Gandhiji's hosts- “diasporic” trajectories.

This year marks the 110th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's visit to Mauritius.Gandhiji . In a letter to Dr
K. Hazareesingh,dated 26.5. 1936,he confirmed his visit and mentioned that "I stayed in the the house of
some Muslim friends.'.Gandhiji was referring principally to Ajum Goolam Hossen and Ibrahim Sulleiman
Atchia ,where he stayed.They provided transport and arranged most of his meetings with the local Indian
intelligentsia and indentured population.
Gandhiji was travelling with his wife and three children.He seemed to have landed on 28 October 1901
and booked at the Orient Hotel( Waqf Building,today) on the Port Louis waterfront. News of his arrival
quickly reached the ears of Seth Ajum Goolam Hossen(AGH),the most influential merchant of the Surtee
bazaar.AGH was occupying a large mansion at the corner of Desforges (SSR) and Bourbon Streets.He
was heading the family firm of Ajum Goolam Hossen &Co which had a dense commercial network in the
Indian ocean area.He was trading with South Africa and knew well the South African firm of Dada
Abdoollah&Co, Gandhiji's employer .No doubt, AGH was aware of Gandhiji's legal prowess and concern
for the indentured Indians. This explains his readiness to welcome Gandhiji and his family and to extend
the usual Gujarati conviviality to a fellow countryman.
Gandhiji and his family must have felt quite at home among AGH’s family members .Gandhiji himself was
born of a family of the Modhbania caste of Porbandar,a major commercial sea-port.(Markovits.C
2007)dominated by a bustling merchant class of Muslim Meimons,Jains and Hindus. According to
Bissondoyal .U,the plural experiences of Gandhiji was further enriched by his mother who belonged to
the”Pramani sect,where the priest read both the Gita and the Koran”at religious functions.
Gandhiji’s stay in Mauritius is fairly well documented,especially the party organized for him in the evening
of 13 November 1901 by the Surtee Sunnee Vohra community at the newly acquired Maison Rochecoute
at the Champ de Mars,known as Taher Bagh today,in the midst of some “200 guests”.Not much has been
written on this merchant class as lamented by historians.This brief article will focus on the origin and the
pulsating economic and social life of these Surtee merchants at the dawn of the twentieth century.
Antecedent stage.
This Indian merchant class started during the French period when South Indian merchants were very
active.The early British period saw the economic activities of a very enterprising Parsi merchant by the
name of Ratanjee Bickajee.(Kalla .A.C,1986).It was the onset of the indenture system based on the
importation of Indian labour from 1834 onwards that attracted the grain and other Indian foodstuffs
merchants(Meimon) of Calcutta to Port Louis.By the 1840s,they were joined by merchants from Surat
and its hinterland between the rivers Tapti and Narbada and were known as Souratees or Surtees.They
were mostly textile merchants and as was customary in India they were referred to as Vohras.( cf Jain
Bavangami ).As the port city of Surat was the ‘major port of the Mugal empire’(Das Gupta .A1970) and
the first area of European commercial activities in India,there was a strong merchant class based mostly
on family firms.
The Surtee merchants came from three main areas in the region surrounding Surat.The first migrants
came from the city of Rander,a stone throw down the river from Surat.In 1844,Bahemia started the
business of money changer on Royal Street,Port Louis and later on went into the hardware trade.He was
followed in the 1850s by the family firm of”Peepory”or Piperdy”registered in Mauritius as Goolam
Hossen& Co and later on as Ajum Goolam Hossen & Co.This large firm was involved in wholesale and
retail trade,import and export,shipping and real estate.It had already trading centres in Burma,Singapore
and in the Arabian peninsula and dealt mostly in foodstuffs ,textile and timber.Like all Indian merchants
,the Piperdys were heavily in the real estate business.From Mauritius AGH expanded to
Reunion,Madagascar and South Africa.In1897,the Raderee firm of Ahmed Gulam Mahomed
Ajum,popularly known as Alloo and closely related to the Bahemia,based at Warden Road,Bombay joined
the merchants in Port Louis engaging in the export of sugar to India.These two last named merchants
came with large amount of capital.Earlier in the 1870s, Randerees ,and Suratees like the Toorawa
,Simjee and other families ,who had a capital backup in India, migrated to Port Louis.They were mostly
wholesalers of textile goods.They opened dukans(retail shops) in the rural areas of the north and east.for
example,Mamode Goolam Simjee and Ibrahim Ismail Toorawa formed a ‘societe’ on 6 November 1888 to
operate a dukan in Flacq.(NA !22/60).
