PAISAJES DESEABLES, LUGARES DONDE UNO QUISIERA VIVIR

83

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6^k).

n u m b e r s w e r e B r a h m a n s and t h e n R a j p u t s who t o g e t h e r did n o t e q u a l h a l f the Banias. But t h e i r r e l a t i v e d o m i n a n c e was e q u a l l y i m p o r t a n t . B a n i a s c o n t r o l l e d m a n y or most of the large f i n a n c i a l c o n c e r n s in i n d i g e n o u s banki n g , c l o t h and grain. B o t h in n u m b e r s and in r e s o u r c e s the Ba n i a s w e r e the m e r c h a n t s p a r e x c e l l e n c e o f Delhi.

Th e B a n i a com m u n i t y , then, h a d a h i g h d e g r e e of l i teracy, l a r g e r e s o u r c e s of w e a l t h , status, and power, a s i g n i f i c a n t c o n c e n t r a t i o n in one type of o c c u p a t i o n , a p r e d o m i n a n t i n f l u e n c e in the e c o n o m i c o r g a n i s a t i o n s in the city, and a v e r y t r a d i t i o n a l a t t i t u d e t o w a r d s the s o ci a l and r e l i g i o u s v a l u e s of H i n d u society. This

c o n s i s t e n c y was m a t c h e d o n l y b y the Jat c o m m u n i t y and like the Jat c o m m u n i t y , the c o h e s i v e n e s s of the B a n i a d o m m u n i t y e n a b l e d it to r e s p o n d more as a c o m m u n i t y to v a r i o u s p o l i t i c a l issues i n D e l h i f r o m 1917 onwards. T h e K h a t r i and K a y a s t h c a s t e s did n o t o c c u p y a n y r i g o r o u s p o s i t i o n in the o r d e r of v a r n a n o r we r e t h e y r e l a t e d to e a c h o t h e r in a n y f o r m a l sense. Yet t h e y shared m a n y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . T h e t r a d i t i o n a l o r i g i n s of b o t h c o m m u n i t i e s was s o m e w h a t ’l o w ’ , a s t ate of a f f a i r s w h i c h t h e y b o t h s o u g h t to r e c t i f y b y c l a i m i n g K s h a t r i y a status. T h e y b o t h f o u n d e d o r g a n i s a t i o n s in D e l h i to f u r t h e r this end. O t h e r c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s w h i c h t h e y shared we r e the same s t r e n g t h in m e m b e r s , a h i g h rate of l i t e r a c y , and a h i g h s t a n d a r d of living, w h i c h r e s u l t e d f r o m the p u r s u i t of c o m m e r c e and the p r o f e s s i o n s as o c c u p a t i o n s . T h e y b o t h e m p h a s i s e d c a ste m o b i l i t y and t h e y b o t h c o n t r i b u t e d s i g n i f i c a n t n u m b e r s of l e aders and

followers to the Arya Samaj and the nationalist movement.