 | Marwaris: Encyclopedia II - Marwaris - History
Marwaris - History
Since the time of the Mughal period (16th century-19th centuries), particularly from the time of Akbar (1542-1605), Marwari entrepreneurs have been moving out of their homeland of Marwar and Rajasthan, and adjoining regions, to different parts of Undivided India. The first waves migration took place during the Mughal period, and a number of Marwaris moved to the eastern parts of India, currently comprising the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and Jharkhand; and Bangladesh.
During the period of the Nawabs of Bengal, Marwaris exhibited their intelligence, business astuteness and acumen, and controlled the minting and the banking. Jagath Seth who controlled the finances of Murshidabad Darbar was an Oswal, one of several sub-groups of Marwaris. The business houses of Gopal Das and Banarasi Das, also Oswal Marwaris, undertook large scale commercial and banking activities.
Several Marwaris, after permanenet settlement was introduced by the British Raj, acquired large estates, in eastern part of India, particularly in Bengal. They included Dulalachand Singh, (alias Dulsing), a Porwal Marwari, who had acquired several Zamindaris around Dhaka, currently the capital of Bangladesh, as also in Bakarganj, Patuakhali, and Comilla, all places currently part of Bangladesh. These Zamindaris were managed and co-owned with khwajas of Dhaka. Dulalchand Singh family also emerged as a business tycoon controlling jute trade.
After India’s First War of Independence (1857-58), when social and political disturbances have subsided, another wave of large scale migration of Marwaris took place, and during the remaining period of 19th century, a number of Marwari business houses, small and big, had emerged. The Marwari community controlled all the major business activities of a large geographical areas of the eastern parts of the Indian subcontinent. With a sizeable presence in present day Myanmar and Bangladesh, they controlled major trading and commercial activities in the regions currently comprising the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand. They also had almost complete control of indigenous banking, finance and hundi. They took the hundi business to areas where the system was unknown, which included Chittagong, Khulna, Naogaon, Mymensingh, and Arakan. They competed successfully in these areas with Chettiars who were located in the region for long.
Other related archives1542, 1605, 16th century, 1857, 19th centuries, 19th century, 58, Agarwals, Aggarwal, Akbar, Arakan, Bajaj, Bangladesh, Bengal, Bhut, Bihar, Bindal, Birla, Birlas, British Raj, Chettiars, Chittagong, Comilla, Daga, Dhaka, Diaspora, Haryana, Havelis, India, Indian subcontinent, India’s First War of Independence, Jaisalmer, Jharkhand, Jodhpur, Kankaria, Khandelwal, Khandelwals, Khulna, Maheshwaris, Malwa, Marwar, Marwari language, Mewar, Mittal, Modi (surname), Mughal period, Myanmar, Mymensingh, Naogaon, Orissa, Rajasthan, Rajasthani, Sabu, Sanskrit, Shekhawati, Thar Desert, Todi, Undivided India, West Bengal, Zamindaris, entrepreneurs, social groups
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
