CBSE Class 7 > Class 7 Notes > Social Science - New NCERT ( Part 1 and Part 2) > Cheat Sheet: India A Home To Many
Cheat Sheet: India A Home To Many
1. Communities that found a home in India
1.1 Bene Israel
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ancient Kingdom of Israel |
| Arrival date | Around 175 BCE |
| Settlement location | Konkan coast south of Mumbai |
| Arrival event | Shipwreck after a storm |
| Religious memory | Lost holy books but remembered prayer about one God |
| Population after independence | Over 25,000 |
1.2 Cochin Jews
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Arrival period | Between the 12th and 19th centuries |
| Settlement location | Near Cochin (present-day Kochi) |
| Royal grant | Raja of Kochi granted land free of cost "as long as the world, sun, and moon endure" |
| Place of worship | Built a synagogue |
| Royal respect | Maharaja of Travancore gave expensive gifts to the synagogue |
1.3 Syriac Christian Community
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Origin timeframe | From the 4th century CE |
| Treatment under Roman Empire | Considered heretics |
| Treatment under Persian Empire | Faced persecution |
| Migration path | Travelled eastward along trade routes |
| Settlement location | Malabar coast (present-day Kerala) |
| Designation in India | Called "Syrian Christians" and divided into several sects |
| Integration | Integrated into Indian society while maintaining traditions |
1.4 Parsis
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Religion | Zoroastrianism |
| Founder | Prophet Zarathushtra |
| Chief god | Ahurā Mazdā |
| Core moral teaching | Choosing good over evil |
| Reason for migration | Islamic conquest in the 7th century CE |
| Sassanid Empire period | 3rd to 7th centuries |
| Persecution: forced conversions | Forced conversions to Islam |
| Persecution: tax | Religious taxes (jizya) |
| Persecution: temples | Destruction of fire temples |
| Persecution: marginalisation | Social and legal marginalisation |
| Arrival in India | Sailed to Gujarat between the 8th and 10th centuries |
| Legend | Raja Jadi Rāṇā and the milk-and-sugar demonstration |
| Legend meaning | Parsis would blend into and enrich society without causing problems |
| Sacred site | Ancient sacred fire continues to burn in Udvada (south Gujarat) |
| Global status | India has the largest population of Zoroastrians |
1.5 Arab Merchant Community
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Arrival timeframe | From the 7th century onward |
| Settlement region | West coast: Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka |
| Occupation | Traded spices and other goods |
| Social integration | Married local women and formed new communities |
| Community in Kerala | Became part of the Mappila Muslim community |
| Religious contribution | Helped build Cheraman Juma Masjid |
| Nature of arrival | Peaceful traders, not conquerors |
| Impact | Brought new ideas, culture, and religion |
| Role | Important in trade and cultural exchange |
1.6 Siddis
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Origin | Of African origin |
| Arrival mechanism | Enslaved and brought by Arab, Portuguese, and British traders between the 7th and 19th centuries |
| 18th century role | Some gained prominence in Muslim rulers' armies |
| Political control | Briefly controlled parts of Bengal |
| Cultural identity | Fusion of African and Indian traditions |
| Performing art | Distinctive dance accompanied by African-style drumming |
| Language | Adapted to regional influences |
| Religion | Integrated African religious practices with Hinduism, Islam, or Christianity |
| Legal status | Designated as a scheduled tribe |
| Economic condition | Overall economic condition remains poor |
| Development efforts | Efforts to provide better access to education and livelihood options |
1.6.1 Hirabai Lobi
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Community | Belonged to the Siddi community in Gujarat |
| Work: banking | Connected women with banking services |
| Work: livelihood | Educated women on organic farming and livelihood options |
| Award | Padma Shri in 2023 |
1.7 Armenians
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Armenia: location | Between Turkey and Azerbaijan, north of Iran |
| Early settlement | First settlement on the Malabar coast in the 8th century |
| Mughal period | 16th century Armenians from Persia gained patronage from emperors |
| Earliest settlement in North India | Agra with Emperor Akbar's permission to build a church |
| Roles in Mughal court | Abdul Hai served as Chief Justice in Akbar's court |
| Roles in Mughal court: medicine | Lady Juliana served as a doctor in the royal palace |
| Other settlements | Surat, Kolkata, and Chennai |
| Kolkata hub | 18th-century Armenian College and Mother Mary Church |
| Chennai presence | Settlement around mid-17th century; influential in silk, spices, and precious stones trade |
| Reminders | Armenian Street in George Town and St. Mary's Armenian Church (mid-18th century) |
| Current status | Population has dwindled but some families preserve the legacy |
1.8 Baha'i Community
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Origin | Mid-1800s in Persia (modern-day Iran) |
