OMAN-INDIA TIES, ACROSS SEA AND SPACE

The Toprani Family The Toprani family traces back its continuous trade connection and residence in Oman to 1650 and presently has its 14th generation resident here63.

According to Muneer Manubhai Toprai, most of the Topranis are Kutchi Bhatias from Mandvi, but originally about 21 generations ago, they hailed from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, at that time there were not known as Bhatias but they were known as Kshatriya – Warriors or Rulers, with links to kingdoms in Rajasthan, particularly Jaisalmer. The family narratives trace it back 21 generations, with the 17th migrating to Mandvi, Kutch. They became traders, landlords and seafaring traders, working with the British who gave them the title of ‘Toprani’. The family history is traced as follows: Naraindas Pragji Toprani was born around 1887 and first visited Sur, Oman in 1897. He came to Sur with his late Father Shree Paragji Vallabhdas Toprani on one of his business trips. Soon, he began to work in the brokerage of commodities. Commodities then used to come through wooden boats from Bombay, Kutch, Mandvi, and Karachi. He travelled through the markets and villages around Sur and Muscat and began trading across Bahrain, Zanzibar Hormuz, Iran and Dubai. Owing to some successful business transactions, Naraindas Saith shifted to Muscat to take up new business ventures. Once Shree Naraindas Saith shifted from Sur and settled in Muscat he started setting up new business ties with traders and companies in places like Guatemala, Mauritius, Australia, Beirut, and Africa. He also qualified as a lawyer. He could communicate in Arabic, English, Hindi, Gujarati, Kutchi, and Sindhi was known for his negotiation skills. Due to his good communications skills he had very good personal relations with the ruling class and all the merchants in his community. Naraindas was involved in insurance, real estate brokerage, and law. Peterson notes that “Before 1970, the family business was concentrated on importing foodstuffs, petrol, kerosene, and exporting dried dates to India”64.

Naraindas Saith provided free English coaching at his house ‘Ramesh Bhavan’ which benefited many prominent families at that time. Until 1955, he was the only non-western expatriate who could communicate fluently in English and was seen as a figure of authority by the local community until the time when the first Indian consulate was officially established. He used to legally represent and fight cases on behalf of Indian traders (from India) and local traders (Omani as well as Indian) to get the insurance claims for damage of goods or recovery of higher custom duty charged or debt collection65. He 63 Information on the Toprani family is from personal communication with Mr. Muneer Manubhai Toprani.

64 J.E. Peterson. (2004) ‘Oman’s diverse society: Northern Oman’.

65 According to Muneer Toprani, Naraindas was nicknamed in Sur/Muscat, Muttrah and 78