THE TIMES OF INDIA, JAIPURSATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 20144 TIMES CITY

Despite the many accolades that have been heaped upon the Marwari community for its myriad entrepreneurial accomplishments, it wouldn’t be injudicious to say that as a people, they remain largely unsung. There is more to Marwaris than meets the eye and beyond the repertoire of accomplishments in their epic journey from a forbidding desert to the zenith of wealth, power and prosperity there are other aspects of the community that merit applause. From fiercely defending their lands and all that they held dear, to defying the hardships of an extreme terrain and ardently preserving their cherished cultural ethos, theirs is a story illuminated and glorified with countless anecdotes of endurance, valour and sacrifice that the sands of Thar bear witness to. Eminent writer and business historian, Dr D K Taknet sheds light on the many facets of their colourful, vibrant glorious existence in this first person account.

ajputana, now known as Rajasthan, is regarded as the precursor of Indian culture, having earned exceptional status world-wide for the spirit of chivalry, valour, loyalty and endurance that its people epitomised. Its minstrels have sung paeans of heroism, and even today poets pay effusive tributes to its many legendary warriors.

Baptism of fireDespite inclement weather and adverse

natural conditions, the harsh region could not breed despair among its people. Though living among babul trees, thorny shrubs and burning sands was no easy task, they refused to be daunted by nature’s lack of hospitality. On the contrary, they accepted it as a chal-lenge. Nature taught them to follow its rhythm—dust storms and famines inspired them to tolerate pain and suffering, lack of resources taught them frugality and moti-vated them to work assiduously, and their

hard work and indomitable spirit made the place habitable. Had they not learnt these lessons, the warriors whose daring spirit has inspired endearing folklore through the gen-erations wouldn’t be and their descendents wouldn’t venture out to make economic conquests with such amazing success as they have.

Towards greener pasturesThe Marwaris—an outstanding product

of this intractable, barren land—were com-pelled by natural calamities and deteriorat-ing geographical, social and economic condi-tions to migrate from their homeland—Ra-jputana, Haryana, Malwa and its adjoining regions—to other parts of the country. They have since made a monumental contribution to the industrial development of the country through their indomitable will and indefati-gable spirit.

Essentially, ‘Marwari’ is not a caste, but the indicator of a particular socio-cultural, micro unit of the deeply layered and interest-ingly textured Indian society. In olden times, Marwaris took charge of administration of states on many occasions, fought battles to defend their lands and kingdoms and were feared as formidable commanders of armies. Many rulers appointed them as their minis-ters, advisors, and diwans and gave them due respect and recognition for their services. The treasuries of several rulers were under the sole charge of the Marwaris, who helped them financially from time to time. Their hundi system—a bill of exchange or promis-sory note used in trade and credit transac-tions—was respected not only in the country but also beyond. And such was their wealth and financial clout that they often became indispensable to the rulers of the time. The Jagat Seths of Bengal, for example, are said to have exercised tremendous influence on the politics and trade of Bengal—attribut-able to their hundi network which was even more extensive than the Reserve Bank of India today.

Today, the roots of the Marwari commu-nity are deeply enmeshed in the social, cul-tural and economic fabric of the country. Marwaris, who were indigent and penniless at the time of migration, became uncrowned kings, first of trade and business, and later of industries. Starting as modest business-men and commission agents of European firms, they, in the course of time, added a golden chapter to India’s economic and social history. Driven by their hard work, courage, far-sightedness and intelligence, they

amassed untold wealth, largely through their businesses. Their rise from rags to riches is well known. Starting their entrepreneurial journey from small gaddis, they went on to dominate corporate boardrooms across the country and abroad, with many firsts to their name. They set up the first jute mill in India, for instance, the first Indian bank, the first Indian insurance company, the first yarn mill and the first power operated iron factory, to name a few, thus challenging the monopoly of the British.

Patriotism & nationalistic fervourIt is a common perception that Marwaris

have confined themselves to business and industry. But the fact is, they have actively participated in the struggle for India’s inde-pendence, be it during the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 or the freedom movement of 1947. This fact is amply supported by a number of doc-uments and records from the British India era which reveal that some Marwari freedom fighters were even given capital punishment or death penalty. Among them were Amarch-and Banthia, Seth Ramji Das Gurwale, Krish-na Das Sarda, Hukam Chand Jain and his nephew Faqir Chand Jain. Seth Jai Gopal Das and his entire family were put to death by the British. It is indeed ironic, therefore, that historians have time and again failed to accord recognition to their significant con-tribution, and the role of Marwaris in India’s freedom struggle has consequently failed to come to light.

