Chapter V I

Significance

Of

Sample

Vaishyas
 S ig n ific a n c e of S a m p le V a ish y a s

Within tlie Vaishya Varna, there are a number of

c o m m u n i t i e s . T h e c o m m u n i t i e s are b a s e d primarily o n the

place of origin. W i t h i n v a r i o u s V a i s h y a c o m m u n i t i e s there

are a n u m b e r of castes a n d sub-castes. T h i s point c a n be

explained with the example of Agrawals. Agrawals are

originated f r o m A g r o h a , w h i c h is n o w in H a r y a n a . W i t h i n

Agraw'als there are 1 8 G o t r a s (sub-branches). T h e y also h a v e

t w o p a t h s n a m e l y D a s s a a n d Bissa. Now' A g r a w a l s are f o u n d

all over India. While studying the business practices of

Agrawals such differences within the c o m m u n i t y are n o t

t a k e n into c o n s i d e r a t i o n for a s i m p l e reason, the r e s e a r c h

f o c u s is n o t o n the sociological or anthropological issues in

the V a i s h y a s b u t o n their b u s i n e s s practices.

India’
s g e o g r a p h i c a l s p a n is w'idespread. Naturally, there are

a large n u m b e r of V a i s h y a c o m m u n i t i e s . T h e logic b e h i n d

selecting the sample communities for this research is

e x p l a i n e d in ‘
R e s e a r c h Methodolog}^'’
. T h e following c h a p t e r s

explain the details of the 1 0 c o m m u n i t i e s i n c l u d e d in the

research a n d list s o m e of the leading b u s i n e s s e s held b y

them.

73
 A graw als

Origin
In old H i n d u religious texts, the references of a k i n g n a m e d

‘
A g r a s e n ’of H a p y ’
ana are found. He was the ruler of the

wealthy k i n g d o m ‘
Agroha’
. A g r a s e n w a s a ver\' g e n e r o u s a n d

b r a v e k i n g w h o w a s loved a n d w o r s h i p p e d b y his subjects.

He is said to h a v e introduced the concept of S a m a j v a d

(Socialism) in India. Agrascn’

s children are called as

Agrawals. (Earlier called a s Agrabals).' Today Agroha is

present a b o u t 1 5 0 k m f r o m Delhi a n d is a t o w n in H a r y a n a

state. Agroha is r e g a r d e d as a place of family god by

Agarwals.

Beliefs a n d W o r s h i p

T h e l a n g u a g e of A g r a w a l s is Marw'ari or Punjabi. A g a r w a l s

h a v e a c c e p t e d the l a n g u a g e s of the regions w h e r e t h e y h a v e

settled. A g r a w a l s are n o w f o u n d in H i n d u s a n d Jains. H i n d u

Agraw'als follow V a i s h n a v path, i.e., t h e y w o r s h i p the L o r d

Vishnu and Goddess Mahalaxmi. Agrawals also worship

‘
Shri A g r a s e n j i ’
, the p r o m o t e r of A g r a w a l s . T h e y also w o r s h i p

N a g a (cobra). A g r a w a l s h a v e 1 8 G o t r a s (sub-branches). T h e > ’

also h a v e t w o p a t h s n a m e l y D a s s a a n d Bissa. T h e frequently

74
heard surnames of A g r a w a l s are ‘
Agarwal, Poddar, Goyal,

Bansal, Mittal, Jalan, Singhania, Jindal, Patodiya, Oarg’

,

G o c n k a etc."

C u s t o m s & Traditions

B o t h , H i n d u a n d J a i n A g r a w a l s follow similar c u s t o m s a n d

traditions in families. H i n d u A g r a w a l s a n d J a i n A g r a w a l s d o

a r r a n g e m a r r i a g e s b e t w e e n th e m s e l v e s . A g r a w a l s are very

hospitable in nature. W o m e n in their families d o n o t w o r k

outside the h o u s e . T h e b r e a d w i n n e r in the family h a s to b e a

man. W o m e n are p r e d o m i n a n t l y o c c u p i e d in the h o u s e h o l d

matters. Joint family s y s t e m is a p p r e c i a t e d by Agrawals.

A g r a w a l s also m a k e philanthropy. T h e y h a v e a n u m b e r of

charitable trusts, temples, student hostels, hospitals a n d

e d u c a t i o n a l institutes. T h e y provide excellent s u p p o r t to a

c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r w h e n h e m i g r a t e s to n e w place. E v e r y

A g a r w a l at a n e a r b y place prov i d e s h i m ‘
o n e b r i c k ’t o w a r d s

the c o n s t r u c t i o n of his s h o p and house and ‘

one Rupee’

t o w a r d s his capital.

