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In the heart of the Gir forest of Gujarat’s Saurashtra region is a unique village called Jambur. The residents are the Siddis, India’s very own African tribe.
The Siddis arrived in the Indian subcontinent as slaves, merchants, sailors, and soldiers. They were brought by Arab, Portuguese, and British traders. The community is thought to have arrived in India as early as the seventh century. The population increased significantly after the 16th century.
The community is today found in Indian states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka and the Pakistani province of Sindh. The Centre classified them as Scheduled Tribes and a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group in 2003.