Memons in Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
Memons in Sri Lanka arrived from Sindh
(in modern Pakistan
), in the 1870s. They are currently an important Muslim
minority in the country. Sunni Muslim by origin, they are entrepreneurs who settled in Sri Lanka
for business opportunities during the colonial period
. Some of these people came to the country as far back as the Portuguese period; others arrived during the British period from various parts of India. The Memons, first arrived in 1870 from northwestern India (Gujarat State). As of the early 21st Century they number over 10,000.
, Porbandar
and Upleta
travelled to Ceylon present day Sri Lanka
for trading. They would import textiles goods from India
and sell them locally. The first Memon to arrive on the island around 1870 is said to have been an individual named Abdul Rahman. He was also known as "Manna Seth", and was a peddler of textiles in Jaffna
before settling in Pettah
and building up a considerable business.
With time, Memons without their family, mostly originating from Kutiyana
had begun to arrive to the island for business. After independence in 1947, Memons businessmen brought their families and settled permanently. They looked upon Sri Lanka as their own country and set about giving their best to it.
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
(in modern Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
), in the 1870s. They are currently an important Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
minority in the country. Sunni Muslim by origin, they are entrepreneurs who settled in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
for business opportunities during the colonial period
Colonial Period
Colonial Period may generally refer to any period in a country's history when it was subject to administration by a colonial power.*Korea under Japanese rule*Colonial history of the United States...
. Some of these people came to the country as far back as the Portuguese period; others arrived during the British period from various parts of India. The Memons, first arrived in 1870 from northwestern India (Gujarat State). As of the early 21st Century they number over 10,000.
History
In late 1900 certain Memon merchants mainly from KutiyanaKutiyana
Kutiyana is a city and a municipality in Porbandar district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Kutiyana is located at . It has an average elevation of 30 metres . Kutiyana town is spread over almost 2km range...
, Porbandar
Porbandar
Porbandar is a coastal city in the Indian state of Gujarat, perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama...
and Upleta
Upleta
Upleta is a city and a municipality in Rajkot district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Upleta is located at . It has an average elevation of 39 metres ....
travelled to Ceylon present day Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
for trading. They would import textiles goods from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and sell them locally. The first Memon to arrive on the island around 1870 is said to have been an individual named Abdul Rahman. He was also known as "Manna Seth", and was a peddler of textiles in Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
before settling in Pettah
Pettah
Pettah is an urban neighbourhood of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala.-Location:Pettah is on the way to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and Shanghumugham Beach. Private and KSRTC buses connect Pettah to most parts of the city.The railway station at Pettah is...
and building up a considerable business.
With time, Memons without their family, mostly originating from Kutiyana
Kutiyana
Kutiyana is a city and a municipality in Porbandar district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Kutiyana is located at . It has an average elevation of 30 metres . Kutiyana town is spread over almost 2km range...
had begun to arrive to the island for business. After independence in 1947, Memons businessmen brought their families and settled permanently. They looked upon Sri Lanka as their own country and set about giving their best to it.
- Memon
- Islam in Sri LankaIslam in Sri LankaIslam in Sri Lanka is practiced by a group of minorities who make up approximately 10% of the population.on the 2001 census of GOSL shows there are 1,711,000 Muslims The Muslim community is divided into three main ethnic groups: the Sri Lankan Moors, the Indian Muslims, and the Malays, each with...