Business

A g r a w a l s are primarily into the textile b u s i ness. Many of

t h e m also ope r a t e in the b u s i n e s s of m o n e y lending. T h e y

75
h a v e m i g r a t e d to all the parts of India. In the N o r t h E a s t e r n

India, m a n y of A g r a w a l s are in T e a business. S o m e of the

/ell k n o w n A g a r w a l b u s i n e s s e s in India are:

Jet A i r w a y s : N a r e s h G o y a l

B h a r a t i Televenture: Sunil Mittal

G u j r a t A m b u j a C e m e n t : N. S. S e k h s a r i a

J indal Steel: P.R. Jindal

Indian Express; R a m n a t h G o e n k a

Ispat Indistries: P r a m o d Mittal

J i n d a l P o w e r : Sajjan Jindal

Sterlite (India) Ltd.: Anil A g a r w a l

Essel P r o p a c k : A s h o k G o y a l

E s s a r Shipping: S h a s h i a n d Ravi R u i a

M o t h e r s o n S u m i S y s t e m s : P. K. Mittal

R a y m o n d : Vijaypat S i n g h a n i a

M a h a r a s h t r a S e a m l e s s : D.P. J indal

V i s h w ' a k a r m a G r o u p of Institutions: R a j k u m a r

Agarwal

Mittal Steel: L a k s h m i N i v a s Mittal

V i j a y n a g a r Steel: D. P. Jindal

Sterlite Gold: Anil A g a r w a l

C E A T Tyres: R . P . G o e n k a

76
 Foodworld / Spencer’
s : R.P.Goenka

Noida P o w e r C o m p a n y : R.P.Goenka

Z e n s a r Software; R . P . G o e n k a

R P G Life Sciences: R . P . C i o e n k a

H M V Cassettes: H a r s h G o e n k a

D u n l o p Tyres: S a n j e e v G o e n k a

Y a s h Nanotech: Goyal

A g a r w a l Logistics Ltd.: D . N . A g a r w a l

Tally: B h a r a t G o e n k a

Besides these businesses, many small scale industries,

grocer s h o p s , textile s h o p s , m e d i c a l stores etc. are r u n b y

A g a r w a l s.

ur. Liupia, R a m e s h w a r , V a i s h y a S a m u d a y a k a Itihas, T h i r d

Edition, J a n . 96. C h a p t e r 4, p.4.6.

Dr. V y a s , K a i l a s h n a t h , R a j a s t h a n kijatiyon k a s a m a j i k

e v a m aarthik jeevan. P u b . J. G a h l o t R e s e a r c h F o u n d a t i o n ,

J o d h p u r . 1 9 9 2 . P 121.

' P o p u l a r l y k n o w n a s Roti-beti V y a v a h a r .

77
 A ry a V a ish y a s

Origin
T h e Ar^^a V a i s h y a c o m m u n i t y is a p r i m e V a i s h y a C o m m u n i t y

in the Southern part of India. It is originated from

Penugonda. T o d a y it is in R a j a m . u n d r i at A n d h r a P r a d e s h .

A r y a V a i s h y a s are also called a s ‘

Komattis’
. In old H i n d u

religious texts there is a reference to a beautiful princess

P a r a m e s h w a r i at S o u t h e r n India. S h e ref u s e d to marr>' a n

old k i n g f r o m a n e i g h b o u r i n g k i n g d o m . Her 102 followers

preferred to die in the holy fire rather t h a n s u p p o r t i n g h e r

m a r r i a g e w i t h a n old m a n . T h e s e 1 0 2 families are k n o w n a s

‘
Any^a Vaishyas’
. Their language is Telugu. They have

m i g r a t e d to all parts of India, m a i n l y to M a h a r a s h t r a in the

Vidarbha region. They are also found in Karnataka and

Tamilnadu.

Beliefs a n d W o r s h i p

T h e l a n g u a g e of the A r y a V a i s h y a s is T e l u g u . T h o s e settled

in M a h a r a s h t r a s p e a k b o t h M a r a t h i a n d T e l u g u well. T h e

Ary'a Vaishyas believe in the Goddess Kanyaka Vasavi

Parameshwari. And the G o d is V i s h n u , in a f e w families

Shiva. T h e y h a v e 1 0 2 gotras ( s u b branches). Ever\' family

78
has a family deity like Balaji, Nrisinha, Veereshwar,

A k m m a d c v i ' etc. A r y a V a i s h y a s are e x t r e m e l y f o n d of gold.

C u s t o m s 6g T r a d i t i o n s

Ar>^a Vaishyas are very strict in religious matters. The

traditions in the family are m e t i c u l o u s l y followed b y the n e x t

generation. The marriages are arranged wi t h i n the

community only. They are vegetarians. A unique

characteristic of these p e o p l e is that t h e y h a v e a c c e p t e d the

c u s t o m s , the l a n g u a g e a n d the w a y of life of the state w h e r e

t h e y h a v e m igrated. A r y a V a i s h y a s in the y o u n g e r g e n e r a t i o n

are e d u c a t i n g their children, b o t h b o y s a n d girls, to a very

high level. M a n y of t h e m are a c c e p t i n g j o b s outs i d e the

family business.

