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AbstractEthnic Arab communities in medieval India originate mainly from the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf. Among these Arabs, the ones that gained widespread fame within India and abroad were the Sayyids of Hadhramaut, descendants of Prophet Muhammad, through his daughter Fatima. Many of these Hadhrami Sayyids achieved rapid upward social mobility in India through their ascribed status as the Prophet's descendants, as exemplars of good Muslims, and as preachers and teachers of Islam in a non-Muslim environment. However, migration to India at the dawn of the modern era heralded changes in their traditional status and occupation. The sources of this article are primary works in Arabic, Persian and, Urdu, supplemented with interviews and field observations.

Recent scholarship has brought forth several works on the ethnic/religious composition of the Indian army during the colonial period, but no systematic account of its composition in the postindependence era exists. What is the current recruitment policy? Does the composition of the military personnel mirror the religious & ethnic diversity of the Indian national population? Does the military attempt to inculcate national values & perspectives in recruit training & professional education? Does common military experience serve to reduce ethnoreligious identification by building cross-ethnic pressures? Is there trans-community deployment of military personnel? Are promotions based on perceived competence rather than ethnoreligious affiliation? What is the impact of the polarization of the Indian society along religious divide between Hindus, Muslims, & Sikhs since 1947? Answers to these questions are based on interviews with former military officers, published accounts of military & defense officials, & the writings of informed journalists & academics. The role of the armed forces has been exceptionally positive in remaining neutral peacemakers during Hindu-Muslim violence, although it is changing due to the rise of Hindu extremism. 2 Tables. Adapted from the source document.