MUMBAI
The prince's Indian-Armenian ancestors revives interest in Indo-Armenian history.
So, Britain’s Prince William is Indian. Okay, he’s at least 1/256th Indian from his mother’s side, as reports said last week. For those hiding under a rock when the news broke, researchers have traced Lady Diana’s family line back six generations to a woman named Eliza Kewark, whose father was an Armenian trader and whose mother may have been Indian.
In 1812, Kewark gave birth to Prince William’s great, great, great, great grandmother Katharine Scott Forbes in Gujarat. Tests reveal that the Duke of Cambridge carries Kewark’s mitochondrial DNA that is only inherited from mothers. That DNA has previously only been found in 13 Indians and one Nepali.
As the British and Indian media dissect this royal connection, there is much discussion on how interracial affairs were common at that time. Armenians and Indians have ties that can be traced to the Mughal empire. Besides his better-known Hindu and Muslim wives, Emperor Akbar had an Armenian wife, Mariam Zamani Begum, as well as an Armenian doctor and chief justice. This has been documented in Armenians in India by Mesrovb J Seth.
Armenians started migrating to India not just from the land of their origin, but also from the Middle East during the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, unofficial counts put their population here at 150. But that doesn’t mean our ties are weakening. The Indian-Armenian Friendship (IAF), an organisation devoted to inter-cultural ties, notes that there are Armenian-Indian marriages still taking place in India. The numbers are not spectacular, but for a community so tiny, it is
remarkable.
Delhi-based businessman Rananjay Anand first met Armenian theologist Ruzanna Ashughyan in 2009. By 2011, when Anand made his first visit to Armenia, they had decided to get married. Their wedding in Yerevan last year was a big affair — the entire Indian community was present, including the then Indian ambassador to Armenia and his wife. The duo live in Delhi.
They interact with the sparse Indian-Armenian community via a Facebook group that Anand started. “The community is scattered but there’s greater people-to-people interaction. We have found out that there are a number of Armenian girls married in India,” he says. These women are the brides of Indians who have studied medicine in Armenia, fallen in love there and brought their brides back home.
In Kolkata, the Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy (ACPA) that started in 1821 is evidence of centuries-old Indo-Armenian ties. The college is open to Armenians whose education and lodging is sponsored by the church and community.
Sevak Vartomiyan, 24, came from Iran in 2003 and studied at La Martiniere, Kolkata. He is currently doing an IHM degree from ACPA. He plays rugby for Armenian Sports Club and hopes to represent his country one day.
The first Armenian church in Agra was consecrated in 1562, possibly thanks to the patronage of the Mughals. At present, there are four Armenian churches in Kolkata, one each in Chennai and Mumbai.
Zabel Joshi (Hayakian), the mother of actress Tulip Joshi, is the only surviving Armenian in Mumbai and, thus, sole trustee of the 215-year-old St Peter’s Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church in Fort that was established in 1796. It is now being used by the Malankara Orthodox Syrians for services.
“The Chennai church is a heritage site. Once a year, a group from Kolkata, led by one of the two priests in Kolkata, visits these churches and conducts services,” says Mike Stephen, 44, an Indian Armenian, and the former caretaker of the Armenian Church of Virgin Mary in Chennai. His family has been in India since 1860.
“I’m in contact with the college, the priests, and committees through Facebook, email and phone calls. Besides I have around 3,800 Armenian friends online from places like Ethiopia, Bulgaria and South Africa,” he says.
While Stephen revels in the fact that Armenians are so spread out, his friends are equally impressed that there are still Armenians in India. The IAF is planning to create an official database of Armenians living here. “We just want the two countries to come closer together,” says Anand.
The family tree
Elisabeth (Liz) Chater is much in demand these days. She has dedicated her life documenting Armenian graves in India. Following the discovery of Indian DNA in Prince William’s genes, Chater has received many requests asking if she has come across any family connections or grave markers for Eliza Kewark. “With several hundred Armenian grave markers still to transcribe, it is difficult to know, but [it’s] quite possible,” says this family history researcher who has a database of over 10,000 individual Armenians and about 3,000 families who have had some connection with India over the last three centuries. She continues to research Armenian families in India and helps the Indian-Armenian diaspora find their long-lost ancestors.
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals twist behind Rs 200000 job fee, closes application window
Days after Ratan Tata's demise, Tata Group's Rs 131000 crore company inks pact with ADB for...
WATCH: Woman makes Biryani with Parle-G biscuits, viral video fumes internet
Only train in India in which passengers can travel for FREE; check route, timings and more
'Justice for biryani': Parle-G biryani takes internet by storm, video goes viral
DNA TV Show: Why Gautam Adani charged with bribery and fraud in US
IND vs AUS: Records Virat Kohli can break during Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Diljit Dosanjh fans get angry over Ananya Panday's birthday post for her grandmother, here's why
Reddit suffers outage with ‘upstream connect error’ message, says 'currently investigating...'
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: How has Jasprit Bumrah fared in Tests in Australia?
Delhi records coldest night of the season, temp drops to...
Crossing the Line: Ukraine's Use of Storm Shadow Missiles and the Escalation of Conflict
When Malaika Arora talked about the controversial ‘instant pleasure’ ad, it was for…
This is the world’s most expensive shopping street, not Fifth Avenue, New Bond Street, it is...
Big setback for Gautam Adani, Kenya cancels Rs 6216 crore deal with Adani Group due to...
Viral video: Man’s jugaad to stay warm in winter will leave you SHOCKED, watch here
Hinduja Group firm gets key approval for acquisition of Anil Ambani's debt-ridden Reliance Capital
Viral video: Middle-Class man lives dream of having tea at Taj Hotel, netizens applauds
Shloka Mehta looks stunning in white floral kurta as she clicked with Akash Ambani, it costs Rs....
Who is Sagar Adani, Gautam Adani's nephew, accused of bribery, fraud charges in US?
PayPal down: Several users face issue while logging into accounts, say 'no one could...'
IND vs AUS: Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins eye historic captaincy milestone in Perth Test
BGT 2024, Ind vs Aus: Can Shubhman Gill be the new Cheteshwar Pujara? Is he really ready?
The Ultimate Guide to Luxury Gifting: Discover Heirloom Pashmina by Pashmina.com
Effortless Relocations: The Perks Of Professional Removalists In Melbourne
Watch: Pakistan fan with 'Imran Khan' poster asked to leave Hobart stadium in Australia
International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for...
What is demisexuality? Everything you need to know about this lesser-known sexual orientation
WATCH: World’s shortest woman meets world’s tallest woman, video goes viral
IND vs AUS 1st Test: Predicted playing XIs, Perth weather forecast and pitch report
IND vs AUS: When will Rohit Sharma join India squad? Check latest update
'Scam 2024': Diljit Dosanjh lookalike pranks people on Pune streets, video goes viral
Delhi Air Pollution: Centre announces staggered work timings for govt employees; check details
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio loses nearly 80 lakh subscribers in just 30 days, BSNL adds...
IND vs AUS, 1st Test Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs Australia match
This country has most expensive passport in world, not US, UK, UAE, it costs Rs...
Amitabh Bachchan opens up on Aishwarya Rai-Abhishek Bachchan divorce rumours
Amid rising air pollution, Delhi-NCR's crematorium records cleanest air; check AQI here
Revolutionising Medical Imaging: Venudhar Rao Hajari’s impact on healthcare technology
Abhishek Gupta and Onevision Media: Scaling brands on social media
Video shows Korean girl eating jalebi for first time, her reaction to Indian sweet goes viral