Mica Kings
Encyclopedia
Mica Kings refer to a business house, which took shape in the early twentieth century, in Koderma, Jharkhand
state, India
. This business house, at one point in time, controlled the largest share of mica
mining
and export activity in the world.
. Chota Nagpur Plateau consists of three smaller plateaus of Ranchi
, Hazaribagh
, and Koderma. The CH saga, the birth, growth and the emergence of the business house of Mica Kings (Chhattu Ram Horil Ram Private Limited, in short, CH Pvt. Ltd., or mostly known simply as CH), emerged in the plateau of Koderma.
The Damodar river
rises from Chota Nagpur Plateau and flows eastward 592 kilometers through the West Bengal
to join Hoogli River, southward of Kolkata
. The Damodar valley is a treasure trove of a variety of mineral
s, from vast deposits of coal
and iron ore to several others. Mica, mostly with a silvery shine, but available in various other colours, is one of them. Mica slabs in Koderama plateau were found by British
engineers in the later part of the nineteenth century, while laying the (Grand Chord
section) of railway tracks, which link Howrah, (Calcutta, West Bengal) and Mughalsarai
(near Varanasi
, Uttar Pradesh
).
CH had extended their business empire from a small place in the eastern India
to the western part of India in Mumbai (then called Bombay, and the capital of Bombay Presidency
, and to regions of Gujarat. Currently (2006) their activities are limited to Jhumri Telaiya, a small town in Jharkhand. CH still holds prized properties in Mumbai and one of it is Belgium consulate in Mumbai.
Chandauri Mica Sydicate, Located in Chandouri, Dist. Giridih was also one of the Major Mica Exporting Company was there. Late Bandhu Ram was the proprietor of this company. His three son Shri. Dwarika Ram, Rajendra Ram and Shri Ashok Kumar did not tried to leas the business and change their occupation. Shri Dwarika Ram became a High School Teacher and he is one of the renowned person in the Giridih Dist.CMC was also a leading minning company owned by Agarwals.
Vaisya boys, hardly having any schooling and not directly related to each other, but having a common surname
, (Bhadani) – one, Chhattu Ram Bhadani and the other, Horil Ram Bhadani joined hands with only 500 pieces of British India One Rupee
Silver coins (about 5 kg of silver, present valuation 1000 USD or 50000 INR) and commenced building a mica mining and exporting venture. This business venture within a short span of 2 decades, from the period of the First World War (1914-1919), and the intervening period, till the Second World War (1939-1945) had emerged as a Business Empire, which, at a point of time, controlled, the largest share of mica mining and exporting activity in the World.
This growth attracted attention of the then-elite business circle of India. CH had properties all over India, i.e. Bombay, Kolkatta, Benaras, Otty, and Delhi, but surprisingly none exist today. Recently CH owned property in Cumbala Hills, Mumbai, which housed Belgium consulate has been disposed of for a whopping sum. That Business Empire, over a period of time, could not sustain growth as they were not successful in any other venture and declined on account of several factors, including downturn in the business cycle
. But, the fact remains that such a business growth has remained a rare phenomenon in the economic history of Jharkhand state, India.
Later business was moved to government corporations sometime in 1973-74 through a government venture called as Bihar Mica Syndicate which was having Mica mines in Sapahi, 40 km from Jhumri Telaiya. This government venture was renamed to Bihar State Mineral Development corporation (BSMDC), which is now known as Jharkhand State Mineral Development corporation (JSMDC) (after the formation of a new state of Jharkhand).
Mica mining through government corporations went on well into the mid 1990s and slowly succumbed to lack of demand / political willpower and changing times.
connectivity to Jhumri Telaiya.
Now, almost 100 years thereafter, the town lacks even good internet
connectivity.
None of the CH clan made big, even though some of them have been educated in US and UK and they disappeared as an influential business group as fast as they had emerged. Several reasons are attributed for the same including government policies, wildlife problems , rising threats from local mafias etc.
The old generation of CH clan are settled in Jhumri telaiya although their business had spread across the globe during the War I and war II, none felt the need to move out. The younger generation are well settled in various metros in India. They are even consolidating the properties spread in various places and it is learnt that the prized property in Mumbai housing Belgium consulate in Cumbala hills have been disposed off for whopping sum.
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
state, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. This business house, at one point in time, controlled the largest share of mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and export activity in the world.
Location
Koderma is a small place and is located in ChhottanagpurChota Nagpur Plateau
The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and the basin of the Mahanadi River lies to the south...
. Chota Nagpur Plateau consists of three smaller plateaus of Ranchi
Ranchi
-Climate:Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar...
, Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipality in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is famous as a health resort and for Hazaribagh National Park ....
, and Koderma. The CH saga, the birth, growth and the emergence of the business house of Mica Kings (Chhattu Ram Horil Ram Private Limited, in short, CH Pvt. Ltd., or mostly known simply as CH), emerged in the plateau of Koderma.
