Aftab Husain Kola - the Navayaths of Bhatkal (India) - an Arabian Lake in the Indian Ocean

Certainly maritime trade was an important feature of the earliest great empires of the Middle East, and by the first millennium B.C. Indian Ocean trade was a regular feature of the economic life of that area. At its height in the sixth century B.C., the Iranian empire which stretched from Anatolia to the Indus valley linked the world of the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean and attracted traders and goods from the Indian Ocean region. The Iranian empire facilitated cultural interchange and its civilization was a blending of eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures.

The western Indian Ocean was interlocked with the Mediterranean in a profitable commercial system. Greek, Roman, Indian, Arab and Iranian merchants traded directly between East Africa and the Indian sub-continent via Southern Arabia. Such trade led to the first Arab and Iranian settlements on the coast of East Africa, and also to the establishment of Arab, Iranian and Roman coastal trading centers on the Indian sub-continent.

The spread of South Arabian and Indian mercantile activity eastwards had far-reaching repercussions. It confirmed the role of pre-Islamic Arab and Iranian merchants as the major participants in the maritime trade of the western Indian Ocean, and encouraged their settlement in coastal areas of the Indian sub-continent, such as Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Similarly merchants from Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Orissa and Bengal penetrated a great numbers into Southeast Asia and the Malay World.

The emergence of Islam in the seventh century A.D. was to have a profound effect on many of the Indian Ocean cultures. In southern India, on the Malabar Coast and the ports of Tamil Nadu, colonies of Muslims were in evidence by the eighth century AD, based on the centuries old activity of Arab and Iranian traders in the highly profitable trade of textiles, timber, gemstones, horses and spices.

Riding the monsoon winds across the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, Arab naval expeditions from Southern Arabia – notably Hadhramaut - incorporated new lands into their trading patterns, while Arab traders who settled in ports en route founded communities. The sight of pleasing - looking men attired in shirt and lungi and women fully clad in veil greets you in this El Dorado. This is Bhatkal, a prosperous picturesque town with quaint old abodes and modern villas on the west coast of Karnataka in India, where Navayaths have settled down over the centuries.

Aftab Hussain Kola, welcome to the interview

Where are you located (please describe the landscape, larger towns, villages, population, economy)?:
Aftab: Bhatkal is a picturesque town located on the west coast (Arabian Sea) of India in Karnataka state. The old town reclines cozily in a valley with its pyramid-shaped tiled roof abodes amidst dense growth of coconut trees while the modern part of the town lies orderly on the plains. The old town is near to a river which drains into the Arabian Sea. Bhatkal has about 80 masjids. Though Bhatkal is the major centre of Navayaths there are smaller towns and villages like Murudeshwar, Manki, Gersoppa, Shamsi, Valki, Upponi on the north and Shiruru, Byndoor, Basrur, Kandlur on the south. The total population of Navayaths is about one lakh.

Navayaths are a mercantile community and are known for going to other places for doing businesses. Today, about 10,000 Navayaths are earning their livelihood in the GCC countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman) while the other earning population are either based in their native places or within India or US, UK, etc.

You are a Muslim community, what are distinctive features, how are you organized?
Aftab: We belong to the shafi school of thought. Stoutly built and generally light skinned and having pleasing looks the male Navayath is easily distinguishable in a motley crowd. Their attire comprises a shirt, lungi and a skullcap. The females with cute looks and innocence writ large on their faces have opted for the local way of dressing. Notwithstanding this full purdah is a must for them. Navayath women deck themselves with gold ornaments. Necklaces, ear ornaments, head ornaments, studs and bijous are commonly worn while nose studs and anklets are no longer used. Some traditional ornaments which are exclusive to the Navayaths include the bazuband (a string of armlet worn on the upper arm), dudalli (a necklace with several rows of gold chain), rakhti, kedak (head ornaments) and kapalpatti (worn on the forehead), puthli sar (necklace of gold coins), poncho (broad bangles), etc.

