Growth of Calcutta's Business District Meera Guha

This article examines briefly the historical developments leading to the displacement of the Bengali popula­ tion from large commercial enterprise in Calcutta by trading castes from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat and the spatial changes which have followed this. THE chief commercial concentra- day halt' of Jub Charnock, and later la-Beniatola was composed chielty of tion of Calcutta Is located in an developed into the city of Calcutta. the trading and artisan castes of Su- area lying along the Hoogly River, It was around this nucleus that the barnabanik (banker), Candhabanik covering wards 17, 19, 24 and 26. In central commercial functions of the (spice merchant), and Tantubanik the immediate neighbourhood, where city evolved. In the north lay the old (weaver), who followed their tradi­ commercial functions are also present village site of Sutanuti, later known tional hereditary callings. Most of to a lesser degree, the density of po­ as Hatkhola and Bcniatola (ward 17); these people had migrated from Hoogh- pulation rises as high as 761 (ward while to the south were Jorabagan- ly, in the north, to Calcutta, in the 25) and 586 (ward 20) per acre. Pathuriaghata (ward 19 and 24), and 18th century. This was when, because The tradition in the region which has Burrabazar (ward 26). At the time of of silting in the river, Saraswati the always been one of trade and com­ Plassey in 1757, Jorabagan-Pathuria- famous port of Saptagram was on the merce has attracted various communi­ ghata lay between the villages of Su­ decline, and the new centre at Suta­ ties of differing origins and composi­ tanuti in the north, and Kalikata to nuti offered fresh opportunities of tion. The geographical character of the south. The latter was the site of trade and commerce under British the area formed one of the bases of the English settlement, which lay to patronage. this tradition In a marshy deltaic the south and west of the Dalhousie Southwards, in Jorabagan, Pathuria- setting, the high levee hanks of the square of present times. There was a ghata and Burrabazar, the original re­ river formed the site of several vil­ bazaar north of Kalikata, known as sident population was defined in se­ lages, while the river itself provided Burabazar (Bura is said to be the pet parate wards belonging to castes like an easy means of communication. name of Siva). The old name of Pa- Kayastha (scribe), Brahman (priest), Some of these villages were religious thuriaghata came from a jetty or Suri (distiller), Subarnabanik and centres or centres of Brahmanical wharf (ghaut), where building stones Tanlubanik. Several of them are said learning, while some were centres of and fodder for draught-horses were to have been residenls of the village trade or of manufacture by artisan unloaded. Originally residential in of Govindapore, from where they were castes. Upon one portion of this levee, character, these together were known displaced during the construction of Sutanuti, a reputed cotton yarn mar­ as the 'native quarter' in the 18th Port William in 1757, and were given ket of the 17th century was located. century. compensatory land by the Companv to This place became the famous 'mid­ The resident population in Haikhu- the north of the English settlement.

THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY November 13, 1965 Several members of these groups be­ in Calcutta emerged as a new class enterprise was left open to a new gan to participate in commercial acti­ altogether. Such were Butto Kristo group which gradually moved in. vities with the East India Company, Paul (Gandhabanik), Brindaban Chan­ These were the trading castes from as agents or 'banians'. dra Basak (Tantubanik), Baisnav Cha- Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. By the 18th century, fresh nisturi- ran Sett. (Tantubanik), Sovaram Basak This transfer received further incen­ cal developments took place which led (Tantubanik), Lakshmikanta Dhar (Su- tive by the construction of railways, to a number of significant social cnan- barnabanik), Ramlochan Ghosh (Kay- when the north-western provinces of ges. Revenue collection in Bengal astha), Darpanarayan Tagore (Brah­ India were brought within the trading under the Mughals was made through man), who were residents of the area range of Calcutta. To-day the non- indigenous zemindars in charge of spe­ under discussion. Bengali population is a dominant group cified districts. When the East India The Bengali landlords, once divert­ in the economic life of Calcutta. Company came into power in the 18th ed from trade, began to seek oppor­ Spatial changes also have been ini­ century, proprietory rights were given tunities in other avenues of occupa­ tiated by this replacement. The new to these zemindars by the Permanent tion: They had already taken readily commercial groups who have concen­ Settlement Act of 1793, and the reve­ to western education by the beginning trated in the Burrabazar area are nue demands of the landlords' assets of the 19th century, and their fami­ gradually spreading out in a distinct were fixed in perpetuity. But in order liarity with the English language made pattern all over the city. Whenever to ensure immediate payment, the it easy for them to move into the old localities are redeveloped, the rich Sunset law was adopted. By this, the services in European mercantile firms non-Bengali businessmen purchase land lands of the estates were sold to meet as well as under the administration. along the new traffic arteries