Siddis people are the direct descendants of “negroid” victims of slave trade in India. It’s common to hear about negroid slaves traded from Africa to Europe, North and South America, but in Asia? It was strange and deepening worthy.
The word Siddi is tought to come from arabic word Sayeed that means, mister or sir , as a term of respect in Arab and Islamic World. Their first evidence in India dates to about 2nd and 3rd century CE when they come as merchants, seilors, soldiers and “slaves” from the African Horn’ Districts. The term “slavery”, in Medieval Islamic-Indian Ocean World, was very different from the istitution of European Slavery.
In Meadle-East and Northern India slavery was the principal means for recruitment into some of the most privileged secors of army and bureaucracy. These Africans had a reputation of brave and loyal warriors and some of them became famous generals, rulers and even saints. Their fame was seen unconfortable for indian society and soon delated and forgotten. African came again, but at this time as real slaves of Portuguise, on first, and English later and filled the lowest sectors of the castes society until modern age.
Today they’re farmers and hodmen but they’ve never forgotten their historical origins. These women and men had really helped to shape contemporaray India.
