The Siddhis of Karnataka are an ethnicity of African descent that is native to Karnataka. They are concentrated in the north coastal parts of Karnataka. Other minority populations of Siddhis also exist in few other parts of India.
Etymology
The term Siddhi seems to have found currency following a description in a letter written by one William aboard the S.S.Nepal, a ship that sailed from England to South India and Ceylon. In the letter he describes the crew of the ship as "composed of seven English quarter masters and forty three lascar seamen, six English engineers, thirty-five men(Muslim) and fifteen Sidimen or negroes for coal shifters.
History
The majority of the Siddhis in Karnataka are said to be descendants of Siddhi slaves who were brought to Goa by the Portugese in the 16th century. Most of them were from East Africa(mainly Mozambique) As the bulk of the Goan inquisition's records are now destroyed, a thorough reconstruction of the Siddhis' history in India and in Karnataka is very difficult. However, the few records that exist present a picture of oppression and ill treatment meted out to the slaves. Few of them, however, are also said to have escaped slavery.
Religion
Among Siddhi families in Karnataka, there are Catholics, Hindus and Muslims. The Haliyal taluk has populations of Muslims and Christians while the Hindu populations are concentrated in the ghat areas of Yellapur and Ankola. These divisions in the population have led to a distinct Siddhi self-identity not being developed.
- Hiriyaru worship
The one factor which binds the Siddhis, irrespective of their religion is the Hiriyaru or ancestor worship. The dead are believed to be nearby, in the form of spirits. They are regarded as witnesses to be consulted by a family in all its concerns. On occassions like births, marriages and deaths, the ancestors are invoked. The home is organised around Hiriyaru, the spirits of departed parents. It signifies a rememberance of the parents, thanking them for their care over several years and also entreating them to keep a vigil over the family in future. It is obligatory for all relatives to attend the function, thus renewing kinship relations.
Hiriyaru worship may be performed twice a year by the 'Kartha'(head) of the family. It normally is held during the Navarathri festival in the first week of November. If this is not possible for some reason, it may also be performed in April-May during the other major festival - Holi. These obviously are not meant to coincide with the dates of the parents' deaths as the Siddis only observe the first death anniversary.
Hindu Siddhis usually have elaborate functions marking the event, but not so the Christian and Muslim Siddhis.
Occupation
Almost all Siddis today subsist on agricultural labourers, contractual or in some cases bonded. Some of them also work as domestic helps. After fleeing Goa, many of them entered of Karnataka. The earliest Siddhi settlers in Karnataka mostly made the forests of North Canara their home and started cultivation. In some of the villages in these areas, they form the earliest settlers.
Social life
Assimilation
A feature common to the Siddis of Karnataka, as also of those of Maharashtra and Goa, is that they exhibit a remarkable level of assimilation with local culture. This,in the absence of any form of force. Even the uniquely Siddi custom of Hiriyaru has adopted symbols from the local Hindu religion. Except for the racial characteristics of the tribe, there is little else that can set them apart from other native populations.
Historical references
There are references to Siddhi palace gaurds in Kodagu during the reign of Dodda Veerarajendra(1763-1809) in the Kannada book Kodagina Itihasa. An account by Rev. G. Richter in 1870 also makes a note of "African bodygaurds" in the service of the same king.[1]. A Siddhi called Gajaveera is noted to have joined hands with Sangolli Rayanna in his revolt against the British in 1829-30 near Kittur. In the revolt of 1844 at Sawantwadi in the Ratnagiri district of neighbouring Maharashtra state, records show that two Siddhi brothers, Bastian and Benove, from Punsolli near Dandeli had been enlisted by Phen Sawant, a noble of the Sawantwadi court.
The first notable act of this group seems to have been their looting of a British outpost in Supa taluk when they confiscated government funds, took many chaukidars(watchmen) captive and burnt several outposts. The leaders of the 'bund' are said to have taken shelter in the Darshanigudda ranges and at times escaped into neighbouring Goa territory. There are also references to a formidable fight at Dandeli and one at a Somalinga temple. These activities continued for several months and the British eventually sentenced some of them. The Portugese also deported more than a 100 of these insurgents along with the Sawant brothers and their families to the Timor Islands in the East Indies. Gunaba Shenvi, Siddi Bastian, his brother Anna Saheb and the three Phadnis brothers were still at large and in July 1859, the British offered rewards of Rs. 1000 each for their arrest. Chintoba Phadnis and Siddi Bastian were eventually killed in an encounter at Jagabet.
Social status
With a population of only a few thousands, the Siddhis form one of the least visible minorities of Karnataka. Economically too they have remained backward and many families are perennially in debt. Efforts have been made to rehabilitate them. In 1984, at the instance of the Secretary of the Rural Welfare Trust, Dandeli and few others, an "All-Karnataka Siddi Development Association" was formed to bring Siddhis together and work for their integrated development. K. V. Subbanna, the Ramon Magsaysay award some efforts in this direction with his Ninasam.
Trivia
- According to B. G. L. Swamy, a renowned Botanist, seeds of a huge tree, the Adangonia digitata linn, which is a native of Africa, were probably brought by the Habshis.
- A popular Kannada film of the 70s, Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu, has a Siddi playing the role of Siddi Byra in the movie.
See also
Notes
- ^ "The Raja had sorrounded his house with African bodygaurds"
References
- Sadiq Ali, Shanti. 1996. The African dispersal in the Deccan: from medieval to modern times. New Delhi: Orient Longman.
External links
- The Hindu : Fighting the formula
- A mention of Siddhi music in The Times of India
- Mention of Magsaysay Awardee K. V. Subbanna's work with Siddhis
- Catering to the tribals - Deccan Herald
- The Hindu - Music : Evening of mystical melodies