Toliwalas

The intermediaries with whom the labour supplying firms entered into contract for supplying labour at the harbour during the nineteenth century.They were the job contractors and also known variously as ‘serangs’, ‘mukaddams’ and the entry for migrants into the dockyard labour market was mediated through them. The Toliwalas apart from recruiting at the gates, would also go down into their own villages and bring along men into the city who sought work at the docks or other industries. Payment of wages was made through them who also acted as small agents. In many cases, the labourers were not paid in cash at the end of each day, rather the toliwala kept it with himself in the account of the individual labourer, who was allowed to withdraw an amount sufficient only for his maintenance. Thus they functioned also as bankers to the workers. A number of times, a group of workers resided with the toliwala in lieu of rent and so these intermediaries also acted as landlords to workers who had no place to stay in the new city.