Unique N a m e s and Surnames

T h e i r s u r n a m e s are Chetty, S h e t t y or the n a m e s e n d i n g with

the w o r d Shetty. (e.g. G a n g a s h e t t y , S i d d h a m s h e t t y ) S o m e of

t h e m u s e the n a m e of their native place a n d the w o r d ‘

Palli’

after that. (e.g. Kottapalli, Mogadpalli) In M a h a r a s h t r a t h e y

u s e the w'ord ‘
W a r ’after the n a m e . (e.g. Gangashettywar,

Mogadpalliwar)"'

79
Business
A r y a V a i s h y a s are traditionally into the b u s i n e s s of m o n e y

lending, gold trading a n d grocer>\ Many of t h e m are in

construction, jewelleiy, retail s h o p s at local level a n d ver\^

large b u s i n e s s h o u s e s all o v e r India a n d a b r o a d . T h e m o s t

f a m o u s S o u t h Indian restaurant m a k e r s ‘
S h e t t y s ’are f r o m

this c o m m u n i t y " ' . S o m e of the m o s t f a m o u s r e s t a u r a n t s in

P u n e r u n b y S h e t t y s are Vaishali, Rupali, Rangoli, G a n a r a j ,

G a n d h a r v a . S o m e of the f a m o u s A r y a V a i s h y a b u s i n e s s e s ;

• I N G V y s y a G r o u p : N o w a multi national, F o r t u n e 5 0 0

c o m p a n y ( R a n k 17, J u l y 2 0 0 5 )

• Sri K a n y a k a U r b a n C o - o p . B a n k : Dr. A a i n c h w a r

• Zedford B a n k - U S A ; A n a n t L a b h s h e t w a r

• Vijaya B a n k ; A n n a p p a Sh e t t y

• Softplus : M o h a n U t t u r w a r

• G a n g a Fertilizers; Vijay Bellor

• Balaji Electo S melts; R a g h u n a t h K a p a r t i w a r

> M a h a r a s h t r a A r y a V a i s h y a Y o u t h C l u b S o u v e n i r , 2 0 0 3 . p.3 4

" G u n d e w a r , A.V., S u r n a m e & G o t r a list of A r y a V a i s h y a s . p . 3

T h e I n d i a n E x p r e s s , 17''’J u n e 2 0 0 3 . Article b y S u n a n d a

M e h t a titled ‘
S h e t t y i n g ’a g o o d e x a m p l e .

80
 B an ias

Origin
T h e histor>' of B a n i a s in India is a s old a s the trade in hidia.

B a n i a s are k n o w n b y different n a m e s in v a r i o u s parts of

India. In many parts of India, especially in Gujarat,

R a j a s t h a n t h e y are k n o w n a s B a n i a s . In P u n j a b they are

k n o w n a s M a h a j a n s . In T h e N o r t h e r n states like H i m a c h a l

P r a d e s h , Uttar P r a d e s h , B i h a r they are k n o w n a s G u p t a s . In

the North Eastern states t h e y are known as Bawris. In

M a h a r a s h t r a t h e y are k n o w n a s V a n i s ’
. P e r h a p s , this is the

largest c o m m u n i t y in the V a i s h y a s . In fact, the WT)rd V a i s h y a

h a s b e c o m e s y n o n y m o u s w i t h the w o r d Bania.

They migrated from their native place to expand the

b usin e s s . N e w trade r o u t e s h a v e a l w a y s b e e n k e y incentives

for m e r c a n t i l e migration. T h e w d v e s a n d children are left at

h o m e so that m a l e s c a n p u r s u e trade m o r e aggressively. T h e

joint family prov i d e s shelter for m e m b e r s left at home.

Wandering traders find wherever they go support and

hospitality a c c o r d e d to t h e m b y their b r e t h r e n guilds.

Beliefs and Worship

Most Banias follow V a i s h n a v path, i.e., they w o r s h i p the

L o r d Shri K r i s h n a . T h e y also w o r s h i p G o d d e s s L a x m i . T h e y

h a v e v a r i o u s castes a n d s u b - c a s t e s like Lad, M o d h , S o n i etc.

T h e y are further divided into t w o p a t h s viz. D a s a N e m a a n d

BisaNema. Some M a h a j a n s believe in N a n d i k e s h w a r (Lord

S h a n k a r ) a n d s o m e believe in L o r d S o o r y a (Sun).

C u s t o m s & Traditions

B a n i a s are f a m o u s for f o r m i n g m e r c h a n t a n d artisan guilds

in India. T h e guilds w e r e headed by 'nagarsheths' (city-

hcads), w h o f o r m e d a federation of guilds". T h e y d e t e r m i n e d

h o u r s of w o r k a n d w a g e s , controlled prices, set h o l i d a y s a n d

festivals and managed educational institutions. They

protected the rights a n d interests of their m e m b e r s , settled

quarrels between individual members or Mahajans. The

guilds also acted like unions and protected themselves

aga i n s t the tyranny and injustice of the State Rulers.

Generally, w o m e n in th e s e families d o n o t w o r k out s i d e the

h o u s e . B u t they are a l l o w e d to look after the g rocer s h o p r u n

b y the family.

