Siddi Byra in Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu

In the movie Boothayyana Maga Ayyu, there is a character called Siddi Byra, who is of African origin. I had always wondered what he was doing there of all places until I recently learned about the Siddis, an ethnic group of African origin in the Indian subcontinent.

Siddhis were primarily brought to India as mercenaries by Indian Sultans or as slaves by Europeans in the 15th-16th centuries. The community is especially strong in Karnataka although there are pockets spread throughtout the subcontinent.

There are stories of these soldiers rising up to become generals and sometimes even rulers at various times. One famous figure being Malik Amber from Ethiopia who ruled the Deccan for a while.

tags: #trivia