Saraswat Brahmins, one of the five ancient Gowda Brahmins, derived their name basically from the mythological river Saraswati that had flowed in the present Punjab and Rajasthan region, from the Himalayas to the western sea near Dwaraka in Gujarat. Throughout the course of history, the Saraswat Brahmins have migrated to a variety of locations such as Kashmir, Jammu, Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bengal, Oriya and mainly to Western coast of India. The group of Saraswats migrated along the seashore were mainly Vaishnavas and acquired a reputation for trade and agriculture.
Basically Saraswat Brahmins are seekers of knowledge with main focus on education and have made significant contribution in education, trade and commerce and service sector. They are always conscious of respect and honour instead of wealth and money. They are remembered for their intelligence, steadfast ideals, undying faith, clear vision, relentless optimism, and an exemplary entrepreneurial spirit.
The first migration of Saraswats to Goa took place around 700 BC. They migrated from the Saraswati, mostly through sea routes in search of greener pastures. They took up farming and trading business in Goa and worked in partnership with indigenous people. At the same time, they retained their Vedic way of life, performing their rituals and retaining their cultural traditions. They also brought their Kuladevtas and established temples for their deities. These temples facilitated socio-cultural activities of the community. Besides their sacerdotal duties, they took up administrative vocations under the ruling dynasties. Therefore, they gradually established themselves in the landowning class and also as traders.
The Saraswat Brahmins particularly served as village Kulkarnis, financiers, tax farmers, merchants in the intra-Asian trade, and diplomats. Many sources of government income in Goa, Konkan and elsewhere, including taxes on commodities and customs duties, remained in their hands.
Their intelligence and generations-old experience as administrators, allowed some of them to secure prominent positions in the courts of the Rulers of the time. When the king of Cochin exempted them from the levy of poll tax, they went in large numbers and settled at Cochin as traders.
They were able to obtain key jobs at the district and Collectors offices. They were also employed as administrators in the cotton and textile export industry and many were landowners having farms that grew rice and cash crop fruits of mangoes, bananas, coconuts and mangoes.
Soon the wisdom gave new dimension to their skill and expertise, giving them an edge over other classes in trade and commerce. This transformed their traditional role as presiding priests, advisors to the Kings to one as competent traders and shrewd negotiators, brokers and agents on behalf of the rulers with Arab, Dutch, Portuguese and English merchants.
In 11th century, several Saraswat families migrated to Thane and Kalyan (in Maharashtra) and started sea trade. In the 12th century, some families from Goa went south to Honavar, Bhatkal, Mangalore, Tellicherry and Calicut to set up trade. Around the same time, another group of Saraswats went to Gokarn in Karnataka, purchased land and became landowners. Some others, who followed, joined services under Sonde and Vijayanagar kings in Belgaum and Dharwad areas.
The Kashmiri Saraswat Brahmins (Kashmiri Pandits) established themselves in the Northern area of India, first in the Rajput and Mughal courts and then in the service of the Dogra rulers of Kashmir. This cohesive community, highly literate and socially elite, were one of the first to discuss and implement social reforms.
By the close of the 19th century the Saraswats were an educationally advanced community and the cotton boom resulting from the American Civil War (1863-64) helped them secure positions in cotton business and industry at Kumta, Hubli, Dharwar and later Bangalore. The South Canara District Gazetteer (1894) mentioned that GSBs were “an active and progressive class” and “had intelligent readiness to adapt themselves”. They gave high priority to education leading them to get influential positions in Government, landownership, shop keeping etc.
During and after the First World War, many Saraswat Brahmins doing petty business utilised the business opportunities and made quick bucks. They realised the benefits of literacy and educated their children. Basically good in Mathematics and Commerce many of these children managed to get jobs as teachers, clerks and accountants.
The Saraswats have made their deep imprint in Banking and Co-operative sector. Scholar Dr. N.K. Thingalaya, documented that South Canara was home to 22 banks during the first half of 20thcentury, most of them started by the Saraswats. The founding of SVC Bank (1906, Bombay), Canara Bank (1910, Mangalore), NKGSB Bank (1917, Bombay), Saraswat Bank (1918, Bombay), and the Syndicate Bank (in 1925, Udupi) gave employment to most of the educated Saraswat youths until the nationalisation of banks. This resulted in a steady improvement in the economic conditions and social status of the poor class. Majority of them became middle class by the sixties. From the concentrated pockets, they migrated to other towns and villages and became dispersed. Today Saraswat Co-operative Bank is proud to be called as India’s largest Urban Co-operative Bank.
Today Saraswats spread all across the globe have made their solid footprints and are frontrunners in almost all areas ranging from Education, Professions, Sports, Economics, Journalism, Arts & Culture, Politics, Business and Commerce and the community is forging forward by availing benefits of technology driven digital era for the betterment of themselves and the world at large.
