 Indian children participating in a cultural performance at Indian School, Muscat | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 800,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Muscat | |
| Languages | |
| Malayalam • Telugu • Urdu • Tamil • Gujarati • Marathi • English • Arabic • Odia • Hindi | |
| Religion | |
| Islam • Christianity • Hinduism • Jainism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Person of Indian Origin |
The community of Indians in Oman includes Indian expatriates in Oman, as well as Omani citizens of Indian origin or descent.
Although Indian migration to Oman is apparently for the purpose of spreading their commercial activities and mutually sharing the profits, their mutual good relations are believed to have existed as early as the 7th century. It was however, in 15th century since when the Indian merchants had started undertaking commercial activities in Muscat in a quite systematic manner. As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesman and settlers, such as the Persians, the Balochs and Gujaratis. [1] [2]
The Indian community then consisted essentially of traders and financiers from Kutch and Sindh. Some of the earliest Indian immigrants to settle in Oman were the Bhatias of Kutch in Gujarat, who have had a powerful presence in Oman dating back to the 16th century. [3] It was during the 19th century that some Khojas reached there, and who are presently well-integrated in Oman; some of them hold even ministerial positions. A few Indian families predominantly from Gujarat which have been living in Oman since many centuries, have developed their enterprises into the colossal business houses. [4] [5]
Admittedly, the settlement of the Indian migrants in Oman has become possible only because of Omani government's liberal policy in granting its citizenship to foreign nationals. It is conceivably the only Arab country in Arabian Peninsula, which has taken such dynamic initiative, which has proved to be enormously beneficial to them in many respects. Any person irrespective of his religion or race, who has completed at least 20 years in Oman, is treated as eligible to apply for its citizenship. That's why about a thousand Indians have so far became Omani citizens.
Oman holds an exceptional position among all the Persian Gulf countries in terms of Basic Law of the State promulgated in December 1996, which guarantees the freedom of worship to all its inhabitants, irrespective of their religious beliefs. Such liberal policy of the government has made it possible that presently there are two Hindu temples where congregations are held regularly. One of these temples is more than a hundred years old. The Hindus have been granted the rights of cremation as per their religious rites. There are nearly four temporary gurudwaras (2 in Muscat, 1 in Salalah and Sohar each), which have been built in the labour camps. Oman also has seven churches for various Christian sects living in this country. Recently the Omani government has allowed the Indian Community to build a permanent gurudwara and a temple in Oman of the likes that are seen in India itself (The current temples and gurudwaras are small, temporary, and bounded to a compound). [6]
The Indian community in Oman is regarded to be among the most prosperous communities in the country. At present, Indians constitute almost 20% of Oman's total population of 2.3 million (2010 census), as they are the largest expatriate community in the country. There are 448,000 Indian migrant workers in Oman.[ citation needed ] The Indians in Oman belong to various professions and businesses. Almost 25% of them are unskilled workers, 30% of them semi-skilled, and 35% are skilled ones. The other 10% consist of professionals such as engineers, bankers, financial experts, managers/executives and businesspeople. There are around 2,000 Indian doctors in Oman, who work in different hospitals and healthcare centers of the country.
Some of them are working with the local newspapers and magazines; particularly those being published in English. The majority of Indians in Oman come from Kerala, accounting for 60% of all Indian nationals in the country.
There are a number of Indian curriculum and community-run schools in Oman, including
The local Omanis are prohibited from studying in these schools.
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located in West Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of the Persian Gulf. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Muscat. Oman has a population of 5,492,196 and is ranked the 120th most populous country. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by United Arab Emirates on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.
Gujarat is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about 1,600 km (990 mi) is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some 196,024 km2 (75,685 sq mi); and the ninth-most populous state, with a population of 60.4 million. It is bordered by Rajasthan to the northeast, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to the south, Maharashtra to the southeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and the Arabian Sea and the Pakistani province of Sindh to the west. Gujarat's capital city is Gandhinagar, while its largest city is Ahmedabad. The Gujaratis are indigenous to the state and their language, Gujarati, is the state's official language.
Muscat is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was 1.72 million as of September 2022. The metropolitan area spans approximately 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi) and includes six provinces called wilayats, making it the largest city in the Arabian Peninsula by area. Known since the early 1st century AD as an important trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians, the Portuguese Empire and the Ottoman Empire at various points in its history. A regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat's influence extended as far as East Africa and Zanzibar. As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesmen and settlers such as the Persians, Balochs and Sindhis. Since the accession of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society. Muscat is termed as a Beta - Global City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
Hinduism has been found in the Middle East since the mid-19th century. Millions of members of the Indian diaspora, of different religions, reside and work in Arab states of the Persian Gulf; many of them are Hindu. Many came due to the migration of Indians and Nepalese expatriates and employees to the area around the Persian Gulf.
Kutch district, officially spelled Kachchh, is a district of Gujarat state in western India, with its headquarters (capital) at Bhuj. Covering an area of 45,674 km2, it is the largest district of India. The area of Kutch District is larger than the entire area of states like Haryana (44,212 km2) and Kerala (38,863 km2). The population of Kutch is about 2,092,371. It has 10 talukas, 939 villages and 6 municipalities. The Kutch district is home to the Kutchi people who speak the Kutchi language.
Bhatia is a group of people and a caste found in Punjab, Sindh and Gujarat. Traditionally, they have been a trading and merchant community. The Bhatias primarily live in Northwestern India and Pakistan. The Bhatias, Lohanas and Khatris were similar communities and were known to intermarry. The Bhatias recruit Saraswat Brahmins as priests.
