The Gazetteers Department

GOLD AND SILVER INDUSTRY had been very prominent in this district since the middle of 19th century. The total number of establishments of gold smiths and shroffs in the city was 95 in 1854. [Graham, The Statistical report on the principality of Kolhapur, 1854, p. 492.] In 1926, Dr. Balkrishna in his survey [Op. cit., p. 1.] on Kolhapur town reported that gold and silver smithy, was the only one big industry in the city. Out of 247 shops of jewellers of goldsmiths 185 were of gold-smiths who were manufacturers of gold and silver ornaments. Sonars, marathas, brahmins, jains, muslims, kshatriyas and lohars were the main communities engaged in the industry.

There were 181 establishments in the city at the time of survey; 80 per cent, of these were located in B and C wards and the remaining in A, D and E wards. The total employment in all of them together was 508 out of whom 204 were members of employers' families and 304 paid workers. Six establishments were surveyed in the sample. Of these, three were started round about 1920, the fourth in 1930 and the remaining two in 1944 and 1950 respectively. Manufacture of gold and silver ornaments was the principal occupation in all the establishments in the sample. The occupation provided employment throughout the year. They were started by the proprietors with their own capital.

The equipment of a goldsmith was anvil, bellows, hammers, pincers, pots, crucibles, moulds and nails for ornamental work, tika autti, [A type of mould required for making tika.] saj autti, [A type of mould required for making saj.] drilling machine, cupboards, chairs, etc. The cost of equipment varied from Rs. 500 to Rs. 2,000. In the largest establishment it was more than Rs. 2,000.

Two establishments were Situated in owned premises, and the remaining four in rented premises. The rent varied from Rs. 8 per month to Rs. 50 per month, being Rs. 30, Rs. 35 and Rs. 50 respectively in three cases. The working capital of the smallest unit in the sample was Rs. 500 and of the biggest Rs. 50,000.

The raw materials required by these artisans were gold, silver and copper. Four establishments were consuming only gold and a negligible quantity of silver, one only silver and the last one both gold and silver. The quantity of gold consumed by five establishments varied from 10 tolas to 50 tolas per month. The one which was using only silver consumed 1,000 tolas of silver and the other one which was using both silver and gold consumed 25 tolas gold and 800 tolas silver. Raw materials were provided by shroffs in the city to four out of six establishments in the sample and the artisans charged wages for the manufacture of the ornaments.

Two establishments had no paid employees and were managed by members of proprietors' families. The other two employed six paid employees and four persons from the members of owners' families. In the remaining two, five members of owners' families and three paid employees were engaged. Wages of paid employees varied from Rs. 30 to Rs. 100 per month. The wages of an employee who did the work of polishing, was Rs. 35. Tika maker was paid Rs. 65 per month and saj maker Rs. 100 per month. All these workers had to work from seven to ten hours a day.

These artisans usually manufactured gold and silver ornaments like tikas, necklaces, beads, chains, idols, rings, saj, and silver utensils, vessels etc. They mostly received orders from local shroffs or bigger establishments dealing in gold and silver. Four of the six establishments in sample received orders from shroffs. They only took wages in return for the manufactured products. These artisans served the orders of the whole district as well as Khandesh. The earning of these establishments varied from Rs. 150 to Rs, 850 per month. Business in three out of six establishments was profitable and in the remaining three the margin of profit was reported to be very low.

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