Africans in India - Past and Present

Abstract This article deals with the presence of African slaves in Western India. By looking at Islamic notions of slavery, the slave trade from East Africa and different historical situations in which Africans participated during the last four hundred years of Indian history, the general context for their presence is established. The second part of the paper describes the contemporary situation of former African slaves in Gujarat who are called Sidi. Present notions of Sidi identity are closely embedded in ritual constructions focussed on African ancestor-saints who appear as icons of an African past.