| Leader | Baha'u'llah |
| Teachings | Unity among all people and harmony between religions |
| Persecution | Branded as heretics by ruling religious leadership in Iran |
| Arrival in India | Late 19th century |
| Membership | Many Indians joined the faith |
| Landmark | Baha'i Lotus Temple in New Delhi |
1.9 The 'Good Maharaja' and Polish Children
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| World War II timeframe | Second World War (1939-1945) |
| Maharaja | Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, Maharaja of Nawanagar |
| Action taken | Mobilised the Red Cross and other organisations to rescue children |
| Location of refuge | Brought children to Jamnagar and provided a safe place, food, and care |
| Number saved | Around 1,000 Polish orphans between 1942 and 1946 |
| Other refugees | Several thousand Polish refugees also welcomed |
| Postwar outcome | Children and others returned home after the war |
| Recognition | Service recognised by the President of Poland in the early 21st century |
| Monument | "Good Maharaja Square" in Warsaw, Poland |
1.10 Tibetan Refugees
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Tibet: location | Other side of the Himalayan range, called "Land of Snows" |
| 7th century | Tibet became a centre of Buddhism when its king embraced Buddhist teachings |
| 12th-13th centuries | Turko-Afghan invasions destroyed Nālandā and other Buddhist centres in eastern India |
| Monks' migration | Many monks left for Tibet carrying Sanskrit manuscripts |
| Dalai Lamas | From the 15th century onward assumed greater roles |
| 17th century status | From the mid-17th century Dalai Lamas became spiritual heads and rulers of Tibet |
| 1950 onward | People's Republic of China overran Tibet in several waves |
| 1959 event | Following an uprising the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India |
| Asylum | Indian government granted the Dalai Lama asylum |
| Residence | Dalai Lama lives in Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) |
| Government-in-exile | Central Tibetan Administration functions from Dharamshala |
| Rehabilitation measures | Indian government provided education and created Tibetan settlements |
| Monasteries in India | Many Tibetan monasteries established, particularly in Karnataka |
| NGO support | NGOs supported the community with livelihood options |
| Integration | Tibetan refugees became part of Indian society over time |
1.10.1 The Dalai Lama's Four Commitments
- Promotion of human values like compassion, forgiveness, tolerance
- Promotion of religious harmony
- Preservation of Tibetan culture
- Revival of India's civilisational heritage, particularly karuṇā (compassion) and ahimsa (nonviolence)
1.10.2 Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan Medicine)
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Propagation in India | Propagated in India soon after Tibetans took refuge in 1959 |
| Codification | Codified in the 8th century CE by a medical council near Lhasa |
| Composition | Blends ancient principles of Ayurveda with inputs from China, Central Asia, Persia, and Greece |
| Geographic popularity | Popular in Himalayan regions, including Nepal and Bhutan |
| Institution | Men-Tsee-Khang in Dharamshala practises Sowa Rigpa |
| Government integration | Included in the Government of India's AYUSH programme |
2. Indian values, key terms, and important concepts
2.1 Indian values
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Vasudhaiva kutumbakam | "The whole world is family" |
| Atithi devo bhava | "A guest is like God" |
| Sarve bhavantu sukhinah | "May all creatures be happy" |
| Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta | Boundless loving-kindness radiated over the entire world, likened to a mother's protection of her only child |
| Reasons India became a haven | Acceptance, inclusion, and schools of thought expressing compassion and hospitality |
2.2 Important Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Jews | Members of a people and cultural community originating from ancient Hebrews of Israel |
| Synagogue | A place of worship for Jews where religious services and ceremonies are held |
| Heretic | A person considered to hold beliefs contrary to dominant views |
| Persecution | Hostility arising from religious, ethnic, social, or political motives often involving harassment or violence |
| Zoroastrianism | One of the world's oldest religions founded by Zarathushtra, based on worship of Ahurā Mazdā and choosing good over evil |
| AYUSH | Government of India programme supporting traditional medicine systems including Sowa Rigpa |
2.3 Key takeaways
- India served as a haven for persecuted peoples and migrants seeking new opportunities
- Indian cultural values of acceptance, inclusion, compassion, and hospitality enabled communities to settle and preserve traditions
- Communities that found a home in India include Bene Israel, Cochin Jews, Syriac Christians, Parsis, Arab merchants, Siddis, Armenians, Baha'is, Polish refugees, and Tibetan refugees
- These communities integrated into Indian society while preserving unique identities
- Indian civilisational values emphasise the fundamental unity of humankind
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