Friendship and the social life of merchants in South Asia: the articulation of homosocial intimacies in Banarasidas’ Ardhakathanaka

This article explores the emotion of friendship among merchant communities in early modern South Asia. Based on autobiography a Jain merchant, Banarasidas, it argues that as an was invoked multiple social contexts, sometimes to reinforce normative boundaries, and other times subvert them. Even so, always multivalent, extended beyond dyadic relationships. The outreach crucial reinforcing community kin ties. In case communities, played role trade business activities very often sentiment sustained partnerships. Friendship also ensured trust merchants, enabling free flow goods services Ardhakathanaka is written versified Braj language. exploring text for history, I have looked at relationship between language emotions. Written vernacular language, combines literacy with performativity this, argue, imbues specific emotions intense, sensorial embodied. At same time, choice genre its relations no less significant. Within autobiographical genre, serve indices constitution selfhood. articulation allows Banarasidas situate his self within thick web intimate Focusing Ardhakathanaka, this paper looks entangled style are not entirely constituted through discourse, still wish suggest co-dependent entities.