Series of Articles on the History of Retail Trade in Calcutta

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"Series of Articles on the History of Retail Trade in Calcutta." Capital, Vol 183, No. 4587, December 24, 1979, pp 4-10.

ERA OF MAIL-ORDER SHOPPING

HE most complex retail business of P. N. Hall and William Anderson set only be found in Calcutta where a Tlate nineteenth-century Calcutta, up together in a modest partnership store was opened amid some fanfare establishments which were to dominate selling suitings at bargain prices from in 1901. the modern retail sector, were the de- a small shop on the Esplanade. It The early department stores dealt partment stores. Although every one has seems extraordinary that within a few first in imported items for household closed its doors, many Calcuttans still years their business was a serious and personal use but they were quick remember the names or recognize their challenge to Francis, Harrison, Hath- to take advantage, like the artisan converted, subdivided buildings: Francis, away and Co. retailers, of the availability of skilled Harrison and Hathaway; Hall and Indeed, Hall and Anderson's was or trainable Indians. So all the shops Anderson; the Army and Navy Stores; the first business to call itself a developed some lines for local Whiteaway, Laidlaw and Co. In their 'general departmental store,' thus production, again, like the smaller scope and outreach these shops rivalled reflecting the forward-looking, shops, relying largely on imported those to be found in cities of the same entrepreneurial spirit of the two men. materials. Much of this production size in Britain, Europe or the United (Hathaway's and Whiteaway's was subcontracted. For instance, States. continued to call themselves drapers Hall and Anderson had saddles, The city's leading hotels, while they and mercers for some years.) Hall and riding equipment and jockey caps provided many services and housed a Anderson's had, initially, departments made by firms like Morrison and number of businesses, did not always for furniture, china and glass, cutlery, Cottle (saddlers). One reason why own and run all of these. Their retail stationery, outfitting and dressmaking, the stores required such large areas were perhaps more like arcades millinery, drapery and footwear. premises was that in those days than department stores. The shops from The Army and Navy Stores was a workshops were part of the retail which department stores rather literally much later, and rather different, arrival premises. Whiteaway's was one of evolved were the drapers' and mercers' on the Calcutta scene. This was a the first to market goods under its shops. We know from trade directories colonial branch of a company formed own brand name of "Whitelaw." that shops like Francis, Harrison, in London in 1871 as the Army and All of the stores dealt in mail orders Hathaway and Co., which was described Navy Co-operative Society by a group and produced elaborate catalogues. as "first class drapers" in 1864, had a of military officers to act as general The most famous was probably Hall large staff of 11 European assistants in dealers for society members. The and Anderson's Lai Kitab. One 1880. (By the end of the century there object was to supply needed consumer hundred thousand of these were sent were at least 40.) goods at the most reasonable prices. out annually not only to many points This was the first shop to adopt a The society grew steadily and received in India but to Burma, Ceylon, the 'departmental' organization, which was many requests to serve the needs of Shan States, Aden and Mesopotamia. formalized in the 1890s and repeated at the forces and administrative services 'Spike' Milligan, the now famous the branch shops in Simla, Lahore, in India. The first Army and Navy English comedian and author, who Darjeeling and Allahabad. Incidentally, Store was opened in Bombay in 1891. was born at Ahmednagar in 1918, his in 1880 one of the leading assistants in (Possibly the decision to locate it on father being a corporal with the Hathaway's was Mr. E. Whiteaway who the opposite side of the country was Indian Army, recalls how eagerly he ten years later was the partner of influenced by the strength of the awaited the Army and Navy Stores Whiteaway, Laidlaw, occupying existing stores in Calcutta.) The catalogue: "It used to arrive three numbers 5 and 6 Chowringhee and second branch in Karachi (1892) was months before Christmas which was employing 38 assistants. designed to serve the extensive troops just enough time for you to rush Two other employees of Hathaway's engaged on the North West Frontier. through it and order things for were to become equally famous in By the turn of the century, however, it Christmas. A large part was devoted Calcutta's retail trade. In the early 1890s was clear that more permanent could to the military services and I remember this complete page on how to puja and other Indian festivals. There with the growing demand for the go to a military picnic. ... I found it more were 'puja' sales of all kinds. The goods of the department stores and interesting to look through this book than concept of a 'sale day' was essentially most of the shops established the Boy's Own Annual..." (From Plain introduced and promoted by the branches. Whiteaway Laidlaw Tales from the Raj, edited by Charles department stores, as for instance became an enormous chain, Allen.) Whiteaway's "Rupee Friday" when throughout Asia and Africa. It was not just the Christian holidays many things could be purchased for of Christmas and New Year which were only one rupee. C.F. exploited by the department stores. They Catalogues and mail orders, shared in the trade associated with Durga however, were not sufficient to cope