Vanguards of Indian enterpriseAfter independence, they developed and

flourished manifold, contributing in a very big way to the economic reconstruction of the nation. They also played a significant role in the opening up of the economy in the ‘90s and consolidated their place in industrial leadership by providing the maximum

number of presidents to prestigious organi-sations such as FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM. Not only this, the doyens of the community have established a number of business town-ships as well and set records for contributing part of their earnings to public welfare ini-tiatives. This philanthropic zeal of Marwaris in fact has even been commended by nation-al leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and others.

The ‘entrepreneurship’ of the Marwari community is today looked at as a saga of

unprecedented success; so much so that they control more than 40 per cent of India’s pri-vate sector! To add to it, their industrial com-petence and power has even crossed nation-al boundaries and left imprints worldwide with the governments of several countries inviting them to assist them in their eco-nomic growth.

During my 30-year research on Marwaris and the business history of India, I have come across renowned industrialists, philan-thropists and professionals of the commu-nity, such as B M Birla, G P Birla, B M Khaitan and Navrattan Kothari, who have impressed me immensely with their great vision and sense of human welfare. The in-dustrial development of the country bears a deep imprint of their realism and perspicac-

ity. Their keen intellect and dedication to the country’s economic well-being; their all-pervading love for humanity; and their com-mitment to society and social welfare, make them an exemplary part of the community. Their personal habits and successes are based on certain core values which have led to the evolution of a unique corporate cul-

ture. Quality, productivity and optimal utili-sation of resources, woven around the con-cept of the welfare of the community as a whole, are their most outstanding traits. They are strictly disciplinarian and deeply committed to their families. They celebrate all religious festivities jubilantly and enthu-siastically. Other factors that accounted for their success in business and in life include their unwavering belief in the joint family system, practical training in business, dili-gence, thrift and emphasis on goodwill.

Evolution and the new generationChange is the law of nature and in accord-

ance, the Marwari style of working has also evolved. The survival and growth of the Mar-waris depend upon their capacity to change, innovate, adapt and accept modernity with open arms. Marwaris have grown globally today and the professionalism of industrial magnates like L N Mittal, Anil Agarwal and Kumar Mangalam Birla attest to this fact. Whether it is innovation, diversification into sectors like IT or introducing R&D into busi-ness, I ee the community adapting, just like their forefathers did years ago.

The younger generations of Marwaris have imbibed the best of traditional and mod-ern business cultures. They are equipped with foreign management degrees, latest tools of management and a good understand-ing of IT, which has made them dynamic entrepreneurs. Full of zeal and enthusiasm, they are trying to fill the vacuum that exists

between traditional techniques of conduct-ing business and modern methods. Splitting their profits between R&D and CSR, young Marwaris have embraced professional man-agement and look poised to take the indus-trial climate by storm.

A glorious communityThere’s a Sanskrit maxim which says that

a man’s birth can only be justified if he pro-motes the glory of his family and commu-nity. The Marwaris perfectly exemplify this maxim by bringing credit to their families and community at large. Time and again their constructivism, practicality, logic and nationalistic fervour have impressed all sec-tions of society. Rightfully then, in order to refute the impression that the Marwari com-munity is solely concerned with money-making, it has become imperative to high-light the rich heritage and glorious traditions of the community. In view of this, IIME, Jaipur (a research institute) has decided to work on a research project titled ‘The Herit-age of the Marwaris’ under my direction. On completion, it will be published in the form of a large format, aesthetically produced, coffee-table book, accompanied with rare visuals. It will include the achievements of Marwaris in the fields of business, industry, freedom movement, philanthropy, social

work and other walks of life, along with a detailed account of the geographical, social, cultural and economic factors that contrib-uted to the phenomenal growth and prosper-ity of the community.

