Chiniotis

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Chinioti (Urdu: چنیوٹی ) are one of the leading industrialists of Pakistan. They come from a small town of Chiniot. Chiniot is the largest town (Tehsil) of Punjab province of Pakistan with a catchment area population of nearly i million inhabitants (rural and urban), is located on the banks of River Chenab, in Jhang district in southwestern Punjab. Chinioti term is reserved only for those residents and their descendants who migrated to far off Indian cities in the late 19th or early 20th century to set up small businesses. They are also knows as Chinioti Shaikhs.

Out of 100,000 people who proudly call themselves Chiniotis, only 5000 live in Chiniot. An estimated 2000 of them are still living in Kolkatta (Calcutta) where, before partition of British India in 1947, they had the biggest concentration. They used to have some pockets in Kanpur and Madras. Now beside Chiniot, they are living in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

The ancestors of these traders belonged to two Hindu caste groups ; Khatri and Arora. After embracing Islam they called themselves Khoja and adopted Sheikh or Mian as title. They are also known as Chinioti Sheikh or Khoja Sheikh. The Khatri gotras of these traders are: Adal, Behrara, Churra, Maggun (or Maghoon), Sahgal, Wadhaun (or Vadhavan), Vohra (Wihara), Talwar, Puri, Topra. Where Arora gotras are Tarneja, Goruwala, Khurana, Dhingra, Chawala.

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[edit] Historical background

The exact date of their ancestors' conversion to Islam is not certain. The People of the Punjab starting accepting in 11th century. There is an interesting reference of rich Khatris and Khojas in the Heer Ranjha of Waris Shah ( 1735-1790 AD).

"The beauty of her (Heer) red lips slays rich Khojas and Khatris in bazar, like murderous Kizilbash (Afghan soldiers) troopers riding out of the royal camp in to bazar with a sword"

These verses of "Heer Ranjha" written by Waris Shah in 1766 AD was probably the earliest reference to the emerging role of Muslim Khojas in the economy of the Post-Mughal Punjab.

The British Raj (1848-1947 AD) provided stability in the Punjab. The improved communication provided opportunities to those who wanted to progress. Chinioti traders took full advantage and expanded their activities beyond Punjab. Most of these traders started leather and hide trade in undivided India. Due to religious reasons, Hindu never ventured in to this field. They migrated as far as Kolkata in the late 19th or early 20th century and started business.

Muhammad Ismaeel Maula Baksh Group was the only Chinioti Group which ventured in different business and started first ginning factory in 1889 AD. In 1946 when this group split owned 14 ginning, flour mills and oil extraction plants. MIMB and Company was the parent company of Colony Group and Sunshine Group. Colony Group started first textile mill in 1945 which went to operation in independent Pakistan.

Chiniotis now ventured into different industries; like textile, ginning, chemicals, shipping, engineering, and banking etc.

[edit] Rise of Chiniotis

The trade and commerce in Pakistan are dominated by five communities;Memons, Khoja (from Gujrat, India), Bohras, Chiniotis and Saigols. Muhammad Ali Jinnah encouraged leading businessmen from native Gujrat states to move to Pakistan. They had businesses in India, Burma and Singapore. Adamjees (Aslam Adamjee), Habibs (Mian Habib), Valikas, Fancy, Dawoods (Hussain Dawood), Bawany and other trading houses, with their base at Karachi, started industries in Pakistan. Saigols and Chiniotis, the Sheikhs from Punjab, had established their businesses in different parts of undivided India. After creations of Pakistan, they also moved their businesses to East and West Pakistan.

During Ayub period (1958 - 1968) there was a rapid industrialization. This resulted in accumulation of wealth into the hands of 22 families of above mentioned five communities. They were all based in West Pakistan.

The separation of East Pakistan in 1971 and then nationalization by Bhutto in 1972 resulted in great loss to these business families. By 1970 very few Chiniotis had invested into heavy industries. Due to this, losses suffered by them in East Pakistan and Bhutto's nationalization were not heavy as compared to Memons or Saigols.

Nationalization completely disturbed the industrialization process started during Ayoub period. The business houses based in Karachi stopped investing in industries. This proved a blessing in disguise for the Chiniotis, who had been disadvantaged for lack of access to banking and other facilities. After 1970 they made a great progress and filled the vacuum created by Karachi based groups. In 1970 there were six Chinioti groups; Colony, Crescent, Nishat, Monnoos, Maulabakhash, and Magoos; in top of 42 groups registered in Karachi Stock Exchange. In 1997 their number increased to 14 out of 45 groups.

[edit] Major Chinioti groups

[edit] Nishat

Nishat is the biggest industrial and financial conglomerate of Pakistan. Mian Mohammad Mansha, the Chairman of this group. This group was founded in 1948 by Mansha's father Mian Mohammad and his three brothers and named after Nishat Haroon, the 3 year old grandson of Mian Mohammad Yaqub.

