Beggarmaster Character Analysis in A Fine Balance

Beggarmaster both protects and extorts money from beggars in the city where most of the novel takes place. He learns that he’s the half-brother of Shankar, one of many beggars who, under Beggarmaster’s orders, underwent “procedures” at a young age to remove limbs or give them a disease in order to appear more sympathetic while begging. Despite Beggarmaster’s cruelty at times, he becomes an important protector of Dina against her landlord. Beggarmaster embodies the moral gray areas of life during the Emergency, showing how corrupt people could rise to power. But his character also shows how, when it made financial sense, these corrupt figures could do more to promote justice than traditional authority figures. Nevertheless, Beggarmaster dies due to a heavy bag of coins in his hand, symbolizing the consequences of greed.

Beggarmaster Quotes in A Fine Balance

The A Fine Balance quotes below are all either spoken by Beggarmaster or refer to Beggarmaster. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“Terrible accident. He lost control of his gaadi. Flew off the pavement … straight into a double-decker bus.” He swallowed and said he hadn’t witnessed it himself but had identified the remains. “With all my years in this profession, my eyes have seen much that is gruesome. But never anything this horrible. Both Shankar and the gaadi were crushed completely—not possible to separate the two. Removing the wood and castors embedded in his flesh would have meant mutilating his poor body still more. It will have to be cremated with him.”

Related Characters: Beggarmaster (speaker), Shankar, Dina, Nosey

Page Number and Citation: 491

Explanation and Analysis:

What was with him, explained Ibrahim, was the large bag full of coins, chained to his wrist, which he had been out gathering from his beggars. Anchored to the ground by this deadweight, one hand immobilized, he was trapped. He thrashed and flailed with the free arm, kicking his legs about, while the frail murderer laboured on, sitting astride his victim’s back, trying to make the blade pass through the clothes, break the skin, enter the flesh and pierce the heart.

Related Characters: Ibrahim, Monkey-man, Beggarmaster, Dina, Shankar

Page Number and Citation: 454

Explanation and Analysis:

Beggarmaster Character Timeline in A Fine Balance

The timeline below shows where the character Beggarmaster appears in A Fine Balance. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...hands that they talk to for a while. He tells them about a man called Beggarmaster who disfigures people or gives them illnesses so that they can earn more sympathy—and more... (full context)

Beggarmaster comes to the camp and recognizes his old worker Shankar (whom he calls Worm). Shankar... (full context)

Shankar tells Ishvar and Omprakash that he’s going back with Beggarmaster. He says he can get Beggarmaster to take them too, but Beggarmaster is less interested... (full context)

Monkey-man was knocked out when the crowd turned against him earlier. Beggarmaster doesn’t take him, but he does take Monkey-man’s little niece and nephew in the truck,... (full context)

Beggarmaster drives the truck to a shanty town, and Ishvar and Omprakash learn that some slums... (full context)

Beggarmaster arrives at Dina’s to collect Ishvar and Omprakash’s money. She tells him that the next... (full context)

Dina isn’t sure whether or not to trust Beggarmaster, so she still plans to see Nusswan. Ishvar and Omprakash decide to go back to... (full context)

Just then, Beggarmaster comes back again. He says that two of his beggars have been killed. They had... (full context)

After Beggarmaster leaves, Omprakash and Ishvar talk about how Rajaram must be the killer of the two... (full context)

After three months, the kittens suddenly disappear, and no one knows what happened to them. Beggarmaster comes to collect his money and finds everyone in a gloomy mood because they miss... (full context)

Beggarmaster’s father bought Nosey, and not long after, she had a child—Shankar—who was soon taken away... (full context)

Beggarmaster says he may tell Shankar the truth eventually, but first he wants Omprakash and Ishvar... (full context)

...the two beggars for their hair. Hearing this, Ishvar is horrified but reassures Rajaram that Beggarmaster doesn’t know who the killer is. Rajaram says he only killed the two beggars because... (full context)

...to run into Shankar by the Vishram. Shankar says he’s waiting for a haircut from Beggarmaster’s barber. Maneck walks on. Shankar doesn’t know that the Beggarmaster’s usual barber declined the job... (full context)

...set. He decides to mail it back to Avinash’s parents. He goes back to Dina’s. Beggarmaster arrives, looking for Omprakash and Ishvar, forgetting they would be gone. Beggarmaster says he just... (full context)

Beggarmaster wants to invite Omprakash and Ishvar to attend Shankar’s cremation. Maneck offers to go in... (full context)

...get Dina to come with him for her safety but leaves her alone soon after Beggarmaster shows up. (full context)

...and Ishvar still have not arrived as promised. Dina tells everyone asking for money, including Beggarmaster, that she’s sure they just got held up with the wedding. Dina worries about the... (full context)

...that man is Monkey-man. Monkey-man says he has some very important business to discuss with Beggarmaster. Dina says he just missed Beggarmaster, but Beggarmaster will be back next Thursday. Monkey-man thanks... (full context)

...man comes to reclaim the sewing machines from Dina because Ishvar and Omprakash haven’t paid. Beggarmaster doesn’t show up at his usual time. She gets a surprise when Ibrahim shows up... (full context)

Apparently, based on the evidence, Beggarmaster’s killer was feeble but got lucky, because Beggarmaster’s big bag of coins pinned his hand... (full context)

A Fine Balance

Beggarmaster Character Analysis

Beggarmaster Quotes in A Fine Balance

Chapter 14 Quotes

Chapter 16 Quotes

Beggarmaster Character Timeline in A Fine Balance