and build arrears if the revenues were unpaid by Many families consequently left the many storeyed structures. The original sunset on a fixed date, the 30th of field of commerce to which their resident Bengali families are moving Asvina of the Bengali year. Several of grandfathers had been attracted. This out to give place to the new settlers; the old zemindar families became de­ change took place more rapidly among so much so, that, as in the case of the faulters through the operation of this the Kayastha and Brahman families. central business district, only a small law, and the new citizens of Calcutta, For we find that among the other fraction of the original core remains, already engaged in trade, began to castes, the Subarnabaniks have till to­ maintaining an oyster-like existence. buy up these estates when they were day, maintained their original banking In consequence, to-day, Burrabazar is offered for salo. Moreover, ar the occupation besides making new invest­ populated mainly by non-Bengali bu­ peace under British rule helped in the ments in shipping, textiles, jute and sinessmen from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh extension of agriculture, hitherto neg­ coal industries. Only a very small frac­ and Rajasthan. Jorabagan-Pathuria- lected in an unsettled atmosphere tion of these caste groups has moved ghata, lying between this area and the investment in zemindari became a into the bureaucratic and learned pro­ northern Bengali locality of Hatkbola- highly profitable enterprise. Thus the fessions. Beniatola, has a mixed population of group of absentee landlords resident Thus the field of large commercial both Bengali and non-Bengali popula- November 13, 1965 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY tion. Thus certain social peculiarities livelihood or free schools run by the are: Marwari Relief Society, Mahesh- are noticeable in the region described Calcutta Corporation, wari Sava, Sri Kashi Visvanath Sami- above. Here, in spite of the predomin­ The changing spatial forms have re­ ti, Svetambar Tarapanthi Sava, Pun­ ance of commercial activity, the differ­ sulted in a state of fluidity, so that jabi Seva Samiti, Gujarati Seva Samaj. ent communities maintain discrete con­ social integration is feeble with relax­ On the other hand, a different set of centrations. They are apparently mark­ ed social responsibilities. In many organizations cuts through these inter- ed off from one another by differences cases, where old recreation clubs, run communal differences. They are a of language, dress, living habits and by Bengalis, existed, they are now number of trades associations like the occupations. practically defunct. Similarly, social Federation of Mercantile Employees There has also been an invasion of service organizations do not function Union, Bengal Bank Association, India commercial functions in a once predo­ properly. The only exceptions in this Bank Employees Association and so minantly residential area. Occasionally connection are those non-Bengali com­ on. But these have countrywide affi­ abandoned palatial residences have munity organizations which function for liations. It seems, therefore, that the been converted into ware-houses. This the benefit of their caste groups social scene is characterized by an un- is greatly in evidence on the northern spread over the whole of Calcutta. integrated group of distinctive com­ fringes of Jorabagan and in Beniatola. Such institutions are well organized munities, whose ties arc extremely The market functions of Burrabazar and are founded in Trusts. Examples temporary. have extended along the Hooghly bank on its inner side, and also eastwards. This is of wholesale trade in non-pe­ rishable foodstuffs and other commo­ dities. Consequently, heavy motor tra­ ffic has encroached upon the area, giving rise to car-repairing and motor ancillary trades. The wholesale com­ merce of Burrabazar has also brought in a floating population of coolie la­ bour, which finds refuge on the pave­ ments every night, while a few rooms in bustees are collectively rented by them for storage of personal belong­ ings. The river front is in addition lined with timber depots. There has been a decline of resi­ dences in those localities where the ad­ vancing commercial functions make demands upon space. Prosperous resi­ dences as a result are being replaced by others of a poorer quality, while land values have arisen tremendously. The table on page 1695 bears out some of these features of change be­ tween the years 1911 and 1961. We find that although there has been an increase in total land use, in the nucleus of wards 26, 37 and 39, the increase of commercial functions is considerably larger than that of re­ sidential ones. Thus it is possible to define a zonal arrangement of func­ tions lying around the core of Bur­ rabazar. The latter is extending out­ wards into a zone which now forms the transition between advancing com­ merce and retreating residence. Still farther away is an area which is still mainly residential in character. What is more striking is the almost total absence of those functions which are associated with residence, namely educational amenities, clubs and pub­ lic parks. This is also substantiated by a study of the voluntary communal in­ stitutions of the area. Interest in high­ er education is lacking among the re­ sidential commercial population. Ex­ cept for one or two schools which ca­ ter to pupils from outside the region, all the schools are primary, either run by schoolmasters mainly as a means of