The span and diversity of the African diaspora reflects a fascinating story of how people of African descent have and continue to influence the world. While some influences were the result of enslavement, a good deal reflected the ventures of sovereign explorers, traders, and others who ruled. India is one among many nations where African influences are firmly rooted. Consider for example, India’s dark-complexioned Dravidians, known to have established a dominant civilization in southern Asia well before the founding of Greece and Rome.
As Kamala Harris, United States Vice-President Elect, of Jamaican and Indian descent, prepares to become the first Black and Indian Vice-President, interest in India’s history and culture have heightened. To learn more about India’s African influences, including when the famed Italian explorer, Marco Polo observed how the darkest complexioned in India were “considered better,” click here.