Bathhouse (caste)

The word "bath" comes from Sanskrit vanidzh ( vanidzhya ) or banij , which translates as "seller" or "merchant" (however, not all trading communities belong to the bathhouse and not all bathhouses are engaged exclusively in commerce) ^{[8] [9]} . In West India, caste is known as vani or vanja . In Bengal, the term “bath” is applied to all money-lenders and money changers, and in other regions of India it is used more limitedly, only with reference to representatives of certain castes and communities ^[1] .

Casta Banya is mentioned in many chronicles in the Persian language that describe northern India of the 13th - 18th centuries. For example, the Gujarati sofa Ali Muhammad Khan Bahadur described the bath (bania) among the high castes in the social hierarchy of North India in the second half of the 18th century ^[10] . The universal term "bath" was used to refer to all trading castes in Northern India and was identified with the Arabic "baccal" ("merchant"). In the hierarchy of high and medium castes, baths went immediately after the Rajputs and before the Kayasthas (scribes, employees of the administrative-tax apparatus). Their influence was based on their proximity to numerous sultans, Nawabs and Maharajas ^[11] .

Throughout the Middle Ages (from the Gurdjar-Pratihara dynasty to the formation of the Mughal empire ) and the New Age, the process of formation and fragmentation of trading castes took place in North India. For example, in the 15th century, Bhatis were listed as farmers, and already in the 18th-19th centuries they became known as the influential trading caste of the Punjab. The writings of Ali Muhammad Khan Bahadur often mention loan sharks and merchants from Marwar , who took on the hell of collecting land taxes in Gujarat. Already in the XIX century, they took shape in a special caste of marvari, which specialized in trade, lending and money exchange ^[11] .

Depending on their well-being and social status, trading castes were distributed on a hierarchical ladder: Marvari financiers were at the top, and Dhusar merchants were considered one of the lower castes. Property and social inequalities within the bathhouse or individual podcasts often led to the formation of new castes and podcasts. For example, in the Gujarat Sultanate, bohr merchants were considered heretics. In the second half of the XVI century, they were divided into Sunnis and Shiites , in fact becoming separate ethno-caste communities. Sunnis considered Shiites “infidels” and forbade marital unions with them ^[12] .

The sharp contradictions between bohra resulted in the bloody events in Ahmedabad in the 1730s. Maharaja Abhi Singh placed the head of the Sunnis at the head of the entire Bohra community, but the Shiites killed him. Then Maharaja imposed a large fine on Shiites, which forced all wealthy Shiites from among the Shiites to scatter around the world ^[13] . Until now, the Ismaili Bohra communities are found among the Indians of Mauritius, Reunion, Comoros, Madagascar, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya.

Since ancient times, in Rajasthan there were traditions of intermediary trade and usury, which were practiced by the representatives of the Marwari Banya (Bhanya) caste. In the British period, the Marvars switched to comprador activities, acting as intermediaries in the supply of goods from the interior of the country to Bombay and Calcutta . The interests of the marvari encompassed all of Northern, Western and Eastern India: in almost every city their trading houses, money-changing offices, and moneylenders and buying-up offices worked ^{[14] [15]} . Particularly large communities of Marwar merchants formed in Madhya Pradesh , Uttar Pradesh , Haryana and Himachal Pradesh ^[16] .

Having made a fortune on comprador activity, having adopted the Western methods of management and technology from the British, many Marvars went into their own business. However, despite the fact that Marvari’s sphere of interests covered all of India, they did not create significant enterprises in Rajasthan itself. Marwari entrepreneurs include the richest families in India: Birla , Dalmia, Singhaniya, Ruiya, Poddar, Sahu Jain, Morarka, Bangur, Jaipuria, Badzhaj, Goenka and others ^[17] .

In Rajasthan, the baths belong to the middle castes, second only to the brahmanas and rajputs in the social hierarchy. Most bath houses live in cities, doing business. In the villages, the bath houses own land, shops and usurious offices. Banya do not enter into an unspoken struggle with the Rajputs and Brahmins for supremacy in the countryside, preferring to assert their influence through wealth ^[18] . In Rajasthan, marwari are divided into several trading podcasts that are part of the banya community - mahajan, mahavar, saravagi, porval (porvad), shrimal, agraval (agarwala), oval, maheshwari, sunga (sunla), lohia, khandelval, vijayvargil, humar, pal other. Many podcasts have influential lobbying organizations such as Maheshwari Sabha (Maheshwari Banya Association) and Agrawal Samaj (Agrawal Banya Association), which are supported by state political parties during regional and Indian elections ^{[19] [20]} .

