 Irfan Habib believes the origin of "banya" to lie in the Sanskrit word variously rendered as "vanij", "vanik" and "banik", as does the name of the Banjara community of traders and transporters.He says that the Bania were historically India's "pre-eminent" trading community.In western India one merchant occupational group is called "Vani" or "Vania"; in Bengal the term is applied to all people who are involved in moneylending and similar activities.