Ganeriwals

Courtyard inside the haveli
Aerial view from Fort
Rangji temple, Pushkar

Ganeriwala family are a business family from Rajasthan, India. They are an aristocratic Marwari family, connected with the social and cultural history of India, holding the prefix of 'Sethji's'. The family rose in dominance and fame in the 1800s after founding one of India's largest banking dynasties, often referred to as 'The Great Ganeriwala Firm'. The firm provided loans, credit services, insurance and currency exchange services at 22 branch offices spawned across the princely states of India. Members of the family have been credited for the construction of various Hindu temples across India during the British Raj of India, and opulent haveli's in Rajasthan.

Shobharam Birla, the grandfather of Raja Baldeo Das Birla, was a munim (accountant) at the Great Ganeriwala firm, before the Birlas emerged as the leading industrialists of India.[1][2][3] The Great Ganeriwala Firm,[4][5] the Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas, (founders of Ambuja Cement)[5] and Great Sevaram Ramrikhdas were the largest trading firms and traditional banking firms in India for centuries till 1900s[3][4] Grandfather of Lakshmi Mittal worked at the Tarachand, Shobharam Birla at the Ganeriwala's and Gautam Singhania's grandfather at Sevaram Rakrishdas.[3][6]

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a visitor of the Ganeriwala haveli. In 1800's they became treasurers and bankers of the Nizams of Hyderabad, namely Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, the worlds richest man at a point.

The Great prefix was the result of the Great firm theory applied to the Marwari family businesses like the Geat Ganeriwala firm, Great Tarachand (promoted by Neotia's, patriarchs of Ambuja Cement Ltd) and Great Sevaram Ramnikhdas[3][4][7] Neotia's became leading agents of Burma Shell before forming Ambuja Cements Ltd.

Ganeriwala family trusts consist of temples, schools, wells and dharmashalas since the 1800s. The Sitaram Bagh temple[8][9] at Hyderabad was built by Seth Puranmal Ganeriwala, in 1830s who had also built the noted Rangji temple in Pushkar in 1850.[10] Mody University of Laxhmangarh is built on land donated by the Ganeriwala family. Sitaram Bagh temple is spread over 25 acres and classified as a heritage property. Shree Raghunathji Mandir in Nashik was donated by mother of Seth Ram Dutt Ganeriwala over a 120-acre land. Geeta Vatika also known as Geeta Garden in Gorkahpur was built on the land donated by Seth Jaydayal Ganeriwala. Haveli's belonging to the descendants include ones in Fatehpur, Mukundgarh, Lakshmangarh, Ratnagarh.The Char Chauk Ki Haveli is the largest haveli of Shekhawati, owned by several branches of the Ganeriwala family. Other temples near Jaipur include ones in Ratnagarth, Mukundgarh, Fatehpur, Sirsa, Ganeri etc.

References

  1. ↑ Brushes With History, Krishna Kumar Birla, Penguin UK, 2009
  2. ↑ A man of our times Hindustan Times, May 21, 2012
  3. 1 2 3 4 Timberg, Thomas A. (2015-05-22). The Marwaris: From Jagat Seth to the Birlas. Penguin UK. ISBN 9789351187134.
  4. 1 2 3 The 'Great Firm' Theory of the Decline of the Mughal Empire, Karen Leonard, Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr., 1979), pp. 151–167
  5. 1 2 Industrial Entrepreneurship of Shekhawati Marwaris, D.K. Taknet, Kumar Prakashan, Jaipur, 1987 p. 76–80.
  6. ↑ DAMODARAN, HARISH (2013-04-07). "The Marwari business model-I". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  7. ↑ A Study of a "Great" Marwari Firm: 1860-1914, TA Tillberg, Indian Economic & Social History Review July 1971 8: 264–283
  8. ↑ 180 Year Celebrations of Sitaram Bagh Temple Hyderabad
  9. ↑ Architectural assortment, K. VENKATESHWARLU, The Hindu, Feb 18, 2004
  10. ↑ Indo-Muslim Cultures in Transition, Alka Patel, Karen Leonard, BRILL, Nov 25, 2011 p.155
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