Indians in Tanzania

There are currently over 50,000 people of Indian origin in Tanzania. Many of them are traders and they control a sizeable portion of the Tanzanian economy. Indians have a long history in Tanzania starting with the arrival of Gujarati traders. They came to gradually control the trade in Zanzibar. Many of the buildings constructed then still remain in Stone Town, the focal trading point on the island.

Indians in Tanzania
Watanzania wenye asili ya Kihindi  (Swahili)
Total population
c. 60,000 (2015)[1][a]
Regions with significant populations
Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar
Languages
Punjabi, Sindhi, Gujarati, Tamil, Kutchi, Kiswahili, English, Hindi
Religion
Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism; significant minorities Christianity
Related ethnic groups
PIO, NRI and Desi
a.^ includes about 10,000 expatriates
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets members of Indian community in Dar es Salaam, 10 July 2016

History

Indian merchant and artisan community settlements is attested in both archaeological and literary sources. In 13th-14th century, Indian artisans were manufacturing glass beads using tube drawing technology at Zanzibar. Trade between Malindi and Bengal is also attested during early medieval periods. Vasco de gamma when he landed in east african coast found indians residing in Kilwa, Mombasa and Mozambique.[2][3]

Migration from Tanzania

As a result of anti-Indian sentiment in post-independence Tanzania (beginning with the presidency of Julius Nyerere), many Indians migrated overseas to India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, among other nations.[4]

Notable people
  • Julius Nyerere with Amir Jamal (r)
  • St. John Ambulance Brigade parade
  • Karimjee Hall, seat of the parliament in Dar es Salaam
  • The Hassanali Karimjee Jivanjee Hospital, Zanzibar
  • The former headquarters of Karimjee Co in Zanzibar
  • The former Ithnashiri Dispensary, Zanzibar
  • Bharmal Building, currently used as a municipal building
  • A colonial era building with the Om symbol (1930)
  • Karimjee Jivanjee Office in Dar es Salaam
  • Morogoro Jamatkhana
  • Shakti Temple, Zanzibar
  • Swaminarayan Temple

See also

References
  1. "India - Tanzania Relations" (PDF). Ministry of External Affairs. 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015. Tanzania has about 50,000 PIOs.. There are about 10,000 Indian nationals [expatriates].
  2. Wood, Marilee. "Interconnections: glass beads and trade in southern and eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean - 7th to 16th centuries AD". Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa. 47 (2): 248–248. ISSN 0067-270X.
  3. Jeevanjee 1912
  4. Adam, Michel (Africanist), editor. (2016). Indian Africa : minorities of Indian-Pakistani origin in eastern Africa. [Publisher not identified]. ISBN 978-9987-753-51-2. OCLC 966879871.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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