Even though there has been considerable debate on Indian business communities in the last few years, we still do not yet have any study dealing with their historical role in the economic life of the country. The present volume is intended to fill this gap. It is a collection of essays, giving a close, hard look at each of the communities which are prominent in Indian business today. Written by some of India's most outstanding historians, the essays trace the evolution of these communities over a period of time and, thus, seek to determine the social composition of the Indian business class. Business Communities of India, thus, is a unique contribution not only in the business history but also the social history of India. Based on solid historical data and marked by rigorous analysis, these essays throw a great deal of light on the business behaviour in the country. Individually, they seek to answer a number of unanswered questions about the antecedents and growth of the communities studied here. Taken together, they provide a strong base for developing appropriate theoretical formulations about one of the most important – and neglected – facets of India’s social and economic life.