DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22901#0260
244
HISTORY OF THE PARSIS. [chap. vi.
The spirit of foreign adventure was almost wholly
absent. The oppression and rapacity of the conquer-
ing races who swayed the country in turn had
diminished that spirit, if at any time it existed.
Again, the barriers of caste and custom, which even a
century and more of British rule has not availed to
demolish, acted as a formidable obstruction. The
Parsis, however, had always been free from caste pre-
judices, and on the advent of Europeans soon betook
themselves to occupations they had never attempted J
before. In the factories of the Portuguese, the Dutch,
the French, and the English, the chief native agents
were Parsis, acting as middle-men between the Euro-
peans and natives. In this capacity a field for com-
mercial enterprise was opened to them of which they
were not slow to take advantage. Niebuhr has made
mention of them. Anquetil du Perron has remarked
on their enterprise from personal experience acquired
during a stay of some years in the city of Surat.
After the decadence of Surat as a commercial centre
the Parsis came to Bombay and there found increased
opportunity for the employment of their energy, as the
biographical sketches of the most prominent of them
show. Lavji and some of his descendants continued
their connection with the Government dockyard, but
members of the other branches of his family established
themselves as merchants. A large number of Parsis
also began business as merchants, traders, shopkeepers,
HISTORY OF THE PARSIS. [chap. vi.
The spirit of foreign adventure was almost wholly
absent. The oppression and rapacity of the conquer-
ing races who swayed the country in turn had
diminished that spirit, if at any time it existed.
Again, the barriers of caste and custom, which even a
century and more of British rule has not availed to
demolish, acted as a formidable obstruction. The
Parsis, however, had always been free from caste pre-
judices, and on the advent of Europeans soon betook
themselves to occupations they had never attempted J
before. In the factories of the Portuguese, the Dutch,
the French, and the English, the chief native agents
were Parsis, acting as middle-men between the Euro-
peans and natives. In this capacity a field for com-
mercial enterprise was opened to them of which they
were not slow to take advantage. Niebuhr has made
mention of them. Anquetil du Perron has remarked
on their enterprise from personal experience acquired
during a stay of some years in the city of Surat.
After the decadence of Surat as a commercial centre
the Parsis came to Bombay and there found increased
opportunity for the employment of their energy, as the
biographical sketches of the most prominent of them
show. Lavji and some of his descendants continued
their connection with the Government dockyard, but
members of the other branches of his family established
themselves as merchants. A large number of Parsis
also began business as merchants, traders, shopkeepers,