The Damodar river
Damodar River
Damodar River originates near Chandwa village, Palamau district, on the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Jharkhand state in eastern India, and flows eastward for about 592 km through the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the estaury of the River Hooghly...
rises from Chota Nagpur Plateau and flows eastward 592 kilometers through the West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
to join Hoogli River, southward of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. The Damodar valley is a treasure trove of a variety of mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s, from vast deposits of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and iron ore to several others. Mica, mostly with a silvery shine, but available in various other colours, is one of them. Mica slabs in Koderama plateau were found by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
engineers in the later part of the nineteenth century, while laying the (Grand Chord
Grand Chord
Grand Chord- also known as The Life line of India is a section of the Indian Railways and is one of the two parts of the main Delhi-Howrah route. It acts as a link between Sitarampur, and Mughal Sarai, Uttar Pradesh, and covers a stretch of 450 km...
section) of railway tracks, which link Howrah, (Calcutta, West Bengal) and Mughalsarai
Mughalsarai
Mughalsarai is a city and a municipal board in Chandauli district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Located around 10 km from Varanasi, it is an important railway junction of the Indian Railways. Once, it enjoyed the position of the largest railway marshalling yard of Asia...
(near Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
).
CH had extended their business empire from a small place in the eastern India
East India
East India is a region of India consisting of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The states of Orissa and West Bengal share some cultural and linguistic characteristics with Bangladesh and with the state of Assam. Together with Bangladesh, West Bengal formed the...
to the western part of India in Mumbai (then called Bombay, and the capital of Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
, and to regions of Gujarat. Currently (2006) their activities are limited to Jhumri Telaiya, a small town in Jharkhand. CH still holds prized properties in Mumbai and one of it is Belgium consulate in Mumbai.
Mica in modern time
However, discovery of electricity, and continuous proliferation of appliances using electricity from the late nineteenth century / early twentieth century, gave an unprecedented boost to mica mining and related activities. The CH Private Limited, along with certain other business houses, emerged as one of the pioneers, who spearheaded the mica movement in India, from the early part of twentieth century to next 50 years.Chandauri Mica Sydicate, Located in Chandouri, Dist. Giridih was also one of the Major Mica Exporting Company was there. Late Bandhu Ram was the proprietor of this company. His three son Shri. Dwarika Ram, Rajendra Ram and Shri Ashok Kumar did not tried to leas the business and change their occupation. Shri Dwarika Ram became a High School Teacher and he is one of the renowned person in the Giridih Dist.CMC was also a leading minning company owned by Agarwals.
Birth of Mica Kings
At that time, two simple, innocent and very young MahuriMahuri
Mahuri is a Hindu caste under Vaisya varna.Mahuri Vaisya people are reported to have migrated from the city of Mathura and surrounding rural locations to the then suba of Bengal under the Mughal Empire...
Vaisya boys, hardly having any schooling and not directly related to each other, but having a common surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
, (Bhadani) – one, Chhattu Ram Bhadani and the other, Horil Ram Bhadani joined hands with only 500 pieces of British India One Rupee
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
Silver coins (about 5 kg of silver, present valuation 1000 USD or 50000 INR) and commenced building a mica mining and exporting venture. This business venture within a short span of 2 decades, from the period of the First World War (1914-1919), and the intervening period, till the Second World War (1939-1945) had emerged as a Business Empire, which, at a point of time, controlled, the largest share of mica mining and exporting activity in the World.
This growth attracted attention of the then-elite business circle of India. CH had properties all over India, i.e. Bombay, Kolkatta, Benaras, Otty, and Delhi, but surprisingly none exist today. Recently CH owned property in Cumbala Hills, Mumbai, which housed Belgium consulate has been disposed of for a whopping sum. That Business Empire, over a period of time, could not sustain growth as they were not successful in any other venture and declined on account of several factors, including downturn in the business cycle
Business cycle
The term business cycle refers to economy-wide fluctuations in production or economic activity over several months or years...
. But, the fact remains that such a business growth has remained a rare phenomenon in the economic history of Jharkhand state, India.
Later business was moved to government corporations sometime in 1973-74 through a government venture called as Bihar Mica Syndicate which was having Mica mines in Sapahi, 40 km from Jhumri Telaiya. This government venture was renamed to Bihar State Mineral Development corporation (BSMDC), which is now known as Jharkhand State Mineral Development corporation (JSMDC) (after the formation of a new state of Jharkhand).
Mica mining through government corporations went on well into the mid 1990s and slowly succumbed to lack of demand / political willpower and changing times.
Legacy
It is remarkable that even after a lapse of 50 years after the Second World War, in Jhumri Telaiya town (Koderma), Jharkhand state, India, from where the CH Saga had begun, two government-run educational institutions, a movie theatre, a private school and several other establishments still bear the Bhadani name. Persons having CH recommendations use to get decent jobs in all the premier companies of India. Once upon a time, The CH brought in 1920’s telephoneTelephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
connectivity to Jhumri Telaiya.
Now, almost 100 years thereafter, the town lacks even good internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
connectivity.
None of the CH clan made big, even though some of them have been educated in US and UK and they disappeared as an influential business group as fast as they had emerged. Several reasons are attributed for the same including government policies, wildlife problems , rising threats from local mafias etc.
The old generation of CH clan are settled in Jhumri telaiya although their business had spread across the globe during the War I and war II, none felt the need to move out. The younger generation are well settled in various metros in India. They are even consolidating the properties spread in various places and it is learnt that the prized property in Mumbai housing Belgium consulate in Cumbala hills have been disposed off for whopping sum.