 The Kanbis' economic well-being was enhanced further from the 1860s due to improvements in crop selection, farming methods and transportation.They began to diversify their business interests and some with higher status also replaced the field labour of their families – especially the women – with hired labour in an attempt to emulate the Bania communities, who had Vaishya status in the varna ranking system.The Kanbis had been of the less respectable Shudra rank.