From 7th Century Links To Modern Exchanges: India–Saudi Cultural Ties Revisited

Riyadh: Nouf Marwaai is uniquely positioned to speak on Indian and Arab culture. Speaking to an Indian media delegation at the Saudi Ministry for Human Resources and Social Development, Marwaai, who self-admittedly spends six months of the year in India, is a symbol of the cultural link between the two countries. Awarded the Padma Shri by the government of India in 2018, she urged India and Indians to set aside preconceived notions about the Kingdom and explore the similarities between the two countries.

“India and Saudi Arabia have long historical and cultural linkages that go back to the 7th century,” she said. “There have been many linkages that most people are simply unaware of. For instance, few people know that Ebrahim Alkazi’s family is from Saudi Arabia. His father came from Unaizah, a town in present-day Saudi Arabia, and settled in Pune, where he grew up. His father’s sensibilities remained with him, and today, as you all know, he is the father of modern Indian theatre.”

Theatre is just one of the linkages between India and Saudi Arabia. Former diplomat and Arab scholar Zikrur Rahman points out that there was a strong cultural interaction between Indian and Saudi scholars, which continued after the Indian Mutiny in 1857 and right up till the 1940s. Pointing out that Saudi scholars were impressed by Indian scholars for their knowledge on Islamic jurisprudence, Rahman said: “Prominent Saudi scholars were personally sent by King Abdul Aziz Al Saud to India to learn more on hadith, fiqh and doctrine at the hands of well-known Indian scholars such as Nawab Siddiq Hassan Khan Bhopali, Shiekh Syed Nazeer Hussain Mohaddith Dehlavi, Sheikh Hussain bin Mohsin al-Ansari and Allama Shiekh Shamsul Haque Azeem Abadi.”

He added: “They were registered with the Madrasa Mian Sahib, in Masjid Mohtaseb, situated at Phatak Habash Khan in Delhi, from where they graduated.”

India and Saudi Arabia’s cultural linkages are but part of the story, supplemented by the success stories of members of the Indian diaspora and how they have shaped life for Indians in the Kingdom. Zeenat Jafri is the best example of this success. Arriving in Riyadh with her husband in 1976, when there were no Indian schools in the country, this traditional housewife took it upon herself to build one. The International India School was established in 1985. Recalling the old days, she expanded on their humble origins: “I was unsure about creating a school." A rented villa, 13 teachers, 250 students, one peon -- all funded from their own pockets. “My husband typed the admission forms himself. The general body meetings were held in our house,” she said.

“We didn’t even have money to buy a photocopy machine. He would get all circulars and notices printed from his office.”

Today is a different story. Catering to the rising demands of the Indian expatriate community, the school expanded with tens of thousands of pupils attending, a tribute to all the countless days and nights Jafri put in begging parents not to pull their girls out of school. For her efforts, she was honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by former President Pranab Mukherjee in 2017. She was the first woman to receive the award, which is the highest honour awarded by the Indian government to the Indian diaspora.

While Jafri treasures the award, she maintains her highest honour and privilege has been to educate the girl child. “I was thrilled to embrace every child,” she says with a smile. “I am proud to be the person who ensured thousands of students got an education far away from home.”