Mr Upjohn’s Debts: Money and Friendship in Early Colonial Calcutta

Robb, Peter

Abstract

The paper discusses the effective operation of money and credit among Europeans in Calcutta around 1800, arguing for the importance of informal processes and ties of friendship that facilitated, regulated and enforced agreements, helping both to tide over individuals in times of economic stress and to underwrite the provision and transfer of capital. The argument is advanced by a detailed case study in regard to debts owed by one resident, Aaron Upjohn, to another, Richard Blechynden, amidst a web of acquaintance, officialdom and law that variously ensured that the debts were honoured. It is defined as ‘a support system among acquaintances, necessitated in part by shortage of money and abundance of risk’.

Citation

Robb, P. (2013). Mr Upjohn’s Debts: Money and Friendship in Early Colonial Calcutta. Modern Asian Studies, 47(4), 1185-1217. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0026749X12000625

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 9, 2013
• Deposit Date: Mar 16, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 24, 2025
• Journal: Modern Asian Studies
• Print ISSN: 0026-749X
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-8099
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 47
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 1185-1217
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0026749X12000625
• Keywords: Calcutta, friendship, money, debt