British Indians: Difference between revisions

| popplace = <!-- The eight most populous local authorities (lower tier) based on the 2021 census, with the exception of local authorities (boroughs) in London which is treated as an overall area --> {{hlist|[[London]]|[[Leicester]]|[[Birmingham]]|[[HertfordshireSandwell]]|[[SandwellWolverhampton]]|[[LeicestershireCoventry]]|[[WolverhamptonBorough of Slough|Slough]]|[[SurreyMetropolitan Borough of Bolton|Bolton]]}}

Currently, the British Indian population exceeds 1.9 million people in the UK, making them the single largest [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|visible ethnic minority population in the country]]. They make up the largest subgroup of [[British Asian]]s and are one of the largest Indian communities in the [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Indian diaspora]], mainly due to the [[India–United Kingdom relations|Indian–British relations]] (including historical links such as [[British Raj|India having been part of the British Empire]] and still being part of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]). The British Indian community is the [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|sixth largest in the Indian diaspora]], behind the Indian communities in the [[United States]], [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Malaysia]] and [[Nepal]]. The majority of British Indians are of [[Punjabis|Punjabi]] and [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] origin with various other smaller communities from different parts of India including [[Kerala]], [[West Bengal]], [[Bihar]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sharma |first1=Sheetal |title=Social and Political Participation of Indian Diaspora in the UK |journal=51 International Studies|date=2017 |volume=1-4 51|issue=1–4 |pages=118–132 |doi=10.1177/0020881717719351 |s2cid=158114056 |url=https://doi.org/10.1177/0020881717719351}}</ref><ref name=Chanda>{{cite web|url=http://www.india-eu-migration.eu/media/CARIM-India-2013-08.pdf|title=The Punjabi Diaspora in the UK: An Overview of Characteristics and Contributions to India|first1=Rupa|last1=Chanda|first2=Sriparna|last2=Ghosh|work=CARIM-India Research Report|issue=2013/08|publisher=Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute|year=2013|access-date=22 July 2016|pages=2–3|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060809/http://www.india-eu-migration.eu/media/CARIM-India-2013-08.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

Among the first Indians to settletravel into the United Kingdom was a young boy called ''Peter Pope''.<ref name=Connor2012>{{cite book |last1=O'Connor |first1=Daniel |title=Chaplains of the East India Company, 1601-1858 |date=2012 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9781441175342 |pages=41–42 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nZXBeF0wpV8C&dq=peter+pope+india&pg=PA42}}</ref> The boy was given by a commander of a Dutch ship on its way to [[Myanmar]] to the British sailor, Thomas Best in 1612. The boy was brought to England in 1614 where he was placed under the care of Patrick Copland who was a chaplain and who subsequently taught him to read and write in English. His education in England was paid for by the [[East India Company]].<ref name= Connor2012 />

People from India have settledbeen intravelling to Great Britain since the [[British East India Company|East India Company]] (EIC) recruited [[lascar]]s to replace vacancies in their crews on [[East Indiaman|East Indiamen]] whilst on voyages in India. Initially, these were men from the [[Indo-Portuguese]] or Luso-Asian communities of the subcontinent, including men from [[Bombay]], [[Goa]], [[Cochin]], [[Madras]] and the [[Hugli River]] in [[Bengal]]. Later men from [[Ratnagiri]] were hired. ManySome of them were then unable to obtain passage back due to the price and had no alternative than to settle in [[London]]. There were also some ''[[Amah (occupation)|ayahs]]'', [[domestic servants]] and [[Nanny|nannies]] of wealthy British families, who accompanied their employers back to Britain when their stay in South Asia came to an end. British soldiers would also sometimes marry Indian women and send their children back to Britain, although the wife often did not accompany them. Indian wives of British soldiers would sometimes ask for passage home after being divorced or widowed if they did accompany their children. In 1835, the husband (a British soldier serving in His Majesty's 1st Foot Regiment) of Bridget Peter, a native of [[Madras]], died. She petitioned the Directors from Chelsea Hospital 'in a state of destitution' to pay for her return to India. They agreed to pay to return her and her three children.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Travellers and Settlers in Britain, 1600-1857|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=iPHqigUD6FUC|publisher = Orient Blackswan|date = 2006-01-01|isbn = 9788178241548|language = en|first = Michael H.|last = Fisher}}</ref>

