Why in the News?
President Droupadi Murmu met members of Gujarat’s Siddi Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) community and praised their 72% literacy rate as a sign of social progress.
About the Siddi Community:
- Overview: An Afro-Indian tribal group descended from Bantu-speaking peoples of Southeast Africa, brought to India via the Indian Ocean slave trade (7th–19th centuries).
- Arrival in India: First arrived at Bharuch port (628 CE) with Arab traders; major influxes during Muhammad bin Qasim’s conquest (712 CE) and later under Portuguese and British.
- Migration & Settlement: Brought as soldiers, sailors, slaves, and servants; some escaped bondage to form independent forest settlements.
- Genealogy: Studies show 60–75 % African admixture mixed with Indian and Portuguese ancestry accumulated over two centuries.
- Geographic Distribution: Concentrated in Karnataka (Uttara Kannada, Belgaum, Dharwad) and Gujarat (Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Saurashtra); smaller groups in Maharashtra, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh; total population 40 k–2.5 lakh.
- Historical Role: Served in Deccan Sultanate and Nizam armies; most famous figure, Malik Ambar (1600–1626), Ethiopian-origin prime minister of Ahmadnagar (now Ahilyanagar).
Cultural and Demographic Features:
- Social Status: Recognised as Scheduled Tribe (ST) in five regions and as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
- Language & Culture: Speak regional languages, Gujarati, Konkani, Marathi, Kannada, but retain African musical and spiritual traditions, notably the Goma/Dhamaal dance rooted in Ngoma drumming and ancestral worship.
- Religion: Predominantly Muslim (≈ 99 % in Gujarat) with Hindu and Christian minorities; practices blend Sufi, African, and Indian folk elements.
- Livelihoods & Economy: Depend on agriculture, forest labour, crafts, and daily wage work; socio-economic deprivation and limited access to education, health, housing persist.
- Cultural Continuity: Maintain African-Indian fusion in music, attire, and cuisine; Marfa music in Hyderabad and Dhamaal dance near Sasan Gir remain iconic.
- Sports & Identity: Active in boxing and football, using sport for youth empowerment and social mobility.
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