Though it's doubtful how many people actually know the historicity of the term or its association with Delhi Back in the medieval age, the Horn of Africa was the favourite hunting ground of slave traders, first the Arabs, and then Europeans. And just as it happens with time, the term came to be associated with any black person in India. And no, they didn't need the help of fairness creams to gain acceptability in Indian society.The Deccan, in particular, became a land of opportunity for African slaves, who influenced the political landscape. Both continued until India's Independence.Elsewhere in the east, four African slaves-turned-sultans ruled Bengal in quick succession, between 1487 and 1494. What has survived, unfortunately, is the racial hatred, now only more pronounced, as the Greater Noida episode has shown.

Source: Times of India March 28, 2017 18:36 UTC