The Tientsin gurdwara Monday, Aug 12 2013

“I passed it every day on my way to and from school (TGS) during 1938 and 1939. A uniformed guard at its entrance stopped any passers-by from entering the place. I could look down on to its grounds from my bedroom window. I’m attaching a picture of what I could see of the place. It’s the walled in treed lot with a central path crossing from the temple on the right (obscured by a back neighbour’s house) to the entrance gate on the left (obscured by another neighbour’s house). The temple flag on a tall flagpole standing beside the path is clearly visible.” Source: Desmond Power, author of “Little Foreign Devil.”

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The curious case of Captain E.I.M.Barrett Sunday, May 19 2013

E.I.M. Barrett seated 3rd from left

In my earlier post on Captain E.I.M.Barrett, I had mentioned a 1934 book (published by Lovat Dickson)  that was written by him under an alias, Charlie Trevor.  The book titled ‘Drums of Asia’,  it appeared had been a source for much angst for India Office in Britain, which was in “correspondence with publishers on suggested changes prior to publication” (IOR/L/PJ/12/469, File 657/33).

The book was not easily available. Finally, I requested Professor Bickers, University of Bristol for his help. In his blog post, Professor Bickers sheds light on the book’s story line and the much intriguing and bemusing India Office shenanigans that eventually highlight that E.I.M.Barrett, in fact is not the author at all! It was perhaps a quasi-doppelgänger, one Captain J.G.Barrett from Straits Settlement police who had arrived in Singapore in 1906 with the Royal West Kent regiment as a sergeant and finally retired from service in 1935. (Update: The Imperial War Museum lists Oswald Barrett as the author of ‘Drums of Asia.’  http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/publication/61343)

It does make sense because E.I.M.Barrett though bestowed the Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire(C.I.E.) honor for his role prior to and in the First World War had largely spent much of his service in Federated Malay Straits and Shanghai. His sports accomplishments merited plenty of attention , thanks to his cricket , rugby and shooting records, world over. A prolific Hampshire county cricket player, Barrett based on archival records does not come across as spy material. Though, in handling the Shanghai Sikh contingent from 1907, sometimes a very inept and insecure Barrett shapes up.

Barrett was forced to resign from his position as Commissioner of Shanghai Municipal Police in 1929, when an investigation on police methods was conducted by the Shanghai Municipal Council. Yet, there are many mysterious parts to Barrett. His second marriage to one ‘Kitty’ from Shanghai, his being sued for a contract breach by a colleague and ultimately after resigning his quiet disappearance to Britain.

More research is needed on this elusive figure.

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A Parsi Perspective – excerpts from Dosabhai Framji Karaka’s book. Saturday, Mar 9 2013

Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai

Prior to and around the first Opium war, Parsi merchants monopolized  trade in the Far East.  As favored British Indian citizens, Parsis forged ahead establishing their businesses, in India and overseas.  The perspective from inside in that time period is an unusual one and fortunately it does exist (in the English language) – though the book was written with the intent  to highlight Parsis as epitome of business intelligence and benevolence. (Excerpts from the book, as related to China trade are outlined in the following paragraphs.)

In his 1884  book ‘History of the Parsis’, author Dosabhai Framji Karaka states “It was the Eastern trade which brought the Parsis a mine of wealth. The Readymoneys, the Dadiseths, the Banajis, Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai the first baronet, the Kamas, and many others amassed their wealth in this trade.” According to Karaka after 1842, this monopoly encountered competition from other Indians including Khojas and Muslim merchants. Eventually, it was the Calcutta and Bombay Jews, the better educated business community that displaced the Parsi. ” While the Parsi merchants of China remained in the old groove, the Jews took better advantage of the new treaty ports in China and the opening up of trade on new lines of business. The extension of steam communication between India and China gradually extinguished the Parsi merchants’ service of sailing vessels, and last of all, when the civil war raged in the United States of America in 1862, the attention of the Parsis was to some extent diverted from their Chinese trade, by the greater attraction of the enormous profits in cotton trading with England.”

After the end of the American War however the ‘share mania’ in Bombay led to many Parsee businesses to bankruptcy. Many Chinese branches also suspended their businesses. “There are still, however, a few Parsi commercial establishments in Hongkong and Shanghai, but the Jews now enjoy the monopoly of the trade between India and China which formerly belonged to the Parsis.”

Prominent Parsis figure in the book including Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai. Karaka describes him as “the man who shed the greatest lustre on the Parsi race in India.”  The book was written in 1884 (Sir Jamshedji died in 1859) and thus is not too much of a backward glance in time. Heavily laced with Parsi pride, at most junctures Karaka gushes about the philanthropic and benevolent Parsis who have changed the face of the territory they inhabited due to their sheer diligence and enterprising spirit.

At the young age of 16, Sir Jamshedji made his first voyage to China in 1799 and realized the business potential. Karaka makes available the translated letter(from Gujarati to English, written by Sir Jamshedji to his friend) the blow by blow account when Sir Jamshedji was captured by the French, on way to Madagascar (1806) on board the ‘Brunswick’ and his eventual release – a fascinating account. “Shrewd, sagacious, and observant, with a natural bent of mind for commercial pursuits, the experience that he acquired during his repeated visits to China, and the knowledge he possessed of the chief traders in that country, proved of incalculable value to him. This experience he brought to bear on the extensive transactions which he subsequently had with China, Europe, and other parts of the world.” Eulogizing, Karaka spares no adjectives in praise of Sir Jamshedji stating further  ” If a stranger landed on the shores of Bombay and inquired what were the works by which Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai had acquired so much renown, it could not be long before he found them out.”

Congratulating Sir Jamshedji on his 1842 knighthood , Karaka singles out the significant accomplishments, munificence of the new baronet and the baronetcy patent is included in the appendix. Much of the book deals with the various distinguished members of the Parsi race before proceeding on to explain the history of Zoarastrianism , the various religious books and customs.  The letters exchanged with Sir Jamshedji also are inserted to reflect the contribution of this opium merchant.

There is a mention of Grant Medical College, Bombay funded generously by Sr Jamshedji to provide deserving and needy students medical education in India. One Parsi who studied at this college slowly made his way to Shanghai, China and became a part of the Shanghai Masonic society. How, why and when – few answers and more questions remain on this interesting facet. More on this Shanghai Parsi soon.

Book link: http://openlibrary.org/works/OL2605774W/History_of_the_Parsis

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