Sovaram Bysack – The Lost Icon of Bengal – Episode 1

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Sovaram Bysack- The lost icon of Bengal, was a wealthy businessman and a philanthropist. He was one of the earliest settlers of Kolkata. In the year 1690A.D. when Job Charnock landed in Sutanuti, the same year Sovaram Bysack was born in Kasimbazar near Murshidabad. He belonged to a wealthy family of textile traders. His earliest known ancestor Keshob Ram earned the surname “Busakh” from the Mughal Emperor Akbar during his reign in the 16th century. One of the wealthiest business tycoons of his time, Sovaram featured in C.R. Wilson’s list of top businessmen of contemporary merchants. The success of Sovaram and the Basak family has faded with time, but the fragrance still lingers…

The fragrance of the Mughal!

“Busakh” is a Persian word — “Bu” meaning fragrance and “sakh” meaning branch or lineage. So, one who was given this title was a source of fragrance to the Mughal clan. With the course of time, the title changed to “Bysack” and then to “Basak” as it is commonly addressed presently

A flourishing trade of textile and wood

Sovaram’s earliest known ancestor Keshob Ram was a well-known textile merchant, who traded in muslin and silk. He used to import silk from China in huge quantities for making cloths for the Mughal royalty and army. This earned him respect and wealth from the Mughal Court.

His only son Kalidas Bysack was amongst the first few businessmen to settle in Kalikhetra, the area around Kalighat temple in 1537A.D. along with his friend Mukunda Ram Sett. It is Kalidas who expanded the family business. He had established a Silk factory (Resam Kuthi) in Mursidabad and a textile factory in the area near Shahid Minar, in present day Kolkata. He also started a business of wooden safes. However, he continued to trade in silk and muslin with Mughal royalty in Agra.

This lineage of textile and wood continued for ten generations

Kalidas’s son Gobindaram his grandson Jadavram and his great grandson Ratnakar were all textile and wood merchants. Ratnakar had two sons Raghab Chadra and Debidas. Debidas settled in Murshidabad and Raghab Chandra in Gobindopur (present Kolkata). Debidas used to send textile from Murshidabad to Raghab Chandra in Gobindapur. The next four generations of the Bysack’s were all engaged in this family business of textile and wood and helped expand it.

Establishing the Dutch connect

Sovaram Bysack’s father Ganga Narayan Bysack, who was also known as Ganga Ram was Keshab Ram’s tenth generation. He had two sons, Sovaram and Ajodhyaram. He continued operating the family business from Kasimbazar. In 1676A.D., he, started business with the Dutch in Sreerampur.  He brought them silk, cotton fabric, bamboo, indigo, sugar, and spices in exchange for wool and metal objects. Business flourished and the Dutch connect helped Gangaram harness enough wealth in a short time. He even bought shares worth rupees fourteen lakh from the royal company of Netherlands!

Kasimbazar and Murshidabad Map from the mid-18th century

Fair weather soon took a turn for the worse

The good things did not last long. The Danish and British didn’t like the intimacy between Gangaram and the Dutch. Eventually, the British businessmen made it difficult for Gangaram to live in Kasimbazar and he was forced to move to Holudpur in Saptagram around 1700A.D. In 1714A.D., the Dutch had a dispute over tax with the Nawabs. Things got worse and they had to leave Bengal closing their business down. Gangaram lost his entire investment of fourteen lakhs! This was the first time in the history of share market that a Bengali businessman sustained a loss of such colossal magnitude!

“Bon jour!”— to a new chapter

The French started trading in Sreerampur after the Dutch left. Gangaram’s son Sovaram started helping the French merchants with trade. He was only twenty four years when his father lost his shares worth fourteen lakhs. From 1714 – 1718A.D. the Bysack family went through a major financial crisis. The French trade flourished at Sreerampur and Chandannagar during 1718A.D. Sovaram helped the French to identify the best qualities of textile and spices and used to decide the best rates for them. He became their trusted advisor. His brother Ajodhyaram who was settled in Kasimbazar used to supply him with various kinds of fabrics, textiles and yarn for the trade, which he sold to the French businessmen.

Do keep a watch for our upcoming Episode 2!

