[Ajuran sultanate|Age of the Ajurans]], the Somali sultanates and republics of [[Merca]], [[Mogadishu]], [[Barawa]], [[Hobyo]] and their respective ports flourished and had a lucrative foreign commerce, with ships sailing to and coming from [[India]], [[Arabia]], [[Venetia (region)|Venetia]],<ref>John Donnelly Fage and Roland Anthony Oliver, ''Journal of African History'', p.50.</ref> [[Persia]], [[Egypt]], [[Portugal]] and as far away as [[China]]. In the 16th century, [[Duarte Barbosa]] noted that many ships from the [[Khambhat|Kingdom of Cambaya]] in modern-day India sailed to Mogadishu with [[textile|cloth]] and [[spice]]s, for which they in return received [[gold]], [[wax]] and [[ivory]]. Barbosa highlighted the abundance of [[meat]], [[wheat]], [[barley]], [[horse]]s and [[fruit]] on the coastal markets, which generated enormous wealth for the merchants.<ref>Sir Reginald Coupland, ''East Africa and its invaders: from the earliest times to the death of Seyyid Said in 1856'', (Russell & Russell: 1965), p.38.</ref> [[Jewish]] merchants from the [[Strait of Hormuz|Hormuz]] also brought their Indian textile and fruit to the Somali coast in exchange for [[grain]] and wood.<ref>R. J. Barendse, The Arabian seas: the Indian Ocean world of the seventeenth century /c R.J. Barendse, (M.E. Sharpe: 2002), p.343.</ref>

In addition, trading relations were established with the Indian [[Malacca Sultanate]] in the 15th century,<ref>Gujarat and the Trade of East Africa p.30</ref> with cloth, [[ambergris]] and [[porcelain]] being the main commodities of the trade.<ref>Caroline Sassoon, ''Chinese porcelain marks from coastal sites in Kenya: aspects of trade in the Indian Ocean, XIV-XIX centuries'', Volumes 43-46, (British Archaeological Reports: 1978), p.2.</ref> [[Hindu]] merchants from [[Surat]], seeking to bypass both the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] blockade and [[Oman]]i meddling, also used the Somali ports of Merca and Barawa (which were out of their jurisdiction) to conduct their trade in safety and without interference.<ref>Edward A. Alpers, ''East Africa and the Indian Ocean'', (Markus Wiener Publishers: 2009), p.21</ref>

More recently, a few Somalis have sought asylum in India as a consequence of the [[Somali Civil War]], which broke out in 1991. This small community of expatriates today comprises the bulk of Somali immigrants in the country.<ref name="hrln"/>

==Distribution==
Somalis mainly live in the following cities: [[Pune]], [[New Delhi]], [[Mumbai]], [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], [[Mysore]] and [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]].

There are an estimated 600 Somali refugees in India, 80 to 90 percent of whom are concentrated in the city of Hyderabad as opposed to New Delhi.<ref name="hrln"/>

==Social issues==
Somali asylum seekers in India often face greater challenges than do other immigrant groups in terms of gaining access to medical treatment and education, as well as locating suitable housing accommodations. This is primarily due to a lack of familiarity with both [[Hindi language|Hindi]] and [[English language|English]], which makes it difficult to find adequate jobs. As many are also not issued resident permits by the government, employers are often reluctant to hire the foreigners for fear of attracting the attention of the local police.<ref name="hrln"/>

Most of the Somali expatriates are young adults and unaccompanied minors who live in shared accommodation with little access to institutional support, as most of the services that they require are located in New Delhi.<ref name="hrln"/>

Despite this, some of the immigrants have reported better living conditions in Hyderabad on account of the lower overall cost of living, particularly in terms of housing and food. Hyderabad's large [[Hyderabadi Muslims|Muslim population]] and culture has also made for an easier transition.<ref name="hrln">[http://www.hrln.org/admin/issue/subpdf/Refugee_populations_in_India.pdf Human Rights Law Network: Report of Refugee Populations in India], November 2007</ref>

==See also==
*[[Somali diaspora]]
*[[Somali people]]
*[[UNHCR India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://somalirefugeesindia.wordpress.com/ Voice of Somali Refugees in India]

{{Somali diaspora}}
{{Immigration to India}}

[[Category:Ethnic groups in India]]
[[Category:Immigration to India|Somali]]
[[Category:Somalian diaspora|India]]
[[Category:Indian people of Somali descent| ]]

Somalis in India - Revision history

99.226.221.7 at 04:10, 2 October 2020