Mandvi

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The name, Mandvi (also spoken of as Madi or Madai, in Kutchi) allegedly derives from the Kutchi word “mandi” or market and indeed Mandvi has been an important trading port in Kutch coast from its foundation in 1580 until the early 20th century.

During the medieval centuries, it was a well-known port as recorded by Ain-i-Akbari, Mirat-i-Sikandari, Arabic History of Gujarat, and Mirat-i-Ahmadi; while MacMurdo, James Burns etc. speak high of it for nineteenth century.

[1]

During this early period, the Khoja merchants of Mandvi traded and frequently lived in medieval metropolis of Cambay (now Khambhatt), near the present day Bhavnagar, (the famous merchant Khoja Shams-ud-din Gillani was based here and traded with the Portuguese as early as 1535) before Cambay was silted up. Upon the conquest of Surat in 1572, it became the principal port of the Mughal Hindustan and later, when the English East Indian Company set up its trading centre in Surat in 1619, the Khojas were also part of its growing trading community (see Khoja Kurji and the pirate ship The Quedagh Merchant).

In the seventeenth century, Surat was the richest and busiest trading city in India as it was the entrepôt of the whole of Hindustan, absorbing everything that was brought there.[2]

Its early exports were cotton, wool, alum, butter, garlic and black cloth; the imports were grain, groceries, oilman’s stores, cloth, pepper, ivory, iron and brass and copper wares. Besides the local coasting trade, Mandvi had trade connections with Karachi, Bombay, Malabar Coast, and Calcutta and out of India with the Persian Gulf, Aden and Zanzibar.

Mandvi was open to the sea and a choice location for a port.

During the reign of Maharao Godji II (1761-79) the shipyards were constructed along the Rukmavati river then Mandvi became one of the largest center of the wooden vessel building in the Indian Ocean coast.

[3]

The town had square form and was surrounded by a strong well built wall about 26 feet high, 3-4 feet broad, and 2,740 yards round. It was strengthened by 25 bastions, varying in height from 34 to 4 feet, the largest of them at the south-west serving as a light house, showing a small fixed light, of the fourth order, at 83 feet above high water level, visible in all weathers at a distance from 9 to 10 miles. There were three gates and two wickets.

[4]

By 1804, the trade of Arabia, the Persian Gulf and Africa was indeed significantly diverted towards the Gulf of Kachchh.The shift of gravity of trade to Kachchh from Muscat and East Africa seems to be primarily related to the rising importance of Bombay. Arabian export items such as coffee found their way to Bombay, and thence to various other places. Similarly, Bombay was the main conduit for reexport of ivory and pearls to Europe. In bringing the trade goods, again, Mandvi played an important role, with most of the imported commodities being first unloaded there. Being closely linked with Bombay, the Kachchh importers, generally Bhatias, Vanias, Lohanas, and Khojas, were men of capital with agents or branch-houses in Bombay and Zanzibar. They generally resold to small-town and village dealers, chiefly Lohanas and Vanias, who sold either in those places or at fairs (Campbell 1880, 121). Thus, Bombay and Mandvi complemented each other

[5]

For hundreds of years, Mandvi port was also the home of the famed Suvali (Swahili) fleet, which used to sail backand forth to Zanzibar This was fleet used by the business house of Jairam Shivji, which ended up being the custom collectors for the Sultans of Zanzibar for half a century in 1800's. This trade was so important that the family of Ladha Damji, who was the manager of Jiaram Shivji firm ended up adapting Suvali as a family name.

Cutch pilots have always interested Europeans by the skill and daring of their voyages to Arabia and Africa. They (1837) understand the compass, and steer by charts and nautical tables as well kept as those of an Indiaman (Mrs. Postans' Cutch, 12). The best example of their courage and skill was Ráo Godji's (1761-1779) ship, which, built, equipped and manned in Cutch, made the voyage to England and back to the Malabar Coast. (Tod's Western India, 452). 4 Ham. Des. of Hind. I, 588.

[6]

(1818) There were several towns, Mándvi with 50,000 people, with a brisk trade, a fleet of 800 boats of from about 15 to 150 tons (40-400 khándis) burden..

[7]

The Khojas,together with all other residents of Kutch suffred a major earthquake in 1819.

