Shantidas Jhaveri started building the
Chintamani Parshvanath temple in Ahmedabad in 1622. Son of an Oswal Jain
merchant from Marwar, Shantidas (1580-1649) was the leading jeweller, bullion
trader and moneylender of Ahmedabad. As the richest man of his times and as the
jeweller of preference for the Mughal Imperial household, he enjoyed immense
prestige. Shantidas was not only a devout Jain but he was also quite active in
internal religious politics of the Jains and tried to promote his gaccha
(religious faction) and his preferred religious leader as acharya (chief
priest). The temple was completed in 1638 at a cost of more than nine lakh
rupees.
In 1645, Aurangzeb, young and abrasive
new governor of Gujarat, desecrated the temple. Shantidas appealed to Emperor
Shah Jahan and an imperial firman restored the temple back to Shantidas. When a
matured Aurangzeb replaced Shah Jahan after a war of succession, he not only
returned some of the money Shantidas was forced to lend to Murad (one of the
competitors for throne, defeated by Aurangzeb) but also requested Shantidas to
convey his goodwill to the business community and residents of Ahmedabad–a clear
indication of the leadership role of Shantidas in the civic life of Ahmedabad.
Founded in the early years of the
fifteenth century, Ahmedabad emerged as a major commercial centre during the
Mughal period. It was the principal centre of textile trade (with indigo coming
from the nearby town of Sarkhej) as well as a centre of bullion and jewellery
trade. The tradition of craft-specific guilds was part of the commercial
landscape of Ahmedabad, in line with similar traditions in other Gujarati
cities. But it was in this city, during the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries, the unique institution of Nagarseth developed for the first time.
Though Shantidas strode the business world of Ahmedabad in the first half of
the seventeenth century as a titan, it is doubtful, whether he was ever
formally acknowledged as Nagarseth.
In 1724, amidst a general atmosphere
of chaos and lawlessness, Ahmedabad fell to the invading Maratha marauders. As
the petrified city waited for absolute plunder, head of the jewellers guild and
grandson of Shantidas, Khushalchand came forward and paid an enormous ransom
out of his own pocket to send the Marathas back. A grateful city, particularly
the business community hailed Khushalchand as the saviour and decided that
Khushal and his family would receive a small share of each business transaction
in the city in perpetuity. There have been many claimants and much politics for
civic leadership in Ahmedabad since the demise of Shantidas but this bold and
gracious act of Khushal settled the question forever.
Throughout his life, Khushal had to
make many sacrifices–fleeing to Delhi or other cities even enduring multiple
prison sentences–but in the end, it was his sacrifices as well as a steadfast
resolve for ethical business and governance, which earned his family the moral
right to leadership for generations. After his death (1748), he was succeeded
by his son Nathusa (1720-1793), followed by Nathusa’s younger brother
Vakhatchand (1740-1814), Vakhatchand’s son and grandson, Hemabhai (1785-1858)
and Premabhai (1815-1887). The long line came to an end in 1977 when the last
male member of the Nagarseth family died without an heir (from a splinter line
of the family, Dalpatbhai Bhagubhai, came the Lalbhais or today’s Arvind
Group).
 |
| Kasturbhai Lalbhai |
Nagarseth did not head any corporate
body of merchants in Ahmedabad. He was formally the head of his own trading
guild and a guardian of the city. He was the bridge between the rulers and the
most influential group of citizens of Ahmedabad. He also adjudicated among different
guilds or merchants. As the ceremonial head of the city, he led the community
in some of the religious or social ceremonies. Some of the other cities of
Western India came to have Nagarseths following the example of Ahmedabad.
Laldas Vitthaldas Parak was the famous Nagarseth of Surat, leading financier to
the English and the principal advisor to the merchants in 1732 when they raised
an army against the Mughal governor. Pune came to have one from around the last
quarter of the eighteenth century after large-scale migration of Gujarati
banias and moneylenders to the city.
https://www.amazon.in/Laxminama-Monks-Merchants-Money-Mantra/dp/9387146782