Mian Yahya started leather business in Calcutta. In 1947 he moved to Pakistan. Nishat group had several industrial unit in East Pakistan, which they lost in 1970. This group now own Muslim Commercial Bank, five cement factories and many other industries.

[edit] Shafi Group

Shafi Group is a large Pakistani multi-national business conglomerate comprising ten separate manufacturing units. It’s headed by Muhammad Naseem Shafi.

Muhammad Shafi Tanneries (Pvt.) Ltd or MST is the most prestigious and widely known trademark synonymous with the best from Pakistan in quality of leather and reliability in business. MST is the flagship company in the Shafi Group. Its association with hide and skins goes back to the 1930s when the founder Mian Mohammed Shafi was engaged in trading. The development of the above level of excellence is the story of successful vertical expansion, managed by the Shafi family who are pioneers in the production and export of light leather products in Pakistan, leading in all aspects of wider development, modernization and technical innovation. MST employs about 800 people and produces 22million sq/ft leather annually. MST's factory in Karachi is a modern, well-planned and one of the biggest light leather tanneries in the world. It is capable of not only following the fashion trends but also making innovations of its own in kid and goatskin leathers for shoes.

Other companies of the group include M. Mohammad Shafi & Company, Siddiq Leather Works PVT Ltd, Motif Leather Works, Hafeez Shafi Tanneries (PVT) Ltd (Garments Unit), Hafeez Shafi Tanneries (PVT) Ltd (Tanning Unit), Shafi (Pvt) Ltd, Shafi Reso Chemicals, Shafi Gluco-Chem, Shafi Texcel Ltd, and Shafi China.

[edit] Crescent

This group was founded in 1910 by Shams Din and his four sons Fazal Karim, Amin, Bashir and Shafi by setting up a small tannery in Amritsar. After independence they moved to Pakistan and were involved in cotton business. Now they owns sugar mills, textile, chemicals and also involved in computer software business.

[edit] SMB

A group of Wadhawan who are famous for their wisdom and business mind, even though they succeeded in establishing their marble factories in prime locations at times when people did not had concept of owning a complete processing machinery. Now, they are expanding their name by establishing industries. This group constitutes of a small family with their roots in Faisalabad where they have enjoyed chairmanship of Faisalabad Textile Export and Leadership of Mian Mohammad Aslam.

[edit] Chakwal

Moved from East Pakistan in 1971 and started with textile mills. Now they own several textile mills.

[edit] Colony

Colony Group is an offshoot of Muhammad Ismail Maula Baksh Group which was the biggest industrial group owned by Muslims in Pakistani areas before independence. The group set up its first factory in 1889 and first flour mill in 1908. In 1946, the Muhammad Ismail Maula Baksh Group split into two companies: Colony Group and Sunshine Group. At that point in time, the MIMB Group owned a total of 14 ginning, flour mills and oil extraction plants. Colony Group started its first textile company in 1946 which started operations in an independent Pakistan. The Group is considered to be a pioneer in textile industry in Pakistan. Colony Textile Mills Limited also has the distinction of being one of the very first companies to be listed on Karachi Stock Exchange when KSE started its operations in 1948. Over the last five decades the Group has maintained its place in textile industry of Pakistan with the largest spinning capacity currently in the country coming from Colony Mills Limited. The Group, however, realized that considering the phenomenon of globalization, it was imperative for it to grow as well as diversify. Therefore, past five years have seen tremendous growth in production capacities of the existing plants as well as acquisitions of new plants. Furthermore, the Group has started to venture into brokerage, real estate, sugar and sourcing industry.

[edit] Monnoo

This group was founded by two brothers Nazir Hussain and Dost Mohammad in 1940 by setting up Olympia Rubber Works at Calcutta. After partition they moved to Dhaka, East Pakistan. After 1971 they moved to Pakistan. Now this group owns several textile mills and are managed by the sons of Nazir Hussain Monnoo (Kaisar Monnoo, Shahzada Monnoo and Jahangir Monnoo) and Dost Mohammad Monnoo (Waqar Monnoo and Munir Monnoo) look after the Companies. Among Other notable Monnos are Rafi Monnoo and Hanif Monnoo who set up rafhan foods, and khurshid Monnoo who set up Olympia spinning mills.

[edit] Furniture

Chiniot is rich in hand made wood furniture and it has artisan of all age groups who can compete internation wood furniture . This hand made carved furniture is exported now to all over the world and now in year 2006 it is the major local cottage industry.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

For the map of Chiniot: http://www.europa-tech.com/gallery/gallery_175541.htm