During the 19th century, the East India Company brought thousands of Indian ''[[lascar]]s'', [[Education in India|scholars]] and workers to Britain largely to work on ships and in ports. Some of whom settled down and took local British wives, partly due to a lack of Indian women in Britain and also abandonment due to restrictions on South Asian crew members being employed on British ships such as the [[Navigation Acts]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Traveller and Settler in Britain 1600-1857|first=Michael Herbert|last=Fisher|year=2006|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=81-7824-154-4|pages=111–9, 129–30, 140, 154–6, 160–8, 172, 181}}</ref> It is estimated 8,000 Indians (a proportion being lascar sailors) lived in Britain permanently prior to the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=oy67XQk5cukC&q=8%2C000&pg=PA114|title = Coolies, Capital and Colonialism: Studies in Indian Labour History|isbn = 9780521699747|last1 = Behal|first1 = Rana P.|last2 = Linden|first2 = Marcel van der|year = 2006| publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Asians in Britain|last = Visram|year = 2002|pages = 254–269}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Routledge Handbook of the South Asian Diaspora|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-xCUAgAAQBAJ&q=8%252C000%2520indians%2520lascar&pg=PA121|publisher = Routledge|date = 2014-01-03|isbn = 9781136018244|language = en|first1 = Joya|last1 = Chatterji|first2 = David|last2 = Washbrook}}</ref> Due to the majority of early Asian immigrants being ''lascar'' seamen, the earliest Indian communities were found in port towns. Naval cooks also accompanied them.

ByBetween the1600 mid-19thand century1857, more thansome 20-40,000 Indian seamen,men diplomats,and scholars,women [[Indianof Armyall (1858–1947)|soldiers]], officials, tourists, businessmen andsocial studentsclasses had travelled to Britain, the majority of them being seamen working on ships,.<ref name="Fisher-2007">{{Cite journal|title=Excluding and Including 'Natives of India': Early-Nineteenth-Century British-Indian Race Relations in Britain|first=Michael H.|last=Fisher|journal=[[Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East]]|volume=27|issue=2|year=2007|pages=303–314 [304–5]|doi=10.1215/1089201x-2007-007|s2cid=146613125 }}</ref> Lascars lodged in British ports in between voyages.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/lr/2003/01/05/stories/2003010500200300.htm|title=The lascars' lot|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107035325/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/lr/2003/01/05/stories/2003010500200300.htm|archive-date=7 November 2015|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=5 January 2003}}</ref> Most Indians during this period would visit or reside in Britain temporarily, returning to India after months or several years, bringing back knowledge about Britain in the process.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iPHqigUD6FUC&q=settled|title=Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Travellers and Settlers in Britain, 1600 ...|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902230738/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iPHqigUD6FUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Counterflows+to+Colonialism:+Indian+Traveller+and+Settler+in+Britain+1600-1857.+Orient+Blackswan.&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib1biOuITWAhUsKMAKHVVmCCgQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=settled&f=false|archive-date=2 September 2017|isbn=9788178241548|year=2006|last1=Fisher|first1=Michael Herbert|publisher=Orient Blackswan }}</ref>

{{Pie chart|thumb=right|caption=Year of arrival (2021 census)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group and year of arrival in the uk - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/create/filter-outputs/3b1e01ff-adfa-4048-ad0a-9a305cde51d6 |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref>|label1=Born in the UK|value1=43.8|color1=DodgerBlue|label2=Before 1950|value2=0.1|color2=Gray|label3=1951 to 1960|value3=0.7|color3=Green|label4=1961 to 1970|value4=6.0|color4=DarkOrange|label5=1971 to 1980|value5=7.2|color5=DarkKhaki|label6=1981 to 1990|value6=3.3|colour=Khakip|label7=1991 to 2000|value7=4.3|color7=Gold|label8=2001 to 2010|value8=13.5|color8=Chartreuse|label9=2011 to 2021|value9=21|color9=DarkRed}}The table below shows the distribution of British Indians people in the United Kingdom. The figures for all countries, regions, cities and boroughs are based on the 2011 census.<ref>[http://www.crer.org.uk/Census/Census2011LA.pdf Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights Census 2011 Data Ethnicity by Local Authority Area ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304215917/http://www.crer.org.uk/Census/Census2011LA.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }}. Retrieved 30 January 2015</ref><ref>[http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-ks201ew.xls 2011 Census: KS201EW Ethnic group: local authorities in England and Wales] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224143452/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-ks201ew.xls |date=24 February 2016 }}. Retrieved 30 January 2015</ref><ref>[http://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census%202011/KS201NI%20(a).xlsxEthnic Group: KS201NI (administrative geographies) Census 2011 NISRA]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved 30 January 2015</ref> 42.9% of people from the Indian ethnic group were born in the UK. 41.9% were born in Southern Asia and 11.1% were born in South and Eastern Africa (for example, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania). Indian people born in South and Eastern Africa were more clustered than those born in the UK or Southern Asia, with 11.0% living in Harrow and 10.6% living in Leicester.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian ethnic group: facts and figures|url=https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/summaries/indian-ethnic-group|access-date=2021-07-18|website=www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref>

