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{{Infobox ethnic group
|group = Indians in Zambia
|poptime =
|popplace = [[Lusaka]]{{·}}[[Chipata]]
|langs = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]{{·}}[[Hindi]]{{·}}[[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]{{·}}[[English language|English]]
|rels = [[Hinduism]]{{·}}[[Islam]]
|related-c = [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin]]{{·}}[[Desi]]
}}

There is a small but recognisable community of '''Indians in Zambia'''. Unlike the better-known [[Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa|Indian communities]] of [[Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa|South East Africa]], they were little-studied by historians until the 2000s.<ref>{{harvnb|Haig|2007|loc=Section I}}</ref>

==Migration history==
[[File:Lord Krishna Temple, Lusaka.jpg|thumb|Lord Krishna Temple, Lusaka]]
Indians from [[Gujarat]] arrived in what was then the British territory of [[North-Eastern Rhodesia]] (later part of [[Northern Rhodesia]] and then [[Zambia]]) in 1905 via [[Bulawayo]], [[Southern Rhodesia]] (now [[Zimbabwe]]) or the [[British Central Africa Protectorate]] (later [[Nyasaland]], now [[Malawi]]). Unlike the population of [[Indian South African|Indians in South Africa]], the proportion of [[Indian indenture system|indentured labourers]] among them was quite small; most instead were skilled artisans or businesspeople.<ref name="Haig">{{harvnb|Haig|2007|loc=Section II}}</ref> Initial settlers were [[Islam in India|Muslims]], they were followed by Hindu traders.<ref name="Singhvi">{{harvnb|Singhvi|2000|p=109}}</ref> Indians always formed a much smaller portion of the population than Europeans, but their numbers continued to increase until the 1950s; in 1930, the ratio of Europeans to Indians was 300:1, but by 1951 the proportion had shifted to just 10:1.<ref name="Haig_a">{{harvnb|Haig|2007|loc=Section IV}}</ref> One main driver for this was the expansion in Northern Rhodesia's mining industry in the late 1940s, which attracted demobilised white British servicemen as well as Indians.<ref name="Haig" /> Immigration again accelerated around 1953, for fears that the new federal government of Northern Rhodesia would place restrictions on Indian migration.<ref name="Haig_a" />

The [[India Office]] had repeatedly expressed interest in sending a representative to British Central Africa to look after the interests of Indian emigrants, but permission was refused for fear that the presence of such a representative could stir up ethnic tensions between Indians and Europeans.<ref name="Haig_b">{{harvnb|Haig|2007|loc=Section III}}</ref> Following Indian independence in 1947, the [[List of High Commissioners from the United Kingdom to India|British High Commissioner to India]] proposed that one seat on Lusaka's legislative council be allocated to an Indian, but this suggestion was ignored and not further pursued. The Indian High Commissioner for British East and Central Africa was specifically warned "not to be the spokesman of Indians permanently resident". The Indian government, when it did voice complaint about issues of Indians in Africa, tended to focus on those in East Africa rather than Central Africa.<ref name="Haig_b" />

After [[Zambia Independence Act 1964|Zambia achieved independence]] in 1964, the government started looking to India for material and moral support, and since then the Indian community has played a meaningful role in the [[Economy of Zambia|Zambian economy]].<ref name="Singhvi"/> Most held Zambian or [[Nationality law of the United Kingdom|British citizenship]].<ref name="MEA">{{harvnb|MEA|2008|p=9}}</ref> Many are in professions like banking, retail, farming and mining. Recent arrivals include medical and educational professionals. The [[Levy Mwanawasa]] government was friendly towards the Indian community; the functions hosted by the Indian community, such as [[Diwali]], were attended by a number of cabinet ministers of the Mwanawasa government.<ref name="Singhvi"/>

==Notable people==

*[[Parbhu Nana]], former [[cricket]]er with the [[East African cricket team]]<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/2251407/Top-billing-Fans-mob-crickets-stars|periodical=Stuff.co.nz|last=Neems|first=Jeff|title=Top billing Fans mob cricket's stars|date=2009-03-11|access-date=2011-04-15}}</ref>
*[[Dipak Patel (politician)|Dipak Patel]], Minister of Commerce and Industry under the Chiluba and Mwanawasa governments<ref name="MEA"/>
*Sir [[Alimuddin Zumla]], London-based professor of tropical medicine; parents of Gujarati origin<ref name="NSJ">{{citation|url=http://www.newsciencejournalism.net/index.php?/news_articles/view/zambian_doctor_in_prestigious_award1/|periodical=New Science Journal|date=2010-02-11|last=Kaunda|first=Danstan|title=Zambian Doctor in Prestigious Award|access-date=2011-04-12}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.mahek.co.uk/gwg/pdfs/BharuchiVahoraPatelEnglish.pdf|editor-first=Adam|editor-last=Ghodiwala|editor2-first=Yacoob|editor2-last=Mank|page=96|title=Bharuchi Vahora Patel|publication-place=United-Kingdom|publisher=y, Gujarati Writers' Guild|year=2011|access-date=2012-12-27}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==See also==

*[[Hinduism in Zambia]]
*[[Islam in Zambia]]
*[[Demographics of Zambia]]

==References==

===Notes===
{{reflist|3}}

===Sources===
*{{citation|last=Singhvi |first=L. M. |chapter=Other Countries of Africa |pages=89–109 |title=Report of the High Level Committee on the Indian Diaspora |publisher=Ministry of External Affairs |publication-place=New Delhi |url=http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter8.pdf |year=2000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206063957/http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter8.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-06 }}
*{{citation|last=Haig|first=Joan M.|title=From Kings Cross to Kew: Following the History of Zambia's Indian Community through British Imperial Archives|journal=History in Africa|volume=34|issue=1|year=2007|pages=55–66|oclc=358450873|doi=10.1353/hia.2007.0004}}
*{{citation|publisher=Ministry of External Affairs|publication-place=India|year=2008|ref=CITEREFMEA2008|title=Zambia|url=http://meaindia.nic.in/foreignrelation/20fr01.pdf|series=Foreign Relations Briefs|access-date=2009-08-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410104316/http://meaindia.nic.in/foreignrelation/20fr01.pdf|archive-date=2009-04-10|url-status=dead}}

==Further reading==
*{{citation|last=Dotson|first=Floyd|last2=Dotson|first2=Lillian O.|title=The Indian Minority in Zambia, Rhodesia and Malawi|publisher=Yale University Press|publication-place=New Haven|year=1968|oclc=418796}}
*{{citation|last=Phiri|first=B. J.|title=A history of Indians in Eastern Province of Zambia|publication-place=Lusaka|year=2000|isbn=978-9982-9918-0-3}}
*{{citation|last=Phiri|first=B. J.|title=Zambians of Indian origin: a history of their struggle for survival in a new homeland|series=Occasional Papers|volume=12|publisher=Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society|publication-place=Cape Town, South Africa|isbn=978-1-919799-57-5|oclc= 51080657|year=2001}}

{{Immigration to Zambia}}
{{NRI-PIO}}

[[Category:Asian diaspora in Zambia]]
[[Category:Indian diaspora by country|Zambia]]
[[Category:Indian diaspora in Africa]]
[[Category:Zambian people of Indian descent| ]]

Indians in Zambia - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 01:16, 14 August 2023