Scotland and the Indian Sub-Continent
Since ancient times, the exotic mystique of the lands and peoples of the Indian subcontinent has held a fascination for the Western mind. Although physically separated by half a world, Scotland has traditionally enjoyed close ties with the countries of the Indian subcontinent. Long before the population shifts of the 1950s and 1960s brought a generation of new Scots from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, trading and cultural links between the two distant and diverse lands were strong and fruitful, and have continued to go from strength to strength in recent years. In this feature, we assess historical relations between the cultures of Scotland and South Asia; see how ongoing cultural ties are being solidified today; and look forward to a bright future of national friendship across the globe.
Arguably, the most important event in the history of Scotland's relations with the subcontinent was an arrangement reached not with distant India, but with our neighbour, England: the 1707 Act of Union. With the formation of the new Kingdom of Great Britain, the English East India Company became the British East India Company, and Scots merchants gained access to a powerful trading monopoly that dictated the terms of much of the relations between East and West, and would go on to grow into an Empire. Throughout the British presence in India, Scots would have a keen influence on the economy and culture of the subcontinent, such as the introduction of the commercial production of tea by Charles Bruce, which remains to this day one of India's main export crops.
New Scots
South Asians have been finding their way to Scotland and establishing communities since the 18th century. Indian seamen, known as Lascars, as well as servants and Indian noblemen all came to Scotland's shores during Britain's colonial involvement in India. Following independence and the partition of India, new waves of economic migrants arrived, primarily from Pakistan and Bangladesh, and went on to become Scotland's largest minority ethnic group.
For a people who even today make up just one per cent of Scotland's population, South Asian communities have had a tremendous and positive impact on Scotland's culture. The way we eat, the way we shop, all branches of the arts, education, business and religion have all benefited.
In October of last year, Jaipur-born Edinburgh restaurateur, photographer and lecturer, Herman Rodrigues presented an exhibition of photographs at the British Council's office in Chennai (formerly Madras) documenting the lives of South Asian communities in Scotland, ranging from the large Muslim and Sikh communities of the major cities, to the Gaelic-speaking Pakistani community of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. His work shows a vibrant cultural fusion, a two-way street with South Asian communities adapting to embrace Scottish traditions to construct a peculiarly Scottish-Asian way of life, as well as influencing the culture of their adopted home.
As Herman explains, "I came to Scotland from India in 1990 to join my wife, Abha who had won a British Council Scholarship to do a Ph. D at the Department of English Literature, University of Edinburgh. When I first arrived and started meeting the members of the Asian community at social gatherings I was amazed to see such a great mix. Under a blanket banner of 'Asians' there were people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, East Africa particularly Uganda and Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. They spoke at least a dozen different languages and practised a similar number of religious faiths. There were communities that had never been to India and called themselves Asians. All these facts fascinated me and I decided to document them to show how rich and varied their lives in Scotland were. I decided to document their history, culture, inter-dependence and assimilation with Scotland. I had two aims for this photography project: the first is to express the 'colour and vibrancy of the Asian community' and secondly, to bring different and diverse communities together, seeking to dispel racial stereotypes I also wanted to show how assimilated they were with fellow Scots. I also wanted to explore how much they were influenced by Scotland, its language, its customs and its culture."
Of the photographic project, Herman says, "I find it quite a fascinating thing to be able to photograph South Asians, to show two things: first of all to show that the community of South Asians also know what's happening with their counterparts elsewhere; and secondly it's to educate people that not all Asians are bus drivers or curry-house owners, because stereotyping is commonplace, and we need to demystify all these myths.
"Particularly with the Western Isles, I think that it's the best race relations that exist in all of Scotland, because both of them are very old communities, with a tremendous amount of respect for each other; the Asian community also respects the culture of Stornoway".
Since 1995, Edinburgh has been home to what has become Scotland's largest cross-cultural festival, the Edinburgh Mela, founded by Edinburgh's South Asian communities. The Mela now attracts tens of thousands of visitors to celebrate arts, crafts, music, dance and food from across the continents, and the celebrity drawing power of international superstars of bhangra and Bollywood such as Malkit Singh.
Close to the heart of any traditional culture is religion, and Scotland's Asian communities have brought with them a wealth of traditions. Scots of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin make up the largest section of Scotland's Muslim population, and Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism have also come to Scotland from the Indian subcontinent.