Business

82
Banias are primarily into grocer}^ money lending and

merchandising. They are said to have introduced the

‘
M a h a j a n i ’s y s t e m of single entr\^ a c c o u n t i n g . In the early

2 0 t h century, this c o m m u n i t y established 6 6 textile mills in

A h m e d a b a d ”’
, m a k i n g it the ‘
M a n c h e s t e r of India'. T h e s h a r e

of B a n i a s in m a r k e t capitalization in B S E top 2 0 0 c o m p a n i e s

is 8 . 4 ‘
X) a s p e r a research. ''The best k n o w n n a m e f r o m this

c o m m u n i t y is late M r . D h i r u b h a i A m b a n i . T o d a y s o m e of the

well k n o w n b u s i n e s s e s held b y this c o m m u n i t y are:

• L u p i n Labs: D.B. G u p t a

• W a l c h a n d Industries: S h e t h W a l c h a n d H i r a c h a n d

• I n d i a n H u m e Pipes: S h e t h W a l c h a n d H i r a c h a n d

• Rawalgaon Sugar Industries: Sheth Walchand

Hirachand

• C o o p e r Eng i n e e r i n g : S h e t h W a l c h a n d H i r a c h a n d

• Premier Automobiles : Sheth W a l c h a n d H irachand

• Relia n c e Industries: Originally set u p by Dhirubhai

Ambani

• Indian Petrochemicals: M u k e s h A m b a n i

• B S E S : Anil A m b a n i

• R e l i a n c e Life I n s u r a n c e : Anil A m b a n i

• R e l i a n c e Capital: Anil A m b a n i

83
 G r e a t E a s t e r n S h i p p i n g C o m p a n y : V a s a n t Shetln

Y a s h M a n a g e m e n t a n d Satellite Ltd. : Y a s h G u p t a

Escorts : R a n j a n N a n d a

W e b a r o o Software ; S h e t h a n d M a t h u r

S h e t h P r i n t o g r a p h Ltd.: H V S h e t h

' Dr. (lupta, R a m e s h w a r , Vaishya S a m u d a y a k a Itihas, T h i r d

Edition, J a n . 96. p. 34.1

” B h a g a t , Niranjan. Article - G u j a r a t - F r o m F a r A n d N e a r in

G a r v i Gujarat, at g u j r a t o n l i n e . c o m

Ibid., p.2

" Economic Times of India, 8 v O c t o b e r 2 0 0 5 . ET A n a l y s i s of

c o m m u n i t y wise break-up.

84
 C h ettiars
I
Origin *
Chettiars are the m e m b e r s of H i n d u religion b e l o n g i n g to

Southern Districts of India. T h e y originated f r o m a place

called N a g a n a d u situated n e a r the e a s t e r n c o a s t of T a m i l

Na d u ' . Chettiars are also k n o w n a s the N a g a r a t h a r s . Later

they selected the place " C h e t t i n a d ” in T a m i l Nadu and

settled there. T h e Chettiars at T a m i l N a d u are N a t t u Kottai

Chettiars and those who settled in A n d h r a Pradesh are

Manai Telugu Chettiars. Their languages are Tamil and

T e l u g u respectively.

Beliefs a n d W o r s h i p

Chettiars basically Shaivas, i.e., t h e y w o r s h i p lord Shiva.

T h e i r family deity is P i r u t i s h w a r a located in T a m i l N a d u .

Some of them worship Mallikarjuna at Sri Shailam in

A n d h r a P r a d e s h . Chettiars h a v e 2 4 G o t r a s ( s u b b r a n c h e s )

and the m a r r i a g e s are fixed within these gotras or w i t h

Mudaliars a n d A m m a y a r s . Chettiars are very' strict in the

religious matters, t h u s the rituals are m e t i c u l o u s l y follow'ed

ever}’day. T h e y are c o m p l e t e l y vegetarians.

85
Customs & Traditions

The Chettiars are recognized for their scrupulous honesty,

trustworthiness, cleverness in trade and proficiency at

money matters". Their philosophy is To earn and to Share’

at the m axim um possible level. They have a number of

charitable trusts, temples, hostels, zero fee hospitals,

merchant chambers and educational institutes in South

India. The male members in the family own the businesses.

If there is no son to the businessman, he adopts a son or the

business goes to the daughter’s husband.

Business

Chettiars are considered as the Pioneers of Modern Banking.

They introduced a new concept of " Double Entry Book­

keeping " commonly termed as " Pattru Varavu " in Tamil,

known to all of us as Debit &, Credit respectively in English.

Chettiars also have business interests in Singapore, Burma,

Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Two of India’s biggest

banks today, the Indian Bank and the Indian Overseas

Bank, owe their beginnings to the Nagarathar Community"'.

The Economic Times made a special feature on Chettiars,

86
mentioning that M V Subbiah, MAM Ramaswami, A C

Muthaiah and T Kannan hold large businesses in South

India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka".

Some of the well-known Chettiar businesses in India are as

under:

• Carborundum Universal of Madras: Murugappa

• Meltrak cassettes: Mugugappa Group, M V Subbiah

• Coromandel Fertilisers Ltd. : Muthiah

• TI Cycles (BSA & Hercules Cycles) : A Ramaswami

Mudaliar

• Cholamandalam Finance Ltd. : Algy Murugappa

• Butterfly Group of Companies: V Murugesa Chettiar

• Southern India Mills' Association, Coimbatore:

Shanm ugam Chettiar

• A V M Cine : AV Meiyappan Chettiar etc.