25 thoughts on “Sovaram Bysack – The Lost Icon of Bengal – Episode 1”

  3. Great websіte. Lots of helpful info here. I’m sending it to a few friеnds ans also shɑring in delicious.

    And certainly, thanks for your effort!

  4. Great work. It was fascinating to read about Sovaram Basak’s life. I discovered this website when I was trying to find more information about Sovaram Basak. I am a descendant of him and I was trying to construct the family tree! One of my ancestors, Krishnalal Bysack travelled the world in early 1900s with his circus party. He wrote a book which was published in 1919.

    1. Hi Saikat, glad to hear that you have an interest to find out more about your ancestors. Please contact us on the number given in the contact us page and we can further talk. We might be able to help you.

    2. Please post the family tree. I am an part time historian and wanted the family tree of Sovaram Bysack’s living descendents.

      1. Hello Ratna Chaterjee,
        I am very happy to learn that you are interested to know the descendents trees of Sovaram Bysack.. .. I am glad.. I can send you the tree from Sovaram Bysack till today.. The last 11 layer of descendants. Would you share your email??
        By the way, I am the 9 th descendant of Sovaram Bysack vertebrae..
        Many regards
        Pinaki Bysack

    3. Hello Saikat babu,
      It’s great to know about one of your ancestor who traveled around the world and wrote a book too. Please could you share the name of the book so that I can try to read the same. Actually, my maternal side is ‘Basak’ and belongs to “Goranhata” for at least a century. So I’m so very interested to track down the history with all your help. Thanks in advance.
      Saurabh Seth

    1. Hi Soumyo,
      All Episope’s are now available in our website.

  6. Lovely piece — and website. By the way, would you have bibliographical and source references for the essays? That would be great for scholars.
    Thanks again,
    Indrajit

    1. Hi Indrajit,

      Please reach out to us directly on the number given in the contact us page of the website. We shall help you with the source of essays.

  7. লেখাটি পড়ে অনেক অজানা তথ্যের সন্ধান পেলাম…খুব সুন্দর লেখা …. শোভারাম বসাকের পরের প্রজন্ম সম্বন্ধে আরও জানতে চাই…কোথায় পাবো যদি একটু help করেন তবে খুব খুশি হবো..সৈকত বসাক বলে এক ভদ্রোলাক মনে হয় শোভারাম বসাকের বংশধর….তার ঠাকুরদার একটি বই আছে…সেটি আমি একটু জানতে চাই…যদি সম্ভব হয়….
    আমি আরও কিছু বিষয় জানতে আগ্রহী….শুধু মাত্র কৌতূহল…
    অনেক ধন্যবাদ….

    1. Thanks for showing interest. We have the book and can share it with you. Please contact us on 9073168399.

  10. Hello Editor,

    Please could you take similar initiative to explore the history of “Sett” or “Seth’ – another forgotten banian (traders) of Bengal.

    Seth & Basak – they are mostly named together in most of the references that I’ve read so far in historical documents. But we need some one to consolidate the fact scattered around and give a beautiful shape – reflecting the chronology of the passing time.
    Kind Regards,
    Saurabh Seth

  11. My grandfather late Kalachand Basak was a co-founder of Mohin Oil Co. Ltd. From a book written by sree Nagendra Nath Sett, “Tantu-Banik Jatir Itihas” I maybe a decendent of Basudeb Basak having a gotro “bromhorishi.Can someone help me in tracing my ancestors. I belong from the ” Rong bari” of beadon row.

    1. Hello sir. Can I get the book “Tantu-Banik Jatir Itihas”? Can I buy this somewhere? Or can you send me a PDF of that?

    2. Hello sir.
      Can I buy this book “Tantu-Banik Jatir Itihas” anywhere? Or is it possible to send me a PDF of it?

    3. Hello sir. I want this book Tantu-Banik Jatir Itihas. Is there any way I can contact you? Thanks.

  12. In the article you’ve mentioned of Gangaram Basak, but that name is missing in the family tree provided by you. Rather there is mention of one Ganga Narayan Basak.
    I’d like to know the correct name.

  13. Hello sir. Can I get the book “Tantu-Banik Jatir Itihas”? Can I buy this somewhere? Or can you send me a PDF of that?

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