Kanbi and Patidar: A Study of the Patidar Community of Gujarat Book

The Patidar of Gujarat, originally Kanbi, rose to wealth and influence in the nineteenth century. Diversification of wealth stimulated the development of competitive hypergamy within the caste. To counter both the heavy expenses of this development and the flow of women 'upward', unions of villages, ekada, limiting intermarriage to those of equal standing, were first formed in the nineteenth century.

Kambi and Patidar describes the rise of this caste, and, through the detailed analysis of one ekada, demonstrates the principles of their growth, the pressures limiting their success, and their implications for the future of the caste.