Surat 1870s: Trade guild would shut all shops but one to raise common purse

By Japan K Pathak

In this first season of History series, I am republishing some carefully selected old reporting/articles of historical value, curated from over 100 years old records. Such articles though deserving, never got placement in any book, journal or even Google search engine through all these years. They were once published and forgotten. After over a century, I am collecting such writings and putting them here with opening remarks on their historic value.

Presented below is one of thousands of articles written by Dr. Hunter, who was famous for his Gazetteer works. It was published in a newspaper in October 1881. It portrays his version of the city of Surat. I find particularly a para regarding local trade guild very interesting.

It says the organization of trade guilds consisting leading bankers and merchants had a common purse. A favourite device for raising money for the men of the craft or trade was to agree, on a certain day, to shut all their shops but one. The right to keep open this one shop is then put up to auction, and the amount bid is credited to the guild fund.

It says, the chief of these guilds composed of the leading bankers and merchants, called the mahajan or banker-guild. Its funds, derived from fees on cotton and on bills of exchange were spent partly on the animal hospitals and partly on the temples of the Vallabha Acharya sect.

This shows how Vaishnav Vaniks were dominating the business (contrary to overtones of Patels these days, though low profile Vaniks still dominate the affairs in low profile manner ) and how choice of spending for traders was toward cultural values. They would contribute money derived from fees on cotton and bills for faith (mandirs) and jeevdaya (animal hospitals). The city had two hospitals for the indigent poor and at least one for sick or worn-out animals.

The writing stated that the sea commerce of Surat had declined from a total estimated value of British Pound 1,013,222 in 1801 to British Pound 272,241 in 1874. However start of railway and growing land traffic did much to revive prosperity of Surat.

The article informs us that principal Hindu shrines of Surat perished in the fire of 1837, but had been rebuilt by pious inhabitants. Gosavi (Goswami or Gosai) Maharaja’s temple, built in 1693, was renewed after the fire at a cost of British Pound 10,000.

The civic body of Surat was efficient in its duties, indicates the article.

Read the whole article in full text below:

Hunter describes Surat city of Gujarat in 1870s

With the castle as its centre, the city stretches in the arc of a circle for about a mile and a quarter along the river bank. Southward, the public park with its tall trees hides the houses in its rear, while low meadow lands elsewhere fringe the bank from which the opposite ground rises slightly northward on the right shore, toward the ancient town of Rander, now almost a suburb of Surat. Two lines of fortification, the inner and the outer, once enclosed Surat; and though the interior wall has long since all but disappeared, the most which marks its former course still preserves district the city and the suburbs.

Within the city proper, the space is on the whole thickly peopled, and the narrow but clean and well watered streets wind between rows of handsome houses, the residences of high caste Hindus and wealthy Parsis. The suburbs, on the other hand, lie scattered among wide open spaces, once villa gardens but now cultivated only as fields. The unmetalled lanes, hollowed many feet deep, form water-courses in the rainy season, and stand thick in dust during the fair weather. The dwellings consist of huts of low caste Hindus or weavers’ cottages.

West of the city, the military cantonment lies along the river bank, with its open parade-ground stretching down to the water’s edge. During the 18th century Surat probably ranked as the most populous city of India. The Parsis and high caste Hindus form the wealthy classes; the Musalmans are in depressed circumstances, except the Borahs, many of whom are prosperous traders. Fondness for pleasure and ostentation characterises all classes and creeds in Surat alike. Caste feasts and processions are more common and more costly than elsewhere. Fairs held a few miles away in the country attract large crowds of gaily dressed men and children in bright bullock-carts.

The Parsis join largely in these entertainments besides holding their own old-fashioned feasts in their public hall. The Borahs are famous for their hospitality and good living. The extravagant habits engendered by former commercial prosperity have survived the wealth on which they were founded.

The sea commerce of Surat has declined from a total estimated value of British Pound 1,013,222 in 1801 to British Pound 273,241 in 1874. The principal articles of export are agricultural produce and cotton. Since the opening of the railway, however a great and growing land traffic has sprung up, which has done much to revive and prosperity of the city. The port of Surat is at Suwali, 12 miles west of the city. The railway station of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway is outside the city, surrounded by a rising suburb.

The organization of trade guilds is highly developed in Surat. The chief of these guilds composed of the leading bankers and merchants, is called the mahajan or banker-guild. Its funds, derived from fees on cotton and on bills of exchange are spent partly on the animal hospitals and partly on the temples of the Vallabha Acharya sect. The title and office of Nagarsheth, or chief merchant of the city, hereditary in a Srawak or Jain family has for long been little more than a name. Though including men of different castes and races, each class of craftsmen has its trade-guild or panchayat, with a headman or referee in petty trade disputes. They have also a common purse, spending their funds partly in charity and partly in entertainments. A favourite device for raising money is for the men of the craft or trade to agree, on a certain day, to shut all their shops but one. The right to keep open this one shop is then put up to auction, and the amount bid is credited to the guild fund.

The English church stands upon the river bank, between the castle and the custom-house and has seats for about 100 persons. The Portuguese or Roman Catholic chapel occupies a site near the old Dutch factory. The Musalmans have several large mosques, of which four are handsome buildings. The now Sayyid Sahib’s mosque stands on the bank of the Gopi Lake, an old dry tank, once reckoned among the finest works in Gujarat. Beside the mosque rise nine tombs, in honour of nine warriors, whose graves were miraculously discovered by a local Mahommadan saint. The Sayyid Idrus mosque, with a minaret which forms one of the most conspicuous buildings in Surat, was built in 1639 by a rich merchant, in honour of an ancestor of the present Shaikh Sayyid Hussain Idrus, C.S.I. The Mirza Sami mosque and tomb, ornamented with carving and tracery, was built about 1540 by Khudawand Khan. The Parsis have two chief fire-temples for their two divisions. The principal Hindu shrines perished in the fire of 1837, but have since been rebuilt by pious inhabitants. Gosavi Maharaja’s temple, built in 1693, was renewed after the fire at a cost of British Pound 10,000. Two shrines of Hanuman, the monkey-god, are much respected by the people. The tombs of early European residents form some of the most interesting objects in Surat.

Two hospitals provide for the indigent poor ; and there is at least one such institution for sick or worn-out animals. The clock tower on the Delhi road, 80 feet in height, was erected in 1871 at the expense of Khan Bahadur Barjorjee Merwanjee F—–. The High School provides accommodation for 300 boys, the municipality has opened a number of excellent roads, well lighted, paved and watered. It has also constructed works for the protection of the city from floods, and for lessening the risk of fire. Systems of drainage, conservancy, and public markets have also been undertaken. No city in the Presidency, except Bombay owes so much to its municipality as Surat.