Merchants of Virtue by Divya Cherian is a richly researched work of history that explores how Hindus, Muslims, and Untouchables lived, worked, and negotiated status in eighteenth-century South Asia. It brings together trade, caste, religion, and social hierarchy to show how ideas of virtue and community shaped everyday life.
Readers interested in South Asian history and society will find a vivid, thoughtful account of power and identity in a changing world. With clear scholarship and a compelling narrative, this book offers a deeper understanding of the people and institutions that influenced the region’s commercial and cultural life.
