CHAPTER 2
PROMINENT ARMENIANS IN
THE HISTORY OF INDIA
Armenians
in Medicine
Medical profession also attracted a number of Armenians.
The first Armenian who
joined the Indian Medical Service was Dr. Joseph Marcus Joseph, M.D. He joined
the Medical Service in 1852 and rose to the rank of Deputy Surgeon General in
1880. Among Armenians who joined the Indian Medical Service, were Lieutenant
Colonels, Surgeon Captains, and Surgeon Majors.
Till the end of the 19th century Stephan Hovsep Manouk was in the Indian Medical
Service. He was the son of Hovsep Manouk who was not only a prominent businessman,
but an able ship-captain as well. Among Armenians and Indians he was famous
as "Captain Manouk"67.
In 1836 he ordered to manufacture a 200-ton ship in Rangoon and named it Elizabet
after his elder daughter. In this ship Captain Manouk was transporting his and
other merchants' goods besides passengers. This man's son, Stephan Manouk, was
considered to be a very famous doctor of his time. He got the Diploma of Doctor-Surgeon
from Royal Medical University in London in 1862. For two years he was a doctor
on the ship Aragon of the British Empire. Then he was transferred to Shahabas
city where he was not only a doctor but also Deputy Mayor of the city and the
treasurer.
Besides holding these posts, Stephan Manouk had also been a Deputy Governor
and for his skilled activities and self-sacrifice during the big cholera of
India he was granted a Certificate of Honours by the British Government.68
Another famous Indo-Armenian
doctor who lived in the second half of the 19th century was Sargis Avetoom.
He was the son of Tadevos Avetoom who has been a well-known scholar, poet, one
of the founders of the Araratyan Society of Calcutta and chief editor of newspaper
Azgaser. Tadevos Avetoom's uncle, Prince Sargis Manook, had been a governmental
official in Rangoon, Burma. He became very famous when he was acting as a mediator
between the British and the Burmese in 1826.
So, Sargis Avetoom was named after his such a prominent relative and he proved
to be such. He got a bright medical education: at Thomas's Hospital College
in London (Certificate of Doctor-Chirurgien) plus another six months of education
to become an army doctor; then in Venice specialising in eye-throat-ear illnesses
along with specialization in Royal London Ophtalmic Hospital. Being an army
doctor, Sargis Avetoom participated in British army's different operations in
Afghanistan, Egypt and Burma. For his diligent and qualified service he was
granted certificates and medals by the British Government, Medal and Clasp and
Khedives star with Clasp from Egypt, and Medal and Clasp from Burma. Dr. Avetoom
rose upto the rank of Surgeon Major.
Besides practising, Sargis
Avatoom was also engaged in scientific research. He discovered a medicine against
dysentery, which was acknowledged by the Government of India. This information
was published in London in the newspaper The Lancet as well as in the British
Medical Journal.
Being the master of his work, Dr.Sargis Avetoom was also fluent in many languages
such as Armenian, Russian, English, German, Hindi, Bengali, Beluji and Pushtu.
Doctor Arthur Zorab was an eye specialist. He perfected an operation for glaucoma
which was named the “Zorab-operation.”
Dr.Marie Catchatoor was the first woman to be appointed by the Government of
West Bengal as Presidency Surgeon. She organised the Family Planning work in
the village Khareberia (YWCA) near Calcutta and was a member of YWCA Board of
Management. Dr.Catchatoor was also a member of the Mulvaney House Committee
and Medical Adviser to inmates of that home. Dr. Catchatoor has been the President
of both the Bengal Medical Women Association and the Medical Women Association
of India. She was retired as a superintendant of the Lady Dufferin Hospital
in Calcutta in the early 1980s.
Another Armenian doctor,
Dr.Stepen Owen Moses, known as “uncle Moses”, was the pioneer of Calcutta nursing
homes. He established the first Maternity Home and Clinic. Dr.Moses initiated
the St.John’s Ambulance Courses in Calcutta. Having the first Red Cross ambulance,
he put it into service during the World War I.
Indo-Armenians were also engaged in engineering, civil services, railways, agriculture
(about Armenians engaged in business and various industries we will talk in
Chapter 3).
Emanating from the above facts, it can be concluded that the Armenian settlers
in India were not only traders but also people of different professions. Among
these professions one can find a number of Armenians famous as commanders, army
officers, high ranking officials in the court, barristers, lawyers, doctors,
engineers, landlords, real estate agents etc. A number of these Armenians have
their significant role in the history of India. Among them Mirza-Zul-Qarnain
and Sarmad – prominent poets of their time, Gorgin Khan – Commander-in-Chief
of Mir Qasim’s army, Colonel Petrus, Apcar family were the most outstanding
ones.
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