Marwari

Northern Indian trading community
named after its place of origin, the
Marwar region surrounding Jodhpur in
Rajasthan. The Marwaris have spread
all over northern India; many of them
have become extremely wealthy. The
Marwaris are stereotyped as ruthless
and cutthroat in their business practices, yet at the same time, they are
munificent in donations to religious
causes, reflecting traditional religious
piety. The most successful Marwari families, such as the Birlas, still control large
parts of the Indian economy. Marwari
support and patronage is an important
consideration for all northern Indian
political parties.