• United India Assurance Company (Now under General

Insurance): Mutthaia Chettiar

• Cochin Textiles : Alagappa Chettiar

• Jupiter Airways : Alagappa Chettiar

• The Stansfield Group Pte Ltd. (UK) : Kannappan

87
 Chettiar

Tanfac Industries Ltd. : L. Narayan Chattiar

K u m u d a m Magazine: A V Meiyappa

Dr. Gupta, Rameshwar, Vaishya Samudaya ka Itihas, Third

Edition, Jan. 96. Chapter 38. p.38.2

' Deshm ukh, Dr.P.K., Udyojakata Vikas Sankalpana Aani

Vyawahar.Pimplapure & co. Publishers, 2002. P.220, 221

"An artick^ by Professor John L. Ward, Professor of Family

Business at IM D, Rome.

' The Economic Times, 2P> August, 2003. An Article by K P

Senthil Kumar.

88
 Ja in s

Origin

Jainism Developed from Hinduism during the 500's B.C.

Jainism is the path of the Jinas, i.e., the victors'. Jains are

now found in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujrat in

large numbers. They are also found in another states of

India. Jain is the sixth largest community of Indian

population. As a wealthy religious community, Jains have

had a pow^erful influence on the life and history of the Indian

subcontinent.

Beliefs and Worship

Jains are very adaptable, thus speak the language of the

region where they have settled. By the first century A .D ., the

Jain community evolved into two main divisions; the

Digambara or "sky-clad" monks who wear no clothes, own

nothing, and collect donated food in their hands; and the

Svetambara or "white-clad" monks and nuns who wear white

robes and carr}- bowls for donated food. They do not believe

in worshipping G o d ’s image or idol. Their holy places are

associated to their spiritual masters like Mahavir, Aadinath,

Bahubali, Shatrunjay etc. Their temples are remarkable

89
patterns of carving. Jains do visit Hindu temples

occasionally.

Custom s & Traditions

Jains are peace loving in nature. They believe in Ahimsa, i.e.,

non-violence. They are nimble and adaptable to the regions

where they settle. Thus they accept the language of the state

where they settle. They marry within the community, and at

times alliances are made with Hindus. Most of the boys

accept dow'ry at the time of marriage. Marriages are done

extravagantly. W om en generally do not work outside the

home. They are closely associated with each other. They

have a number of community organizations, which keep all

the members knit together. Their surnames resemble Hindu

surnames as Jainism is born from Hinduism. The frequently

heard surnames from this community are similar to the

surnames of Gujrathis and Marw'adis as many Jains

originated from these regions. The famous surnames are

Jain, Shah, Doshi, Meher, Kale, Oswal, Sakla, Kansara,

Ranka, Bora, Vhora, Nahar, Bothra, Mehta etc.

90
Business

Jains are into all types of businesses, industries and

professions. They are more successful in trade. The world

famous Palanpuri Jains are in the business of diamonds.

Some well known Jain businesses in India are as under;

Jain Irrigations Systems: B.H. Jain

Jain Spray Pipes: B.H. Jain

Jain Tisue Culture: B.H. Jain

Polaris Software: Arun Jain

Torrent Pharmaceuticals; Sudhir Mehta

Emcure Pharmaceuticals; Suresh Mehta

IPCA Laboratories; Premchand Godha

Ahm adabad Electricity; Rohit Mehta

Webline India; Atul Mehta

Saurashtra Cement Industries ; Nnjibhai Mehta

InfoSpace ; Naveen Jain

Telcordia Technologies : Ravi Jain

Benchmark Asset Management Company Ltd. :

Sanjeev Shah

Jain Directory, Published by Poona Shw'ctambar Jain

Sabha, 2002.
 L in g a y a ts

Origin

The remarkable 12th century saint and guru, Basava, is the

founder of this community. Lingayats are also known as

Veer Shaivas. They are originated at Karnataka, now found

in all parts of India, but predominantly in the southern

states like Karnataka, Andhra and Tamilnadu.

Beliefs and Worship

The language of Lingayats is Kannada. Now they speak the

language of the regions where they have settled. They believe

only in lord Shiva. They wear a small black Linga (an

Ishtalinga) around the neck and pay meditational respect to

it several times a day. The Lingadharanachandrika, the

religious treatise of the Lingayats, makes it compulsory for

all devotees to wear a lingam on their body, even in death.

The principles of Lingayats are Sada~cha~ra - attention to

vocation and duty; Siva~cha~ra - acknowledging Siva as the

one God and equality among members; Bhritya~cha~ra -

humility towards all creatures and Ganacha"ra (defense of the

community and its tenets) and Linga"cha“ra -daily worship of

92
the personal Sivalinga.' The frequently heard surnames of

Lingayats are Swami, Todkar, Gadve, Teli, Shedge, Jangam,

Honrao, Hiremath, Shete, Kalyani, Revansidhha,

Prabhulinga, Panehakshar, Hundekari, Birajdar etc.