The most disastrous, severer than any that had happened for more than 400 years, began on the 16th June 1819. The first shock was felt at about a quarter to seven in the evening, and lasted for about two minutes. The ground could be seen to move, it was hard to keep standing, and every house was shaken to its centre." Within four hours (11 P.M.) three slight shocks were felt, and on the next day the earth was often in motion with gusts of wind, and a noise as of the rumbling of carriages. This noise went on during the whole night, and after stopping for a few minutes at a quarter to ten, a severe shock, lasting about fifty seconds, brought down a number of shattered buildings. For six weeks there were daily shocks, and, during the next four months, they were felt at intervals, the last on the 20th November. Little has been recorded as to the speed and course of the earthquake wave. The shock seems to have been felt at the same time over the whole of Cutch, and to have travelled north about fifty-three miles a minute. Cutch seems to have been the centre of disturbance. The damage caused by the earthquake was very great. At Bhuj, 7000 houses including the Rao's palace were destroyed, and 1150 persons buried in the ruins; hundreds of houses in Anjár, Mándvi, and Lakhpat were hurled to the ground;...

[8]

The business community recovered including the Khojas as we know that in 1825, Ebrahim Pabaney is recorded story as having his own ships for trading with Zanzibar, Muscat & Bombay before he moved his home and business to Bombay.

About 20 boats sailed every year to Africa.

[9]

It is likely that Taria Topan, the famous East African Khoja merchant, was a stowaway on one of the ships of this fleet when he first arrived in Zanzibar in 1835.

In the first part of the nineteenth century, many of the merchants of Mandvi and Mundra invested in textile export and ivory and pearl import, which marked the strength of their enterprises.

[10]

There were 20 sorts of black cloth distinguished chiefly from the number of threads in the warp. The 12 chief kinds were bisota, bili, ismail, poatah, tanjree, kes, chavari, bujita, panchpati, bohorah, rabavi, sabai and kikuri. Cloth was the chief article; the leading varieties being pankoras, unbleached cotton cloth fromMarwar; kaniki, a coarse Marwar cloth dyed black in Mandvi, barani, a Mandvimade sail cloth; and the grand article of export siakapda, (black cloth) made at Mandvi from English thread and dyed with indigo.

[11]

Further, Kachchh was able to circulate a large number of commodities in the overseas markets such as textile, wool, dry fruits, spices, ropes, sugar, alum, chemical and herbal substances of various sorts, ghee, tobacco, copper iron and lead. In return, it supplied dates, pearls, coconut, ivory and spices, especially cloves and nutmeg, to the local markets of Mandvi, Anjar, Bhuj, and Mundra and to hinterland destinations. However, all these ports were connected in a single maritime milieu where most players still exported the same staples: cotton above all, ghee, butter and a few coarse textiles.

[12])

For instance, nearly all the cotton of the province went through Tuna-Anjar; Mandvi specialized in textiles and ivory, Lakhpat Bandar mainly dealt with ghee and rice, while Mundra’s chief export was cotton-piece goods.

[13]

James Todd, January 1833  ‘fortified, remained prosperous due to sea trade: merchants and traders’.  200 vessels which belonged to kachchhi traders.  Gosains of Mandvi had their trading branches in Pali and Benaras.  It had more than 50 shroffs/bankers that owned big residentialplaces. The yearly revenue from house tax was Rs. 50,000.  Mandvi had trade links as far as Arab and African ports but it was mostly taking place in the Persian Gulf.  Trade towards Arab comprised of cotton in round well pressed bales, coarse cotton cloth, sugar, oil and butter/ghee.  Imports: lead, green, grass, copper, cardamoms, pepper, ginger, bamboos, teakwood, musk, kasturi, ochres, dyes and drugs – Malabar; areca-nut, rice, coconut, dates dry and fresh, silks – Arab and Persiancoast; and spices, rhinoceros hides and ivory – Africa.

[14]

Mandvi was also important port of call with anywhere from 250-400 vessels of all kinds at all times and with arrival of steamers in 1872-73, it became a place of call for a regular line.

In the middle of the eighteenth century, Mandvi shared the cosmopolitanism of Surat. It was a lucrative destination for a multitude of the Indian Ocean merchants mainly from West Asia and Malabar.

[15]

Mandvi role as a major ship-building port for the whole Indian Ocean littoral area grew expotentially during 19th century.

In 1873, 22 vessels of from 17 to 204 tons/50-600 khandis were built. The fleet of Mandvi boats numbered 24 ranging from 17 to 178 tons/ 50-500 khandis. In 1875, 27 have been built; there were 1,358 arrivals and 1,920 departures.

[16]

A British government report records the presence of the Khojas as one of the leading trading groups in Kutch in 1878:

KHOJA'S, honourable or worshipful converts, numbering 7253 souls, are found all over Cutch, chiefly on the south coast in Mándvi. Of middle size, strongly made and of fair complexion, they wear the beard short and the moustache long. They dress like other Cutchis and at home speak Cutchi without any marked peculiarity. They are well off, in no way scrimped for food or clothes. Many are able to meet special expenses, but some are forced to borrow. Thrifty and hardworking they are quiet and orderly. Most of them are traders, but if they seem likely to gain by it they are ready to take up any new calling. Several of them of late, prospering in trade, have, near Bhuj, sunk wells and built rest-houses. 11). Marrying among themselves, the Khojás form a distinct community whose caste disputes are settled by mass meetings. They have lately shewn themselves anxious to give their children more schooling than formerly, and are on the whole a prosperous and rising class.

