ગુજરાતી
English
Jaydeep Vasant – BBC Gujarati Regards
14 May 2023
Life story of Alidina Visram. At one time Idi Amin expelled Indians from Uganda. But today 90,000 Indians live in this country. It is worth knowing the stories of its innumerable Gujarati traders.
Born in Kutch, Alidina Visram reached East Africa at a very young age. Alidina Visram was born (1851 AD) in Kera, Kutch to a Khoja family. At the age of twelve, he left Kutch in a country ship and set out on a long sea voyage. Reached Bagamoya (now Tanzania) in 1863. For centuries, Gujarati traders have been traveling abroad in country ships
Trade
They expanded their trade to present-day Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (full name), Tanzania, Kenya and South Sudan. In the late 19th century, around 1898, the annual turnover of Alidina’s Mombasa branch alone was Rs. 3 lakhs. They imported Rs. 2 lakhs, while exported up to Rs. 1 lakh. The monthly wage of a labourer at that time was two to three rupees. In comparison, estimate the size of turnover and profit.
They were the bank for the lower class English workers working there. There was a retail chain store owner, an ivory trader, an importer-exporter, a cotton gin owner.
Alidina Visram was also called the ‘King of Ivory Trade’ and the ‘Uncrowned Sultan of Uganda’. Aga Khan III conferred the title of ‘Successor’ on him.
The Government of India brought back Indian citizens living in Sudan to India by water and air under ‘Operation Kaveri’, including Gujaratis settled in Sudan from Rajkot, Gujarat. While thousands of Gujaratis migrated to Africa and became rich, it was the Gujarati traders who raised the flag in East Africa.
Here they reached Sewa Haji Paru. Who used to send his caravans to the interior of East Africa. Learned trade marks. In the early years they used to buy honey, wax and cloves in exchange for cloth, grain and salt.
A large number of migrations from India took place during the British period. Regular travels were made to East Africa and especially Zanzibar from Sindh, Surat, Kutch, Porbandar, Konkan, Malabar and Lanka.
Traveled in sailing ships and Portuguese ships. Some of these people settled in East Africa and then spread to places like present-day Uganda. They then mingled with the very large South Asian population that came with the British.
Such was this boy from Kutch.
He started his business in Bagamoya in 1877. Which he expanded by opening branches in Dar-e-Salaam, Sadani, Tinde and Ujiji.
In 1896 he opened branches in Zanzibar and in the same year in Uganda. In 1899 AD, branches were opened in Mombasa and other places in British East Africa.
They exported ivory, sheep and goat hides, skins, rubber, wax, sesame seeds, groundnuts, peppers and other products. They imported textiles, pearls, blankets, copper, brass and iron. Besides they imported silk, woollen cloth and wine from Europe.
He owned soda, tannery and furniture factories in Kampala. He was the owner of the Visram ginning and oil factory in Mombasa. Entebbe had a gourd manufacturing factory.
Ali Dina Visram’s firm was the official agent of Zanzibar Government ships and the British Dominions Marine Insurance Company. His ships ply between Kampala, Zinza, Kisumu in Lake Victoria.
His company employed about 500 Indian clerks. In addition, a large number of local people were hired for carpentry and masonry work.
In his generation, mostly Khoja people worked, but apart from this, Hindus, Muslims, local Negroes, etc. also worked and all respected him equally. The British also respected him.
Access to the interior of Africa was inaccessible. After Alidina Bisram separated from the business guru, he himself started sending caravans to the interior.
Arranged food and people for them. Most tourists used to come here to farm or hunt the continent of Africa.
Given the control of Alidi’s rest generation from the coast, during the journey inland in his generation it could be crossed at a rate of three to five percent. They were like banks.
Most foreign travelers come to Africa for trophy hunting of elephants, cheetahs, lions (not tigers). One of the by-products obtained from this caught the attention of the rest of Alidi. These were ivory.
It was in great demand among the royal families and the rich of India and fetched a high price.
He made so much profit in this trade and became so popular that he came to be known as the ‘Ivory King’.
He took over the business after the death of Sewa Haji Paroo in 1897, who had taught him the trade.
By today’s Western or Indian standards, such hunting and facilitating the trade of by-products such as ivory would be frowned upon, but at that time only Europeans and Americans were involved in such activities and it was considered adventurous.
The British were also aware of the extent of Ali’s hold in East Africa and discussed it. They were ready to buy as much sesame and sugar cane as the natives could grow.
Alidin Visram had set up his shops near government offices.
From there European workers were given furniture, chairs, tables, clothes to go on jungle safaris.
And the necessities of life were provided.
These employees often had three-
They received salary for three months, but Alidina’s generations gave them goods on credit.
Being close to the government office would help the visiting official-employee in local production, transportation, communication, etc., which was beneficial to the government.
Despite the status of Ijara, they never sold goods at high prices.
When the railway started in 1901, Alidina Visram shifted the center of his economic activities from Bagamoya to Mombasa. As the line expanded, shops were added parallel to it.
Among the Europeans they were known as ‘Dukawala’ (in reference to the shop). Their salary and food work also went to Alidina’s generation.
Regarding the business model of Sir Charles Elliot in B.C. wrote in 1902, ‘Most of the small traders are supplied with goods called Alidina Visram. Who pay him monthly installments and do business in his name. The stores are managed by his Indian assistants.
Most are from his Ismailia community. He can be considered the founder of shops in the interior of East Africa. It can be considered close to today’s franchise system.
His shops had a ‘shop-house’ type arrangement, in which housing and shop were combined.
He started farming in 1904 and soon he had seven large farms growing pulses, fruits, cotton, rubber and sugarcane.
More than three thousand employees worked in it.
Ali Di’s Vishram also donated for the construction of Jamatkhanas, mosques and churches besides libraries. Apart from this, after his death, the son also built a school in his father’s name. There was also a road named after him in Uganda, but it was renamed during the reign of Idi Amin.
Dr. Wali Jamal says that he was known as the ‘Sultan of the Crown’ of Uganda. 90 percent of Ismailis settled in Kenya and Uganda owe their prosperity to him. Aga Khan III conferred the title of ‘Varas’ on him for his service to the community.
Once in Alidina’s sabbatical year, his descendants visited far and wide. During one such trip in AD. 1916, when the First World War broke out and East Africa was also at the center of it, he went to Congo.
During this trip he got fever and died. It is said that during this trip some of his brokers refused to pay, which shocked him.
The King and Governor of Uganda were present at the time of Alidina Visram’s burial. The traders kept their shops closed. After his death his son built a school in his name. He is still a source of inspiration for the Ismaili Khojas, Gujaratis and Indians living there.
After the death of Alidina Visram, businessmen including Nanji Kalidas Mehta, Manu Madhwani and Suleman Virji emerged on the East African scene. Even after India’s independence, many big businessmen settled in East Africa and prospered.
Uganda was a big center of Gujaratis.
Their image as an exploiter was further strengthened by their mingling with the local people. Attempts were made to destroy their business-history and identity.
The situation of Gujaratis and Indians in Uganda has improved in recent years, but their influence is no longer the same as before.
It has been seen in the history of many countries that when there is an unusual economic development and the faces of many entrepreneurs appear on its screen. In this, the history of entrepreneurship of Arkwright, Carnegie, Ford is important. (Google translation from Gujarati)