The main part of the Marwari baths is Hindu, but a significant part belongs to the Jains ^[21] . Since ancient times, Marwari, including Marwari Jains (moneylenders, merchants, caravan owners), financed the construction of palaces and temples, as well as patronized the arts ^[22] . Mahavar podcast members are influential in Alwar and Jaipur ; they profess Krishnaism , vegans and do not drink alcohol. In Southern Rajasthan ( Pali and Sirohi districts), the podcast porval is influential, among which there are many Jains; in Jalor County, the Shrimal podcast; in Sikar , Nagaur, and Jodhpur counties - Maheshwari podcast.

The podcast of the sung originates from the brahmanas who crossed into the varna of the vaisyas . Sunga speak Marwari , they are influential in Jalore , Sirohi , Pali , Jodhpur and Bikaner . Most sungs are engaged in trade, but some are also engaged in agriculture ^[23] . The podcast khandelwal is influential in Sikar , Alwar , Jaipur and Ajmer . She is divided into 72 gotra , each of whom worships her own mother goddess ( kuladevi ) ^{[24] [25]} . In Jaipur , a business group of the Morarka family (food and beverage) is based.

The podcast Vijayvargiya (Vijayvergy or Vijay) originated in northeastern Rajasthan, from where it spread to Gujarat , Maharashtra , Haryana , Delhi , Madhya Pradesh , Jharkhand , West Bengal , Telingan , Karnataka and Tamil Nadu . Vijayvargia merchants are influential in Sikar , Jaipur , Bharatpur , Tonka , Ajmer , Bhilwar , Kota , Chittorgarh , Udaipur , Jodhpur and Bikaner . In Rajasthan and beyond, the members of Vijayvargiya most often marry people from their close podcasts Maheshwari and Khandelwal. Like khandelwal, vijayvargiya is divided into 72 gotra. Most caste members are Vishnuites, but followers of Shaivism are also found ^{[26] [27]} .

Until the beginning of the 20th century, three Marwari trade and financial dynasties, known as the Great Ganeriwala Firm, Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas and Great Sevaram Ramrikhdas, dominated Rajasthan. The ancestors of many modern Indian corporations began their careers in these family firms, including the founders of such powerful dynasties as Mittal , Birla , Goenka and Singhaniya ^{[28] [29] [30]} .

In the 19th century, the influential Marwarian family of Ganerival took off, who founded one of the largest banking dynasties of India (known as The Great Ganeriwala Firm ). More than 20 branches of the Ganerival family provided lending, insurance, and currency exchange services throughout the country. In one of these branches in Ajmer, Shobharam Birla, one of the founders of the famous Birla dynasty, worked as an accountant. In addition to entrepreneurship, the members of the Ganerival family became famous thanks to the construction of numerous Hindu temples, luxurious havelis and schools in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Hyderabad. Ganerivala were also treasurers and bankers of the Nizam of Hyderabad , including the wealthiest Asaf Jah VII , and agents of British oil, shipping and tea companies ^{[31] [32] [33] [34]} .

Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas Trading House was founded at the end of the 18th century and flourished until the middle of the 20th century. Many representatives of the marvari from the Shekhavati region passed through the company, who then entered the pan-Indian arena. In the second half of the 19th century, the company's offices worked in Calcutta, Bombay, Amritsar and the cities of Malva . Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas was rivaled by another Marwari house, Great Sevaram Ramrikhdas, with offices in Kanpur , Mirzapur , Farrukhabad and Calcutta ^{[29] [35]} .

The founder of Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas, Bugoti Ram, was the treasurer of the Navab of Fatehpur (present-day Sikar district ), and his family historically acted as bankers of the princely families of Jaipur , Bikaner and Hyderabad ^[36] . The son of Bugoti Rama opened the company’s offices in Bhatind , Amritsar and Hisar , and his grandson Tarachand engaged in the opium trade ^[37] . Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas and Great Sevaram Ramrikhdas initially traded in wool and fabrics, but at the beginning of the 19th century they opened offices in Malva and began to supply opium to Calcutta. Especially opium trade increased after the First and Second Opium Wars , when the Marwar established supply of goods from Calcutta to Hong Kong ^[38] . From the 1860s to 1914, Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas was the largest company among Marvari firms and successfully competed with British companies. Offices of Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas took deposits, issued loans, engaged in money transfers, currency exchange, account management, insurance and wholesale ^{[39] [40]} . Following the dissolution of Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas, the heirs of the Poddar Neotia family founded a number of successful companies in India, the USA and Europe, including the Ambuja Cements Corporation in Mumbai and the Ambuja Neotia Group in Calcutta ^{[41] [42] [43]} .