It was partly with the aim of increasing shared understanding between Islamic civilization and the West that the Royal Museum recently hosted the Beyond The Palace Walls exhibition of Islamic art. Dr Ulrike Al-Khamis, the exhibition's curator, said, "Although the exhibition is a comprehensive overview of Islamic culture, the subtle message, I hope, is that it has always had fruitful and positive relationships with other countries and other cultures."
Sufism, an esoteric and mystical school of Islam which emphasises spiritual peace and self-discovery, was represented in Scotland with two major events this year: the World Sufi Festival in Glasgow in August; and the International Association of Sufism's annual symposium, held this year in Edinburgh in September. Both events featured Sufi arts, poetry and music from around the world.
Glasgow was further honoured in May, when the city's Hidden Gardens were presented with a cutting from the world's oldest known tree, believed by Buddhists to be a sapling of the tree the Buddha was sitting under when he achieved enlightenment 2,550 years ago. The cutting was sent from Sri Lanka to mark the Buddhist festival of Vesak. Marking the occasion, Bodhi Ccha, administrator of the Glasgow Buddhist Centre, said, "This will provide a connection for people to the sacred tree. It's a great opportunity for them, especially on this special Vesak."
Returning The Favour
The cultural traffic between the subcontinent and Scotland hasn't been all one way. Scots have left a striking, and sometimes surprising, impression on the countries of South Asia, too.
Sialkot, 125 miles South-East of Islamabad, is home to a thriving manufacturing industry making products not immediately associated with Pakistan. Dozens of small companies in the city continue a century-old tradition making bagpipes and Highland dress, which now sells all over the world. Nadeem Bhatti is the chief executive of one such business, started by his great-grandfather. "He started selling to the British army and the local regiments around 1895," he said. "His business grew, and in 1910 he was the first person in Sialkot to start exporting pipes to Scotland." Not all of the city's bagpipes are made for export, though. The modern Pakistani army retains Scottish uniforms and pipe bands in many regiments, Sialkot itself is home to more than 20 pipe bands that play at weddings and functions, and Lahore's Patiala Pipe Band are regular attendees of the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.
Scottish artist and sculptor Kenny Munro has been active in promoting ties between Scotland and India, such as his project linking a small school in Kolkota (Calcutta) with rural primary schools in Aberdeenshire. In a quest to explore the value and symbolism of rivers, ecology and sustainable transport, Bengali schoolchildren created and decorated a traditional riverboat as a gift to the people of Aberdeenshire. Addressing the School of Arts and Crafts in Kolkota, Murno said, "We have a history that connects us. The two schools connected, also live beside rivers. Very different kinds of rivers... but we share similarities in many ways: the water is essential for us; there are amazing creatures in each of the rivers; and we also share an interest in boats. The boat is the icon which links both our countries, both in terms of journeys, and also in terms of skills."
The Way Ahead
As our countries step forward into the new century, new challenges and new opportunities continue to arise in an increasingly globalised world. Strong entrepreneurial traditions are continuing to foster productive relations between our distant lands. Charan Gill, one of the most successful Scottish-Asian businessmen, has set up Scotland House in Delhi to help Scottish companies gain access to markets in the rapidly expanding Indian economy. "The number of friends and associates who have been enquiring if I had any business contacts in India has been growing to such an extent over recent months I felt I had to do something to help progressive Scottish companies exploit the massive commercial opportunities available in India."
In November, Glasgow played host to the first Scottish Asian Business Awards, celebrating the commercial success of Asians in Scotland. Restaurateur Satty Singh was named entrepreneur of the year. "Don't confuse me with Vijay Singh," he quipped. "He's the great golfer, I'm just a waiter," but the waiter is also managing director of a family company that owns two successful restaurants and a Golf Academy. Singh also welcomed former US President Bill Clinton to Glasgow earlier in the year, to speak to a specially invited audience; next year, he plans to add Clinton's vice president turned environmental campaigner Al Gore and UN weapons inspector Hans Blix to his guest list.
With the growing success of Scottish Asians in all areas of society, and Scotland's place in the culture and economy of India, as she stands poised to become one of the economic superpowers of the coming century, relations between our cultures are looking healthy at either end of the geographic divide.
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