Armenians in India - Personalities

Personalities

Armenians in India share a history of 2,000 years with Indians. In India, they had remained involved basically with trade and commerce, but had also contributed for enrichment of the Indian civilization and culture. Several Armenians in India rose to prominence at different point of time and under different rulers.

• Abdul Hai was the Chief Justice of Mughal Empire during the time of Akbar.
• Domingo Pires was a Portuguese interpreter of Akbar’s court, and he was sent to Goa in September 1579 to present royal invitations to Jesuits to come to Akbar’s court for religious discussions.
• Lady Juliana, believed to be a sister of one of Akbar’s Armenian wives, was a doctor in the royal harem of Akbar. Lady Juliana built the first Church in Agra. She was later married Jean Philippe de Bourbon of Navarre, a royal descendant of France.
• Mariam Zamani Begum, one of the wives of Akbar, was believed to be an Armenian. Marium Zamani Begum’s palace still stands in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, India. But now most historians agree that Mariam Zamani was the First Hindu Wife of Akbar and the princess of Amber.
• An Armenian lady, Nawab Sultan Mariam Begum Saheba, also known as Vilayati Begum (literal meaning English Queen) was married to King Ghaziuddin Hyder, who became a king of Oudh, when the British conferred on him the title of King in 1814.
• Mirza Zul Quarnain, adopted son of Akbar and his Armenian wife, was an Armenian. He was well versed in several languages, particularly Portuguese. Upon the death of his father in 1613, he succeeded as a collector of tax levied on salt produced in Sambhar (Rajputana). His rise was fast and he held positions in turn as the Governor of Sambhar, Mogor, Babraich (Oudh), Lahore and Bengal. Emperor Jahangir conferred on him the title of Amir. He also maintained very cordial relations with Jesuits in India of his time. Mirza was also a poet, singer and playwright, and he composed verses in Urdu and Persian.
• Sarmad (an Arabic word for “eternal”), an Armenian of Aurangjeb’s (1658–1707) time was a scholar and a mystic saint and his grave is near the Jama Masjid. His poetic talents are often compared with gifted poets like Firdausi, Sayadi, Hafez and Khayam. He was allegedly executed by Aurangjeb in 1671.

Thackers Indian Directory (1864–1960) lists many Armenian names in business and government.