1869 Arrival of Muslims from Gujarat and Kathiawar 40 Since 1869, Muslims from the Indian States of Gujarat and Kathiawar arrived in South Africa and were referred to as Passenger Indians by the authority. These immigrants paid their own travel expenses, and came with the specific purpose of trading and commerce. They served as wholesalers and retailers in urban towns, backward rural towns, coal mining areas and also in several developed White centres in Natal and the Transvaal. They called themselves Arabs, probably because they wished to be identified as Muslims. These Arab traders from Western India possessed sufficient resources to establish themselves as traders in staple items imported from India, such as rice, ghee, dholl, tamarinds, dried fish, etc. Within two decades, they captured a large share of the local trade in the rural areas of Natal and the Transvaal. This displeased the White traders and so in the 1890s legislation was passed placing further restrictions and growth on the Indian traders as a whole. sahistory.org.za/archive/1804-1899 1938-41 anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/people/gandhi/162-199.htm Mr. Paruk, a sugar mill owner, became President of the Natal Indian Congress in 1940 when a group led by A. I. Kajee revived the NIC, refusing to recognise the amalgamation of the NIC and the Colonial Born and Indian Settlers Association in 1939 to form the Natal Indian Association. sahistory.org.za/timelines 1869 Arrival of Muslims from Gujarat and Kathiawar 40 Since 1869, Muslims from the Indian States of Gujarat and Kathiawar arrived in South Africa and were referred to as Passenger Indians by the authority. These immigrants paid their own travel expenses, and came with the specific purpose of trading and commerce. They served as wholesalers and retailers in urban towns, backward rural towns, coal mining areas and also in several developed White centres in Natal and the Transvaal. They called themselves Arabs, probably because they wished to be identified as Muslims. These Arab traders from Western India possessed sufficient resources to establish themselves as traders in staple items imported from India, such as rice, ghee, dholl, tamarinds, dried fish, etc. Within two decades, they captured a large share of the local trade in the rural areas of Natal and the Transvaal. This displeased the White traders and so in the 1890s legislation was passed placing further restrictions and growth on the Indian traders as a whole. 1874 Arrival of Ismail Kajee and other businessmen from Gujarat 44 Another batch of Gujarati-speaking Muslims arrived in Natal. Amongst them were Ismail Kajee, father of the notable A I Kajee [d 1948, aged 52], who arrived from Mauritius where he was in business, and Cassim Paruk of the present Nu-Shop group of retail business outlets. After 1875 more experienced Arab traders began to dominate the retail trade and even entered the wholesale business. The statistics show that there were in Durban in: * 1870 two free Indian stores * 1875 ten free Indian and one Arab stores * 1880 thirty free Indian and seven Arab stores · 1885 there were as much as 40 Arab stores in and around Durban. · 1884 Arrival of Esmail Mahomed Paruk Another prominent Muslim, Esmail Mahomed Paruk, born in 1867 in Kathore, India, arrived from Mauritius and settled in Durban and soon established his first retail business in West Street. Thereafter, he went into wholesale trade; his firm becoming one of the biggest concerns in Natalamongst the Indians. As a financial giant, he extended his activities into milling and tea estates on the north coast of Natal. The magnanimous E M Paruk had an imposing house at 383 Currie Road, Durban, where Indias first Agent-General, Srinivasan Sastri , lived at a time when White-owned hotels were open only to members of the White community. E M Paruk became a Trustee of the West Street Masjid in 1899 and served as Chairman of the Trust Board until his death in 1942. 1885- Construction of West Street Masjid:second in 1920 Durban 52 1895- Shah Ghulam Muhammad Habibi or 1910 Soofie Saheb [Rahimahu Allah] 59 The Juma Masjid Sunnat Jamat Anjuman Islam,popularly known as West Street Masjid, was built in 1885, four years after the construction of the Grey Street Masjid. 1890 Formation of the Indian Committee Durban 55 1893 Arrival of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi57 A litigation, involving £40 000.0.0d [forty thousand punds sterling], between the firms of Dada Abdulla and Company, merchants and shipping agents in Durban, and Tayob Hajee Khan Mahomed and Company of Pretoria, saw the arrival of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi [d 1948] in Durban. Gandhi, who came from Gujrat and speaking Gujarati as well as Kutchi, had been hired by the Porbundar branch of Dada Abdullas firm to assist their team of lawyers as an interpreter and adviser. 1894 Founding of the Natal Indian Congress 58
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 01:51:59 +0000
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