Indian influence on [[British popular music]] dates back to the development of [[raga rock]] by British [[rock band]]s such as [[The Beatles]] and [[The Rolling Stones]]; several Beatles songs (such as "[[Within You Without You]]") also featured London-based Indian musicians.<ref name=diary>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_TBkf1ttNBYC&q=Mike+Leander++sgt+pepper&pg=PA259 |title=The Beatles Diary: The Beatles years|author=Barry Miles, Keith Badman |year=2001|page=259 |publisher=Omnibus Press, 2001 |isbn=9780711983083|access-date=9 February 2011 }}</ref> Today, British Indian musicians exist in almost every field and genre. Notable British Indian Bhangra acts include [[Panjabi MC]], [[Rishi Rich]], [[Juggy D]], [[Jay Sean]], [[DCS (band)|DCS]], [[Bally Sagoo]] and [[Sukshinder Shinda]]. World-famous award-winning singer-songwriter [[Freddie Mercury]] (a former member of the rock band [[Queen (band)|Queen]]) was born on the island of [[Zanzibar]] to [[Parsi]] parents, originally from the [[Gujarat]] area of India. Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) and his family fled when he was 17 years old due to the [[Zanzibar Revolution]]; he remains not only one of the most famous British Indian musicians of all time, but one of the most famous British musicians. Other world-famous British Indian musicians include [[Biddu]], who produced a number of worldwide [[disco]] hits such as "[[Kung Fu Fighting]]", one of the [[List of best-selling singles|best-selling singles]] of all time having sold eleven million records worldwide,<ref name="metro_biddu">{{cite web|title=Biddu|author=James Ellis|work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|date=27 October 2009|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/interviews/412-biddu|access-date=2011-04-17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902182831/http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/interviews/412-biddu|archive-date=2 September 2011}}</ref><ref name="times_2004">{{cite news|date=20 August 2004|title=It's a big step from disco to Sanskrit chants, but Biddu has made it|author=Malika Browne|work=[[The Sunday Times]]|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/article471655.ece|access-date=2011-05-30|location=London}}</ref> and [[Apache Indian (musician)|Apache Indian]], who also had worldwide hits such as "[[Boom Shack-A-Lak]]". Jay Sean, whose parents immigrated to the United Kingdom from the Punjab region, is the first solo British Asian artist to reach the #1 spot on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] with his single "[[Down (Jay Sean song)|Down]]" selling more than four million copies in the United States,<ref name="riaa">{{cite web|title=Searchable Database |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |access-date=21 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |archive-date=26 June 2007}}</ref><ref name=Caulfield>{{cite magazine|title=Taylor Swift Edges Susan Boyle For 2009's Top-Selling Album|author=Keith Caulfield|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=6 January 2010|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/960801/taylor-swift-edges-susan-boyle-for-2009s-top-selling-album|access-date=2009-01-07|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427000452/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/960801/taylor-swift-edges-susan-boyle-for-2009s-top-selling-album|archive-date=27 April 2014}}</ref> making him "the most successful male UK urban artist in US chart history."<ref>{{cite news |last=Youngs |first=Ian |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8269400.stm |title=British R&B star conquers America |work=BBC News |date=2009-09-23 |access-date=2009-10-08 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926060623/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8269400.stm |archive-date=26 September 2009}}</ref> Other contemporary British Indian singers include S-Endz and [[BRIT Awards|BRIT Award]]-nominated [[Nerina Pallot]].

[[File:Official Portrait of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.jpg|alt=Rishi Sunak|thumb|[[Rishi Sunak]], the first British Indian [[Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)|Leader of the Conservative Party]] and [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] (2022–presentOctober 2022 to July 2024)]]

InFirst 2015,elected theas safesta [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] seatMP in 2015, [[Rishi Sunak]] became the first UK wasPrime givenMinister tofrom a British Indian background in October 2022, [[Rishiholding Sunak]]the position until the Conservatives' July 2024 general election loss.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimesbbc.comco.uk/news/worldarticles/uk/safest-tory-seat-in-britain-no-campaign-and-no-suspense-1.2199735c100mep38g4o|title=SafestWho Toryis seatConservative inParty Britain:leader noRishi campaignSunak?|publisher=BBC and no suspenseNews|newspaperdate=[[The3 Irish Times]]June 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220141047/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/safest-tory-seat-in-britain-no-campaign-and-no-suspense-1.2199735|archive-dateaccessdate=205 DecemberJuly 20162024}}</ref> [[Shami Chakrabarti]], who was born to Indian immigrant parents, is one of a few British Indian life peers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Baroness Shami Chakrabarti (LLB, 1994) |url=https://www.lse.ac.uk/law/centenary/people/shami-chakrabarti.aspx |access-date=2021-07-26 |website=London School of Economics and Political Science |language=en-GB}}</ref> Others include [[Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai|Lord Desai]] who is of Gujarati descent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact information for Lord Desai - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2699/contact |access-date=2021-07-26 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>

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