Jain Thought and Culture

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 92

Jain Thought and Culture
Thcy also claim to have branched oil froin thc Rajputs like the Oswals and Saravagis But we know that the Rajputs of this territory became famous as Para mara whereas the laily continued to stick to the old name They believed in Svelamber sect of Jainism but some of them continued to be Vaislunavas They were an cndo. gamous unit and did not marry outside the castellough intcrdined with the Oswals
Porvals were a business community Mosily they were lcn. ders They lent corn to the farmers for sced and food and when the fresh crop came they recovered the principal with an interest of 25 to 50 percent If the farmers were not able to reiurn the corn they got a document written in their favour from them and thus the farmers seathed under the burden of increasing deht Some of them lent barley and took wheat in its place Due to them the farmers got immediate relief but were not able to flourish Porwals also cultivated the lands themselves
Porwals received moncy from the suitors for the marriage of their daughters Grown up girls were considered to be a nine of wealth If a girl attracted Rs 500 she was thought to be a she-goal but if she attracted more than that slie was considered to be an ewe Due to this custom they were plcased when a daughter was born They also took loans on the basis of matrriage contracts and when they were accompplished they not only paid off the loans but became moneyed men themselves Due to this practice young girls fell to the lot of old rich men
Another custom aniong the Por wals was that when the birde reached the age of puberty the bridegroom used to go to her home after marriage instead of the bride coming to the bridegroom's house. On these occaisions the mother-in-law used to block the gate and allowed him to enter only when he gave her some money for rearing up the bride She was followed by sister-in-laws and other women relatives and every one of them received something by way of custotomary payments Ultimately when he reached the bride she would also demand something is the bridegroom said to her that he had to spend so much for her, she would retort that so and so, Shah (merchant banker) was giving such and such amount but he should be content with the fact that having undergone the loss, her father considered him better than that Shah