From ancient times, Gujarati baths (Vanya) were engaged in caravan trade, money exchange and usury. During the British period, many Gujarati baths moved from the backward and fragmented Gujarat to Bombay , Madhya Pradesh , Uttar Pradesh or the countries of East and South Africa (to Kenya , Tanzania , Mauritius and Reunion , to South Africa ) ^[44] . As of the 1950s, the bathhouse along with the Brahmins and Patidars (the highest caste of landowners) made up the majority of students and state officials ^[45] .

In Saurashtra , Nimar ( Barvani , Burhanpur , Khargon , Khandva districts ) and Bundelkhande, the podcast porval (porvad) is influential, among which there are many Jains. In Ahmedabad and Surat , as well as in the districts of Nimuch , Mandsaur , Ratlam , Indore , Guna , Gwalior and Bhopal, the trading podcast vijayvargiya is influential. In Sagar , Tikamgarh , Chkhatarpur , Damokh , Jabalpur and Chindwar, the Asati trading podcast is influential, with many Jains among them. In Bundelkhand, a gahas trading podcast is active.

In the coastal cities of Gujarat, the podcasts of the ghanchi and the modh are influential (many ghanchi families emigrated to the United States, Canada, and Australia). Mahatma Gandhi ^[46] and Narendra Modi ^{[47] [48] [49]} left the family of relatives of the podcast modh ghanchi and modh bath. The financial and commercial podcast of Khadayat is also very influential in Gujarat. The largest Khadayat communities are in Ahmedabad , Khed , Gandinagar and Vadodara . Funds of rich Khadayats contain funds that help caste members with education, treatment, housing and opening their own business. Members of Sony podcasts are engaged in jewelry and jewelry trade, speak the Gujarati dialect, many belong to the Svaminarayan sect. Different Sony clans have their own associations, for example, Patni Soni Mandal or Shrimali Soni Mandal ^[50] .

A special category is made up of Muslim trading castes of memans, Bohra and Hodge, which appeared as a result of the adoption by the Gujarati bath of Islam. Memans (memos or mehmans) are Sunnis , Bohra are Mustalites , and Khoja are Nizari . Representatives of the podcasts of the memcha-katchi take a higher position and do not marry with the Halai memans. Many bohra and memcha-katchi don’t take food from the hands of the “untouchables” and don’t carry things made by them. Even in the first half of the 20th century, the Katsch and Hodge memans in matters of inheritance did not use fiqh , but the customary law of the Lohan trade caste ^[51] .

The Khalai meminas are led by Jamaats and caste foundations who have mukhas, who, however, do not interfere in religious matters that are the responsibility of the sheikhs and feasts . The Khuja institute also preserved the institution of mukhi, but their heads of communities entered the hierarchy of Nizari ^[52] .

In the Bombay presidency, bohra, hodge and memans occupied a prominent place among businessmen, especially in Bombay , Ahmedabad and Karachi . They began in the 18th century as intermediaries between the British and the local population, in the 19th century many influential bankers, merchants, contractors, shipowners and shipbuilders emerged from their midst. In addition, during the British period, trade communities of Bohra, Hodge and Meman were formed in Aden , East Africa, Burma, Malaysia and Singapore ^[53] .

In the second half of the 19th century, large trading companies of Hodge Dharamsi, Khabibbhoev, Karimbkhoev, Sevji and Lallji, Bohra Tayyabji and Adamji, Siddik memans grew in Bombay. For example, Dharamsi owned India's largest textile mills, trading houses, and land in Bombay. In East Africa, the companies of Khoja Topanov, Lilani, Vishramov and Bohra Jivanji flourished, and in Rangoon , companies of Bohra Husseinov ^[54] .

By the end of the 19th century, strong groups of the big bourgeoisie formed among Bohr, Khoja and Memans. Moreover, among them there were many small traders, and company employees, and a significant stratum of lawyers, doctors, and officials ^[55] . Between the two world wars in Western India, large monopolies arose, led by the Khoja Karimbkhoi, Chinoi, Dossani, Rakhimtulla and Fazalbkhoi, and Adamji memans. Over 20,000 people worked on the Jivanji plantations in East Africa in the 1930s. After the partition of British India, many Bohras, Hodges and Memans fled from Bombay and Gujarat to Pakistan , where they took a dominant role in the economy of the young country ^[56] .

