Indian harmoniums were created when the British colonized India. Indian musicians play melodic lines with one hand against a drone. They typically sit on the floor, not on a bench, so they modified the British harmoniums, also called parlor or reed organs for their use. The website of the Reed Organ Society has a wealth of information on this instruments dating back to the 1800s. 

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This History of Harmonium by India Net Zone and the History of Harmonium on Kirtan Pro both provide a history of the European harmonium and its introduction into India.

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There are two common styles of Indian harmoniums: The Dehli style harmonium and the Calcutta style harmonium as we'll show later in Types of Harmoniums.