[17]

Especially when the demand is brisk, the leading craftsmen keep a large staff of workers. They buy what gold and silver they want from Vánia, Bhátia, and Khoja merchants, who bring most of it from Bombay and the rest from Zanzibár.

[18]

Thier traditional philantrophy is noted by another historian.

The buildings of Dhalamshala and Mushfal Khana, the accommodations for passengers of particular castes like Bhatia, Vania, Luhana and Khoja still remain near the new harbor

.[19]

However, the unrelenting 19th century industrialisation in Europe had sever repurcussions for the Mandvi's merchants and shipowners, including the Khojas.

But the emergence of large steam vessels and the development of modern maritime technology caused the change of major shipping routes. Then Mandvi started to decline and Surat and Bombay became the maritime center of west India.

[20]

Siltation and the accumulation of mud near the harbours prevented vessels of larger tonnage from dropping anchor. Consequently, the trading importance of Mandvi and Mundra declined almost simultaneously.

[21]

The Khoja merchants moved on Surat, Bombay and East Africa. Others with farms or distribution businesses and still others with relatives overseas have continiued to live in thier ancestral city.

Iqbal I.Dewji (2024)

Notes & References

  1. EARLY MODERN CITIES UNIT_ 28: Capitalism,Colonialism and Cities in Early Modern India (Indira Gandhi National Open University
  2. Goswamy, Chhaya. Mundra-A Tale of a Walled Port Town Kindle Location 76-77
  3. Shu Yamane, Naoko Fukami, Tomoaki Okamura - Spatial Formation of the Port Cities of Kutch Region, India, Academia.com ebook-Location 81-83
  4. EARLY MODERN CITIES UNIT_28: Capitalism,Colonialism and Cities in Early Modern India (Indira Gandhi National Open University) Kindle Location 372-375
  5. ibid -Goswamy (Ebook Location 85-92
  6. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Volume V: Cutch,Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha. Bombay- Printed at Government Central Press,1880 Location 1045
  7. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Volume V: Cutch,Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha. Bombay- Printed at Government Central Press,1880 Location 4475
  8. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Volume V: Cutch,Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha. Bombay- Printed at Government Central Press,1880 Location 479
  9. EARLY MODERN CITIES UNIT_28: Capitalism,Colonialism and Cities in Early Modern India (Indira Gandhi National Open University) Kindle Location 375-375
  10. EARLY MODERN CITIES UNIT_28: Capitalism,Colonialism and Cities in Early Modern India (Indira Gandhi National Open University) Kindle Location 113-115))
  11. EARLY MODERN CITIES UNIT_28: Capitalism,Colonialism and Cities in Early Modern India (Indira Gandhi National Open University) Kindle Location 378-382
  12. Tale of a Walled Port Town Goswamy, Chhaya (Kindle Location 106-110
  13. ibid Goswamy Kindle Location 1081-184
  14. EARLY MODERN CITIES UNIT_28: Capitalism,Colonialism and Cities in Early Modern India (Indira Gandhi National Open University) Kindle Location 360-36700
  15. Nadri, Ghulam A. Exploring the Gulf of Kachh: Regional Economy and Trade in the Eighteenth Century-Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient Vol. 51, No. 3 (2008), pp. 460-486 (27 pages) Published By: Brill Kindle Location 221-223
  16. EARLY MODERN CITIES UNIT_28: Capitalism,Colonialism and Cities in Early Modern India (Indira Gandhi National Open University) Kindle Location 382-385
  17. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Volume V: Cutch,Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha. Bombay-Printed at Government Central Press,1880. Kindle Location 2565
  18. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Volume V: Cutch,Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha. Bombay-Printed at Government Central Press,1880. Kindle Location Location 3400
  19. Shu Yamane, Naoko Fukami, Tomoaki Okamura - Spatial Formation of the Port Cities of Kutch Region, India, Academia.com Kindle Location 94-95
  20. Shu Yamane, Naoko Fukami, Tomoaki Okamura - Spatial Formation of the Port Cities of Kutch Region, India, Academia.com Kindle Location 87-89
  21. Goswamy, Chhaya. Mundra-A Tale of a Walled Port Town Kindle Location 234-236

This essay and others like it on Khojawiki are written to provide context for the life and migration stories of individual Khoja families. We would like to add more such family histories of those who lived here, so our collective history is more complete. Please Click Here To Add Your Family And More Information To Our History