Custom s & Traditions

Lingayats were originally Hindus and followed the caste

system. Therefore, in Lingayats also many sub-castes are

found. Some of these sub - castes are Jangam, Pancham,

Vani, Dikshavant, Gurav etc. Most of these castes belong to

the self-employed class of the society, e.g. milkman, barber,

weaver, grocer etc. who were supposed to be Vaishyas in

Hindus but were against the caste system. Even after

accepting the Lingayatism many of them continue to follow

their ancestral occupation. Lingayats give least importance

to their original castes’’. They use the word ‘Sheth’ after the

first name of the person.

Business

Lingayats are mainly found in manufacturing, finance, food

products and trade. The most famous business in Lingayat

community is Mr. Neelkanth Kalyani and his son Baba

93
Kalyani who own the world’s largest forging business -

Bharat Forge.

Other well known businesses held by Lingayats are as

under.

• Bharat Forge : Neelkanth Kalyani

• Kalyani Steels : Neelkanth Kalyani

• Kalyani Brakes: Baba Kalyani

• Hikal Chemicals : Baba Kalyani

• Automotive Axles : Baba Kalyani

• Kalyani Carpenters ; Baba Kalyani

• Samartha Twisted Polyester Textile Manufacturers (Surat):

Uddhav Honrao

• Kaka Halw^ai : Avinash Gadve

• Vishwashwar Sahakari Bank : Subhedar Vani

• Siddheshwar Sahakari Bank: Rudresh Malge

• Samata Sahakari Patasanstha: Omprakash Koyate

• Dhanlakshmi Rural co-op. Bank: Nagendra Birje

• The Pandharpur Co-op. Bank: Dadasaheb Memane

• Pandharpur Merchants Co-op. Bank: A.V.Utpat

• Basaw^eshwar Urban Patasahstha: Shrigiri Mam ane

• Shri Ganesh Urban Patasanstha : Rahendra Bhalerao

94
• Rajashree Paint Manufacturers: Abhijit Kore

• Todkar Builders : Murlidhar Todkar

• Annapoorna Atta : Vijay Menkar

• Peasliwai Creations : Sanjay Hatte

• Ganesh Forge Pvt. Ltd. : Vilas Takle

Besides these businesses, a number of grocer shops,

vegetable and fruit shops, oil and ghee depots, dairies, sweet

marts, trade shops, repairing works etc. are run by

Lingayats.

' Siddhant Shikhamani, Edited by Shri Kashi JAgadguru Dr.

Chandrashekhar Shivacharya Mahaswamiji.

" Veershaiv (Lingayat) Khanesumari, Edition 2000. P.9

95
 M a h e sh w a ris

Origin

Maheshwaris are said to be born in a clan of a Rajpoot king

called Sujat Sen. He was the ruler of the kingdom of Jaipur.

His son was a follower of lord Shiva. It is believed that the

lord Shiva blessed the son of the king and advised him to

leave the Kshtriya Varna and enter the field of business. So

the 72 follow'ers of the king’s son became Maheshw'ari

(Mahesh Ishwari) Vaishyas.

Beliefs and Worship*

The language of Maheshwaris is Marwari. Now Maheshwaris

are Vaishnav, i.e., they worship God Vishnu and the goddess

Mahalaxmi. Some of them have accepted Jainism also. Their

family deities are in Rajasthan mainly near Jodhpur,

Jaisalmer, and Nagaur. Some Maheshwaris worship the

goddess Bhadrakali in Gujrat. One of their traditional

temples is now in Pakistan.

Custom s & Traditions

Hindu Maheshwaris have 72 Gotras (Sub branches). They all

have the custom of arranging marriages within these 72

96
branches and even with Jain Maheshwaris. W o m e n in their

families do not work outside the house. The breadwinner in

the family has to be a man. W o m en are predominantly

occupied in the household matters, the religious rituals etc.

However, with modern education some wom en have started

working outside the house. Joint family system is still

preferred.

Business

Maheshwaris have not restricted themselves to the native

place. They have a stretch all over India. The main business

of Maheshwaris has been trading and agriculture. They are

now in all the fields of business right from trading to

manufacturing. They have good command over retail

business all over India. The major surnames of Maheshwaris

are Somani, Malu, Sarda, Jaju, Ajmera, Dhoot, Bhandari,

Rathi, Birla, Bangad, Porwal, Malpani, Mantri, Bhutada,

li
etc”. The most famous Maheshwari industrialist is Mr.

