"East African slaves were randomly caught, or were recruited from different tribal lands; they usually spoke related languages and several individuals came from the same area or were members of the same ethnic group. For these reasons, they could communicate in an Eastern African language at the beginning, but as mixed groups, small in numbers and spread over wide areas, surrounded by Indian languages with a long tradition, they could not maintain nor transmit their original languages and cultures to future generations. Instead, they became indianized, leaving few African linguistic traces in their speech and cultural registers of terminology. Another factor was Islam, the religion of the politically dominant section of Indian society with whom the Siddis were initially allied, which became a common denominator of their cultural identification and also facilitated their social and linguistic integration, and economic, political and military success in many areas before the advent of the British colonial rule (Abdulaziz Lodhi, 2008). Lodhi also goes as far as to state that the Siddis are de facto indians, as they speak Indian languages as their mother tongues and practice mostly the variant of Sunni Islam with the Indian Sufi cult of pir ("saint", roughly translated) with rituals and celebrations performed at a dargah (mausoleum, shrine). At these shrines, they worship also ancestors and founders of settlements (idem)."
The above is not the case of the Siddis of Uttara Kannada, but rather the case of the Siddis of Gujarat, where Islam is the dominant religion practiced by the Siddis. However, a similar phenomenon i.e indianization, can be observed among the Siddis of Uttara Kannada. They speak Indian languages (konkani, marathi, kannada, urdu) and in dressing sense appear to have adopted Indian attire. There are no traces or clear indicators of African influence in their language or dressing style.
The Siddis of Uttara Kannada, are runaway slaves from the Portuguese enclave of Goa and those who settled later, after slavery was abolished in 1869. The Siddis of Uttara Kannada are mostly Christian although there are a large number of Hindu and Muslim Siddis as well. The Hindu Siddis are believed to have been Christian at some point and later converted to Hinduism under the Havyak Brahmins for whom they worked in Uttara Kannada. Those Siddis who practice Islam in Uttara Kannada, were also probably slaves from Goa, who escaped to lands of the surrounding Muslim rulers and eventually converted to Islam.
The Siddis of Uttara Kannada are aware that they are of African origin, however, they believe they have no lingering link with Africa through social customs, language or way of life, in what they appear to be completely indianized. I asked the Siddis that I interviewed at the Gadgera school, if there was any African influence in their language or their lives and they believed there was none.
On if she felt African or Indian, or if she thought there was any African influence in her way of life, Ramita Prakash Christian, a Siddi teacher at the Gadgera school says:"There is no connection with Africa besides our physical appearance. I know that Siddis are originally from Africa, however, the language that must have been uniquely African has been lost and we have assimilated to Indian culture and customs and here is where we belong" (Ramita Prakash Christian, personal communication 05.01.2017).
Premnath too doesn't feel the African connection and says that the language and the customs were lost by their ancestors as they adopted and adapted to Indian customs (Premnath Androj Chrisitian, personal communication 05.01.2017).
Jacinta Naik, another Siddi teacher at the Gadgera school said she considers herself Indian, even though she feels that at the same time, she is different. She does not feel any connection with Africa: "I was born here and all I knew and know is India and Indians and hence I have no connection with Africa" She too says that she doesn't believe that there is any African influence that lingers on in the Siddi lifestyle and believes that it has all been forgotten (Jacinta Naik, personal communication, 05.01.2017)
The Siddis are an endogamous community. This is largely how the community has survived the centuries and maintained their physical features. In fact, a Siddi is clearly discernible from a non-Siddi by his physical features-although I am not taking all phenotypical criteria to distinguish them from other social groups. However, it is interesting to observe that their dress code follows the Indian one at large. They speak local languages and follow the local religions and customs. Therefore, we may note a nexus of identities with regard to the Siddis of Utarra Kannada.