The same pattern had been adopted by people from Kathor who started their coming from the late
1840s.The Mamoojees(Kathrada) were the first family to start business and they were followed by the
Timols,Vawdas ,Vayids and others.They opened wholesale and retail trading points in Port Louis
and were active in the opening of dukans in the northern part of the island at Poudre d’Or,Riviere du
Rempart and Piton.As they came from a prosperous and busy textile producing town ,they had capital
and business competencies.Both the Souratees and Khathorians started linkages with the local British
firms to gain access to manufacturing companies in Britain and other countries.They became
wholesalers supplying fellow retailers.
The next big group of Gujarati ‘marchands Arabes” came from the agricultural village of
Barbodhan.,some 10kl from Surat.In 1861, Assenjee Atchia led a group of 8 Barbodhanians consisting of
his son Dawjee,Ibrahim Sulleiman Atchia and other village folks,,such as Moosajee(Gajra),Aria and
others.The Atchias ,who must have come on a reconnoitering trip earlier,started a dukan at Belle Rose on
the main road to Curepipe.They targeted the indentured population of the nearby sugar estates.They
were subsequently joined by the Kalas( Moussa and Ismael ),Nalla,Hossen(Rawat)Jeewas,Rajahs and
others.They were more of the ‘pedlars’type in other words from the main shop people were sent to the
labour camps to sell small goods.The Atchias also encouraged other folks to open dukans in other parts
of the Central Plateau.The Rajahs had a dukan at St Pierre while the Hossens were at Moka.In the late
1870s,Dawjee Atchia moved to Curepipe and Ibrahim Sulleiman started a dukan in Rose Hill.
There were also a large number of individuals ,who were traders,dukan workers,’colporteurs’and clerks
and; came from towns and villages of the Surat hinterland, such as Panoli,Bhodan,Ikleswar and Dhabel.
To complete the list there were two Surtee transnational companies connected with the Indian Ocean
trade network with agents in Mauritius.These agents, namely Aboo Baker.M. Taher representing the
Sulleiman brothers from Rander based at Bombay and Allam for Cassim Mamoojee&Co of
Calcutta.These companies were engaged in shipping ,retail and wholesale trade ,import and export and
real estate.
Gandhiji ‘s hosts by the dawn of the new century had achieved much salience in the economic life of this
colony.Hitie.E writing in the Le Vrai Progres Colonial of 29 October 1901and referring to the Indian
merchant class commented’Have they not now become rich?Without them how are we going to sell our
sugar?( quoted by Thacoor.D ,1979).In a second part ,we shall briefly explored their economic activities
and their social organizations to understand their successes.

Economic and Social aspects.

The economic successes of the Meimons were closely linked to the indenture system; as the merchants
were importing “coolie stores” mainly rice .dholl, spices and oil and were also involved in the conveyance
of indentured labourers .On the other hand,the economic rise of the Surtee merchants and traders was
influenced greatly by the changes taking place in the sugar industry from 1870 onwards.
In the 1860s,Dr E.Icery this”sucrier de genie”(Paturau .M 1988)was able to
produce”white“sugar(plantation white) by chemical processes.Formerly white sugar was obtained by the
mixing of crushed animal bones. The production of plantation white found a ready market in India and
Australia.In 1890,58% of our production(68241tons) went to India and by 1900 almost
68%(109274tons)were shipped to India.The confectionary industry (Halwa) of Bombay depended on
Mauritian sugar.The Surtee merchants were the main buyers of sugar and exporters.The most important
were the AGH,Ajum(Alloo)and the Sulleiman brothers.Alloo was known as king sugar of Maurice.In some
areas of India ,white sugar was known as “Morass”after Maurice(Rajpati.B ).
