Chapter 17: India, a Home to Many
For thousands of years, people from far-off lands have found a home in India, some fleeing persecution, some seeking trade, some brought by force. In this chapter we meet Jews, Syriac Christians, Parsis, Arab merchants, Siddis, Armenians, Baha'is, Polish orphans and Tibetan refugees, and explore the values that made India a welcoming home.
In this chapter you will
- describe communities that came to India and why
- explain how they kept their identity and blended in
- identify Indian values of welcome and inclusion
- connect these values to the world today
Topics
- The Story of Indian Jews NCERT 17.1
Refugees and migrants from many lands made India their home.
- Syriac Christians and the Parsis NCERT 17.2
Syriac Christians fled persecution in West Asia and settled on the Malabar coast.
- Arab Merchants and the African Connection NCERT 17.3
Arab merchants settled peacefully and helped build the Cheraman Juma Masjid.
- The Armenians and the Baha'is NCERT 17.4
Armenian merchants settled in Agra, Surat, Kolkata and Chennai, leaving churches and schools.
- The Good Maharaja and Tibetan Refugees NCERT 17.5
The Maharaja of Nawanagar sheltered about a thousand Polish orphans in World War II.
- "The Whole World Is Family" NCERT 17.6
Values like vasudhaiva kutumbakam and atithi devo bhava made India a welcoming home.
Key words
- Refugee
- a person forced to flee their home country
- Persecution
- hostility and harm for one's religion, ethnicity or views
- Heretic
- one holding views against the dominant belief
- Synagogue
- a Jewish place of worship
- Zoroastrianism
- the Parsi faith founded by Zarathushtra
- Asylum
- protection given by a country to a refugee
- Vasudhaiva kutumbakam
- the whole world is family
- Atithi devo bhava
- a guest is like God
Summary
- Jews, Syriac Christians, Parsis, Baha'is and Tibetans found refuge in India from persecution.
- Arab and Armenian merchants came to trade; the Siddis were brought by force.
- Each kept its identity while blending into Indian life.
- Values like vasudhaiva kutumbakam and atithi devo bhava made India a home to many.