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The Parsees, who emphasize "think not but of thy duty, and dare not to do what is not right," originated from Persia (now Iran) and settled in India. They believe in Zoroastrianism, worship fire, practice endogamy, and preserve the tradition of sky burial... These unique cultures not only make the Parsees stand out, but also affect their way of survival and business. Although the Parsees have a small population, their characteristic of being "good merchants and profit-makers" has made them loyal to the British Empire. They were selected as "Empire Partners" and followed the U.K. as it expanded globally. They have played their strengths in industries such as trading, transportation, shipbuilding, industry, banking, insurance, finance, and real estate, not only creating huge wealth for themselves, but also making their ethnic name engraved in modern business history. In Hong Kong, Parsee businessmen were once prosperous, but with the decline of the U.K.'s national strength and wealth, their business growth was also impeded. In addition, the endogamy culture and the change of reproductive attitudes of the new generation have made many Parsee family businesses unable to continue, and the ethnic group has gradually disappeared in Hong Kong. By revisiting the stories of four Parsee families - the Tatas, Modis, Godrejs and Wadias, not only we see the interaction between family inheritance and corporate rise and fall, but also how commercial power affects the development of modern China and the world.
- AuthorVictor Zheng Wan-tai
- PublisherJoint Publishing
- Publication Date2022
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