Over the centuries, Indian Jews have lived in various parts of the Indian subcontinent without encountering the anti-Semitism that has been prevalent in many other parts of the world, particularly Christian Europe, which eventually exported its anti-Jewish sensibilities to the Muslim world, particularly in the context of European colonialism and post-colonialism in the Middle East, culminating in World War I and its aftermath. Indeed, the Portuguese took control of Goa in the early 16th century, bringing with them not only anti-Jewish sentiments but also the specifics associated with the development of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition, which would affect New Christians suspected of secretly continuing to practice Judaism—and which would continue until the formal abolition of the Inquisition authority in 1812.
The widespread absence of antagonism and persecution can be explained in part as a cultural phenomenon, but it can also be explained as a result of Hinduism’s embracing of many ideas on how to perceive and confront divinity, which is by far the most popular religion in India. What we call ‘Hinduism’ recognizes a nearly infinite possibility for divine manifestations within the singularity of Brahman-Being: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Krishna (and many other minor figures) are both separate from each other and understood to be part of each other and subsumed into a singularity that is Brahman.
Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2021/sunday-edition/indian-jews–a-diverse-diaspora.html
