CONCLUSION
In conclusion it could be stated
that friendly relations between Armenia and India exist for more than four thousand
years. The relations were mostly economic in nature. The journeys were mutual.
In Armenia from 149 B.C. till A.D. 301 there existed a Hindu colony, which had
more than twenty settlements, temples with their priests, a large army.
Armenia was situated on the crossroad
of trade routes from East to West and West to East. Some Armenian towns were
considered as joint trade points. Armenian traders carried muslins, spices,
precious stones, herbs from India to Europe, and from Armenia to India they
mostly carried various dyes, coloured leather and cotton.
India was so familiar to Armenia
that one can find detailed information about India in ancient Armenian manuscripts
starting from the 5th century A.D..
The identity of culture, language,
mythology, creative endeavours have brought the two people together. No trace
is to be found in any sources, chronicles that would hint at some hostility
or conflict between them.
Though Armenians travelled to India
from time immemorial, they started to form permanent settlements only from the
16th century. Armenians in India were not only famous as traders. Among the
Indo-Armenians there were prominent poets, army commanders, governors. Living
in such a hospitable country, which became a second homeland for the Armenians,
the latter could not be indifferent to the freedom movement of the people of
India. There were Armenian detachments in the Indian armies.
In the 18th century Armenians were
mostly residing in Madras, Bombay, Calcutta, Surat. Madras is significant for
the Armenians. This is the place where the first Armenian journal named Azdarar
was started on October 16, 1794, the first Armenian Constitution was written
here and progressive Armenians of Madras have their tangible share in preparing
of the freedom movement in Armenia.
The Armenians in India can justly
be proud of a glorious past but their present and future are not at all bright.
They have greatly decreased in number. Now there are hardly 100 Armenians in
India, mostly in Calcutta.
The Armenians lost their position
of eminent merchants in India. On the one hand it was due to their inability
to compete with the British who were equipped with powerful means and were backed
by their strong governments. On the other hand it was due to their ties with
the Europeans through intermarriages, which greatly weakened their national
cohesion. The Armenians left India for Australia, England, the United States
where they could find better education and job opportunities.
20th century Armenians have also
discarded their national costume. They are not fluent in Armenian language.
They have adopted European customs. Because of marriage with Europeans and Euroasians,
they have forsaken their Church. However, in spite of all these changes, the
Armenian community in India still remains distinct.
Now the main concern of the Armenian
Church Committee of Calcutta is to preserve the Armenian colony and its properties.
With the efforts of this Church Committee the Armenian College & Philanthropic
Academy still functions.
Due to preserve the Armenian community,
we would suggest the Church Committee to invite young Armenians, especially
from Armenia where the economic situation still remains uncertain and unemployment
is very high. These Armenians could be offered jobs inside the community (in
he Church, College, Clubs). Armenian professional specialists can share their
skills in different joint ventures, e.g. in jewellery business where the Armenians
are considered to be excellent specialists as jewellers as well as cutters of
precious stones (especially diamonds); in construction works (buildings, bridges,
hydroelectric power plants, etc.); in science and technology (physics, radio
physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, information technology), etc.
It would be also suggested to keep
in the community the graduates of the Armenian College. Living in Calcutta during
their studies (8 or 10 years), these youngsters get used to India, Indian way
of life, climate, people, they speak fluently Hindi and Bengali besides English
hence they can be of use not only to the Armenian community but also for the
Indian society.
The survival of the Armenians outside
Armenia in general and in India in particular has been due to the preservation
of their national religion, language and customs, avoidance of inter-marriages
in the past, loyalty to the government, concentration mainly on commerce and
India’s age-old acceptance of her minority communities and her tolerance towards
other peoples’ religions, languages and customs.
The survival of the Armenians outside
Armenian in general and in India in particular is due to the preservation of
their national religion, language and customs, avoidance of intermarriages with
other communities in the past, loyalty to the government, concentration mainly
on commerce and India’s old-age acceptance of her minority communities and her
tolerance towards other peoples’ religions, languages and customs.
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