Introduction
Gaurav Desai, a scholar on Asian African literature, has mentioned Babar Chavda as one of the poets from South Africa \cite{Desai_2011}. What lacks in his article is the first hand experience of Chavda's poetry. In his poem 'Introduction', Babar Chavda writes in Gujarati:
Gadat village is my Home, Navasari is the region
Taluk Gandevi beautiful, District Surat is peaceful.
Grandpa my Purushottam and am son of Haridas,
Mother Jeevi father Daaji, son of these souls haaji.
Uncles and aunts at materal, my village is Kos.
When born at maternal place, father flew foreign-land.
In Chavda clan and Christian year nineteen hundred seven,
Seventeenth of December Tuesday at eight.
At tender age of twelve journeyed abroad,
Located in Cape Town, father firm accompanied. (translation mine)
This autobiographical poem narrates Chavda's birthplace, birth dates and his family members including his parents and how he migrated to South Africa. This highlights a rich literary traditions that have migrated from Gujarat to South Africa. Chavda has self-published an anthology of his own poems along with hundred appearing in Diwali Annual Magazines in which South African Gujarati community have catered their need to writer and read literature in Gujarati language. These writings broadly fit into a generally accepted definitions of 'Literature'; however, this nineteenth-century literature has remained less known outside South Africa and least known in the canonical Gujarati literary histories.
migration from India to the African continent
Hindus and Muslim traders
the use of Languages including Gujarati language
Is Gujarati a global language during the 1900s?
Gujarati culture in South Africa
Caste and Canon in Gujarati literature
Chapter One: South African Poetry: a critical review
Chapter Two: Creative Writings (short stories and play)
Chapter Three: Religious Literature
Chapter Four: Travel and Food
Chapter Five: Educational and Children Literature
Conclusion