Though insurance may have been used by the Babylonians, the Greeks and the Romans,  insurance in the modern sense originated in the Mediterranean  during the 13 th and a 14th century. (1) MARINE INSURANCE:  The marine insurance business probably stared in North Italy  by the end of the 12th century. It is a said that the first marine insurance called . “Polliza” was issued in 1300 in Italy . In 1300 ., Charter  of insurance” was established  in Belgium, . Similar developments  took place in other  European  countries like Spain, , France , Germany and Holland. In England the marine insurance was a  introduced by Italian merchants .,  (I, e, Lombard Merchants), who settled  in England and controlled  a large portion of British trade in 15th and 16 the centuries , . Lombard were great traders  and in addition to their goods, they brought with them  the marine insurance practice,  They were doing their business in the street of  London  which was a later on called  the famous , “ Lombard street” a popular place for marine insurance transactions. 

The present form if a marine insurance was developed with the formation of Lloyds Associations in 1692, in London by one Mr. Edward Lloyd a coffee merchant,  with the publication of Lloyds news.  The merchants  dealing with the marine insurance used to the assemble in the coffee house. The Lloyds Associations members  would undertaken the marine  liability according  to their financial  position. Even today  , Lloyds  Associations forms an important part of the world marine insurance market.  Later on  marine insurance , underwent a lot of a  changes and finally Marine insurance Act 1906, was a  enacted  in England., Similar  enactments were made in other countries also. In  India, Marine insurance Act was a   enacted in 1963,. The marine insurance business was nationalized  by forming  GIC of India, .

The four public sector general insurance companies  and 9 private companies  are permitted to undertaken general insurance business including  marine insurance. (2).  FIRE INSURANCE;  The origin  of fire insurance can be traced in the 16th century  in Germany . In 1609, in Oldenburg, a scheme was made to indemnify  in the fire victims by the collecting a certain premium., The real development in the field of the fire insurance took place after the great fire  in London In 1666, which lasted for 4 days and 4 nights  and destroyed  over 13,200 out of the 15,000 hoses and devastated 373 and 460 acres of the city of the London , besides many public  building. The first fire office was a created in 1680, in England and later on  “Sun Fire”  office was a started in 1710.   The industrial  Revolution  gave impetus  to the fire insurance business  because there was a great expansions  of material  wealth, machinery etc.,   sector general insurance companies, of India  and few private  companies. 

Prior to nationalization of general insurance business, out of the 107 branches of general insurance companies, 92, were doing fire insurance business in India.  (3).  LIFE INSURANCE:  Life insurance in it's a modern from is a western concept . The origin of life insurance place in the England in 16th century with the issuance of the first life insurance policy, on the life or Mr. William Gybbons of 18th June 1583, The policy was on issued for one year  term. In 18th century , societies, began to be formed for issuing  life  policies. Among such societies  the Amicable Society (1705) the equitable Life Assurance Society (1762), the West Minister society (1792), were very popular.  In India the first life  company was started in 1818, as Oriental life  company mainly to provide protection for widows of Europeans . .

 the years subsequent to the Swedeshi movement saw the emergence of several insurance  companies.  At the end of the year 1955, there are were 245 companies  and provident societies  out of the which  16 were non-Indian  companies. All  the  companies were nationalized  in 1956, and brought  under one the umbrella of LIC.  . Now 12 private  insurance  companies  are in the life insurance  business in India.   (4).  MISCELLANEOUS  INSURANCE:  In view of the increasing  demand, different forms of miscellaneous  insurance  have been developed . Industrial  revolution of 19th Century had  facilitated  the development of the accidental insurance , theft and decoity fidelity insurance  etc.,   Recently cattle insurance , crop insurance  and consequential  loss insurance , industrial insurance , engineering  insurance , social sector insurance  are gaining popularity in  the field of insurance . The scope of general insurance  is increasing with the advancement of society.
 
Top