South Asian, general in United Kingdom

Introduction / History

Officials, soldiers and merchants took the first South Asians to the U.K. during the British Empire. Sons of upper class families studied in the U.K, leading to a small, emerging South Asian diaspora. At the end of the 1800s, Indian seamen were hired on British ships' they in the ports. This paved the way for more Indians to come to the U.K. Indian soldiers fought for the British in the two world wars. It was after the Second World War that many South Asians began to come to Britain in greater numbers.

In the early 1970s many South Asian professional people came to the U.K. from Uganda. There are tougher immigration rules now and it can be difficult for family members to join their relatives in the U.K.

Although they speak in their own languages such as Hindi and Urdu, most also speak to speak English.

At first they came mainly to the big cities but then came to the larger towns as well. Most U.K. South Asians now live in London, Leicester and Bradford.

What Are Their Lives Like?

A lot of South Asians were born in the U.K.; they have never been to their countries of origin. They generally tend to keep to their own communities and maintain their own religions and cultures. There is a need for South Asian Christians to take Christ to their Muslims, Sikh and Hindu neighbors.

There are South Asians in the U.K. from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but mainly from India and Pakistan. The Pakistanis and Indians love cricket. When the national cricket teams of these countries tour to play England, large numbers of South Asians attend these sporting events.

They have their own national radio station called BBC Asian Network. Many South Asians have small businesses such as shops, market stalls and restaurants. Many work at telephone call centers answering phone calls and queries. There are many South Asian doctors in hospitals and also with their own medical practices.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Indians tend to mainly be Hindu and those from Pakistan and Bangladesh are usually Muslims. Sri Lankans have a mixture of religions, mainly Buddhism.

What Are Their Needs?

Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower the South Asian people to open their eyes and see Jesus.

Prayer Points

* Pray that South Asian Christian believers will give the gospel message to their own people.
* Pray that the South Asians will have dreams and visions leading them to Jesus Christ.
* Pray for spiritual discernment so they can learn that Jesus is the only way to an abundant life.
* Pray for a movement to Christ among the South Asians in the U.K.

Text Source:   Joshua Project