Afro-Asians: The Siddis of Pakistan
The earliest reports of African migration to the shores of the Indian Subcontinent date all the way back to the 16th century — when the Transatlantic Slave Trade was in its infancy, the Portuguese were far ahead of their European counterparts in carrying out raids (against the black people) in Central Africa, West Africa, the Sub-Saharan region; as well as exporting and selling them to the English colonies. This is besides the fact that undocumented slaves from Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia) had been arriving in India, ever since the Arabs set foot in the continent, in the 7th century.
Those that traced their roots back to the Horn of Africa called themselves ‘Habesha’ meaning “the highland inhabitants of Aksum (the ancient name for the region)”. It soon became an umbrella term to describe anyone with African roots or features. Over-time with the complexity of linguistics and after many derivatives of the original word; Habesha soon turned into “Siddi”.
Now, this is one theory. The other theory states that “Siddi” was not a term for the Habesha people, but in fact, was derived from the respectable title of ‘Sahibi’ (which quite common in the Indian subcontinent); whereas some etymologists trace it back to a much older, and a much more revered title in the Islamic world — Sayyid (people who trace their lineage back to the Islamic Prophet, Mohammad)
Unlike the slaves that had been shipped off to Europe, the Indo-African slaves enjoyed some level of freedom, in comparison to their counterparts. The Mughal Era brought about some reforms within its social structures and the Siddis were often promoted to much higher ranks. One such example is that of the transgender, African slave Malik Kafur who impressed the Delhiite general Nusrat Khan, and soon rose through the ranks to be given the title of Nawab Hazar Dinari in 14th century India. Or Malik Ambar the prime-minister of Ahmednagar, who is said to be the ‘father of guerilla warfare’, when he deflected the Mughal expansion in the South of Deccan. In 1843, an African called Hosh Mohammed Sheedi commanded an army against the British at Dabbo which, despite losing, delayed the annexation of the Province of Sindh to Imperial Britain. History is filled with such anecdotes regarding the subcontinent’s surprising acceptance and tolerance of the African diaspora.
But what of those, settled in the post-partition divided and fractured regions?
The Siddis, live to tell the tale. Or at least in Pakistan, where they are known as both Siddis or ‘Sheedis’. But since the latter has been reduced from a derivative of an honorific title, into a derogative term by the commonfolk to describe the community; the rest of this article will refer to them as Siddi.
Mostly found in the mountainous regions of Balochistan and the lowlands of Sindh; this community of around 250,000 people, proudly call themselves Qambranis (which was also the name of the freed slave of the Rashid Caliph Ali; Qambar). They are a tight-knit community, intermarrying within their own, mostly other lower-caste societies. Due to the racism and colourism they face, a good number of them are stuck in an endless cycle of poverty, which means they can only work low-wage, menial jobs and are denied many basic privileges like access to good education and/or healthcare.
It is quite ironic to notice the stark changes that Partition brought along with it, in regard to the lives of the Siddi community. Pre-partition, they were thriving, even taking upon white-collar jobs, whereas now they are forced away into slums and have thus, become the victims of harsh conditions and the landscapes they have grown up in.
However, never the kind to despair; despite their plight the Siddis are extraordinarily welcoming, colourful and every bit the joyous people like their ancestors. They carry with them, a myriad of cultures hailing from all over the African continent, mixed in with the cultures and traditions of the subcontinent itself.
Every year, a small settlement in the northwestern part of Karachi holds the Pir Mangho Urs (festival), also known as the Siddi Festival. It is celebrated with much gusto to honour the patron saint of Siddis — The Sufi Pir, Haji Syed Khawaja Hassan Sakhi Sultan (Pir Mangho). The central part of this festival involves crocodiles, which were said to have formed as a result of the falling lice from the Pir’s dreadlocks. During the festival, the head crocodile ‘Mor Sahib’ (the eldest, one would presume) would be dressed in garlands to indicate it as the new ‘Khawaja’ (Sufi teacher, or a successor of the Pir). Now, dwelling in a pond which surrounds the shrine, the crocodiles have also become an integral part of this fantastic, mythical place.
Besides this, the Siddis have a rich dialect; peppered with hints of Swahili, Arabic and regional languages like Sindhi and Baluchi. Most of their traditional songs include a mixture of all these languages, words that have lost their meaning long ago, but somehow still carried through after all these ages. They are often performed in the ‘Siddi Mela’, weddings, births and other communal occasions. Some of their songs have made their way to a wider audience; examples being ‘Dilaan Teer Bijja’ the Baluchi anthem for the ruling political party ‘Pakistan People’s Party’; The light-hearted Sindhi, Siddi anthem ‘Siddi baasha, hum baasha’ (The Siddi King Dances). Complete with rap music, and a music video proudly displaying their African roots and engaging in the ‘Lewa’ (Balochi style of dancing).
Quite recently, some reforms have been made with regards to the Siddi community as Tanzeela Qambrani became one of the first women of the Siddi tribe, to be elected as an active political member of the Sindh Assembly. Other Siddis (like the rapper Abid Brohi) are slowly coming to the forefront in media as well as poets like Noon Meem Danish, and many others. Qambrani does reflect on how her ascension to politics has paved the road for many other people from her community, who have been subjugated to nothing but racism and discrimination since day one.
However, the fact remains, that racism and colourism are deeply entrenched within the patchwork of the society, and Siddis are still looked down upon, because of these factors. For a country that prides itself on its Islamist ideals, and can sing praises for the Prophet and his Companions all day — the hypocrisy is quite evident when they refuse to acknowledge and engage with the members of this community.
It seems like it will take many Bilals, for Pakistan to realise that the Siddis are an asset to the country, a national treasure even. Until and unless something is done to actively combat this issue, the Siddi plight seems like it will go on for generations, like a recurring nightmare.