CAPITAL December 24, 1979

PAVEMENT PEDLARS

OR most of the 19th century all together. There were numerous Muslim tailors sitting over their FCalcutta had quite distinct sec- bazaars which sold fish, fruit and fine stitching. tors of retail trade. At the one vegetables. Naturally the sale of This bazaar was a magnet for extreme stood the exclusive shops meat and poultry was elsewhere. customers from well beyond the of European tradesmen dealing in The China Bazaar, so called town: "Many hundreds of visitors imported goods and fashionable because of the many Chinese from almost every country of the bespoke orders. At the other were shopkeepers, sold dry goods and East daily throng the China Bazaar the 'informal' activities of itinerant not foodstuffs. to buy and sell, to gabble and hawkers and tradesmen and the A European visitor in the late lounge, to overreach and be over- haphazard street bazaars which 1830s was fascinated by the reached." sprang up near residential areas. variety of vendors: "In the China The European residents and Between these were the privately Bazaar," he wrote, "in mere visitors, however, were not so owned market areas where nutshells, may be seen all the enthusiastic about the conditions individual stallholders could rent marked varieties of Indian of the food markets. Already space and the streets of stalls and physiology, cranology and congested in the 1830s they had shops, such as Old and New China complexion: flat, smooth, saffron- further deteriorated 40 years later. Bazaar Streets. coloured Chinamen, pale and fine- By this time there were some 30 Only in the last quarter of the featured Persians, coppery- food markets in Calcutta but only century did Calcutta build a public complexioned Malays, sable East two were frequented by Europeans (municipal) market, the Stuart Indians, jet-black Hottentots, and the wealthy. Hogg Market or New Market. swarthy country-born and, One was Dharamtolla Bazaar on The bazaar life of Calcutta has peradventure, a whitely European." Dharamtolla Street, owned by a always been a thriving one. A He goes on to describe the book- wealthy Bengali family, and the growing population with many shops selling both English and other was the Tiretta Bazaar which distinct communities having their Indian titles, the money changers had been started by a Venetian. different food needs, clothing with gold mohurs, silver rupees Both were very old, having been styles and lifestyles called into and heaps of pice, the image established in 1794 and 1788 being diverse and crowded sellers with their vivid Shivas, respectively. markets. Kalis and Durgas, the confec- In 1871 a municipal report However, until the advent of the tioners with mounds of misti, the stated: •The Dhurrumtollah Market municipal market there was no cabinet-makers working on the is situated on the corner of single market area where one pavement, the haberdashers with Chowringhee and Dhurrumtollah could find food, clothing, their colourful assortments of Streets. On all sides it is enclosed hardware and manufactured goods laces, ribbons and scarves and the by houses. The area is insufficient, the buildings are of the worst sold in the market. It was said that European residents were up in possible description—low, filthy the conditions were such as to arms about the spread of gastro- and devoid of ventilation. The change any meat eater into a vege- erteritis and intestinal disease in Market is intersected by badly tarian. the city. They brought pressure on constructed open drains which are The health officer of the Calcutta the Corporation about the markets impossible to keep clean. At any Corporation felt that it was but the private owners were hour of the day the air is foul and impossible to enforce a clean- reluctant to invest large sums in tainted." up. These were private markets; redesigning the markets and the The market was infested with there was no public control. The Corporation lacked the power to cockroaches and flies; refuse was Calcutta Corporation had interfere. thrown about and lay rotting in established slaughterhouses for the Thus was born the concept of a cesspools. There was no control sanitary killing of cattle, goats, municipal market, to be built and over the quality and display of the pigs and fowl but could do nothing administered by the Corporation of meat and fish sold there. Charges about how the produce was Calcutta. were made that diseased cattle marketed. By the 1860s the which had died in the fields were C.F.

CAPITAL December 24. 1979

WHERE YOU CAN BUY EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN...

