Abstract

"Emotion and Business Among Syrian Christians of Kerala"

Emil Manu Oommen, Shiv Nadar University (eo264@snu.edu.in)

The history of Indian Business has mercantile roots, with an active role played by the merchants and organizations (Medha Kudaisya 2011). Writings of Indian businesses can be traced using the family histories and genealogies, autobiographies and biographies, diary accounts etc. Reading some of these texts reveals vivid narratives of the achievements of these communities in their commercial ventures as well as the obstacles they faced. In this paper, I would like to explore one such account to bring forth the centrality of the notion of ‘frugality’ among the Syrian Christians of Kerala, a mercantile community of South India. Located in the south-western part of the Indian peninsula, the geographical placing of Kerala helped the region become a center of bustling trade and commercial activities, which resulted in the emergence of various mercantile groups from first century CE onwards such as Romans, Jews and Mappila Muslims of Malabar. Syrian Christians were one among them, who were actively supported by the local princely states and the colonial government to run their economic and commercial activities and bring development to the region. In this paper I shall analyze a diary account of K M Eapen to explore the economic activities of the Kandathil family – a popular enterprising Syrian Christian family of Kerala who were involved in Tobacco and Jaggery trade and cultivation along with money lending business. K M Eapen is a member of Kandathil family and he was a beehive of ideas in the diverse fields of business and diverted his interest towards the setting up of hotel, transportation and chit fund companies. Using this diary account and other biographical sketches of the members of this family, I would like to examine the interplay of various emotions such as Trust, Honor, Compassion and Generosity during the nineteenth and twentieth century Kerala. In this, I shall also try to explore the role of religion and the formation of business ethics among the family members.