CHAPTER 36: INDIAN MUSLIMS FROM 1819

Singapore’s history will be incomplete without acknowledging the contributions of the Indian Muslims who have been living and trading in Singapore since the early 19^th century. While there is no absolute definition of the term Indian Muslim in the context of Singapore, the term broadly refers to Muslims who hail from the Indian sub-continent, as well as the descendants of the Middle Eastern traders who inter-married local women from the Indian subcontinent during their trade travels. Most of these traders hailed from the city of Hadhramaut, Yemen. Thus, individuals of mixed parentage where one parent is an Indian and follows the Islamic faith is regarded as an Indian Muslim…