 Indian Soldiers in Saigon -1945 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 5,500 (June 2021 est.)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Ho Chi Minh City | |
| Languages | |
| Vietnamese • Tamil • English • Languages of India | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism · Buddhism · Islam · Sikhism · Religions of India | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Overseas Indians,Khasi people,Munda people,Nicobarese |
Indians in Vietnam consist of migrants to Vietnam from India, both historical and recent. As of 2011[update], there were about 2,000 people of Indian origin settled inVietnam, mainly inHo Chi Minh City.[2] Prior to theVietnam War, there was a vibrant Indian community consisting of primarilyTamils in Vietnam, and specifically theChettiars.
TheCham people (remnants of theChampa Kingdom) of central Vietnam share a long history with India.
Today, the majority of Indians in Vietnam practice a religious syncretism ofHinduism withMahayana Buddhism. Hindu temples serve both Hindus and Buddhists.
There are two main groups of Indians in Vietnam: The Pre-1975 Indian-Vietnamese, who have been living in Vietnam since the late 1800s; and the Post-1990s Indian expats who arrived after theDoi Moi economic reforms, as entrepreneurs, business people, professionals andforeign workers.
In contemporary history, Indians began migrating to Vietnam in the late 19th century, in search for better economic prospects, and/or for colonial civil service.
The Indian migrants came from different regions of India:
- From South India (Deccan)
- From North and West India
Per the 1937 census by theFrench Indochinese colonial regime, about 2000 Indians resided inSouthern Vietnam (Cochinchina), and another 1000 inNorthern Vietnam (Tonkin),Central Vietnam (Annam) andLaos. An estimated 3,000 - 4,000 Indians lived in theRepublic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) in the 1950s and 60s, very few to none in CommunistNorth Vietnam after its independence in 1945. A Vietnamese source estimated that around 1000 Indians were in Saigon in the 1950s, of whom 400 were from the formerFrench India, and the remainder were the BombayGujarati andSindhi merchants. The Hindu, Muslim and Sikh faiths were represented. The majority were South Indian, and the North Indians were a visible minority. Many Indian-Vietnamese lived in Saigon, coupled with a much smaller presence inĐà Nẵng,Đà Lạt,Huế, andNha Trang.
The Gujaratis and the Sindhis traded textile, clothing, jewelry and tailoring services; especially in Saigon, where they had many shops. The Chettiars engaged in banking, brokerage, and the rental of commercial buildings, vehicles, boats etc. The Chettiars began their return to India in 1963 due to the political instability after the1963 coup d'état and assassination of PresidentNgo Dinh Diem. Tamil Muslims built several mosques in Saigon in the 1930s, including the Central Mosque (vi:Thánh Đường Đông Du (Dong Du Mosque)) (ar:Jamia Al-Musulman),[3][4] theChợ Lớn Mosque (vi:Thánh Đường Chợ Lớn),[4] and the Jamiul Islamiyah Mosque.[4] Tamil Hindus constructed several prominent temples, notably theSri Mariamman temple in Ho Chi Minh City, which is also a tourist attraction.;[5] and the Sikhs built agurdwara, which now serves as a pharmaceuticals office. Some non-Muslim Indians as well as Muslim Indians, married Vietnamese women. Some Chettiars, had both, a Vietnamese spouse in Vietnam and a Chettiar wife in India.
After theFall of Saigon, also known as the Liberation of Saigon or Liberation of the South, the Communist regime confiscated and collectivized all private property in the South for little to no compensation, as it had done in the North since 1945. This included the confiscation of Indian-owned private properties such as homes, businesses and places of worship. The former South'sfree market economy was ended, as a result of thestate-run economy. Foreigners were unwelcome and harassed. The Indian-Vietnamese fearing further persecution, exited Vietnam, depleting the pre-1975 Indian-Vietnamese presence. The pre-1975 Indian-Vietnamese are few in number today.
| Austroasiatic (Vietic) | |
|---|---|
| Austroasiatic (Bahnaric) | |
| Austroasiatic (other) | |
| Hmong–Mien | |
| Kra–Dai | |
| Sinitic | |
| Tibeto-Burman | |
| Malayo-Polynesian | |
| Immigrants and expatriate | |
The 54 officially recognised ethnic groups are ranked by population in their language families according to2019 census
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