Kutch

KUTCH IN 1800'S

A detailed history of Kutch was recorded by a British colonial official in 1880 and provides a vivid picture of the economic and social circumstances during the early period of the Khojas migration from Kutch to Bombay as well as the Persian Gulf and Eastern Africa.(He uses the old English spelling for Kutch.) Most of the quotes below are from the report in Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Volume V: Cutch,Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha. Bombay- Printed at Government Central Press,1880. The page reference is to a Kindle Reader e-copy version, extracted by myself in January 2024.

Iqbal I.Dewji

1870'S

It contains an estimated area of 6500 square miles, a population of 487,305 souls, or 74.97 to the square mile, and yields a yearly revenue of about £ 260,000 (Rs. 26,00,000). A belt of land, 160 miles from east to west and from thirty-five to seventy from north to south, Cutch is almost entirely cut off from the continent of India, on the north and east by the Ran, on the south by the gulf of Cutch, and on the west by the Arabian sea and the eastern or Kori mouth of the river Indus.

Lying along the north parallel of the Tropic of Cancer, Cutch is almost beyond the rain-bringing influence of the south-west monsoon. Its rain generally comes against the usual winds in squalls from the north-north-west round by north and east to south. The supply is never large and sometimes fails altogether.

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Except what is found by digging in river-bed sands, the water of Cutch streams is unfit to drink, and during the hot season is too salt even for cattle.

Cutch is a bare country with no forests and few trees.

At the beginning of the century, lions, tigers, and other large game were plentiful in Cutch.

Of the whole number, 369,184 or 75-76 per cent, including 65,873 Shrávaks, were Hindus; 118,063 or 24-22 per cent were Musalmáns ; forty were Pársis; five were Sikhs; and thirteen Christians.

EXCEPT the fortunes made by traders settled in foreign parts, there is not much saving in Cutch.

Men of capital are, among Hindus chiefly Bráhmans, Vániás, Bhátiás, Lohánás, and Gosáis, and among Musalmáns, Khojás, Memans, and Bohorás. They number about 500, of whom about 400 have an estimated capital varying from £ 3000 to £ 5000 (Rs. 30,000 - 50,000); about eighty-five from £ 5000 to £ 30,000 (Rs. 50,000 3,00,000); and about fifteen of more than £ 30,000 (Rs. 3,00,000).

In towns the chief money-lenders are of Hindus, Vániás, Bhátiás, Atits, Bráhmans, and Lohánás, and of Musalmáns, Boborás, Memans, and Khojás. In the villages the chief money-lenders are, of Hindus, Rajputs, Vániás, Lohánás, Bhátiás, and Kanbis, and of Musalmáns, Memans and Khojás.

Either Bhátiás, Lohánás, Vániás, Khojás, or Memans by caste, the talátis are farmers of the petty dues that are levied in every village.

The importers, generally Bhátiás, Vániás, Lohánas, and Khojás are men of capital with agents or branch houses in Bombay and Zanzibár.

KHOJA'S, honourable or worshipful converts, numbering 7253 souls, are found all over Cutch, chiefly on the south coast in Mándvi, Mundra, and Anjár, and have an old and large settlement in Bhuj.

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. Sadr-ud-din, dying at Uchh in the Panjab, some of his descendants settled at Kadi in the Gáikwár's territory, and were named Kadiwáls. One of the Kadiwáls, Ghulam Ali Sháh by name, came in 1792 to Kera in Cutch and being received by the Khojás with much honour settled there. At his shrine a yearly fair is held in August (Chaitra Sud 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.

The only metalled roads in Cutch are thirty-six miles between Bhuj and Mándvi, and ten miles between Anjár and Tuna.

From the uncertainty of the rainfall and from the pushing, vigorous character of the people, there is much more migration in Cutch than in most parts of the Bombay Presidency. The higher class of traders, among Hindus, Bhátiás, Osvál Vániás, and Lohánás, and among Musalmáns, Khojás, Memans, and Bohorás, are always ready to leave their homes in search of employment. Many of them have permanently settled in Bombay. And among the young men, a very large number, both of Hindus and Musalmáns, leavingVtheir families in Cutch go to push their fortunes not only in Bombay and other parts of India, but in Persia, Arabia, Africa, and China.

Many of them amass considerable fortunes and return to spend their gains in jewelry, feasts, house and temple building, and the purchase of land.

Of the different boats used in Cutch, one, the kotia comes ready made from the Malabár coast.

The kotia, from 27 to 40 feet long by 10 to 16 broad, varying from about 28 to 80 tons (80 - 225 khándis) burden, and costing from £ 500 to £ 1650 (Rs. 5000 16,500), has three masts and two sails and a crew of from four to twelve men. The kotia sails to Zanzibár, Maskat, and other ports, and is the chief trading vessel in Cutch.

The ganjo trades to Zanzibár, Maskat, and other ports. The batela, from 42 to 45 feet long by 10 to 18 broad, varying from about 28 to 125 tons (80-350 khándis) burden, and costing from £ 500 to £ 2400 (Rs. 5000 - 24,000) has two masts and three sails, and a crew of from four to twelve men. The batela trades to Zanzibár, Maskat, and other distant ports. The bagala, from 42 to 57 feet long by 16 to 19 feet broad, varying from about 90 to 285 tons (250-800 khándis) burden, and costing from £ 1700 to £ 3800 (Rs. 17,000 - 38,000), has two masts and three sails and a crew of from ten to twenty-four men. The bagala trades to Zanzibár and Maskat, and other distant ports.

According to the returns in 1862, 25,000 left; in 1863, 35,000; in 1864, 23,000; in 1865, 23,750; in 1866, 18,600; in 1867, 20,267; in 1868, 20,000; in 1870, 15,000; and in 1875, 50,000,

Simple in their habits their food is, among the poor, for the morning meal, millet or Indian millet cakes with pulse and whey, and, in the evening mixed millet and pulse, khichdo. The rich use mixed rice and pulse, khichdi, and add clarified butter and vegetables. Their holiday food is sweetmeats among all classes, and animal food among all but Bráhmans, Vániás, and Bhátiás.

Many drink liquor, and almost all take opium and opium-water, kasumba.

Most men in Cutch, both Hindus and Musalmáns, wear loose trousers, a long-sleeved under-jacket, a short coat reaching a little below the waist, a plain or silk-bordered cloth wound round the waist and falling eight or nine inches below the knees, and over it a waistband, bheth.

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  An Old Map of Kutch.