Mandvi is a beach town with municipality in the Kachchh district (Kutch) in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once a major port of the region and summer retreat for Maharao (king) of the Cutch State. The old city was enclosed in the fort wall and remains of the fort wall can still be seen. The city has a four-hundred-year-old ship building industry which is still functional and dhows, a type of wooden ship, are still made. Mandvi Municipality's 36 Seat Of 9 Ward.
The Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, also known briefly as the State of Muscat and Oman during the rule of Taimur bin Feisal, was a sovereign state that encompassed the present-day Sultanate of Oman and parts of present-day United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, in the second half of the 19th century and 20th century. Ruled by the Busaid dynasty, it was established as a result of the partition of the Omani Empire upon the death of its last ruler Said bin Sultan. The Sultanate transitioned into a new form of government after the palace coup of 23 July 1970 in which the sultan Said bin Taimur was immediately deposed in favor of his son Qaboos bin Said.
Al-Seeb, As Seeb or As Sib is a coastal fishing province, located several kilometres northwest of Muscat, in northeastern Oman. As of the census of 2020, it had a population of 470,878.
The Education in Oman is provided free of charge up to end of secondary education, though attendance is not mandatory at any level. In 1970 there were only three formal schools with 900 students in the whole state. Oman's national educational program expanded rapidly during the 1970s and the 1980s, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sending teachers on its own expense during that time period. In 2006–2007 about 560,000 students attended 1053 public schools. The number of students in private schools is about 65,000. There are also extensive programmes to combat adult illiteracy. Sultan Qaboos University, the only national university near Muscat, was founded in 1986, and in 2006 it had 13,500 students. The Human Development Report found the literacy rate to be 93.0% in adults, up from 54.7% in 1990. For the same period, the youth literacy rate increased from 85.6 to 97.3%. Public expenditure on education was reported to be 4.6% of GDP and 26.1% of total government spending.
Mundra is a census town and a headquarter of Mundra Taluka of Kachchh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Founded in about the 1640s, the town was an important mercantile centre and port throughout its history. Mundra Port is the largest private port in India.
The Gujarati people, or Gujaratis, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who reside in or can trace their ancestry or heritage to a region of the Indian subcontinent primarily centered in the present-day western Indian state of Gujarat. They primarily speak Gujarati, an Indo-Aryan language. While Gujaratis mainly inhabit Gujarat, they have a diaspora worldwide. Gujaratis in India and the diaspora are prominent entrepreneurs and industrialists and maintain high social capital. Many notable independence activists were Gujarati, including Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
The term Gujarati Muslim is usually used to signify an Indian Muslim from the state of Gujarat in western coast of India. Most Gujarati Muslims have Gujarati language as their mother tongue, but some communities such as the Soomra & Sindhi have Kutchi other like Momin Ansari, Memons, Charotar Vahora & Vohra Gujarati Shaikh (Hansotis) and others, have Urdu as their mother tongue. The majority of Gujarati Muslims are Sunni, with a minority of Shi'ite groups.
The Basic Law, in accordance with tradition, declares that Islam is the state religion and that Shari'a is the source of legislation. It also prohibits discrimination based on religion and provides for the freedom to practice religious rites as long as doing so does not disrupt public order. The government generally respected this right, but within defined parameters that placed limitations on the right in practice. While the government continued to protect the free practice of religion in general, it formalized previously unwritten prohibitions on religious gatherings in locations other than government-approved houses of worship, and on non-Islamic institutions issuing publications within their communities, without prior approval from the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA). There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.
The Baloch diaspora(Balochi: دَرمُلکی بلۏچ or دَرانڈݔھی بلۏچ, romanized: Darmolki Balòc) refers to Baloch people, and their descendants, who have immigrated to places outside the Balochistan region of South-West Asia – a region stretching from southwestern Pakistan to southeastern Iran and southern Afghanistan. The Baloch diaspora is found throughout the Middle East, South Asia, Turkmenistan, East Africa, Europe, North America and in other parts of the world.
The Shiva temple, also known as Motishwar Mandir, is a temple complex located near the Al Alam Palace in the Muttrah area of Old Muscat, Oman. It is one of the oldest Hindu temples in the Middle East region. The temple celebrates numerous Hindu festivals such as Vasant Panchmi, Ramnavmi, Hanuman Jayanti, Shravan and Ganesh Chaturthi. Over 20,000 Hindus visit the temple during Maha Shivaratri.
Even though the government of Oman does not keep statistics on religious affiliation, statistics from the CIA World Factbook state that adherents of Islam are in the majority at 95%, with Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism less than 5%. Other religious affiliations have a proportion of 1% and the unaffiliated only 0.2%.
Hinduism is a minority faith in Oman practised by 5.5% of its population. Oman is the only country in the Middle East with an indigenous Hindu minority. Hindus in Oman are represented by the religious organization Hindu Mahajan Temple.
As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesman and settlers, such as the Persians, the Balochs and Gujaratis.
Oman's capital Muscat was the first home for Gujarati traders away from the subcontinent. The Bhatia community from Kutch was the first among all Gujaratis to settle overseas — relocating to Muscat as early as 1507! The Bhatias' settlement in the Gulf is emphasized by Hindu places of worship, seen there since the 16th century. As historian Makrand Mehta asserts, "Business and culture go together."
Hindus had settled in Oman by the sixteenth century, and from at least the early nineteenth century Omani commerce and trade has been conducted by Hindu Banyans of Bhatia caste deriving from Kutch in Gujarat.
"We see achievements as milestones in the quest for excellence. We just want to be the best," says the 77-year-old tycoon, Kanaksi Khimji. Not sales and volumes, Khimji believes that the most important measure of success for his family's business is how far it has helped advance the national development plans laid out by Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said. In fact, Khimji with his Indian roots was one of the first to embrace Omanisation, a directive to train and empower Omani professionals. Such a rare honour makes Khimji the most distinguished Indian in this Middle Eastern country.
Indians In Oman Community
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