Dr. Jay Narayan Vyas

KHAMBHAT NI SATHE AKIK NO UDYOG JODAYO ANE TENO VIKAS TENA ITIHAS VISHE - BABA GHOR ANE SIDI NO ITIHAS


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KHAMBHAT NI SATHE AKIK NO UDYOG JODAYO ANE TENO VIKAS TENA ITIHAS VISHE - BABA GHOR ANE SIDI NO ITIHAS


The first Siddis are thought to have arrived in India in 628 AD at the Bharuch port. Several others followed with the first Arab Islamic conquest of the subcontinent in 712 AD. The latter group are believed to have been soldiers with Muhammad bin Qasim's Arab army, and were called Zanjis.


Some Siddis escaped slavery to establish communities in forested areas, and some also established the small Siddi principalities of Janjira State on Janjira Island and Jafarabad State in Kathiawar as early as the twelfth century. A former alternative name of Janjira was Habshan (i.e., land of the Habshis). In the Delhi Sultanate period prior to the rise of the Mughals in India, Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut was a prominent Siddi slave-turned-nobleman who was a close confidant of Razia Sultana (1235–1240 CE). Although this is disputed, he may also have been her lover, but contemporary sources do not indicate that this was necessarily the case.


Siddis were also brought as slaves by the Deccan Sultanates. Several former slaves rose to high ranks in the military and administration, the most prominent of which was Malik Ambar.


Later the Siddi population was added to via Bantu peoples from Southeast Africa that had been brought to the Indian subcontinent as slaves by the Portuguese. Later most of these migrants became Muslim and a small minority became Hindu. The Nizam of Hyderabad also employed African-origin guards and soldiers.


.BABA GHOR.

SEPTEMBER 21, 20161 COMMENT

The presence of people of African origin on the west coast of India, who arrived in historical times  is heard or read in many different contexts. Near the Gir forests they have whole villages of the ‘Sidhis; as they are called. We have record of two princely states in Gujarat and Janjira in Maharashtra being ruled by Sidhis not too far ago.


Another important part of the Sidhi story is the legend of Bab Ghor


Baba Ghor or Babagor Baba Gor or Baba Gour , as the legend goes, was an African religious person who came to India with his followers. Baba Gor was a Muslim and he is considered a saint. He and his relatives have their own dargah complex at a place called Ratanpur or Ratanpore about 22 Kms. from Ankaleshwar. We drive through the rains on an extremely bad road towards the Rajpipla Hills which ultimately culminate into a wildlife sanctuary by the name of Shoolpaneshwar.


We find the Dargah complex easily into a forested area. The greenery in the mist reminds us of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra and Goa.


The people are of unmistakable African origin. The hair and the appearance remains African

https://thebluedrive.com/2016/09/21/baba-ghor/

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Dr. Jay Narayan VyasBy JayNarayan Vyas