The Global World of Indian Merchants, 1750-1947: Traders of Sind [Sindh] from Bukhara to Panama

Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 4
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Maps......Page 10
Tables......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 12
Glossary......Page 14
Introduction......Page 19
South Asian merchants in the world economy......Page 28
Trade diasporas and middleman minorities: a critique of two paradigms......Page 38
South Asian merchant networks and their meaning......Page 42
Sind and its trade: an historical overview pre-1750......Page 50
Trade and society in Sind, c. 1750–1843: the role of the Hindu banias......Page 55
Hindu society in colonial Sind: some general traits......Page 63
The Sind banias and the political economy of colonial Sind......Page 68
3 The Gate of Khorrassan: the Shikarpuri network, c. 1750–1947......Page 75
The origins of the Shikarpuri network......Page 78
Shikarpuris and Central Asian trade, c. 1843–1890......Page 87
The Shikarpuris in Russian Central Asia, c. 1880–1917......Page 91
Other areas of Shikarpuri activity: Iran, Afghanistan and Sinkiang......Page 112
The Shikarpuri network betweeen 1917 and 1947......Page 122
The context: Hyderabad in the post-annexation era......Page 128
The expansion of the network until the First World War......Page 135
Expansion, retraction and recovery: the Sindworkies c. 1918–1947......Page 157
Space and function in the Sindworkie network......Page 162
5 Patterns of circulation and business organization in two merchant networks......Page 174
Circulating capital and resident capitalists: the role of the shah–gumastha system......Page 175
Circulating men: pedlars, gumasthas and salaried employees......Page 184
The role of the kin network......Page 194
Financial flows......Page 196
The circulation of information and knowledge......Page 199
The Shikarpuri shroffs as financiers......Page 203
From niche traders to global players: the evolving nature of the Sindwork trade......Page 212
The Sindwork trade in Egypt c. 1900–1930......Page 222
Sindwork merchants as global operators: the big firms in the West African trade......Page 226
The British connection: instrumentalizing Empire?......Page 230
The Sindwork merchants and the fight against immigration restrictions after 1920......Page 248
Sindhi merchants as independent political agents: the case of Panama......Page 258
The meaning of community among Sind merchants......Page 267
The problem of trust......Page 278
Three models of sexual economy in the dispersion......Page 283
The women left behind......Page 289
The exodus of Sindhi Hindus to India, 1947–1948......Page 295
Sindhi migration from India: the shift from network to diaspora......Page 297
An international bourgeoisie?......Page 299
Conclusion......Page 304
Appendix I: Employment contract of a shop assistant......Page 316
Appendix II: Employment contract of a servant......Page 317
Appendix III: Partnership deed between three Hyderabad merchants......Page 319
Appendix IV: Secret War Office Memorandum 'Sindhi Merchants'......Page 321
Conclusion......Page 323
PRIMARY SOURCES......Page 325
SECONDARY WORKS......Page 331
Index......Page 338