Assam at the centre of the Armenia-Bengal trade

 Assam’s historic prominence in East-West and North-South trade routes

Dr. Hriday Sarma

(The writer is a fellow at the South Asia Democratic Forum in Brussels. He can be reached at hridaysarma@yahoo.co.in.

Thomas Cana became the first Armenian to arrive on the Malabar coast in 780 AD. This set the momentum for traders from across Eurasia and other parts of the world to come to India, which was then more of a confederation of kingdoms with high hopes of establishing mutual trade. Initially, India supplied precious stones and herbs, while Armenia provided hides and dyes.

Some Armenian traders ventured to Agra during the Mughal Empire. Emperor Akbar, believed to have married an Armenian woman named Mariam Zamani Begum, greatly admired Armenian traders for their commercial skills and trustworthiness. He granted them significant privileges and allowed them considerable religious freedom to contribute to his empire in various roles.

During the 16th century, Armenian communities sprang up in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, and Agra, with the first Armenian Church consecrated in 1562 in Agra. The Holy Church of Nazareth, built in 1707 and renovated and enhanced in 1734, stands as the largest and most ancient Armenian church in Kolkata. The Armenian community in India became wealthy and influential, leaving a notable impact on Bengali trade and commerce. In Dhaka, Armenian traders engaged in the commerce of jute and leather, achieving significant success in these industries. Their prosperity led some to establish permanent residences in Bangladesh, eventually giving rise to the district known as Armanitola. The famous Bangladesh Armenian Church, still standing today, was constructed in 1781 on Armenian Street in Armanitola, which had become a bustling commercial hub at the time.

Not much is discussed about Armenians coming to Kamrupa, also referred to as Kamrup or Kamata (the old name for Assam). However, the entrepreneurial community that constantly moved in search of better economic avenues did come to Assam. Recorded historical evidence sheds light on the fact that Assam was not merely a periphery of the East-West trade but remained a source for the trade of different commodities. According to Arab accounts, Qamaruni aloes wood, which was available at the port of ‘Samandar’ or ‘Sudkawan’ (located near modern Chittagong), originated from the Kamarupa region and was transported to Samandar for export via the Meghna River. Arabic and Persian texts also mention the export of rhinoceros horns, an exotic and valuable commodity, from Samandar. It is likely that this forest product also reached Samandar from Kamarupa, a region renowned for its rhinoceros population.

Under Ahom rule in Assam, a process of assimilation began with the subjugated tribes in the Brahmaputra Valley, which attracted skilled migrants from faraway lands, including Persian and Armenian scholars. Assam, once a melting pot for Bengal-China trade, became tightly integrated into the global Silk Road trade. Inscriptions from the 13th to 15th centuries reveal the exchange of agricultural goods, notably areca nuts (tambul) and betel (pan), which were frequently exchanged and became beloved by people living in distant regions at a time when coffee was confined to East Africa and the Arab world, tea was popular only in East Asia, and tobacco was unknown outside the Americas. The rearing of silkworms, which was a common practice in Assam and mainly intended for local use, was nevertheless exported in small portions, and the golden silk, i.e., Muga, found its way even to the Middle East and European countries.

Prof. Arlo Griffiths, a globally renowned indologist and Sanskrit expert, claims that the eastern Indian Ocean (present-day Bay of Bengal) in mediaeval times needs to be viewed more as a world of flows and connections. Prominent port cities like Samandar, Martaban, Takua Pa, and others were deeply linked to both their coastal surroundings and the hinterland. This interconnectedness extended to the Brahmaputra Valley, where people were closely tied to sea trade and engaged in long-distance maritime activities. Griffiths posits that Kamarupa (ancient Assam), Harikela (Chittagong), Karmaranga (Arakan), and Kalasa (Martaban) shared close connections and cultural exchanges, contributing to the global sea trade, albeit on a limited scale at the time.

By the middle of the 18th century, Armenians had become a very active, vibrant merchant community in many different parts of India, especially in the port towns of Calcutta and Madras. As for the Armenians, the churches they built served a purpose beyond just being places of worship; they were also hubs of trade and activity. There is a prevailing belief in Dhubri town, which was mostly a part of the Bengal kings until 1874, that the incredibly merchant community—the ‘Armenians’ who hail from the Caucasus region—established a settlement there even prior to the coming of the Britishers. Khojah Israel Sharhad, a notable Armenian merchant-diplomat, played a crucial role in the British acquisition of Calcutta, Sutanati, and Govindpur in 1698, and he also helped secure the 1715 Grand Farman, granting the British exemption from Mughal trade duties.

Controversies surround the Armenian Church in Dhubri (a property now owned by a Ladies Club), located on PM Datta Bahadur Road, opposite the Queen Victoria statue. The church boasts a distinctive architectural fusion, blending Armenian and Assam-type house styles, featuring three arched-coloured glass windows and a central triangular dome. It is unfortunate that the site remains unprotected as of yet, and no official survey has been done by concerned authorities to establish its historical significance. Regardless, a fact remains established that the Armenians assisted the residents of the Brahmaputra Valley to trade goods that were common to the locals but held high value in Europe and the Middle East. In turn, Assam aided the Armenian merchant community in better integrating with Bengal and participating in the trade occurring in the eastern Indian Ocean.