Calcutta's New Market

THE concept of a municipal market designed for the patronage of the cipality would be justified in under- for Calcutta gained acceptance only European population only. Indian rate taking anything and everything about 1870. It is hard to imagine now payers argued that already the better to suit the tastes of any particular how controversial the concept was. part of the municipal funds were put section of the community." Digumber There was strong opposition from to improving the European sections of feared that the market would run at a influential citizens, both European the town to the neglect of the areas loss and be a constant drain upon the and Indian. Some Europeans were inhabited by Indians. If once one municipal funds. opposed to the idea of ''municipal municipal market was approved, there The arguments for and against went trading" seeing this as the thin edge would be no end to the number of on over a period of ten years. The of a wedge which would dislodge the public markets which might be built justices of peace acquired the power principles of private property and free at great municipal extravagance. to establish a market but a majority of enterprise. Others argued that the The two principal spokesmen for the active JPs remained opposed. undertaking was not within the Bengalis in the Legislative Council, Nevertheless, Sir Stuart Hogg, the purposes of the Municipal Act and Raja Jotindra Mohan Tagore and Raja municipal chairman, pushed through would be too great a burden upon the Digumber Mitra, spoke. out forcefully the proposal with official support. A municipal coffers. against the market concept. Jotindra competition was held for the design This, indeed, was part of the objec argued: "It is said that the time might of a municipal market. It was won by tions of the Indian municipal come when Hindoos would equally R.R. Bayne, the architect of the East commissioners who pointed out also with the Europeans resort to the new India Railway Company—which is that it was only the Europeans who market. One might just as well use doubtless why the facade of the were dissatisfied with the conditions municipal funds to build an opera market building resembles a 19th of the markets and that they proposed house on the pretext that Native ears century railway terminus! Burn and to use municipal funds, derived might hereafter be trained to Company won the contract to build largely from taxes upon Indian appreciate the sweets of Italian music! the market at a cost of Rs. 2,58,720. householders, to finance a market If this principle is admitted the muni- Still the controversy was not at an end. Even after the market had been and the market for aristocrats". I Until hand, it was strictly "caveat emptor". built in 1874 there was trouble. The the late 19th century New Market Two Englishwomen who were sold owner of Dharamtolla Bazaar sold only produce. Its primary inferior cloth and complained to the brought a suit against the chairman purpose was to supply wholesome Markets Committee in 1894 found of the municipality charging that he food under clean conditions at they had no redress. had no right to use municipal funds reasonable prices. It is true, too, that The system of licensing coolies was for the market and for the opening it was designed for the Europeans but introduced in 1885 after customers ceremonies. The municipal the municipality strove to have it had complained of being disturbed by executive tried to entice stallholders accepted as a market for all 'importunate coolies'. Only registered and butchers away from the Calcuttans. coolies were permitted inside: the Dharamtolla Bazaar. There were Changes began to occur: fancy registration fee was five annas and unseemly scuffles, followed by "cri- goods dealers and cloth merchants each coolie had to wear a simple uni- minations and recriminations". A could afford to pay higher rents for form and a number badge, a require- local paper predicted that the Stuart their shops than the food vendors and ment which is still in force today. Hogg market would soon be seen as more and more they appeared in the Next time you go to New Market a "white elephant". market proper. Eventually the market take a few minutes off from your The Dharamtolla Bazaar owner was reorganized and food vendors shopping to look around. Compare did not win his case. The government were placed in the section they still the facade and clock tower today with of Bengal hastily passed an act to occupy. its original unencumbered lines; look legalize the LC ions of the Another difference in the 19th cen- for the old original shops made of Corporation. A few years later the tury was that no ads or encroachments fine mahogany and teak. It is a great municipality purchased the were allowed. The facade of the pity, in my opinion, that this historic Dharamtolla market in order to bring market was unencumbered, showing building is under threat of revamping. to an end the continuing competition its fine lines and good brickwork. At the very least its facade and some and friction between the rivals. Within the market stallholders had to of the original shops should be pre- The dire predictions made by the keep their produce within their stalls served to remind us that the New opponents of New Market did not and were not allowed to obstruct the Market became an example for the come true. It became a showpiece for corridors and paths. There was a whole of Asia of an efficient and Calcutta and the pride, eventually, of garden and a fountain where shoppers fascinating municipal market. all its citizens. Guide books praised it gathered to chat. Begging and pes- as "the greatest of its kind in the East tering were forbidden. On the other C.F.

CAPITAL December 24. 1979