BOOK REVIEW. This business of being Marwari

There was a touch of theatre in easing this massive tome out of the box in which it arrived, considering the story of the Marwaris is about thinking ‘out of the box’! Few will contest that the Marwaris occupy a pre-eminent place in Indian business, and enjoy a reputation that has grown steadily more authoritative over the years.

The Marwari Heritage is a paean to the spirit that enabled this, and many Marwaris are likely to find their family names in the litany of lists in its pages. In that sense, this is a book of the Marwari, by a Marwari, essentially for the Marwari. But it contains several treats for non-Marwaris: a history of the geography of Marwari migration to all corners of India, the basic tenets on which their practice appear to be founded, a list of Marwari firms and a photo gallery of successful individuals, among several other things.

Chasing opportunities Based on five years of research that included interviews with over 8,000 people, the book is replete with nuggets of information and anecdotes. While there is a continuous chapterised chronological narrative that spans centuries, it is punctuated with short, design-differentiated items on interesting subjects. The appendices list Marwari firms, outstanding individuals in different fields, popular business sayings, a timeline, and tributes from famous persons. This is rounded off with a biblio, glossary, photo credits and index.

Basically, who is a Marwari? Not just the people from Marwar in Rajputana, writes DK Taknet, but the word “came to encompass all those who resided in Rajputana, Haryana, Malwa and areas adjacent to them…Initially the term Marwari was used for the business class alone, but gradually, all the castes linked to traditional Rajputana culture embraced the term”.

And how is it you find Marwaris in every corner of India? Because they went after opportunities. The hereditary occupation of the community, it appears, was cattle breeding and agriculture. But after the Muslim invasion in the 12th Century there was a shift to trade. All went well until Iranian traders came along and upset the applecart. The Marwaris adapted by becoming modis — commission agents and distributors of goods — or worked for the government.

And what’s the story about Marwaris and Calcutta? “They began migrating to Bengal in 1564. The then ruler of Bengal, Suleman Kirani, continually beset by domestic wrangles, accepted the overlordship of Emperor Akbar. In return, Akbar sent a contingent of Rajput troops under Raja Man Singh to assist him. The modikhana (supply of food, arms and ammunition) was managed by the Vaishyas of Marwar (Jodhpur), who, with their business skills, expanded their business in Bengal.”

Right there’s the answer to the next question: How did they manage to consolidate so successfully? They ran a tight ship by getting young men from their families back home to join them. Many popular sayings to endorse this, such as Baithno chayan mein, huo bhala kair hi ; rahvo bhanya mein, huo bhala bair ki — sit in the shade, even if it is the shade of a thorn tree (kair); live amongst one’s brethren even if there is a feud amongst them.

Clearly, the Marwaris learned they must blend: they learned the local language even though they never gave up their own identity; they were shrewd and amenable no matter the government, and they built a reputation for integrity and numbers. They were thrifty, hardworking and balanced their accounts every night. The gaddi culture illuminates how this method of closely monitoring the cash flow is, according to the author, the secret of their enduring success. (Gaddi as cushion or throne on which they sat and worked, and gaddi as the seat of business.)

Such was their reputation that Maharaja Surat Singh of Bikaner issued a deed declaring: “The Mirzamal (Poddar) family will receive special privileges by the Bikaner government. It will pardon the crimes of his family members to the limit of three murders.” Such unconditional support was not isolated.

They went to the NorthEast and even won over the supposedly fearsome Nagas. Assam’s former chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi is quoted as saying, “In every big colony you will find a house or a shop of a Marwari brother in the central or main place. This shows that in a big colony or city, some Marwari brother constructed the first shop or the first house. It was only then that a particular city or a colony developed around it.”

Even the British issued instructions that these traders should “on no account be treated with harshness”. Patronised by the Raj, the Marwaris slowly began to control banking activities, resulting in large-scale migration to British-ruled regions. The Bombay Gazetteer records that “Sir Sarupchand Hukamchand was an opium speculator who extended his activities into numerous other speculative markets. When he opened his Calcutta office in 1915, he transacted business worth ₹50 lakhs on the very first day…”

Weighty heritage Occasionally, though, the narrative flags as, for instance, in the effort to prove the efforts of the Marwaris in the freedom struggle. Their involvement in philanthropic activities is insightful, but when it peters off into a list of who did what, it’s not purposeful anymore. The stories of young Marwaris today put things in the larger business context, but the nagging question remains: What really makes the Marwaris tick?

The best part of the book, however, has to be its visuals. Rich, varied, a mix of photographs, paintings, drawings and illustrations, they make you stop, look, discover; as for the gallery of mugshots, you can stop or not. Each chapter opens with an extended double spread of a painting or drawing with details that demand to be studied.

Shut the book and on the back is a map of the Shekhawati region in Rajasthan, with the names of places and families. But the sun setting in the background rises to shine brighter every day on their enterprising spirit. Tipping the scales at around 2 kilos, The Marwari Heritage certainly carries a lot of weight.

MEET THE AUTHOR

DK Taknet is a business historian who has written extensively on Marwaris. His other books include BM Birla-A Great Visionary and The Heritage of Indian Tea.

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