Most of these merchants were engaged in the shipping business.They invested heavily in the building of
docks in the port,AGH had his private docks and in 1884 formed the India Boat Company.The Sulleiman
brothers, to be known sudsequently as Boatawallas, developed docks and storing sheds in the port of
Bombay.
In the 1870s,the relaxation of duties on imported sugars in Britain ,the competition from beet sugar and
other economic factors brought down the prices of Mauritian sugar.By 1880 ,many sugar estates had to
readjust to the demand of the plantation system to survive(Allen.R 1982 p220).Unefficent and bankrupt
sugar estates were parceled out and sold,The Surtee merchants with liquid capital were thus able to buy
sugar estates land and participated in the Morcellement Mouvement.The firms Sulleiman,AGH and others
bought sugar cane lands on the Central plateau for parcellisation of small plots and sold to ex-indentured
labourers and passenger immigrants.(vide NA134/46).Some dukanwallahs also engaged in this
movement.The Mamoojees of Riviere du Rempart bought from Societe Ile d’Ambre Sugar Estate” 7
arpents et 26 perches”in1890.(NA118/141).Later in 1893,started parceling off in plots of 120 to 200 toises.
(NA118/172).The Atchias ,both Dawjee and Ibrahim,bought smaller parcels of 2 to 3 arpents from Beau
Sejour ,and Trianon Estates for parcellisation.The Surtee merchants formed companies among
themselves , with Meimon merchants or with the local Indian population.AGH,Parack,I.S,andTimol .S.M
associated themselves with Parsad Gujadhur and later with Rajcoomar Gujadhur to acquire land from
Reunion Sugar Estate.(NA146/21).
During this period, Surtee merchants acted as bailleurs de fonds or financial agents.In December
1886,Henry Darne,owner of the sugar estate L’Industrie of Long Mountain area borrowed Rs 30000 from
the firm of Sulleiman of Bombay,represented in Mauritius by A.B.Taher and A.M .Ahmud ‘pour l’aider a
faire la coupe de cannes’.Darne had to produce a detailed list of all his monthly expenses and the money
needed ..He had to convey to the docks in the port “tout les sucres et vessou”from the estate and “les
petit plateurs”.At the docks the sugar was sold “sur place”and was bought by Sulleiman.(NA121/25).Taher
on lending capital to Bosquet,Les Rochers et L’Amitie specified that no interest would be changed and
payment had to be made’ regulierement le vendredi de chaque semaine’.(NA134/59).
As devout Muslims,these Surtee merchants were to certain extent sharing the risks.And they did not
deal with the molasses,which were used for making rum.As noted by Rodinson.M,these Muslim
merchants circumvented the problem of interest by investing in real estates.
At the coming of Gandhiji,they have started buying sugar estates and thus engaged in sugar milling
also.The first acquisition was affected in 1885 when the company headed by Allam,the agent of Cassim
Mamoojee of Calcutta,together with Ismael Mamoojee,Cassim ,M.Jeewa ,Mamode Mamoojee,Ahmode
.I.Toorawa and Mamode .I.Ganety bought BeauChamps.(NA121/47a). Later Allam and I Mamoojee
bought the shares of the other partners and acquired Bel Ombre.(NA121/48a)after borrowing on the local
capital market.Allam became the manager of both estates,but kept Guerin as field and factory manager.
Thus at the dawn of last century ,the Gujarati merchants had built a powerful economic base and their
influence was being viewed with some concern by the other economic groups.
The picture would not be complete without mentioning the Atchias.In fact, in 1900, the Atchias were a
household name in Mauritius.They illustrated well the spirit of Gujarati entrepreneurship.From the 1860s
,they have been borrowing money through the notaries and insurance companies to fund their ventures.
