The Price of Prestige
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34 chapter two
constant instability in the selection of luxury goods. They also drive cycles
of exaggeration and guide patterns of diffusion. The processes through
which status symbols are chosen and consolidated further highlight the
social aspects of prestige seeking behavior. Theorizing the logic of status
symbols is therefore imperative for our understanding of the composi
tion of international commodity bundles that are adopted by conspicuous
consumers.
The use of expansive weaponry as an extravagant status symbol offers
a handy illustration of these dynamics. Weapons have long been used as
international status symbols, and the talented writers of Yes Prime Min-
ister were not the first to note it. The opening scene of Kipling’s famous
novel Kim, for example, finds the young protagonist playing King of the
Hill on top of the imposing cannon Zam Zammah in Lahore: “Who hold
Zam Zammah, that ‘fire breathing dragon,’ hold the Punjab; for the great
green bronze piece is always first of the conqueror’s loot” (Kipling [ 1901 ]
2004 , 3 ). Indeed, Zam Zammah, a cannon famous enough to warrant a sin
gular name, was the largest cannon cast in India. Given its size and weight,
it is not surprising that its twin, an identical “fire breathing dragon,” was
lost during a river crossing (Hopkirk 2001 , 43 – 45 ). Zam Zammah itself
was damaged in battle and became an immobile showpiece and a symbol
of power: a perfect location for a bitterly fought game of King of the Hill.
By Kipling’s time, Zam Zammah symbolized power not because it was pow
erful but because it was coveted by the powerful.
Zam Zammah is indicative of a larger Indian trend. Throughout the
eighteenth century, local leaders tended to procure increasingly large can
nons to the extent that they often necessitated “elephants and hundreds
of bullocks to drag around” (Bryant 2004 , 458 ). Such heavy pieces of ar
tillery were certainly an imposing sight, but they proved inferior to lighter
and more maneuverable British cannons. The fate of Zam Zammah and its
sunken twin is a good example for the questionable strategic value of exces
sively large cannons. This move toward maladaptive gigantism is not unique
to India or to cannons. During World War II, for example, German tanks
grew rapidly in size, weight, and cost. The Panzer I and II, which formed the
bulk of German tank forces during the successful initial stages of the war,
weighed 5. 4 and 8. 9 tons respectively. The Panther tanks that were intro
duced in the later stages of the war weighed close to 45 tons. At 68 tons, the
Tiger II tanks were just a precursor to the development of an even heavier
tank, the Panzer VIII Maus. Only two prototypes of the Maus were built.
At 188 tons, this slow and expensive tank was too heavy for most bridges
