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 Armenian Christmas atArmenian Church of Holy Nazareth,Kolkata | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 426 (2011)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Kolkata,Mumbai,Hyderabad,Bangalore,New Delhi,Surat,Chennai,Kochi | |
| Languages | |
| Currently spoken: Various Indian languages andEnglish Traditional: Armenian | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (Armenian Apostolic Church) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Armenian diaspora |
The association ofArmenians withIndia and the presence ofArmenians in India dates back over a millennium, and there has been a mutualeconomic andcultural association of Armenians with India.[2][3] Today there are about a hundred, most of whom currently live in or aroundKolkata.
The earliest documented references to the mutual relationship of Armenians and Indians are found in theCyropaedia, anancient Greek work byXenophon (430 BC – 355 BC). These references indicate that several Armenians traveled to India.[2][4]
An archive directory (published 1956) inDelhi, India states that an Armenian merchant and diplomat namedThomas of Cana had reached theMalabar Coast in 780 using the overland route.[3]
Ottoman and theSafavid imperial conquests of theArmenian highlands in the 15th century meant that many Armenians dispersed across theses empires, with some eventually reachingNorth India, which was ruled by theMughal Empire (Northern India).[citation needed] During the reign of the Mughal emperorAkbar, Armenians—such as Akbar's third wifeMariam-uz-Zamani andChief Justice Abdul Hai—gained prestige in the empire. While Armenians gained prestige serving as governors and generals elsewhere in the empire, such asDelhi,Lahore, andBengal, they lived in enclosed colonies and established churches.[5] Armenians worked as merchants, gunsmiths, gunners, priests and mercenaries for some of the Islamic rulers in India, with many noted to have served in the armies of variousnawabs in Bengal and Punjab, such as Khojah Petrus Nicholas andGurgin Khan.[5]
Thomas of Cana was an affluent merchant dealing chiefly inspices andmuslins. He was also instrumental in obtaining adecree, inscribed on acopperplate, from theChera dynasty of theMalabar Coast, which conferred severalcommercial,social andreligious privileges for theSaint Thomas Christians. In current local references, Thomas of Cana is known as "Knayi Thomman" or "Kanaj Tomma" "Thomas the merchant".[6]
Centuries later, an additional incentive for Armenian settlements in India was an Armenian agreement with theBritish East India Company. AJulfan merchant named Khoja Panos Calendar (Ghandalarian), resident in London at the time, signed the treaty on behalf of the “Armenian Nation” on June 22, 1688.[7] Competing with the Portuguese and the French, the British sought to enhance the Armenian presence in India. The agreement granted special trading privileges to the Armenians, as well as equal rights with British subjects regarding freedom of residence, travel, religion, and unrestricted access to civil offices.[8]
Due to Armenians not having a country of their own, the colonial powers of Europe massively favored trading with Armenians compared to their European counterparts during the age of mercantilism. Most notably, they became an intermediary between the Spaniards and the English. Armenians were known for their honesty.[9] Hence, it made them a great candidate to become international traders. Armenians grew to be very wealthy in India; due to their wealth, they established their own settlements in various Indian cities where they constructed their churches, newspaper publications, and even the first-ever Armenian constitution was written in Madras, India, 1773, byShahamir Shahamirian, 14 years before the American constitution was written. The Armenian trade network stretched from Manila all the way to Amsterdam but Armenian traders were most successful in India.[10]
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Several centuries of presence of Armenians resulted in the emergence of a number of several large and small Armenian settlements in several places in India, includingAgra,Surat,Mumbai,Kanpur,Chinsurah,Chandernagore,Calcutta, Saidabad, asuburb ofMurshidabad,Chennai,Gwalior,Lucknow, and several other locations currently in theRepublic of India.Lahore andDhaka – currently respectively inPakistan andBangladesh, – but, earlier part ofUndivided India, andKabul,capital ofAfghanistan, also had an Armenian population. There were also manyArmenians in Burma andSoutheast Asia.[11][12]
Akbar (1556–1605), the Mughal emperor, invited Armenians to settle inAgra in the 16th century,[13] and by the middle of the 19th century, Agra had a sizeable Armenian population. By an imperial decree, Armenian merchants were exempted from paying taxes on the merchandise imported and exported by them, and they were also allowed to move around in the areas of the Mughal Empire where entry offoreigners was otherwise prohibited. However, for the Armenians, who were recognized by the emperors for their innovative skills, earned their exceptional status in India. In 1562, an Armenian Church was constructed in Agra.[6]
Aurangzeb (1658–1707), the Mughal emperor, issued a decree which allowed Armenians to form a settlement in Saidabad, asuburb ofMurshidabad, then the capital of thesubah (province) of Bengal. The imperial decree had also reduced thetax from 5% to 3.5% on two major items traded by them, namely piece goods andraw silk. The decree further stipulated that theestate of deceased Armenians would pass on to the Armenian community. By the middle of the 18th century, Armenians had become a vibrant and active merchant community in Bengal. In 1758, Armenians had built a church in Saidabad's Khan market.[14]
