The Armenians
We continue with our river cruise, circa 1880. There are many mansions lining the waterfront. After all, if you are a big shot, this is the place to build your house. This one, for example, was built by Manuk, a zamindar of Armenian descent:
But what is an Armenian doing in Dhaka? Armenians, like other foreign ethnic groups, came to the subcontinent in search of new opportunities. The earliest Armenian grave in Dhaka that I am aware of, is dated 1741, so it is reasonable to assume that the first Armenians arrived some time prior to that. At that time Dhaka was still a large and prosperous city in the post-Mughal period. Initially these people found success as contractors in the salt trade. As Dhaka declined in the early years of British rule, the Armenians stayed on, now working on behalf of the East India Company. The Armenian Church, founded in 1781, was a focal point of this community, and still today remains perhaps the most significant of Dhaka's historic churches. Eventually Armenians sought opportunities in other commodities, such as jute and leather, and were quite successful in this regard. By 1900 there were around half a dozen families of Armenian zamindars in Dhaka, such as that of Manuk. Over time this community has gradually whithered away. As of a few years ago, there was just one Armenian left in Dhaka, who used to look after the church. I don't know if he is still alive or not (he would be 77 this year). The church, to the best of my knowlege, hosts multi-denominational (as opposed to Armenian) services today.
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