Migration from Southern Arabia to Malabar predates the 7th century CE, but it was from the 16th century onward that Sayyids—families of Prophetic descent—emerged as a distinct diaspora. Their presence shaped the socio-religious, cultural, and political landscape of the region and enriched South India's knowledge traditions. The Centre for Hadhrami and Diaspora Studies is dedicated to locating, cataloguing, and digitising this rich scholarly legacy.