Siddi, an African Tribe in India
Q. Siddi is a tribe in India. However, they have their origins in which of the following tribes?- Published on 04 Apr 16a. European tribe
b. Indigenous Indian tribe
c. Mongolian tribe
d. African tribe
ANSWER: African tribe
- Siddi, the African tribe, has called India their home from the past 200 years.
- There are only about 55,000 Siddis in India today who live in small, secluded settlements in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and parts of Goa.
- Even though their food, clothes and language are completely adapted to the local cultures of whichever part of India they live in, traces of their African roots still echo in their dance and music traditions.
- With Marathi and Konkani as their lingua franca, the Siddi families in Karnataka are Roman Catholics, Hindus and Muslims - all united by their distinct music and culture. Their songs tell the story of the way they live and reflect their passion for hunting.
- While agriculture is their main source of livelihood, the youngsters of the tribe are slowly migrating to cities and work as labourers. Interestingly, their tribe in Karnataka has 35 per cent literacy rate.
- In their community, women study more and are much more responsible and active than men.
- Unlike other tribes, the Siddis do not enforce restrictions on marrying outside their community.
- With a strong community bonding, the Siddis believe in the culture of sharing the day’s catch equally among all families in the village. This ancient practice is still being followed in most Siddi tribe settlements.
