Bania (caste)

The name Bania derives from the Sanskrit word vanik meaning traders.[8][9] In Bengal the term Bania is a functional catch-all for moneylenders, indigenously developed bankers, readers of grocery items and spices, irrespective of caste.[3]

Bania men of Gujarat, British India.

Bania women in British India. Image taken before 1860.

The community is composed of several sub-castes including the Agarwal Banias, Gupta Banias, Khandelwal Banias, Maheshwari Banias, Oswal Banias, and Porwal Banias, among others.[4][10] Most Banias are followers of either Hinduism or Jainism, but a few have converted to Sikhism, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism.[11][12][13] Most Hindu Gujarati Banias are Vaishnavas and are followers of either Vallabhacharya or Swaminarayan.[14]

Baniyas are vegetarians, and some groups have greater restrictions on the foods that can be consumed. They also take care not to kill insects when preparing and eating food.[15]

Baniyas were known to be hard working and frugal. Only minimum expenses would be made on clothing, food, and furniture.[15]

During the day, Baniya boys were sent to schools called patshalas where they would learn business skills and habits. They learned how to read and write, as well as in secret merchant scripts that were hidden from non-Baniyas. They also learned ciphers, accounting, and arithmetic. The correctness of mathematical calculations was extremely important to Baniyas, and they learnt various methods and tricks so they could perform advanced mental arithmetic. A mercantile ethos was also instilled in the boys, as they learned the chief aim of life was to acquire wealth and only profitable transactions were worthwhile. After school hours, boys would spend time in the family shop and learn the business. After education was complete boys would try to start their own businesses and if successful, would be allowed to manage the family business.[15]

When Baniyas made transactions, they often had dubious qualities that allowed the accumulation of many small profits. These include short-weighing, adulteration of products, and regular undervaluation of a debt repayments. They were also known for being well spoken when speaking to others, but were not confrontatious. They were very secretive about their business accounts, and would use secret scripts or illegible handwriting. Often two sets of account books were kept, one for showing officials if needed, and one only for family. Business dealings were kept within the family, and in cases of dispute other Baniyas would arbitrate in order to keep business deals secret from non-Baniyas. Their preference for compromises instead of confrontations often led non-Baniyas to think of them as cowardly.[15]

In order to prepare for further business success, Baniyas also had to have high levels of information access. They had messengers, intelligence networks, and postal services in order to make sure that they knew about any important knowledge as early as possible. Such information was often used in speculation in futures exchanges, which in turn sometimes turned into gambling.[15]

Honour was very important to Baniyas, which they called abru. Their honour was tied to their credit worthiness, which were valued higher than their lives. A bankrupt Baniya was stigmatized, and those who were caught to be dishonest with another Baniya were boycotted, bankrupted, and stigmatized. Honour was also tied to socioreligious conduct, as mainting marital relations within the community, having a strong patriarch, and adherance to religious principles were all highly valued.[15]

Wealthy Baniyas only spent large sums of money for specific purposes: hosting feasts, buying jewelry (mainly for women), construction of havelis, and the most honourable being donating to religious causes such as temples or religious festivals. Such displays of wealth allowed Baniyas to show their status and high honour.[15]

Baniyas were very religious, with the Jain and Vaishnavs beliefs, rituals, prayers, and ceremonies being often very similar. Pushtimarg Vaishnavs would perform emotional seva to Krishna, and Jains would be austere and follow the Jain vows. Lakshmi Puja was performed by Baniyas, as it Lakshmi would be considered to bestow wealth and welfare on the family.[15]

• Premchand Roychand, 19th century Indian businessman and founder of Bombay Stock Exchange.[16]
• Lala Lajpat Rai, Indian independence activist.[17][18]
• Mahatma Gandhi, Indian independence activist.[19]
• Maithili Sharan Gupt, Hindi poet.[20]
• Sarabhai family, a prominent Business family.[21]
  • Anasuya Sarabhai[22]
  • Ambalal Sarabhai[22]
  • Vikram Sarabhai, Indian scientist and founder of ISRO.[23]
• Ram Manohar Lohia, Indian independence activist.[24]
• Dhirubhai Ambani, 20th century Indian businessman.[25]
• Amit Shah, Indian politician.[26][27]
• Birla family, a prominent Business and Industrialist family.[28]
• Arvind Kejriwal, Indian politician and current Chief Minister of Delhi.[29]
• Brij Behari Prasad, former Science and Technology minister in Lalu Prasad Yadav's cabinet.[30]

• Vaishya

• Cheesman, David (1982). "'The Omnipresent Bania:' Rural Moneylenders in Nineteenth-Century Sind". Modern Asian Studies. 16 (3): 445–462. doi:10.1017/S0026749X00015262. JSTOR 312116. S2CID 145722413.
• Metcalf, Thomas R. (December 1962). "The British and the Moneylender in Nineteenth-Century India". The Journal of Modern History. 34 (4): 390–397. doi:10.1086/239182. JSTOR 1880056. S2CID 145246030.