Jain Spirit 2003 10 No 16

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 60

HISTORY
VISIONARY PHILANTHROPY
Purnima Hutheesing relates her unique family history
Sheth Hutheesing
Harkuvar Shethani
D ESIDES BEING FAMOUS FOR ITS TEXTILES AND
for the cultural fusion reflected in the Sultanate period,
particularly in its architecture, Ahmedabad has had a long tradition of another, and somewhat intriguingly unique, fusion: that of religious fervour, wealth and philanthropy. It is demonstrated in the fairly large number of luminaries amongst the opulent tradesmen, who possessed a Midas touch where commercial enterprise was concerned and, at the same time, were deeply religious and socially conscientious citizens. They were genuinely convinced that they had a moral obligation to share the benefits of their prosperity with their less fortunate fellow human beings. Among the numerous extraordinary persons in this category, the names of Sheth Hutheesing and Harkuvar Kunvarba Shethani figure prominently.
Sheth Hutheesing was the son of Sheth Kesarising, who by the mid-19th century had established a flourishing silk trade business. In 1796, when Sheth Hutheesing was barely in his teens his father passed away, leaving the family fortune and the formidable responsibilities of a vast business on his son's and his cousin Mahakham's young shoulders. Despite the effects of an understandably shattering experience, with his fortitude and an innate propensity for commercial enterprise, he not only took firm control of the business but within a short period of time managed to expand and diversify its trading activities. He became one of the most successful and prominent tradesmen of his time in the region. The most considerable boost to his prosperity, however, was due to the export of opium to China and, in exchange, the import of silk. He eventually established an office in Mumbai and conducted the export trade from the port of Cambay.
At the age of sixteen he married Rukmani, the sister of Sheth Hemabhai Nagarsheth, a wealthy aristocrat from Ahmedabad. 'Nagarsheth' was the title conferred by the Mughal rulers on a family outstanding for its wealth, social status and philanthropy. Unfortunately, only a few years after their marriage, Rukmani lost her eyesight due to an illness. After a few more years, she died childless. He later married Rukmani's sister, Prasanna, but she, too, died within a very short period of time, once again leaving him forlorn and alone. Sheth Hutheesing's mother, Surajba, felt very unhappy and insisted that her son marry a third time.
Sheth Hutheesing travelled on pilgrimages to Jain temples a great deal all over Gujarat. On one such occasion when he
was visiting Ghoga, a city in the Saurashtra region on the east coast of the state on a pilgrimage to Parsvanatha, his attention was drawn by one of his officials to a 13-year-old girl who was plastering the walls of her hut with cow-dung. She was exceedingly beautiful and radiated a magnetic charm. Sheth Hutheesing was instantly fascinated and after discovering her identity, he commenced consultations with her family. After scrutiny of her horoscope, he consented to marry her. Though born in a middle-class family and with little formal education, Harkuvar was highly intelligent and her familial environment had made her a highly accomplished person. Also, she had a strong religious orientation. She was well versed in religious rituals and could recite extempore from the scriptures. She proved to be an exemplary housewife and won the affection and admiration of the entire family.
However, the most astonishing and almost unbelievable aspect of her abilities and character had yet to come to light. Not long after the wedding, she started to take active interest in her husband's business activities. The uncanny ability she exhibited in grasping the ethos of the world of commerce and in comprehending the intricacies of national and international trade were intriguing: Sheth Hutheesing would often consult her regarding important policy decisions. Her extraordinary fortitude, foresight and acumen, however, were fully manifested when Sheth Hutheesing suddenly died at the age of 49. With no one in the family on whom she could lean, she not only refused to allow this disastrous and stunning occurrence to break her, but to the amazement of all concerned, she took firm control of the situation and carried forward the family trade with supreme confidence and expertise. As a result, she came to be ranked among the leaders of the industry in an almost exclusively male-dominated area of social activity during a period of history when the association of women in business could hardly be deemed appropriate. It is also a measure of her tremendous strength of character that she did not permit her heavy preoccupations with the management of such a large-scale business to dampen her religious fervour and commitment.
Surajba, too, was a deeply religious and compassionate lady with abundant qualities of forbearance and empathy. As Sheth Hutheesing was much influenced by his mother,
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Jain Spirit September - November 200
lain Education International 2010_03