Armenian

People from Armenia came to India as traders, and established settlements in most major cities in India. Job Charnock allegedly invited the Armenians to Calcutta at the time of is founding in 1689. There was a large Armenian community in Calcutta.

Armenian Church

Most Armenians were members of the Armenian Church, an ancient Christian denomination in the Orthodox tradition (i.e. the Church never recognised the authority of Rome). In Madras, St Mary's Armenian Church was located at 2/A Armenian Street, South Black Town (this area is now called Georgetown). The building still exists. It is not to be confused with St Mary's of the Angels Co-Cathedral at 64 Armenian Street, Georgetown, which is a Roman Catholic church and is very much functioning today.

In Calcutta, the Armenian Church of of St Nazareth was erected in 1724 at No.1 Armenian Street. The church still exists although the community is now quite small, possibly only numbering about 400 people. Dr. Reuben Khachaturyan/Liz Chater have transcribed all the baptisms at this church. They can be viewed on the FIBIS database. Liz also has many photos of graves at the Nazereth Church on her website

Records

The LDS has microfilmed records of the Armenian Apostolic Church. These include:

• Calcutta 1793-1982 Microfilm #136031
• Bombay 1917-1978 Microfilm #329692
• Madras 1829-1908 Microfilm #90588
• Tangra 1793-1979 Microfilm #273760
• Dacca 1831-1981 Microfilm #86501
• Rangoon 1857-1980 Microfilm #81844
• Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy (Calcutta) Register of admissions and withdrawals, 1892-1979 Microfilm #136076

Surnames

Common Armenian surnames are Aratoon (or Arrathoon), Avakian, Paul, Anthony, Apcar and Carapiet. Armenian surnames are usually handed down in the same manner as European surnames, but in the past the father's forename has been used as a surname.

Books

• Armenians in India by Mesrovb Jacob Seth. Hardcover edition (1993).

There appear to be many inaccuracies in the book, but it is the only one available to date. The book was originally published in Calcutta in 1937 by its author. It was reprinted in New Delhi in 1992 by Asian Educational Services of New Delhi who sell it for 895 rupees. They also have an office in Madras. In Europe it is available from Bay Foreign Language Services of Ashford, Kent, England.

• Armenian Settlements in India from the Earliest Times to the Present Day by Anne Basil (1969). Published in Calcutta. Out of print.

• The Wandering Armenians by Father Aramais Mirzaian (1980). Published in Sydney. Contains two short chapters on India. Out of print.

• Dr Omar Khalidi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has published two articles on the Armenians of India:

• "Armenian Diaspora in India: the Case of the Deccan" in Islamic Culture LXXI, no.2 (April 1997), pp.77-88
• "The Amazing Abid of Hyderabad and Devon" in Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries (Autumn 1999), pp.161-168

• Respected Citizens: The History of Armenians in Singapore and Malaysia by Nadia H. Wright, Publisher: Amassia Publishing

This is the first published account of the Armenians from Persia who ventured to Malacca, Penang and finally Singapore from the 1800s. Detailing the dynamics of the larger community in Singapore, it also focusses on St Gregory's Church, Raffles Hotel the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid and the major Armenian commercial concerns. In particular, the true role of Ashkhen (Agnes) Joaquim in breeding Singapore's national flower is explained. The final section of the book outlines the principal Armenian families, following their fortunes and fate in this part of the world. Based on extensive research from newspapers, church, cemetery and official records, interviews with Armenians and their descendants, this book by Nadia Wright provides a documented, social history of this hitherto neglected minority. Many of the Armenians in Singapore and Malaysia came via India, having lived there, traded there or been educated there. Usually it was in India that their names were anglicised into British sounding names such as Chater, Edgar, Gregory, Jordan, Martin and Stephens.

External links

Churches and cemeteries

• Armenian Family History in India Liz Chater's site includes extensive photographs of Armenian graves in India as well as a wealth of other research and information.

Books

Armenian Merchants of the Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Centuries: English East India Company Sources edited by Vahé Baladouni and Margaret Makepeace 1998 Limited View Google Books