G.D.Birla who set up his own business empire in India,

created B.I.T.S. at Pilani 8s Ranchi, donated generously for

building Birla Mandirs through out the country and

contributed to the nation in the freedom struggle. He was a

close friend of Mahatm a Gandhi. Another famous personality

97
from this community is Mr. Jamnalal Bajaj who was also a

freedom fighter and Mahatma Gandhi’s friend. He brought

independence to the two-wheeler industry in India. Other

well known Maheshwari businesses are as under:

Videocon : Nandalal Dhoot

Hindalco : Aditaya Birla Group

Indian Rayon: Aditya Birla Group

Century Textiles: Aditaya Birla Group

Grasim Industries : Aditaya Birla Group

Chambal Fertilizers : Aditaya Birla Group

Indo Gulf Fertilizers ; Aditaya Birla Group

Idea Cellular ; Aditaya Birla Group

Birla Sun Life Insurance Co.: Aditaya Birla

Group

Birla Global Finance Ltd.: Aditaya Birla Group

Mahesh Co-op. Bank : Giridhar Kale

Mahesh Urban Co-op. Patasanstha : Dhanraj

Rathi

Bajaj Auto: Jamnalal Bajaj

Bajaj Sevashram: Jamnalal Bajaj

Bajaj Electricals: Jamnalal Bajaj

Lohiya Industries: Kanhyalal Lohiya

9K
 Sudarshan Chemicals : Sudarshan Rathi

Shloka Infotech: Yash Birla

3M India : Yash Birla

Zenith Steel Pipes : Yash Birla

Indian Tools Manufacturers; Yash Birla

Birla Trans Asia Carpets; Yash Birla

Birla Kennametal Ltd.: Yash Birla

Tungabhadra Holdings Ltd; Yash Birla

Birla International Ltd. ; Ashok Vardhan Birla

Rathi Udyog Ltd. ; Udit Rathi

Besides these businesses, many small scale industries,

grocer shops, textile shops, medical stores etc. are run by

Maheshwaris.

Dr. Gupta, Rameshwar, Vaishya Samudaya ka Itihas,

Third Edition, Jan. 9 6 .p. 12.4

Dr. Vyas, Kailashnath, Rajasthan ki jatiyon ka samajik

evam aarthik jeevan. Pub. J. Gahlot Research

Foundation, Jodhpur. 1992.p 123.

99
 P a tels

Origin

Patels are originally from the state of Gujrat in India. The

villages in the districts of Bhuj and Kutch in Gujrat and the

villages near the desert of Rajasthan are the places where

this community was originally formed. The word Patel is

said to have its origin in their profession ‘Patlikh’ meaning,

the record keeper of the money lending or land product.

Today Patels are found in all areas of business in India as

well as in African countries, Middle East, U K and U S A in

very large number.

- r ln '1 0 T 5 3

Beliefs and Worship

Patels use Gujrati as their first language. Patels are primarily

Hindus, but this surname is found in Muslims, Parsis and

Jains also. Hindu Patels are Vaishnavas, their family deity is

Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. They also worship other

gods. Patels have different subcastes or subcommunities like

Leva Patel, Kadva Patel, Kutchi Patel, Charotar Patel, Matiya

Patel etc. In Maharashtra they are known as Patidar. Some

Patels have changed their surnames to ‘Patil’ meaning the

head of the village. Patels use the word 'Bhai’ (brother) after

100
the first name, that shows their flair for building

relationships with people.

Custom s and Traditions

Patels have 115 surnames, like Dedkiya, Ghetiya, Sawariya,

Halsaniya etc'. Fixing a marriage in the Gotra of the

maternal uncle is prohibited. The Marriages betw'een Jain

Patels and Hindu Patels also take place sometimes.

This community is also known for being exceptionally daring

in taking decisions. The most famous Patel in India was

freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. W hen crossing the

ocean was prohibited in Hinduism, Magambhai Patel showed

the courage to arrive in East Africa. He was the first Hindu

businessman, w^ho traveled abroad and expanded business

successfully. In U K and U SA they are the largest found

Indian community. Michael Lyon of London who has done a

research on Patels in Britian has mentioned that ‘Patel

community is culturally diverse, yet structurally cohesive

and supportive, commercially open, economically competitive

and enterprising’*'.

101
Business

Patels were originally in the occupation of agriculture but

now are found in all areas of business. They are know'n as

the most shrew^d business community which hardly comes

across any kind of loss. Many Patels operating in U K and

U S A are in the business of Motels. In fact the word ‘Patel’

has become synonymous w^ith ‘Motel’.

Some well known Patel businesses are as under:

• Nirma; Karsanbhai Patel

• Euro Beverages Ltd.: Navin Patel

• Hindustan Bottling Co. Ltd.: Yogesh Patel

• Patel Airtemp India Ltd.: Prakash Patel

• House of Patels: Kamalesh Patel

• Patel’s Analog and Digital Measurement Co. Ltd.: Dr.

M. Patel

• Zydys Cadila pharmaceuticals Ltd.: PankajPatel

• Indon Healthcare Ltd.: Pankaj Patel

• Patel Engineering Ltd.: Prakash Patel

Shri Saurashtra Kadva Patel Samaj Pariwar Darshan,

Edition 2002.

' http://www.ercomer.org/new

102
 P u n ja b i V a is h y a s

Origin

Punjab is a North-Western state in India which is known for

warriors, agriculture and business. Due to frequent attacks

on Punjab from the Islamic rulers in the past, Punjabis have

become extremely stiff in their beliefs whether they are in

business or in any other profession. This mentality of

Punjabis helps them in getting success in almost every

venture they enter into.

