AHC: Jewish India

[krinsbez]

Yeah, so while making my way through the Countries ISOTed To the 'Wrong' Place Map Game, I was for some reason reminded of the short story "Measureless to Man", wherein Genghis Khan converted to Judaism and Kublai Kahn set about creating a new Temple. This got me thinking of the Kaifeng Jews, which got me thinking about other Jews-In-Odd-Places, and remembering that there are like, half a dozen* different groups of East Indian Jews.

And so, the challenge; for India to have a sufficiently large population of Jews as to be noticable, instead of a handful of curiosities.

*not sure of the actual number.

 

[black angel]

*not sure of the actual number.

5 groups of Jews have long history in India:

Cochin Jews 2,500 years old with 8,500 members, almost all now in Israel
Bene Israel 2,100 years old with 64,000 members, almost all now in Israel
Baghdadi Jews of Mumbai 250 years old
Bnei Menashe started in 1951 when tribal leader dreamed that the people were descended from Menasseh and that they were Jews, they're 9,000 members most in India
Bene Ephraim dating from 1981, a group of about 350 Telugu speakers who are looking to be recognized as Jews by outside Jewry, their use of Hebrew as a living language mixed with Telugu is making a new language "Judæo-Telugu"

 

[Minchandre]

Yeah, so while making my way through the Countries ISOTed To the 'Wrong' Place Map Game, I was for some reason reminded of the short story "Measureless to Man", wherein Genghis Khan converted to Judaism and Kublai Kahn set about creating a new Temple. This got me thinking of the Kaifeng Jews, which got me thinking about other Jews-In-Odd-Places, and remembering that there are like, half a dozen* different groups of East Indian Jews.

And so, the challenge; for India to have a sufficiently large population of Jews as to be noticable, instead of a handful of curiosities.

*not sure of the actual number.

What is "a sufficiently large population to be noticeable"? There are something like 30 million Christians of various stripes in Kerala, descended in theory from Jews that St Thomas converted (the various stripes have to do with which of the big Western rites they acknowledge). I don't think it would be too hard to butterfly their conversion and leave them all Jews.

 

[krinsbez]

What is "a sufficiently large population to be noticeable"?

Enough that when people talk about religion in India, Jews get mentioned along with Hindus, Muslims, Jains, and Sikhs.

 

[Garrison]

I was irresistibly reminded of this article and amazed it was still on-line:

RELIGIOUS MERGER CREATES 900 MILLION HINJEWS

 

[Minchandre]

Enough that when people talk about religion in India, Jews get mentioned along with Hindus, Muslims, Jains, and Sikhs.

Note that historically, the Christian population of India has been on the same order of magnitude as the Sikhs and somewhat larger than the Jains. It's geography and politics that makes those groups be considered notable, not population.

Though I guess the same is true of the Jews in the West. Therefore, I think the answer to your challenge isn't to expand the Jewish population in India so much as it is to vastly expand their influence.

 

[Burton K Wheeler]

I'm not sure why this was in ASB. "Highly implausible" is not the same thing as "requires magical intervention".

 

[XanXar]

OTL The Safavids drove out many Jews, Christians, Sunnis and Zoroastrians out of Iran and into India, perhaps something can be done with that. If you gave the Mughals a reason to endorse mass immigration of Mizrahi Jews to India, you might see a few Jew-majority areas in Sindh or other coastal areas.
But the question is, what could cause the Mughals to endorse such an act?

 

[Kishan]

What is "a sufficiently large population to be noticeable"? There are something like 30 million Christians of various stripes in Kerala, descended in theory from Jews that St Thomas converted (the various stripes have to do with which of the big Western rites they acknowledge). I don't think it would be too hard to butterfly their conversion and leave them all Jews.

A small correction is required here. 30 million is not the population of Christians in Kerala, but it is approximately the total population of Kerala which is a slightly higher figure. Christian population is around 20% of the total population of Kerala. The total population of Christians in India is almost 30 million. There are two three states in India which have Christian majorities.
Before the birth of Israel, there were large numbers of Jews in Kerala. India, especially Kerala is among a few places where the Jews were not discriminated in any manner. They were viewed as a sect similar to the Christians. When Israel was established, vast majority of the Jews emigrated to Israel, terming it as a religious duty. There are stories describing their emotional farewells on separation from their beloved neighbors of other religions.

 

[Rich Rostrom]

And so, the challenge; for India to have a sufficiently large population of Jews as to be noticable, instead of a handful of curiosities.

Easy. Islam defines itself as the New Judaism, with a shorter Koran as the last Book of a Prophet rather than the whole Scriptures.

As OTL, Islam conquers Persia, then the Indus Valley converting most of its population; then Islamojews conquer and convert further as OTL, resulting in about 10% of India being "Jewish".

 

[krinsbez]

Easy. Islam defines itself as the New Judaism, with a shorter Koran as the last Book of a Prophet rather than the whole Scriptures.

As OTL, Islam conquers Persia, then the Indus Valley converting most of its population; then Islamojews conquer and convert further as OTL, resulting in about 10% of India being "Jewish".

I'm...not sure that counts.

 

[Martinus Paduei]

Your best bet may be a thriving Khazaria, with a Jewish elite which acquires missionary zeal and expands eastward across central Asia. A Khazar invasion along the lines of the Mughals or one of the other invaders of India from the north, whether or not it is successful in the long term, could give you the outcome you are looking for.

 

[Kishan]

There were several means by which a large group of Jews could have come to India. The Jews were persecuted in Europe and the Middle East on many occasions. On the other hand the Jews were treated with respect and honor in India. Further foreign merchants were always welcome in the Indian ports. The Jewish traders could have arrived here. If they had spread the word that the Jews could find safe havens in India large numbers of persecuted Jews would have migrated in this direction. Thus a Jewish population at least equal to the Christian population(ie. slightly below 3%) was not implausible.