This is the tale of three distinct yet related groups of people from Eastern Asia. Centuries of struggles to strive and thrive resulted in different people developing different skills. At some level they shared the common experience, yet they fought tough battles to retain their identity. The tale takes an ominous turn in the middle of 17th century when British East India Company showed up at the doors of Mumbai (Bombay), Bangalore, and Shanghai. There they discovered the local resources that no other continent could match in numbers.


The tale of Munshi (or office worker)

At Bangalore and other coastal areas of the then Mogul India, East India Company discovered people who were experts in learning the new English language, the skills of money management and general office support. These were the skills that can be summed in a word Munshi or the officer-support person who is adept in maintaining records, handling money matters and learning other management skills in foreign languages at a breakneck speed. This was uniquely Indian character that allowed 30 plus odd languages to survive over the centuries along with the language of the most recent rulers, Persian, Indian people were not only good in learning new language, but excelling in it to the level as of the native speakers when it came to producing literature. British really appreciated their skills and employed them in droves all over their colonies.


The tale of Mistri (the factory worker)

Back in the middle of 17th century, the British traders experienced different breed of men and women in areas of China such as Shanghai. The locals had evolved to be the top notch factory workers who excelled in making things that were super fine like the native silk for the past 5000 years. Those skills came in handy when they started churning by the thousands little trinkets, clothing, woman blouses, shoes, and you name it. British set up large factories in Shanghai and with the help of Chinese industrial worker or ‘Mistri” started exporting large quantities of clothing and other household material.


The tale of Sepahi (the soldier)

The word ‘Sepahi’ or its English version Sepoy represents the third important group of people discovered by the British. The word itself has Turkish origins. Sipahis (also spelled as Sipahis, Sepahis or Spakh) were an elite mounted force within the Six Divisions of Cavalry of the Ottoman Empire. In peacetime they also collected taxes.

Just like Mistri, and Munshi, British government was able to tap into locals for loyal, professional, extremely capable soldiers mostly from Northwestern region of British India that existed as one large province of Punjab until 1910 when North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) was made a separate unit. Other warrior tribes of Western India like Rajputs also served in the British army with gallantry and professionalism on par with the European soldiers.

British Indian Army was the main force that kept Middle East safe during the World Wars. One of the many important considerations for the future of British India was to keep this army from getting involved in civil wars when British would hand over the control to the locals.


Modern day China, India, and Pakistan

As we see these days, the three Asian nations most vital for the West are China, India, and Pakistan. Regardless of their system of government, the three amigos are serving the West as the major source of factory workers (Mistri) in China, office contractors (Munshi) in India, and defense contractors (Sipahi) in Pakistan.

The three roles have also shaped the politics of the three countries. Chinese are working single mindedly to be the top producers of the factory goods. It has forced the Chinese government to open up and allow more freedom to its people. They have quietly set aside the ideals of Mao and are busy making money while serving the West. Indians are unabashedly working as clerks, accountants, and general office support while based in Banglore and other IT hot spots of India. Long gone are the ideals of Nehru’s socialism. The two major political parties of India: the Congress, and the BJP are in fact driven by the Munshi lobbies and other IT interests.

Pakistan has remained and will do so in the foreseeable future a country unwilling to be a Munshi or a Mistri. It has single mindedly kept its Sipahi image for the last 60 odd years. While doing so it has protected the region from Soviets by working hand in glove with US and British forces. Even though some Pakistani policy makers have tried to make it as a country of Mistris or a Munshis, but the nation has kicked them out of power. The nation of Sipahis has consistently refused to be ruled by Mistris or Munshis.

So far the biggest money makers are the Mistris of China and they would like to do so in near future. Indians will remain Munshi even when they are trying very hard to take Mistri business away from China. Pakistanis will keep on getting Sipahi contracts from the West no matter how hard the generals of Pakistan try to portray the country as “better than India” in the IT sector.

In the age of super specialized professions such as doctors, engineers and other professions, the best course for China, India, and Pakistan will continue to work with the West in their 350 years old roles: the mistri, the munshi, and the Sipahi.