Jews and Sanatana Dharma: Unravelling the Civilizational Bond Between Judaism and Hinduism

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Judaism is one of the first foreign religions to arrive in India. Unlike many parts of the world, the Jews lived in India without a single instance of persecution.

The Jews came to India after expulsion from Iberia, under Spain in the 14th century.

One group among the Kukis in Manipur and Mizos in Mizoram, in the northeast contend that they descend from the Israelite lost tribe of Manasseh, and hence the Bnei Menashe.

The Cochin Jews claim to have arrived in India together with the Hebrew King Solomon's merchants. They first settled in Kodungallur (Cranganore) on the Malabar Coast and traded unstinted until 1524 when the Portuguese and the Moors attacked and destroyed the port.

In Cochin, the Jews had to face the Muslim wrath, in the form of Tipu Sultan, and they stood with the Hindu king. The history of Mumbai would have never been so exotic if David Sassoon had not anchored there after a persecution in Iraq.

Though the majority of Jews have left India, tales of a symbiotic relationship linger. This book, by eminent historian and editor Rarna Chandran, is an attempt to chronicle the bonhomie the Jews in India enjoyed with the Hindu multitude.

Rama Chandran, trained by the Thomson Foundation in London, is a reputed editor and writer based in Kochi, Kerala. With four decades of experience in journalism, he has been Chief Editor of the Janmabhumi Daily, News Editor of The Week, and Political Commentator of Malayala Manorama. He is a historian and a creative writer with a dozen books to his credit, including Red Jibad: Islamic Communiam in India 1920-1950 and Militant Islam. He is a columnist in Indian and international media.

India and Israel share a deep and multi-dimensional relationship that dates back to around 2000 BCE, as proven by the Tel Megiddo excavations. Geographical analysis suggests that the authors of the Old Testament knew about India, where the trade of animals such as monkeys and peacocks existed. Judaism was one of the first foreign religions to arrive in India. Unlike many parts of the world, they have historically lived in India without a single instance of persecution.

The history of Indian Jews is marked by a total absence of antisemitism from the Hindus and an assimilation into the local cultures. The Cochin Jews claim to have arrived in India together with the Hebrew King Solomon's merchants, and they settled in Kerala as traders. The Jews settled in Kodungallur (Cranganore) on the Malabar Coast and traded unstinted until 1524, when the Portuguese and the Moors attacked and destroyed the port.