Baghdadi Jews

The Baghdadi Jews are one of the main Jewish communities of India.

The "Baghdadi" Jewish community of India is so called because its members were chiefly descended from Iraqi Jewish immigrants to India who moved to that country during the British Raj. The name of the community derives from Baghdad, although they do not originate exclusively from Baghdad, but from other areas of Iraq as well, in addition to other Middle-Eastern countries of the Ottoman Empire.

History

The community developed as a result of Jews fleeing religious persecution in Muslim lands to the northwest of India during the British imperial era. The majority came from Iraq, thus giving the community its name, though smaller groups came from other countries such as Syria, Iran and Afghanistan and assimilated into the "Baghdadi" group. Unlike other Jewish communities in India whose oral tradition attest to a presence in India going back as long as 2000 years, the Baghdadi communities were established relatively recently (in the past few centuries). While the Baghdadi Jews are known primarily from their presence in India, they also established themselves in trading ports further east, notably in Yangon (Rangoon), Singapore, Penang, and Shanghai, as well as the west.

The Baghdadis have completely assimilated into Indian society. A contributing factor to their assimilation was their physical features and resemblance to the East Indians: most Baghdadis, especially those of Iraqi origin, were of Middle Eastern appearance with dark olive skin and black or dark brown hair.

Clothing in the Baghdadi community is usually Western clothing for men and the Indian sari for women.

Cuisine

Baghdadi cuisine is an Indian hybrid cuisine, with many Arab, Turkish, Persian and Indian influences. Famous Baghdadi dishes include Beef curry, Baghdadi Biryani and Baghdadi Jewish parathas. A Baghdadi version of Tandoori chicken is also popular (using lemon juice to cook the chicken instead of cream used in the usual Indian recipe).

Famous Baghdadi Jews

• Edward Isaac Ezra. opium trader and real estate developer
• Lord Kadoorie
• Abraham Sofaer, actor

Brian Elias, composer

• Nadira, Bollywood actress
• J. F. R. Jacob, Indian military commander in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971
• Anish Kapoor, British Asian sculptor; Baghdadi Jewish mother
• David & Simon Reuben, British Asian businessmen
• David Sassoon, merchant and founder of the Sassoon family
• Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, merchant
• Silas Aaron Hardoon, real estate tycoon
• Sassoon David Sassoon, merchant
• Siegfried Sassoon, war poet and grandson of Sassoon David Sassoon
• Sassoon J. David, banker (founder of Bank of India) and member of the Bombay Municipal Corporation
• Brian George, Israeli-born character actor of Baghdadi-Indian Jewish descent most well-known for playing the role of a Pakistani shop owner,"Bhabu", on Seinfeld
• David Saul Marshall, the first Chief Minister of Singapore

See also

• Jewish ethnic divisions
• Indian Jews
• Baghdad Arabic (Jewish)
• David Sassoon
• Asian Jews
• British Asians
• Indian Americans

External links

• Indian Jews - Jewish Encyclopedia
• Calcutta Jews - Jewish Encyclopedia

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