Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c13.s3.t1.52

v2.c13.s3.t1.52

A prominent and visible part of the Indian connection with Shanghai in the century from the 1840s to the 1940s was the presence of Indian policemen there. From the 1880s, Indians (mostly Sikhs from Punjab) were recruited by the Shanghai Municipal Council to police the area of the International Settlement. With their red turbans and distinctive appearance, they were commonly referred to as *hongtou asan* by local people. There were also a large number of Indians hired as private watchmen by hotels, shops, factories and other establishments. Initially, the Indian population in Shanghai consisted mostly of males but slowly the number of Indian families and mixed Indian-Chinese families increased in the early 20th century. There were Sikh gurdwaras and a Parsi fire temple (*agiary*) in the International Settlement area. By 1945, the number of Indians in Shanghai numbered between 2,000 and 2,500. At the end of World War II, in conditions of mass dislocation and destitution caused by war and occupation, the then British government of India decided to repatriate all Indians except for a very small number who refused to go in the ships sent from India for this purpose.