Beliefs and Worship

Punjabi Vaishyas is a large community with 1400 Gotras, i.e.

sub-branches. They also have 3 major sects viz. Namdharis,

Nirankaris and Radhaswami. Some Punjabi Vaishyas have

now accepted to follow Arya Samaj and Jainism. Many

Vaishyas in Punjab have also accepted Sikhism now. Most of

the Punjabi Vaishyas are Vaishnavas. Sikhs worship in a

single god - Vahiguru. Their language is Punjabi with

Gurumukhi script. Marriages between Sikh, Jain and Hindu

Vaishyas are common.

103
Customs & Traditions

Punjabi Vaishyas are strict vegetarians. W om en in their

families do not work outside the house. The breadwinner in

the family has to be a man. The frequently heard surnames

of Punjabi Vaishyas are Mahajans, Khatris, Buranwals,

Arora, Bhatia, Kapoor, Mehra, Ahuja, Khanna, Kakkar,

Khosla, Lamba, Puri, Oberoi, Tandon, Suri, Bhasin, Brar etc.

Business

Punjabis have made significant contribution to Indian

business and industry. In Punjab, the businessmen are

called as ‘Lala’. They are known as taskmasters within their

employees. They were traditionally into trading and money

lending. Now' they are found in all types of business in India

and abroad. Punjabis have domination over Indian film

industr\\

Some of the well known Punjabi businesses in India are:

Ranbaxy Laboratories ; D. S. Brar

Hero Honda Motors : Brijmohan Munjal

Apollo Tyres : Onkar Kanwar

Escorts : Ranjan Nanda

104
Oberoi Hotels : M. S. Oberoi

Crompton Grieves (India) : M. G. Thapar

Atlas Cycles : Jankidas Kapoor

Campbell International : Bikramjit Bemvi

RK Studio : Raj Kapoor

Indo Vacations : N. Khatri

D C M Shriram Mills ; Lala Shriram

Shriram Sugar Mills: Lala Shriram

Bengal Potteries : Lala Shriram

105
 S in d h i V a is h y a s

Origin

Sindhi community is originated around the valley of river

Sindu (Indus) and is one of the oldest communities on the

Earth. Sindh is a geographical area located at the North

West of India, now a part of Pakistan. As Sindhis are from

the border of India, they have been facing frequent attacks

from the North-West. In 1947 after independence, India was

partitioned, resulting into making the Sindhi Hindus

homeless. Now Sindhis have migrated to all parts of India as

w'cll as abroad. This made the Sindhis tough minded. In

Sindhis there are all four Varnas in existence. However, all

Sindhis are famous for business irrespective of Varnas.

Beliefs and Worship

The language of Sindhi Vaishyas is ‘Sindhi’ which is like

Hindi. Most of them are Vaishnavas. Their prime Deity is

Zoolelal, i.e., lord Krishna. Their common surnames are

Lakhani, Chandwani, Gidwani, Pherwani, Budhani, Makhija,

Bathija, Soneja etc. Sindhis are religious in nature but due

to migration during the partition they had to leave back most

106
their old rituals and traditions. The most famous saints from

this community is Sadhu Waswani and Dada J.P. Wasvani.

Customs & Traditions

The community ties in Sindhi Vaishyas are extremely strong.

This is a very well knit community, where almost all Sindhis

prevailing at a town know each other. They are willing to

support their community people and do not hesitate in

admitting that they push their community members ahead

in the business matters.

Sindhis have 2 main branches - Nanikshahis and

Daryapanthis and these branches have a few other sects.

They prefer to stay in joint families and women are not

allowed to work outside the house. Some modern Sindhi

families are now allowing the ladies in the family to

participate in the family business.

Business

As seen earlier, Sindhis had to become tough minded for

their survival. This toughness is seen in their business

practices also. Most of them who migrated to India had to

leave apart all their wealth in Pakistan. Thus they give

107
utmost importance purchasing real estate in India and gain

stability. They keep emotionality apart from business. A

Sindhi businessman is perceived as a shrewd, hard hearted

and materialistic person. At times Sindhis are criticized of

resorting to unfair business practices to exploit the

business opportunity.

W h en Sindhis migrated to different parts of India, hardly any

jobs were available to them. So they started selling textiles at

crowded place in cities. Even today in wholesale and retail

textile market, Sindhis have a large market share. They are

into various businesses now. In the local markets they are in

grocer}', trading, construction etc.

Some of the well known Sindhi businesses are as under:

• Lakhani Shoes ; K. C. Lakhani

• Lakhani Detergents and Soaps : P. D. Lakhani

• NavJeevan Co-op. Bank ; Hem u Kalani

• Sahany Tyres ; Krishnachand Sahany

• Business India : Ashok Advani

• Ashok Leyland : M. J. Pherwani 8& R. J. Sahaney

• Norw'est Apparels : Badlani

• Hinduja T M T : Ashok Hinduja

lOX
 A Si; i’l' !^t•aci!Cc^ oT The X'aish) a t ^'minu-iilics ui l']<n

• Adani E',xports : Gautam Adani

• Indusind Bank : R. J. Sahaney

• Dinesh Conctructions : K. Raheja group

• Sippy Productions : G. P. Sippy

• Baron Group Hotels ; Atur Sangtani

• Advani Oerlikon : A T Mirchandani

109