Today, there is hardly a field, be it busi-ness, public welfare, education, art, litera-ture, culture, sports, politics, science, medi-cine or engineering, where Marwaris have not proven their myriad talents. In virtually every field they have excelled and their con-tributions to the nation’s varied achieve-ments have indeed been remarkable and unprecedented. Little wonder then that the Father of the Nation (Mahatma Gandhi) had these beautiful words to say about the com-munity: ‘The Marwari community has wealth, affection and the ability for social welfare—they are also blessed with purity of soul and a secular attitude towards all religions.’ It’s a tribute that few others have been paid. MARWAR

UNSUNG LEGACIESTHE COMMUNITY

Of

THE TREASURIES OF SEVERAL RULERS WERE UNDER THE SOLE CHARGE OF THE MARWARIS, WHO HELPED THEM FINANCIALLY FROM TIME TO TIME. THEIR HUNDI SYSTEM—A BILL OF EXCHANGE OR PROMISSORY NOTE USED IN TRADE AND CREDIT TRANSACTIONS—WAS RESPECTED NOT ONLY IN THE COUNTRY BUT ALSO BEYOND

IN ORDER TO REFUTE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE MARWARI COMMUNITY IS SOLELY CONCERNED WITH MONEY-MAKING, IT HAS BECOME IMPERATIVE TO HIGHLIGHT THE RICH HERITAGE AND GLORIOUS TRADITIONS OF THE COMMUNITY

(Clockwise from above) Sardar Ranjit Singh awarding Seth Mirzamal Podar of Churu for his valuable services; a typically dressed Marwari woman; young Marwari boy in traditional attire

(Left) A letter from the Marwari Relief Society with the signatures of Jugal Kishore Birla and Maithili Sharan Gupt; (above) A stamp recognising the contributions of G D Birla

(Above) A bahi (account book) from Poddar Collections, Churu, Rajasthan; (right) Seth Gurushaimal Podar, founder of Tarachand Ghanshyamdas

(Above) Photograph depicting the Maharaja of Bikaner with Marwaris who were invited to be diwans and ministers in his durbar; (below) a document announcing Sawai Jai Singh’s intention to establish the planned city of Jaipur

(Above) Marwaris busy trading, Chandni Chowk, Delhi; (Left) The gaddi of Tarachand Ghamshyamdas at Ramgarh; the 78-year-old munim Shrilal Podar is seen at work; (right) Amarchand Banthia, the first Marwari who was hanged by the British in 1857

(Left) Bhagwan Das Bagla, the first Marwari milliner; (above) Jagat Seth Fateh Chand, known as a kingmaker during the Mughal period

Marwaris in Shekhawati enjoying a buggy ride

(Writer) Dr D K Taknet is a well-known business historian, writer, columnist and academician, who holds a gold medal in MPhil from the Department of Business Administration, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. He is a recipient of the ‘President’s Award’ and has undertaken many research studies during his 30 years of research and teaching. He has been awarded scholarships and fellowships by premier institutions like the UGC and ICSSR, New Delhi. He has authored several acclaimed titles such as Industrial Entrepreneurship of Shekhawati Marwaris, Marwari Samaj, Marwari Samaj Aur Braj Mohan Birla, B M Birla: A Great Visionary, The Heritage of the Indian Tea and Jaipur: Gem of India. In addition, he has made business

documentaries on many industrialists, corporate personalities and top executives, both within the country and abroad. Dr Taknet has also served in several senior managerial positions in honorary capacity and assisted the Government of Rajasthan in organising conferences of non-resident Indians, including the International Rajasthani Conclave 2000. He is currently the honorary director of International Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (IIME), Jaipur and is working on several research projects of national importance including ‘The Heritage of the Marwaris’.

(Compiled by IIME, Jaipur)

Images courtesy: Business History Museum, IIME, Jaipur

THOUGHTS OF NATIONAL LEADERS ON THE COMMUNITY

The Marwaris from Rajputana used to control internal trade and finance, and were to be found at all the nerve centres of India. They were the big financiers as well as the small village bankers; a note

from a well-known Marwari financial house would be honoured anywhere in India and even abroad.PT JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, FORMER PRIME MINISTER, INDIA

The Marwaris are one of the most enterprising communities and have played a significant role in freedom movement. They are also contributing towards philanthropic activities.

INDIRA GANDHI, FORMER PRIME MINISTER, INDIA

Not only are the Marwaris capable of generating immense capital and amassing wealth, but they are equally good at generating huge savings. This community is a microcosmic representation of

national values.GIANI ZAIL SINGH, FORMER PRESIDENT, INDIA

Indian culture, despite being an amalgam of myriad cultures, is also a microcosm of ‘unity in diversity’ and Rajasthan’s ‘sons of the Marwar soil’ have contributed immensely to this cultural

heritage.P V NARASIMHA RAO, FORMER PRIME MINISTER, INDIA

Asmall community which produced and still produces the desi versions Rockefellers, Carnegies and Morgans.

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