PS1:
Ranga — what is ‘sassoon’ (after hearing about the sassoon dock)
Sachin — (remember his inimitable style with a smirk) — it is just like ‘lasso0on’, an eatable
PS2:
In the book “Storms in the Seawind”(about Ambanis). In my words,
The 1st generation fights for money
The 2nd generation fights for authority and power
The 3rd generation fights for fame, name, etc
The 4th generation indulges in art, literature, travel, luxury, etc and slowly the dynasty sets itself into oblivion
When we landed in Bombay in 1993, it was a fascinating journey for many reasons. One among them was the eclectic nature of the city itself. As a spiritual aspirant, the presence of fire temples and Jewish temples was enticing. But, never had a chance to venture in to feel the “presence”, because of the entry restrictions (now and then, I don’t have a problem with that and can live with that).
The Jewish temples and the Jewish culture indicate that Jews have been part & parcel of this great land for eons (there are 2 documented entries — one around the time of Jesus Christ and the other in the 18th century).
This book chronicles the life & story of one such Jewish family that lived in India. Like many other parsi/jewish families, they helped the east India company (later the british raj) in terms of supplies and logistics. Just imagine, without their help, how could an empire be built?
The Sassoons came to India in 1st part of the 19th century. Cotton and opium trading were the driving forces in the then Bombay. Locally, opium was cultivated in India and then imported to China. David sassoon jumps into the fray and helps the british in the opium trade with china. From there, the book fantastically elaborates on the rise, spread, flourish, and fall of the sassoons.
PS:
- Have to make a point to visit one of the jewish temples in Mumbai by hook or crook
- Have to inform Sachin W that I understood the meaning of the word, ‘ Sassoon’
