Sidi Ahmed Khan was succeeded by his son, Sidi Mohammad Khan, who ruled Janjira until the princely states of India were merged into the Indian Union in 1948. For over three centuries, Janjira had withstood innumerable attacks upon it, survived despite setbacks and maintained its African roots. Until the late nineteenth century, Sidi nawabs married women from the Sidi community itself and maintained their biological links to their African heritage. In many other ways, they had embraced the cultural influences of the surrounding region, especially in terms of dress and food. The fort as the epicentre of the princely state and, later, the new Ahmedganj Palace on the mainland (constructed in the early twentieth century) were what appeared to secure the bond among Sidi inhabitants. It is therefore possible to argue that the identity of the Sidis of Janjira was closely linked to Janjira itself and to their hold over important and strategic areas in the face of their enemy, the Marathas - who were also the enemy of the powerful Mughal Empire, seated in Delhi. Although they had arrived at a late stage and were foreigners in the land in which they settled, they were assimilated into the native population in some ways but were always conscious of their African origin. The relatively small princely state of Janjira not only managed to hold out against local and European (including British) attacks but also stood out in India as the only princely state (apart from the princely state of Sachin, established by an offshoot of the Janjira Sidis) that was governed by rulers of African descent. Until recently, the history of the Sidis of Janjira had been inextricably linked to their interaction with the colossal forces in Indian history, namely the Mughals, the Marathas and the British. It is only in recent years that the history of the Africans in India has been researched and written with the Sidis as the central protagonists. No longer are they simply peripheral participants.