The Anjuman Hami-e Muslimeen, the community’s education trust, spear headed the long drawn battle against illiteracy. In fact the Navayaths achieved at Bhatkal what the Pais accomplished at Manipal. They have founded an educational empire. A wide range of educational institutions ranging from the kindergarten schools to the professional college have come into being. At last these efforts have begun to pay dividends. Scores of Navayaths have emerged as engineers and doctors. The Jamia Islamia at Bhatkal is a premier seat of religious learning. Majlis e Islah Wa Tanzeem, the social organisation of the Navayaths, is making strides in the social and political fields.

How did the community get the name "Navayaths"?
Aftab: Col. Wilks in History of Mysore (1930) says that Navayath in Sanskirt means "newcomer". The customs of the Mussalmans of India translated by G. A. Herklots (1863) quotes the author Jaffur Sharreef called the community Nuw-ay-tay which originated in Arabia from the Nuwa-A-ay-t’hay (or new comers).

Navayaths are said to be of Arab stock, notably from Yemen, how probable that is?
Aftab: There are different opinions about the origin though there is unanimity that Navayaths are of Arab stock. Allama Jalaluddin Sayuti, the author of Kashful Ansab says that Navayaths are the progeny of an Arab called Abdullah Wayat. Notwithstanding the unanimity that the Navayaths are of Arab stock, several authors hold divergent opinions about their actual place of origin and the reason for their exodus from the Gulf. Colonel Wilkes, taking reference from Saadut Nama, in "History of Mysore, vol 1(1934) states that the Navayaths belong to the House of Hashem.. In the early part of 8th century A D during the fearful reign of Hajaj bin Yusuf, the Governor of Iraq under the Caliph abd Al Malik Marwan, many respectable and opulent persons bade farewell to Iraq and fled their homeland fearing persecution. It is believed that they followed the route their fellow Arabs took for trade, anchoring on the west coast at several points. "While there may be some among the Navayaths whose ancestry can be traced to those who fled Iraq during Hajaj bin Yusuf time not all ancestors are of that type," writes Victor D’ Souza in his book "Navayaths of Kanara (1955)"

Sheikh Abu Saeed bin Abubacker Sam’ani postulates that the Navayath community traces its lineage to Yemen from a noble group called Na’at in Yemen. We have family names like Hydrusa (Aydrus), Sakkaf, Damudi (Amoodi), etc The integration of Arabs with the locals (on the Kanara coast in India) evolved the Navayath community

Are connections with Yemen alive today?
Aftab: Absolutely no.

There seems to be no written records, no comprehensive history of your community – yet. What narrates your oral history?
Aftab: Oral history firmly believes that Navayaths are Hadhramis. Similar look, diction, sartorial preference, many cultural traits, family names, etc seem quite similar among the Yemenis and the Navayaths.

Do you have your own language and script?
Aftab: The Navayaths speak a dialect called Navayathi. It is an amalgam of Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Marathi, Hindustani with Konkani as its base. Since Navayathi does not have its own script, Urdu (derived from Persian) is the script.

Is there any serious research being carried out about your history and heritage?
Aftab: The most comprehensive work of research was done by the late professor Victor S. D’Souza, who later authored a book titled: The Navayaths of Kanara (1955). There are a few who are still doing a PhDs on Navayaths. Now, the awareness has dawned on the community intellectuals and efforts are on to establish a Navayath cultural and heritage foundation.

What is the position of Navayaths in India?
Aftab: The Navayath community can pride over the fact that it has produced a few distinguished sons of India who by ¬their magnanimity and service mindedness, raised the image of India notch by notch. While late I. H. Siddique was top ranking freedom fighter and a legislator of Bombay Assembly, M. M. Siddique was a social worker and front line crusader who waged a relentless war against the many ills plaguing the society at large. A. K. Hafizka served India as her ambassador to Saudi Arabia (978 80). He also served as a legislator of Bombay Assembly. J H Shamsuddin rose to the position of a deputy Minister for Electricity and Finance in Karnataka Government during 1958 to 1964. S M Yahya served as Cabinet Minister intermittently under three different Chief Ministers of Karnataka. All are now expired.