In northwestern Uttar Pradesh and northeast Haryana, the podcast ghat banya is influential. Its members speak Hariani , profess Vishnuism , and are primarily engaged in intermediary trade and usury. The main centers of ghat banya are Saharanpur , Muzaffarnagar , Shamli and Merath in Uttar Pradesh, Yamunanagar , Ambala and Kurukshetra in Haryana ^[57] .

In the districts of Farrukhabad , Hardoy , Sitapur , Shahjahanpur , Pilibhit and Lakhimpur-Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, the influential podcast Sunvani from the Banya community is influential. Representatives of this caste speak Avadhi and Hindi, are engaged in trade (a small number of Sunwani are landowners) and are named after Gupta ^[58] . In Mathura and Revari, the Marwari podcast of the Mahavar is influential.

In the central and eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh, the influential podcast lobster (Umar) from the Banya community is influential. Its representatives are engaged in trade in Kanpur , Lucknow , Fayzabad , Gorakhpur , Pratapgarh , Allahabad and Varanasi , as well as in Shahjahanpur . According to the lobster, they came from Ayodhya , then settled throughout Avadha , from where they migrated to the cities of Bihara , Jharkhand , Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (especially to the Vidarbha region ). Caste members are named Omar, Umar, or Gupta. The bulk are representatives of the petty and middle bourgeoisie (owners of shops and shops), but there are also representatives of the upper class. Caste is divided into three branches - til lobster, der lobster and dusra ^[59] .

Also in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh is the influential trading caste of Roniur (Roniar or Ronior) from the Banya community. The largest number of Roniurov is concentrated in the Maharajganj district, some groups are located in Gorakhpur , Varanasi , Mirzapur and Lucknow . Caste members speak Avadhi among themselves, bear the names of Gupta or Roniar. Caste is divided into three territorial subgroups (purbia, pannach and Bail Kuchnaha), which in turn are divided into exogamous clans. Many roniuri own small shops in the villages, the prosperous part owns land ( jagirdaras ), and is engaged in the resale of rice and legumes ^[60] .

Casta agrawal (agraval, agarwal, agarwala, aggarwal) originated in antiquity on the territory of the modern Hisar district in Haryana, and then spread to Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. At Akbar’s court, Jain and Hindu agravalists held prominent posts in the financial sector, in particular, led the Mint in Agra and the Treasury. During the Mughal Empire and British rule, many agrarians migrated to Bihar and Calcutta , where they became the main component of the Marwari baths. Many merchants and money-lenders came out of the agraval, and in modern India they were large businessmen and bankers ^{[61] [62] [63]} .

In Kanpur and Delhi , an influential financial and trade group is based, owned by the Marhanian bathhouse Singhaniya family. The group was founded by businessman Lala Kampalat Singhaniya (1884-1937), who was succeeded by his sons. Starting in the 1920s, Singhania invested in cotton, wool, jute, sugar, paper and dairy enterprises, and after 1947, in machine-building and chemical plants. In the 1970s, Singhania led the largest industrial group in Uttar Pradesh ^[64] . Today, over 40 thousand employees are employed in the JK Organization of the Singhania family, the group includes companies producing tires, paper, cement, automotive components, electronics, dairy products, as well as those working in the field of insurance, energy, biotechnology, medicine and education ^{[65 ]} .

In Delhi, the headquarters of the CK Birla Group of the Birla family are located (production of consumer electronics, bearings, automotive components, paper, building materials and cement, software, a network of electrical stores, medicine and research) ^[66] , the Dalmia Bharat Group of the Dalmia family ( production of cement, refractory materials, sugar, energy and tourism) ^[67] and the S. Chand Group of the Gupta family (publishing). The Shyam Group of the Gupta and Agrahari families is based in Allahabad (production of dairy products, seasonings and tobacco products, hotel and warehouse business, residential real estate) ^[68] . The headquarters of the Vardhman Group of the Oswal family are located in Ludhiana (production of textiles, chemical fibers, automotive components and steel).

