Hinduism took root in Africa from the late 19th century onwards through the spread of the
British Empire, which colonized huge swaths of land throughout
Asia and
Africa, including almost the entirety of the Indian subcontinent. Many Indians were recruited as
indentured servants throughout the British Empire, settling mainly in the British colonies of
Southern and
Eastern Africa. The descendants of these settlers often chose to remain in Africa after the end of colonial rule, developing Indo-African communities that remain to this day. Hinduism is a non-proselytizing religion and was usually not propagated to the same lengths or through the same means as Christianity and Islam. As such, it has mostly been confined to practise by the Indo-African communities of these countries. However, in post-colonial Africa, a small-scale movement for Hinduism and its propagation
outside the Indo-African community has occurred, spearheaded by such individuals as
Swami Ghanananda, the first Hindu
swami of
Ghana. Today,
Lagos,
Nigeria, which did not receive an original influx of Indian migrants as did countries such as South Africa and Uganda, is home to over 25,000 Hindus, mostly local converts and more recent, post-independence Indian immigrants. This was primarily the work of
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) missionaries. While Hinduism has been cited as possessing many parallels to traditional African religions, it has received opposition from the entrenched Christian elites and Muslim minorities of these countries. The
Swaminarayan faith has a sizable following in Africa. Several temples belonging to the faith have been built in
Kenya,
Uganda,
Tanzania and
Zambia. ==North Africa==