David West Rudner

The Book is an examination of merchant-banking caste in Tamil Nadu. Merchant banking castes were vital to South Indian economy during 1700’s to 1950’s.

The author — Anthropologist and scholar, David West Rudner, focuses on the Nakarattars of Tamil Nadu, also known as Chettiars.

Chettiars are located in Chettinad area or specifically around Karaikudi, Chidambaram, Pudukottai town in Tamil Nadu.

The Book is laid out into three parts:

Part 1) Concepts
Part 2) Business
Part 3) Ritual and Kinship

Part 1 - Concept:

Caste is characteristic unit of Indian Social Organization. Nakarattar caste were primarily mercantile bankers. They started with salt trading as their occupation. Around 1760’s salt trading was unprofitable so they entered money-lending trade.

Occupationally — they played a middle role between Colonial British Government and local agrarian-communities in Tamil Nadu. Nakarattars monopolized marketshare of money lending as their financial instrument. Mainly, they focused on family, business and God (saivism)

Surprisingly — had no other South Indian competitors in major markets. Through their business enterprises, acting as an extension of family kinship, they could scale and diversify into markets like Ceylon, Burma, Madras, Malaya. Nakarattars were primarily economic than political.

Within the field of Anthropology, among South Indian Castes, every caste occupied a trade and specialized occupation. They played considerable role in financial, political role in early 20th century madras presidency.

David West Rudner, argues that Nagarattars are an argument against the famous Sociologist, Max Webers theory on incompatibility of Hinduism and Capitalism. Nagarattars functioned as communal capitalists.

One could say — caste is symbolic capital. Symbolic capital is an anthropological concept. It captures how sociological relationships function for an individual in society. An individual has access to resources such as capital, human labor, kin groups based on honor, prestige, recognition.

Through symbolical capital, an individual belonging to a caste could concretely mobilize as political factions to achieve a specific outcome. Castes do not have specific rights through symbolic capital. They are temporary social extended kin groups.

Part 2 - Business:

This Chapter focuses on specific details on cavities of nagarattar business entities in Tamil Nadu, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya.

Nagarattar’s business financial statement gives a detailed picture of their community. The chapter goes into specific details on balance sheet, income statement, affluence of nagarattars. They extended their philanthropic activity in making religious gift to construct temples among their community.

During 17th-19th century, India was the largest manufacturer of advanced goods, i.e. Textiles. They controlled 24% of world’s gross domestic product.

Nagarattar’s built their commercial empire out of complex network of interdependent family business firms lending money to business. Along with their profit making intention, went hand in hand with moral good.

Part 3 - Ritual and Kinship:

In Ritual and Kinship, David focuses on Dravidian kinship marriages. He goes in depth into various kinship and customs. If you are a non-Tamil or non-South Indian reader, this chapter might be fascinating to you. Many of the kinship concepts do not extend as the same in Western world. Dravidian communities have customs in marriage with relatives, extended relatives, caste groups. Trust was essential ingredient. He says marriage was a negotiation between two descent groups.

A Nagarattar boy was trained from young age in basic numeric, multiplication, accounting in the context of skills required for money lending and banking.
Around teenage years, he would work as an apprentice in one of the family firms. Once he finished back, he was ready to get married, and take responsibility of leading the business step by step.

David West Rudner gives specific examples of famous Nagarattars. A notable one is Annamalai Chettiar, who founded Annamalai University in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. He was impressed by British Education.

Politically in early 20th century, Justice Party in Tamil Nadu played an important role in Tamil patriotism. Nagarattars involved actively in Madras Presidency during this time. Raja Muttiah played important role in portraying Congress party, or party of Mahatma Gandhi as North Indian Brahmins. Northern Aggression or Hindi imposition would be upon Tamil people. Thus, Justice Party gained respect among Tamil people. They preferred British rule over Congress.

Finally, Nagarattar’s influence extended to Indian Bank, Imperial Bank, Reserve Bank of India.

Deus Vult,
Gottfried… (plus d'informations)