Indians in Tanzania

Indian Tanzanians constitute a significant minority within the demographic landscape of Tanzania, with a population exceeding 60,000 individuals of Indian descent residing in the country. Many among them are traders and entrepreneurs, and despite forming only 0.2% of the population, who of which came control over the majority of the economy. Indians also have a long history in Tanzania, starting with the arrival of Gujarati traders, and they gradually came to control the trade in Zanzibar. Several buildings from that period still stand in Stone Town, the primary trading center on the island.

History

Indian merchant and artisan community settlements are attested in both archaeological and literary sources. During the 13th and 14th centuries, Indian craftsmen utilized tube drawing technology to produce glass beads in Zanzibar. Trade between Malindi and Bengal is also attested during the Early Middle Ages. When Vasco da Gama landed on the East African Coast, he had encountered Indians residing in Kilwa Kisiwani, Mombasa and Mozambique.

Migration from Tanzania

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

Notable people

• Freddie Mercury, rock musician (of Parsi descent)
• Amir H. Jamal, former Minister of Finance
• Al Noor Kassum, former Energy Minister
• Abdulkarim Yusufali Alibai Karimjee, Speaker of the National Assembly
• Andy Chande, businessman and philanthropist
• Mustafa Jaffer Sabodo, economist and philanthropist
• Shamim Khan, former Member of Parliament
• Ian Iqbal Rashid, filmmaker
• Sangita Myska, BBC journalist, documentary maker, TV & Radio presenter
• Mohammed Dewji, CEO of MeTL, Member of Parliament (2005–2015)
• Ismail Jussa, opposition politician
• Mohamed Raza, Member of the Zanzibar House of Representatives
• Issa G. Shivji, author and academic
• Abdul Sheriff, historian
• Richa Adhia, Miss Tanzania 2007
• Mustafa Hassanali, fashion designer
• Ally Rehmtullah, fashion designer
• Ammaar Ghadiyali, 2012 Olympic swimmer
• Deepak Obhrai PC MP, longest continuously-serving Conservative Member of Canadian Parliament
• Rakesh Rajani, civil society and global development leader
• Raheem Kassam, conservative British political activist. His parents were Tanzanian immigrants of Indian origin.
• Benjamin Fernandez, Tanzanian entrepreneur

Gallery

See also

• Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa
• Chinese people in Tanzania
• Shirazi people
• India–Tanzania relations

References

• Indian Diaspora in Africa
• Indians of East Africa