In Delhi, Faridabad and Chandigarh, the trading podcast vijayvargiya is influential; in the Revari district and the cities of Uttar Pradesh, the trade podcast Dosar (Dhusar) is influential; in Delhi and the surrounding districts of Uttar Pradesh, the dhromer trading podcast is active; In Lalitpur , the Asati trading podcast is influential, with many Jains among them; In Jhansi and Lalitpur, a gahi trading and landowning podcast is active. In Varanasi and the surrounding districts, the Halvai podcast is influential, with members specializing in sweets trading. In addition, there is a Muslim halwai podcast in Bareli , Kannauja , Allahabad , Fayzabad and Delhi ^{[69] [70]} .

Mathura , Vrindavan and surrounding counties are the historical homeland of the Mahuri trading podcasts. During the Mughal period, many Mahuris migrated from Mathura to Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal, and in the 20th century to Delhi, Calcutta and Bombay. Podcast members worship Shakti and the patron goddesses of their clans, of which there are 14. In Delhi, Meratha and the surrounding districts, the Rastoji trading podcast is influential, whose members are divided into 84 exogamous clans and bear the names of Rastoji, Rustaji, Rohatji. Large rastoj communities are found in the USA and Canada ^{[71] [72] [73]} . The Shah (Sah) trading podcast is influential in Kumaon ( Almora , Ranikhet , Nainital , Bageshwar , Pithoragarh ), as well as in Badown , Allahabad and Bihar. Some shah podcast clans are descended from the Rajput clans Chauhan and Parmar ^[74] .

Торгово-ростовщическая подкаста унай саху (уная или унава) происходит из округа Уннао и влиятельна в Рай-Барели , Барабанки , Файзабаде и Гонде . Члены касты говорят на авадхи и занимаются преимущественно финансовыми операциями.

В Непале , в долине Катманду среди неварцев влиятельна торговая каста банья, входящая в сообщество урай. Неварские банья говорят на неварском языке и принадлежат к буддийскому течению ваджраяна . Традиционно банья занимаются продажей лечебных трав, лекарственных средств и различного сырья для аюрведы , неварской и тибетской народной медицины ^[75] .

В Катманду банья населяют районы Итум-Бахал, Банья-Чука и Джана-Бахал, где сконцентрированы их магазины лечебных трав и храмы ^{[76] [77]} . Среди банья распространена религиозная музыка Гунла-баджан. Они принимают активное участие в крупнейшем буддийском празднике неварцев Самьяк, который каждые 12 лет проводят в Катманду. Во время праздника каждой касте сообщества урай определена особая обязанность: банья готовят безалкогольный напиток сакхати ^[78] .

В городах Сиван , Гопалгандж , Чхапра , Патна , Джамуи, Сахибгандж , Деогарх и Ранчи влиятельна торговая подкаста омар (умар) из сообщества банья. Члены касты владеют магазинами, компаниями, занятыми в декорировании и организации праздников, многие омары работают в государственных органах ^[59] .

В округах Западный Чампаран , Восточный Чампаран , Саран , Музаффарпур , Патна , Гая , Навада , Мунгер , Бхагалпур влиятельна торговая каста рониур (ронияр, рониор или намнихар) из сообщества банья. В Западном Бихаре рониуры говорят на бходжпури , в Восточном Бихаре — на майтхили . Члены касты носят фамилии Сах, Саху, Гупта и Кесри, в семейной жизни они строго эндогамные, но в кланах практикуется экзогамия . Сельские рониуры владеют участками земли и небольшими магазинами, городские занимаются ростовщичеством и торговлей зерном ^[79] . Также в Бихаре влиятельна подкаста магахи саху, члены которой занимаются кредитованием, обменом и переводом денег, торговлей маслом и носят фамилии Саху, Сао или Сах. В южных округах Гая и Наланда влиятельна торговая подкаста махури.

В Чхаттисгархе , особенно в округе Райгарх , влиятельна торговая подкаста аграхари ^[80] . В Сасараме , Гае и Саране имеется подкаста аграхари, члены которой исповедуют сикхизм ^[81] .

Ещё в британский период, воспользовавшись слабостью бенгальской буржуазии, господствующее положение в Калькутте занял марварийский капитал во главе с группой Бирла. Торговые дома банья заняли ведущие позиции в джутовой, чайной и пищевой промышленности, а в годы независимости (после 1947 года) стали активно инвестировать средства в машиностроение и химическую промышленность. Однако, значительную часть прибылей марвари выводили за пределы Западной Бенгалии. Во второй половине 1960-х годов в Калькутте проходили массовые выступления, имевшие резко антимарварийский характер ^[82] .

