Arabs have been travelling east for centuries. They settled chiefly in what are now Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, though 'settled' hardly describes the movements from town to town, island to island as connections, markets, goods, the main chance or a father's instruction dictated. The majority of these Arabs are from the Hadhramaut region of south-eastern Yemen, which was ruled until 1967 by the British as part of the East Aden Protectorates. Many moved first to India, staying in the south-west or in Gujarat, for example. 'All our family look Indian,' the father of an 'Arab' Singaporean friend of mine said last year, showing me his old photographs. Others or their progeny journeyed on to the hundreds of islands of the Malay Archipelago, bringing their capital, dress, cuisine and manners with them.

LRB 20 March 2003 | PDF Download