The Gazetteers Department

MAJOR GRAHAM IN HIS REPORT [Op. cit., pp. 117-8.] RECORDED 15 COPPERSMITHS and as many sellers of copper and brass utensils in Kolhapur. The Old Gazetteer of Kolhapur recorded that there were about 70 families of copper-smiths or tambats and kasars in a few large towns of old Kolhapur State. The metal dealers at Kolhapur brought copper and brass sheets from Poona and Satara and occasionally from Sangli and sold them to local smiths at annas seven to eight per pound. They made water jars, mugs, and cooking-vessels from these raw materials. This craft was not particularly prosperous in Kolhapur owing to large imports of ready-made vessels from Nasik, Poona, Rajapur Satara and Shahapur.

Professor Modak in his report [Op. cit., 1895, pp. 62-3.] on Industrial Survey of Kolhapur Territory said that all the copper and brass utensils for cooking and drinking required over this extensive territory were imported from Rajapur, Poona, Satara, Shahapur and Terdal. In 1894, the import of these vessels in Kolhapur town was worth Rs. 40,000. Dr. Balkrishna in his survey (1926) recorded 31 copper-smith shops with 71 employees and 16 establishments of dealers in brass and copper utensils with 19 employees. In 1947, [N. V. Sovani, Op. cit., pp. 72-3.] there were 29 establishments employing a total of 73 persons. Of these, 14 were in D ward, nine in A ward, and two each in B and C wards. There were 27 establishments of copper and brass-smiths at the time of our survey. Of these, 17 were located in C ward, six in B ward and four in A ward. The total employment in these shops was 44 persons.

Three shops of different sizes were taken in the sample survey. One of them was started in 1890 and two in 1941 and 1950 respectively. Copper and brass-smithy was the principal occupation of these shops and the employers were dependent on it throughout the year.

A total of 19 persons was engaged in the three establishments in the sample. Of these 17 were members of employers' families. A skilled worker who was making utensils was paid Rs. 40 per month in two shops and Rs. 45 in the other. The total wage bill of each establishment was Rs. 270, Rs. 120 and Rs. 120 per month.

The equipment in these shops was bellows, hammers, scissors and other tools. The cost of equipment in one of the establishments was about Rs. 500, in the other two it was about Rs. 250 each. The annual repairing charges of equipment varied from Rs. 20 to Rs. 100 according to the quantum of equipment in the concerns.

The necessary initial capital required for these establishments in the sample was raised by owners from their own resources. All the three were situated in rented premises. The rent of each varied from Rs. 12 to Rs. 19 per month.

The main raw materials required were brass and copper sheets. They were supplied by shopkeepers who gave orders. The consumption of these materials per month of each shop was about 20, 12, and 8 Bengali maunds. Besides copper and brass, other raw materials required were tin, sulphuric acid, borax, salammoniac, tamarind and coal. Of these coal and tin were important. The consumption of coal of each shop varied from 15 to 20 maunds per month.

Most of the establishments received orders from local markets and very few from other parts of the district. The business was more or less steady throughout the year.

TOP