The Family Tree
Seth Sewa Ram was an experienced and intelligent man. Battling against
all odds, he set out on voyage with dreams in his heart. At the time in late
1700’s when Seth Sewa Ram dared to embark on his journey, the railways were a
distant dream.
Performing such long journey for survival and the sake of trade is an
index to his perseverance, fearlessness and ambition. He reached Belkhadu, a
village in the Jubbulpore district. Here, he met with signal success in trade.
Within a short span of time, he earned a good fortune. By this time, his brother
Girdharlal also joined him from Jaisalmer. Large-hearted Sewa Ram gave away all
his hard-earned fortune to his brother.
From Belkhadu, Seth Sewa Ram moved on to conquer new heights in trade
and came to Jubbulpore where he started business afresh. The definite period of
his coming to Jubbulpore is not known, but from a letter which was given to Seth
Sewa Ram, grand-father of Raja Sahib, by C. Fraser Esq. Political agent in the
year 1828 AD, Mr. Fraser describes him as one of the most opulent Mahajans of
Jubbulpore. It seems he must have come to Jubbulpore somewhere around the year
1800, as no business such as speculation was popular in those days, he must have
taken about 25 to 30 years to gain the position mentioned by Mr. Fraser.
Seth Sewa Ram’s coming to Jubbulpore :
When Seth Sewa Ram came to Jubbulpore, the Marathas held this part of
the country and Jubbulpore was a small village. It was his calculative
foresight, which earned him success in his new venture of buying villages, which
was not a popular tendency among the rich of the time.
Seth Sewa Ram lived the life of a contented man, celebrating marriage
and other ceremonies of his sons, and imparting them with various tricks of
trade. He died in 1834 AD. At the time of his death, he had several lakhs in his
treasury. Old account books show his annual income to have been about
twenty-five to thirty thousand while the annual expenditure was only three
thousand. He collected revenue from fourteen villages and had several shops in
different business centres.
Seth Khushalchand and Ramkrishnadas :
By the time of Seth Sewa Ram’s death British Rule had been
established in the city of Jubbulpore. With his passing, all responsibilities
pertaining to the trade was now shouldered by Khushalchand, as his brother
Ramkrishnadas was profoundly devoted to God. Ramkrishnadas had the temple built
in his father’s time and image of Gopal Lal (Lord Krishna) therein was
consecrated by the most venerable Girdharji of Benaras, one of the most renowned
savants and towering
personalities among the teachers of the Vallabhi sect. It was through him that
both the brothers were initiated into the sacred principles of the Vallabhi
sect.
Khushalchand looked after the business and Ramkrishnadas was absorbed
in service to the Lord. Only when his counsel was indispensable that, with great
reluctance, he attended to business. He used to have ‘darshan’ of Shri Gopal
Lal every day, thrice in the morning and thrice in the afternoon. It is affirmed
that he never absented himself from these occasions even when suffering from
fever.
Birth of Raja Gokuldas:
It was from the first wife of Seth Kushalchand that Raja Gokuldas was
born in the year 1839. The consort and other members of the family were
extremely glad at the birth of a son. Though it was not common practise to take
second wife during the life time of the first, but as there was no further
issues from his first wife, Seth Khushalchand married for the second time and in
1841 had another son, two years after the birth of Raja Gokuldas, and he was
named Gopaldas.
Empire in the Making:
As years passed by,
the business of Seth Khushalchand increased in leaps and bounds. Seth
Khushalchand along with shouldering business obligation had to go through loss
on emotional front with passing of his elder brother Ramkrishnadas and his widow
filing a partition suit at Calcutta, Supreme Court. But before the suit could be
finally decided, she passed away. Seth Khushalchand was a man of action and grew
his father’s business ten folds.
Assistance to British during the Mutiny of 1857:
The relation of Raja Sahib's family with the British Government ran
deep. His father, Seth Khushalchand even extended assistance to the government
during the mutiny of 1857. In consideration of the loyal services, His
Excellency the Governor General instructed Deputy Commissioner to present cash
or ornament as per his choice. He was also granted the privilege of sitting on
chair with Chief Commissioner which was quite a rare practise. The last years of
Seth Kushalchand’s life were spent in great peace. Thus after fulfilling all
family obligations he left this world in the year 1865, at the age of 63, within
two years of the death of his first wife, Raja Gokuldas’s mother.