The Siddis use their Siddi, religious and multiple identities based upon the social setting in which they find themselves. In the Siddi settlement, with their Siddi acquaintances, they are Siddis, African, different from the rest. When in larger society, aware of their difference, their Indian side comes to the fore. The Siddis of Uttara Kannada are multilingual, speaking Konkani, Marathi, Kannada and Urdu. They use Marathi, Kannada and Urdu when in the larger non-Siddi society and Konkani among themselves.
Francis Siddi, went on to say that even though the notion of Africanness exists among the Siddis and they hold it very dear to themselves, they feel that their sense of belonging is to India.
To conclude, it is pertinent to note that several Siddi participants at the Goa Conference on the African Diaspora in Asia made statements to the extent that "we are Indians now, but we have African blood".
The above is not the case of the Siddis of Uttara Kannada, but rather the case of the Siddis of Gujarat, where Islam is the dominant religion practiced by the Siddis. However, a similar phenomenon i.e indianization, can be observed among the Siddis of Uttara Kannada. They speak Indian languages (konkani, marathi, kannada, urdu) and in dressing sense appear to have adopted Indian attire. There are no traces or clear indicators of African influence in their language or dressing style.
The Siddis of Uttara Kannada, are runaway slaves from the Portuguese enclave of Goa and those who settled later, after slavery was abolished in 1869. The Siddis of Uttara Kannada are mostly Christian although there are a large number of Hindu and Muslim Siddis as well. The Hindu Siddis are believed to have been Christian at some point and later converted to Hinduism under the Havyak Brahmins for whom they worked in Uttara Kannada. Those Siddis who practice Islam in Uttara Kannada, were also probably slaves from Goa, who escaped to lands of the surrounding Muslim rulers and eventually converted to Islam.
The Siddis of Uttara Kannada are aware that they are of African origin, however, they believe they have no lingering link with Africa through social customs, language or way of life, in what they appear to be completely indianized. I asked the Siddis that I interviewed at the Gadgera school, if there was any African influence in their language or their lives and they believed there was none.
On if she felt African or Indian, or if she thought there was any African influence in her way of life, Ramita Prakash Christian, a Siddi teacher at the Gadgera school says:"There is no connection with Africa besides our physical appearance. I know that Siddis are originally from Africa, however, the language that must have been uniquely African has been lost and we have assimilated to Indian culture and customs and here is where we belong" (Ramita Prakash Christian, personal communication 05.01.2017).
Premnath too doesn't feel the African connection and says that the language and the customs were lost by their ancestors as they adopted and adapted to Indian customs (Premnath Androj Chrisitian, personal communication 05.01.2017).
Jacinta Naik, another Siddi teacher at the Gadgera school said she considers herself Indian, even though she feels that at the same time, she is different. She does not feel any connection with Africa: "I was born here and all I knew and know is India and Indians and hence I have no connection with Africa" She too says that she doesn't believe that there is any African influence that lingers on in the Siddi lifestyle and believes that it has all been forgotten (Jacinta Naik, personal communication, 05.01.2017)
The Siddis are an endogamous community. This is largely how the community has survived the centuries and maintained their physical features. In fact, a Siddi is clearly discernible from a non-Siddi by his physical features-although I am not taking all phenotypical criteria to distinguish them from other social groups. However, it is interesting to observe that their dress code follows the Indian one at large. They speak local languages and follow the local religions and customs. Therefore, we may note a nexus of identities with regard to the Siddis of Utarra Kannada.
The Siddis use their Siddi, religious and multiple identities based upon the social setting in which they find themselves. In the Siddi settlement, with their Siddi acquaintances, they are Siddis, African, different from the rest. When in larger society, aware of their difference, their Indian side comes to the fore. The Siddis of Uttara Kannada are multilingual, speaking Konkani, Marathi, Kannada and Urdu. They use Marathi, Kannada and Urdu when in the larger non-Siddi society and Konkani among themselves.
Francis Siddi, went on to say that even though the notion of Africanness exists among the Siddis and they hold it very dear to themselves, they feel that their sense of belonging is to India.
To conclude, it is pertinent to note that several Siddi participants at the Goa Conference on the African Diaspora in Asia made statements to the extent that "we are Indians now, but we have African blood".
