Translated from the Gujarati by Dr.KanakRavel
(Translator'snote: The original article by NareshAntani was published in December 2004 issue of Gujarati culturalmagazine KUMAR, Ahmedabad, India. As is, it is a short research noteof interest to cultural anthropologists. What fascinated me was whata wonderful example it represents of ethnic symbiosis process thatthe world history has recorded. For centuries, India has been a safehaven for many oppressed people because of geopolitical or naturalcalamities.
Probably the Jewish tribe of Bene Israel was thisfirst arrival in India some times around 175 BCE. Later on came theSyrian Christians in AD 52. The Zoroastrians (modern day Parsees)arrived in AD 766 persecuted from Persia.
The recent most group in 1971 was of Bangladeshisfrom what was then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), who found refugein India because of political oppression by the West Pakistanidictatorship.
On the part of these newcomers, they all came asaliens, but adopted the languages and culture of their new Indianhomeland and became Indians in their life styles. They got absorbedin the Indian society, yet still keeping their core values. Some callthis a spirit of Indianization. I personally believe in it, because Ihave known and befriended Indian Jews, Christians, Parsees andMoslems; although I come from a Hindu family, and have not noticedthem to be incompatible with our society.Now on with ourstory…)
The Kachchh region in the stateof Gujarat has held a prominent place in the history,archeology andculture of the Indian subcontinent.Since prehistorictimes, civilizations have flourished in Kachchh. History ofprehistoric to modern times bears witness tothis. However, it hasbeen reverse in case of her Jewish residents. Jews arrived in Kachchhfrom Mumbai (previously Bombay) during the British rule ofIndia.
The stone carvings of Canery Caves near Mumbaiprovide proof of Jewish arrival in second century. As per thesewritings, a ship of a group of adventurous seamen from the Red Seahad a shipwreck in a storm near Canery Caves. 14 fortunatepeople--seven men and seven women--somehow survived and reached thenearby town of Naugaun of Colaba-Raigadh district, now a part of theState of Maharashtra. Also large number of Jewish voyagers perished.Their limited resources compelled them to burry their deceasedcompatriots in two large pits.
In the beginning of their arrival in Maharashtra,they started working as farm hands. Later they found employment asoil pressers in local ox driven oil mills. Eventually, some of thembecame the owners of oil mills. As they kept their mill works closedon Saturdays, they came to be called "Shanivar teli" in the localMarathi language, which means Saturday Oil pressers. A number of themgot married with the local Konkani women.
Because their Indian wives did not accept Jewishreligion, their offsprings became known as 'bene Israel' (sons ofIsrael). It is also said that for protecting their Jewish traditionsfrom the religious proselytization by Moslems, they declaredthemselves as bene Israel and settled in Mumbai.
In course of time, these Jews forgot their mothertongue, Hebrew. In 1000 AD, a Jewish scholar traveler David Rahabiarrived in India. He recognized this group of "Shanivar teli" asJews, by their religious practices. He reminded them of their Hebrewheritage, but by then they were comfortable with the Marathilanguage, derived from the ancient Sanskrit language. However, theyaccepted Hebrew for the religious ceremonies. Even today, Marathi isa mother tongue for Mumbai Jews.
Later on, with the advent of the East IndiaCompany on the Indian subcontinent, a large number of these beneIsraelis got recruited in the Company's regional British army. As aresult, they moved to many parts of India. The then princely state ofKachchh of the Great Indian Desert region was one of them, and almostall Jewish families settled there and had their cemetery near theOrient Colony in the capital city Bhuj.
Earlier, 10 to 15 Jewish tombs were visible inthat burial ground. It seems that with the passing of time, somelocal people took away many memorial stones, and used them in thebuilding of huts of the slum area called Indira Nagari.
Out of the surviving tombs, only four memorialstones have been recovered and saved in the Museum of Kachchh. Out ofthese four, only three are in intact condition. These stones belongto various Jewish officers stationed at Company's local headquarters.These tombs were aligned in east-west direction. According to aJewish custom, the dead bodies were buried with their legs pointingtowards Jerusalem.
The uniqueness of these memorial stones is thateven though the Jewish families settled in Kachchh for many years,inscriptions denote the dates according to Hindu Shak Samvat lunarcalendar, and the details are in Hebrew, Marathi and English, whichwere their administrative languages.
One stone is of pure marble, and the other threeare of sand stone. The marble stone records two names of individualsat two different dates indicating that they were husband and wife. Itbelongs to one Suleman Tilkar, who was a head clerk in theCommissioner section of the British Army. He died at a young age of32 years on Shak Samvat 1756 Fagan (about April-May) Sood 1, Ravivar(Sunday). The same stone records a woman named Sarabai Tilkar at ayoung age of 17 on 1746 Bhadrapad (about August-September). Both theindividuals died at a rather young age. It is likely that someepidemic or an accident were the cause of their deaths, although thestone does not give any details. Next to Sarabai's name "Yaa ChaaKabilaa" in Marathi meaning (Suleman's family).
Question is that Sarabai died 10 years beforeSuleman, but the husband's name appears first. Does it mean that thewife's tomb remained without a memorial stone for 10 years? Thememorial inscription was written in Mumbai, and the scribe's nameHalakadanelji Khandalak appears in Marathi.
The museum's other stone possession records thedeath of one woman Aababai Nagavakara at the age of 75 years onNovember 29, 1851. One more stone records the death of 90-year-oldman David Jiben Kuragaonkar on January 19, 1868.
*Kachchh Museum,the oldest Museum inGujarat was established in 1877 at Bhuj the capital city of Kachchh.It is unique in havingthe largest collection of Kshatrapa inscriptions, for its gold andsilver ornaments, textiles, armory, local Jewish history and otherexhibits.
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Spirit of India--a footnote bythe translator:
While searching for information on internet thefollowing comments showed up supporting the process ofIndianiazation. (Source:http://www.the-south-asian.com/March2001/Jews_of_India-Intro.htm)
"Perhaps the most unique aspect of the IndianJewish experience is the complete absence of discrimination by a hostmajority. The secret of India's tolerance is the Hindu belief whichconfers legitimacy on a wide diversity of cultural and religiousgroups even as it forbids movement from one group to another."Raphael Meyer
India has, historically, been a refuge andsheltered people of all religions, creeds and beliefs. Zoroastrians,Jews, Sufis, and more recently Bahais--all were granted protectionand security when they sought it. They were accepted into the fold ofthe mainstream society, given land and equal opportunity to excel intheir profession of choice and remain Indians. Hinduism, Jainism,Buddhism, Sikhism are religions of the land, all were born in India.The central Asian invaders brought Islam. The colonial powers broughtChristianity. India remained a large-hearted host to all, enrichedits cultural heritage and became a truly secular nation. People fromall communities rose to become eminent citizens of the land. In thefirst of our series on 'Spirit of India', we feature the story of theJewish Community of India."
© PROMETHEUS 99/2005