| Total population |
|---|
| 7,000 - 10,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Sri Lanka 7,000 - 10,000[1][2] |
| Languages |
| Religion |
| Related ethnic groups |
Memons in Sri Lanka arrived from Sindh (in modern Pakistan), in the 1870s. They are currently an important Muslim minority in the country. Sunni Muslim by origin, they are entrepreneurs who settled in Sri Lanka for business opportunities during the colonial period. Some of these people came to the country as far back as the Portuguese period; others arrived during the British period from various parts of India. The Memons, first arrived in 1870 from northwestern India (Gujarat State). As of the early 21st Century they number over 10,000.
In late 1900 certain Memon merchants mainly from Kutiyana, Porbandar and Upleta travelled to Ceylon present day Sri Lanka for trading. They would import textiles goods from India and sell them locally. The first Memon to arrive on the island around 1870 is said to have been an individual named Abdul Rahman. He was also known as "Manna Seth", and was a peddler of textiles in Jaffna before settling in Pettah and building up a considerable business.
With time, Memons without their family, mostly originating from Kutiyana had begun to arrive to the island for business. After independence in 1947, Memons businessmen brought their families and settled permanently. They looked upon Sri Lanka as their own country and set about giving their best to it.[3]
Memons of Sri Lanka - Men Memoirs Milestones. Asiff Hussein and Hameed Karim Bhoja. (2006). Published by The Memon Association of Sri Lanka. ISBN 955-1408-00-4
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