They opened shops in Rose Hill to tap the gens de couleurs.It seemed that the timber business brought
them a lot of capital.Since 1883,they have gone in the exploitation of the forest land of Mont Blanc,in the
district of Savanne,which they have acquired together with former indentured
labourers,Enaieth329068,Khoobary 251967,Sonah251841 and the
Passenger Parmessur,”colporteur”(121/118A).The Atchias had timber yards in Curepipe and Rose
Hill.The historic cyclone of1892 was to prove a financial boon for them.Amode .I.Atchia (Major) run
itinerant cinema shows with his “acolyte Hossen”(Rawat?).Mamode(Mota)Atchia operated an aloe fibre
mill and a tannery .Their father,Ibrahim .S.Atchia endowed the Rose Hill mosque with properties.The
Atchias opened the first Indian run primary school near the mosque.In 1900.Major with his brother
Hossen,dammed a river near Reduit and built a hydro electric plant and generated electricity.The
Governor’residence was provided with electricity and part of Rose Hill was lit. They were also in
partnership with Chedy ‘cocher,Ramtoola.R Baccus.M for the exploitation of sugar cane land at
Chamarel.(NA112/94).According to Thacoor.D,Gandhiji was taken by the Atchias to visit Chamarel.In
those days the railways used to terminate at Tamarin.Gandhiji,who stayed for some days at the Atchias in
Rose Hill was certainly taken to the Reduit power station and to Tamarin Falls.
The Surtee merchants ’society was a corporate one.In Port Louis ,the space in the Desforges.Corderie
and Bourbon Streets area was occupied by the Surtee bazaar.All social relationships gravitated around
this economic nucleus.Further the society was dominated by kinship solidarity and relations. Brothers and
cousin brothers formed commercial companies.The extended family with its complicated networks of
kinships and connections facilitated the expansion of business.Towns or village associations were
formed.The Barbodanians formed in 1886 a society to open a cemetery.Fund raising activities were held
to collect money for the building of mosques and madressas.Financial support for home town or village
projects was a regular feature.Remittances were sent to India.In Barbodhan,havelis(mansions) were
built.AGH caused a washing place to be built on the bank of the River Tapti and he funded the library in
Rander.
Conclusion
At Gandhiji,s visit,this merchant class was at its zenith and was agitating for political participation.They
have sponsored the formation of La Fraternite Musulmane Society, which grouped all the politically
motivated individuals.AGH’s sons and Goolam Mohamed Issac were fully involved in the local politics of
the Municipality of Port Louis.The appointment of Mamode Atchia on the Board of Beau Bassin /RoseHill
by Governor Sir Charles Bruce had unleashed a flood of adverse criticism against the ‘marchands
Arabes’They were accused of being ignorant of the French language and were still to “decouvrir les
merites de l’instruction.”(,Leoville L’Homme Journal de Maurice ,novembre 1901).Gandhiji exhorted the
local population of Indians to access schooling and to participate fully in the political life of Mauritius.
( Bissondoyal .U.1988)The evening party at the Taher Bagh was a resounding success and the impact of
Gandhiji ‘s speech on this occasion was to charter the future economic and social actions of the audience
made up not only of the merchants but also of former indentured labourers and several members of the
General population.
References.
NA Notarial Acts housed at the National Archives,Coromandel

Allen.R.B.Creoles, Indian Immigrants and the Restructuring of Society and Economy in Mauritius,1767-
1885.Ph.D thesis.Uni.Illinois,1982.
Bissoondoyal.U Gandhi and Mauritius and other essays.MGI.1988.
Das Gupta A The Merchants of Surat in Leach E.D,et al Elites in S.E.Asia CUP 1970.
Markovits C Struture and Agency in the World of AsianCommerce during the Era of EuropeanColonial
Donination(c1750-1950)Jrl of Eco Soc of the Orient Jan , 2007.
Kalla A CRatanjee Bickajee Gazette des Iles Avril 1986.
Kalla A C The Gujarati Merchants in Mauritiusc1850-1900 Jrn of Mauritian Stud 1987.
Paturau.M Histoire Economique de L’Ile Maurice Henry &Cie 1991.
Thacoor D Mahatma Gandhi in Mauritius Royal Printing 1979
A.Cader KALLA. ackalla41@yahoo.com