Socio-Economic and Cultural contributions of Armenian and Jews Community of Calcutta in the Colonial Era

Registration ID: IJNRD_197727

Published ID: IJNRD2305935

: http://doi.one/10.1729/Journal.34562

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Chandana Banerjee

History and Memory, Armenians, Jews, Colonial-Calcutta, social-cultural- economic contributions.

Calcutta, the city of joy, since the colonial era, has been a resort for various ethnic communities like Jews, Armenians, Parsis, Marwaris and Anglo Indians etc. Armenians, Jews and Anglo-Indians; these two communities essentially urban in character and often confused with Europeans for their anglicized living style and fair skin are the most interesting among them who had and still are having a great share in building up the city’s cultural choices. The Armenians known as the 'Merchant Princes of India' had a great share in the whole country's economic growth. The Armenians were possibly, the first among all the foreigners who came to settle in Calcutta, and most of them were from Persia in those initial days. The community began to migrate from Turkey and Iran to all the European and Asian colonies since 16th century and settled in Calcutta, Chinsurah, Chandannagar in Bengal. They took part in the city's trading activities and built magnificent churches, clubs, schools and colleges in the city. They participated and thus helped in the growth of the famous horse-racing, i.e. 'Derby' culture at racecourse of Maidan. They were the communities to introduce Rugby matches in the city, and even represented Indian football in the foreign land for the first time. However even after India's independence in 1947, traces of occasional exchanges between Armenia and India can be found in 1970s and in 1990s specially. In 1663 and recently in 2007 Calcutta even witnessed visit of two Armenian eminent personalities from Armenia like His Holiness Vazgen-I and His Holiness Karekin-II . The Jews mostly migrated from Baghdad in Iraq in the initial days and later from various other European and Middle East countries to the 18th century Calcutta formed a part of the colonial elites throughout the colonial period. They were often identified by the natives as the Europeans as they lived in the 'White Town' near chowringhee square and began to speak English and imitate British culture later. In between 1825-1831 to escape political upheavals in Baghdad and in 1940s after Japanese invasion of Burma, migration of this community to the city increased substantially. The Jewish community in Calcutta established the famous 'Chowringhee Mansion' five synagogues including the great 'Maghan David', i.e. the largest synagogue of the East, two Jewish schools and one Jewish hospital that bear evidences of their presence in the city well. Their cake shop, i.e. the famous 'Nahoum's' helped creating a rejoicing taste bud of the city. The most influential Jewish family in Kolkata, the Ezras, not only set up a Girl's School but has a street named after them in the city also. Their legacy in the city further has been supported in the recent verdict of Calcutta High court that recognized all the members from the community, whoever own 'Meghan David' synagogue and it's property and participated sometime in the congregation, as the part of Calcutta Jews Body, whether they reside here at present or not. Thus even after the mass exodus of this community that began after the country's independence and formation of Jewish homeland in Israel, their occasional visit in search of their roots to the city continued to enrich the heterogeneous culture of the city time to time. So this paper, going through down the memory lane of history, tries to look back on the extremely diversified and enriched socio cultural ambience of the city shaped in the colonial times which we still enjoy today and are very proud of, invoked by these two communities who have been almost forgotten and extinct in modern day Kolkata.

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Chandana Banerjee (May-2023). Socio-Economic and Cultural contributions of Armenian and Jews Community of Calcutta in the Colonial Era. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NOVEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, 8(5), j148-j153. http://doi.one/10.1729/Journal.34562

Volume 8 Issue 5, May-2023

Pages : j148-j153

Paper Reg. ID: IJNRD_197727

Published Paper Id: IJNRD2305935

Research Area: Arts

Author Type: Indian Author

Country: Kolkata, WB(Kolkata & Howrah area), India

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Crossref DOI: http://doi.one/10.1729/Journal.34562

Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NOVEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT(IJNRD)

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