In the midst of a pandemic that doesn't seem to have much end in sight, I feel like I'm forgetting what a "normal" social life looks like. Instead of going out with friends, I spend my weekends at home baking cakes and talking to my cat. And though I do like to wear dresses to feel a slight bit of normalcy, most of us have forgone suits, dresses, and high heels to live in athleisure outfits that may or may not be closer to "leisure" than "athletic". Our usual tendencies to show off with fancy clothing may have been, if not eliminated, at least greatly changed; while clad in sweatpants and t-shirts, we'd rather show off our newfound sourdough baking skills than a new purse.
Despite this shift to casual living, it is still difficult to imagine conspicuous consumption (the purchasing of goods to show off one's wealth) going away. Though many of us have lost our jobs in the pandemic, many people have thrived on it; the necessary changes to our consumption practices have greatly enriched certain companies and industries *coughJeff BezosCough*. Following global trends from the latter half of the past century, the gulf of economic inequality has only gotten bigger and bigger. However, as the rich get richer instead of bringing back crinolines and fine embroidery, they've turned to black turtlenecks and capsule wardrobes.
But why am I suddenly interested in conspicuous consumption? Well, I recently came across the story of a Bengali family in colonial Calcutta that would go around the city in a zebra cart. Yes, you read that right: they would travel around the city being pulled by a real-life zebra. This animal is not exactly endemic to South Asia, so this was a particularly extravagant display of wealth and eccentricity.
It's difficult to find many details about the above-mentioned zebra-cart-travelling Mullick family, but William Dalrymple characterizes them as a "merchant dynasty" (p. 408). This family was part of a continuously rising merchant class that inhabited the mansions of the city. The vibrant texture of Calcutta's urbanity was shaped by big families like the Tagores, the Ghosh's, and the Mullicks who sat at the top of the social hierarchy. Amidst the busy street life of Calcutta, a city famous for its delicious street food, aspiring poets, and thriving textile industry, these large families inhabited huge mansions and flaunted their wealth in the urban hustle and bustle. Their urban lifestyles come in great contrast to the quiet realities of pandemic cities where the rich would rather hide away than go flaunting their wealth with zebras in the streets (though it seems Teslas have become ever more popular).
Though Calcutta was no longer the capital of British India when the zebra-cart photo was taken (the capital moved in 1912), Calcutta was still a favourite for the British living in India. British men and women could roam about Calcutta enjoying many elements of British culture while also enjoying a raised social class compared to local Indians. Many a middle-class Brit had made his fortune in India, and when he came back to Britain he could bring a large fortune and new social mobility. These newly-rich men (there were more men than women going to India) were so common that the term Nabob (a bastardization of Nawab) started to be used to describe these British social climbers.
Like late capitalism, this earlier stage of capitalism that coincides with the British colonial period was defined by significant class divides, whether we are talking about British or Indian merchants. It is important to remember that more so than the sword, the British used the weaponry of trade to take over the subcontinent; most of India was not actually conquered by the British Crown itself, but bought (albeit coercively) piece-by-piece by the British East India Company. As the company took over India, it transformed the country's character by changing the previous Mughal systems and making capital ever more important. After the Mughal dynasty had dwindled to nothing through the reign of Bahadur Shah II, a British-Indian political system took its place.
Throughout history, the language of class has continuously changed. The modern social order is constantly being redefined; while many are questioning the prominence of the British royals, modern dynasties like the Kardashians have been making their way in society. Like the nabobs who benefitted from global inequality to raise their status, new aristocracies are being formed by those who have benefitted from a globalized economy that allows higher profit margins; by manufacturing goods in poorer countries where labour is cheap they can circumvent local labour laws, and with international shipping they can tap into countless markets. This has only increased with COVID-19.
As we slowly begin to emerge from our homes as the worst of the pandemic will (hopefully soon) be over, how will those who got rich over the pandemic spend their money? Or even for those of us who have not become wildly rich, what little ways will we find to show off as we see our friends and family again? Whether we are buying new clothes, exotic animals, or baking equipment, it will be interesting to see how conspicuous consumption changes in our post-pandemic reality.
Further Reading:
White Mughals by William Dalrymple
Calcutta Then Kolkata Now by Sunanda K. Dutta-Ray et. al.
Inglorious Empire: what the British did to India by Shashi Tharoor