Armenian gravestones from the 16th and 17th centuries in Surat,India, reflect the historical presence of the Armenian community in the region. Thesegravestones, featuring intricate designs and inscriptions, are part of the Armenian cemetery in Surat, alongside the cemeteries of earlyBritish andDutch settlers. Historians suggest Armenians began settling in Surat as early as the 14th century, with a notable increase in the 16th century.[15]
The Armenians in Surat were primarily traders, dealing in jewelry, precious stones, cotton, silk, and other commodities. They engaged in trade with Armenian-owned merchant vessels, exporting goods to various destinations includingEgypt, theLevant,Anatolia,Venice, andLivorno. Unlike other traders fromWest Asia, who often traveled alone, Armenian merchants often brought their families with them.[15]
From the 16th century onwards, Armenians formed an important trading community inSurat, the most active Indianport of that period, located on the western coast of India. The port city of Surat used to have regular sea borne to and frotraffic of merchant ships fromBasra andBandar Abbas. Armenians of Surat built two Churches and acemetery there,[16] and atombstone (of 1579) in Surat bears Armenianinscriptions. The second Church was built in 1778 and was dedicated toMary, mother of Jesus.[17] Amanuscript written in the Armenian language in 1678 (currently preserved in Saltikov-Shchedrin Library,St. Petersburg) has an account of a permanentcolony of Armenians in Surat.[18]
The British valued the business acumen of the Armenian community and sought their cooperation to secure trading privileges in the Mughal court. Today, the Armenian gravestones in Surat serve as a poignant reminder of the community's significant contributions to the city's history and its enduring commercial and cultural ties with various regions.[15]
Landmarks of contributions made to the city of Chennai still exist.Coja Petrus Uscan, an Armenian merchant who had amassed a fortune from trade with theNawab of Arcot, invested a great amount in buildings. TheMarmalong Bridge, with many arches across the riverAdyar was constructed by him, and a huge sum of maintenance donated to the local authorities. Besides building rest houses for pilgrims, he built the Chapel of Our Lady of Miracles in Madras. The only reminder of the bygone era is theArmenian Church, Chennai of 1772 at 2/AArmenian Street,Georgetown).The Armenia India legacy in Chennai and Armenian contributions are well documented in the Armenia Virtual Museum.[19][6] In 2025, Indian author Dr. Prashant Madanmohan organized theIndo-Armenian-French Art & Literary Confluence in Chennai, showcasing cultural unity through literature and art, including themes of memory, identity, and the Armenian Genocide.[20]
The Armenians settled inChinsurah, nearKolkata,West Bengal, and in 1688 built a church now known as theArmenian Church of the Holy Nazareth This is the second oldest church inBengal and is still in well preserved on account of the care of the Calcutta Armenian Church Committee.[21][22]
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1951 |  3,078 |
| 1961 | 2,871 |
| 1971 | 2,474 |
| 1981 | 2,056 |
| 1991 | 1,758 |
| 2001 | 1,015 |
| 2011 | 426 |
After Armenia's independence from USSR, many Armenian-Indians went toArmenia.Kolkata still has about 150 Armenians and they still celebrate Christmas on 6 January,[27] and Easter.[28]Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day is also observed in Armenian Church, Kolkata.[29] TheArmenian Church of Holy Nazareth, located in Brabourne Road,Kolkata was constructed in 1734 and is the oldest Church in Kolkata.[29] The best known Armenian institution in India is the Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy (est. 1821)[30] better known as theArmenian College, inKolkata, funded by endowments and donations. The management of the college was handed over to the Armenian Holy See of Echmiadzin of theArmenian Apostolic Church some years ago by a group of alumni led by Heros Avetoom. There are presently around 125 children studying there from Armenia, Iran and Iraq and the local Armenian population. There is also the Armenian Sports Club (est. 1890) which is still active.
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Most Armenians in Armenia are Apostolic Orthodox and adhere to theArmenian Apostolic Church and are under the jurisdiction of the Holy See of Echmiadzin. In February 2007,Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians visited India. In Delhi he met with the President of India. He also visitedChennai,Mumbai andKolkata. There are manyArmenian Apostolic Orthodox churches in India:
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PresidentLevon Ter-Petrossian visited India in December 1995 and signed a Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation. Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian traveled to India in December 2000. India's Minister of State for External Affairs Mr. Digvijay Singh visited Armenia in July 2003. PresidentRobert Kocharian, accompanied by several Ministers and a strong business delegation, visited India in October–November 2003.[31]
The Armenia-India Friendship Society (within the Armenian Society for Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries) regularly marks India's Republic and Independence Days.[32]
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| Historic areas of Armenian settlement | ||
| Caucasus | ||
| Former Soviet Union | ||
| Americas | ||
| Europe | ||
| Middle East | ||
| Asia | ||
| Africa | ||
| Oceania | ||
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