В Калькутте расположены штаб-квартиры Birla Corporation или MP Birla Group семьи Бирла (производство цемента, кабеля, джутовых изделий и пищевых добавок, медицина и образование) ^[83] , Hindustan Motors семьи Бирла (производство автомобилей), Limtex Group семьи Поддар (производство чая и печенья, сельское хозяйство, информационные технологии, страхование) ^[84] , SK Bajoria Group семьи Баджория (производство огнеупорных материалов и технической керамики, страхование) ^[85] , Ambuja Neotia Group семьи Неотия (строительство, недвижимость, гостиничный бизнес, образование) ^[86] .

В Калькутте влиятельны торговые подкасты виджайваргия и аграхари. Кроме того, имеется группа аграхари, исповедующая сикхизм (они говорят на хинди и бенгальском, имеют отдельные гурдвары и не поддерживают отношения с сикхами, говорящими на панджаби ) ^[81] . В Ориссе , как и в соседней Западной Бенгалии, влиятельны марварийские группы Бирла (производство бумаги) и Далмия (производство цемента и огнеупорных материалов) ^[87] . В Ассаме марвари после независимости Индии скупили у британских собственников обширные чайные плантации. Большая часть частного бизнеса Ассама находится под контролем марварийских и гуджаратских банья, что вызывает недовольство местного населения ^[88] .

В британский период в Бомбее и Пуне сложилась самая многочисленная и мощная группировка индийских предпринимателей, среди которых доминировали представители гуджаратских и марварийских банья ^[89] . Среди выходцев из Марвара и Гуджарата были как индуисты, так и джайны.

В 1947 году Бомбейское президентство было преобразовано в штат Бомбей , в котором могущественные группы марварийских и гуджаратских банья продолжали играть ведущую роль в экономике и политике. Они выступали против дробления штатов по лингвистическому принципу и даже предлагали выделить свою вотчину Бомбей в качестве самостоятельной административной единицы. Однако в 1960 году под давлением более многочисленных маратхов штат Бомбей был разделён на Махараштру и Гуджарат ^[64] .

В Мумбае базируются многочисленные корпорации, принадлежащие марварийским и гуджаратским банья, в том числе:

• Aditya Birla Group семьи Бирла (производство алюминия, цемента, технического углерода, удобрений, химических волокон, текстиля, одежды, телекоммуникации, финансовые услуги, страхование, сети продуктовых супермаркетов и магазинов модной одежды) ^[90] .
• Bajaj Group семьи Баджадж (производство мопедов, мотоциклов, автомобилей, подъёмного и электротехнического оборудования, вентиляторов, стали, косметики, сахара, добыча угля, энергетика, недвижимость, финансовые услуги, страхование и туризм) ^{[91] [92]} .
• Welspun Group семьи Гоэнка (производство стали, труб, домашнего текстиля, энергетика, сеть магазинов бытовых товаров) ^[93] .
• RPG Group семьи Гоэнка (производство шин, электротехнического оборудования, лекарств, информационные технологии, сельское хозяйство) ^[94] .
• Raymond Group семьи Сингхания (производство тканей, одежды, косметики, сеть магазинов одежды, авиаперевозки) ^[95] .
• Lupin семьи Гупта (фармацевтика) ^[96] .
• Ambuja Cements семей Неотия и Поддар (производство цемента) ^[97] .
• The Times Group семьи Саху Джайн (издание газет и журналов, телерадиовещание, производство фильмов, интернет-бизнес).
• Motilal Oswal Group семьи Осваль (финансовые услуги) ^[98] .

В Бхандаре и других округах региона Видарбха влиятельна торговая подкаста омар (умар) сообщества банья. В Мумбаи, Пуне и Нагпуре влиятельна торговая подкаста виджайваргия. В Гондия , Бхандаре и Нагпуре влиятельна торговая подкаста асати, члены которой исповедуют вишнуизм. В Мумбаи сконцентрированы члены гуджаратской подкасты кхадаята, которые в 1912 году основали организацию Khadayata Samaj.

В Кашмирской долине влиятельна подкаста кесарвани (кешервани или кесри-банья), члены которой издревле специализировались на торговле шафраном . В Средневековье многие кесарвани мигрировали в Уттар-Прадеш, Бихар и Мадхья-Прадеш ^[99] .

• Сдасюк Г. Штаты Индии. — Москва: Мысль, 1981. — 368 с.
• Гусева Н. Раджастханцы: народ и проблемы. — Москва: Наука, 1989. — 230 с. — ISBN 5-02-016499-2 .
• Котовский Г. (редактор). Касты в Индии. — Москва: Наука, 1965.