A typical Navayati house:
Aftab: The settlement comprises clusters of structures in compact areas called siens (streets). The houses are seen constructed wall to wall on either side of the street. These seins (pronounced with a final nasal twang) are segregated from the house of other communities and also the non¬ Navayath Muslims. A typical Navayath house occupies a dimension of about 20 feet frontage and 150 to 200 depthwise. It is an elongated structure with a series of rooms, one opening into the other. The first room is called vasro (meant for male members), ghar is the second room, while the third room in line is known as mazghar. On either side of mazhgar are two bedrooms, called Vakhuri (singular). The fourth room is called kood. Every house has a backyard which has got access to the adjacent house.

A Navayathi culinary appreciations, typical dishes:
Aftab: Navayaths reveal a very high standard of culinary appreciation. Rice, fish, meat, eggs and wheat preparations enjoy a pride of place on their menu. Some of their traditional dishes unknown to others are relished by non Navayaths. These widely prepared dishes include Mudkule (small balls of rice dough steamed and put into delicious prepared curry), Nevri (rice dough stuffed with mixed preparations of coconut scrapping and onion/jaggery then made into cakes covered with leaves and cooked in steam), "Godan" of different varieties (a sweet dish preparation and qualified by the name of the special ingredient put, the common being jaggery, coconut juice and ghee) popular preparations are gova godan (of wheat), muga godan (of green grain), amatya godan (of hog plums ), etc.

The Bhatkali biryani, half cooked in steam, is famous all over.

Folk songs, singers, artists:
Aftab: Folk songs in the Navayath language are sung on social occasions like marriages. Arabic songs (Marhaba Marhaba, Marhabaya Noor Alaini .., Shafakathjuda bikamalihi ..) too find a place especially while leading the bridegroom to the bride’s place for the first reception. Navayath songs composed centuries ago can be heard even to this day. ‘Aikage Sayyanu’ (listen o! friends) continues to enchant our folks. There are singers who sing Navayathi poetry.

How do you plan to preserve your unique heritage?
Aftab: Certain ancient structures and relics are part of the Navayath heritage. One such cultural legacy of Navayaths when they had settled in Hospattan is the extant dilapidated minaret and a platform of a mosque in Hospattan. This structure in Hospattan village is redolent of the past history of Navayaths. The places where the Arab traders used to anchor their dhows are easily identified by the Navayaths and the two stones meant for anchoring called "Nauje fathar" are still extant. These two places "Daranta" and "Dhandaghat " evoke memories of the past as it is these two places which served as genesis of the community. Some vestiges of the culturo religious monument as old as 500 years like mosques which revived the bygone splendour of Bhatkal have been recently pulled down and in its place new modern mosques have come up. One mosque, known as Mushma Masjid, has been spared the ordeal and preserved intact.

The seins (traditional localities of the community) are now losing their identity with traditional houses being pulled down one by one. With this invaluable pieces of architecture and a lifestyle redolent of the past are being destroyed. After some 20 years from now we would not know how we lived. One person by name V. Shenoy has constructed a heritage village in Manipal, 95 kms from Bhatkal. Here, he has reconstructed a Navayth house salvaging material from the debris of demolished houses in Bhatkal. The house, seen by this writer, has retained all the original architectural characteristics and material.

Now, a committee has been formed under the bhatkallys.com team to make efforts to preserve the heritage.

What challenges are you facing as community today?
Aftab: Young generation of Navayaths are going abroad to earn their living and we fear that their knowledge about their own heritage and culture will be zero.

What are you hoping for?
Aftab: We are making efforts to inculcate the importance of preservation of local culture and heritage in them.

Thank you.

Aftab Hussein Kola is currently journalist with Times of Oman.

Picturing a Navayathi house, courtesy Aftab Husain Kola