Network of Exchange and Intermediary of South West Bengal in the late Eighteenth Century

Abstract

The arrival of the Europeans and search for essential commercial goods connected the hinterland of South West Bengal with the outerworld. Communication system developed. It was found that the indigenous traders were notable helpful to this communication system. The Bengali trading community took a vital role in the trade of South West Bengal as well as the entire Bengal. They were known as ‘gomostah’, ‘baniyan’, ‘dadni bonik’, ‘paikar’, ‘dalal’ etc. They acted as the agents of foreign traders mainly the Europeans. They were merely middlemen when the foreign traders came to Bengal but their trading flourished when the European traders operated their trading in Bengal. The foreign traders were not familiar with the local languages, customs system, trading centres, measurement of goods etc. Moreover, local communication and local markets were quite unknown to them. In that cases, the foreign traders needed local representatives who would become their helpers and solve all the problems. Historically, it is seen that in the second half of the eighteenth century the foreign company’s merchants and the indigenous traders had a special control over the economy of Bengal. The people of this country accepted the participation of the Europeans in the administration and economy of Bengal. The native traders became the subsidiary of the Europeans in business. The Indigenous merchants also developed their own business. It is said the indigenous merchants created a favourable situation for the trade and business of the Europeans.