Ganeriwal

Ganeriwal or Ganeriwala is a business clan from Rajasthan, India, a branch of the Agarwals. In terms of population, Ganeriwals are a very small group. They originate from Rajasthan; their ancestors come from a village named Ganeri in that state.^[1] Majority of Ganeriwals are from near Laxmangarh (Lacchmangarh), Mukangarh, etc. They are one of the oldest aristocratic Marwari families, connected with the social, industrial, economic and cultural history of India.

They descend from more than 20 generations of landlords, holding the prefix of Sethji's (aristocrats) since the early 16th century. Shobharam Birla, the grandfather of Raja Baldeo Das Birla, was a munim (accountant) at Great Ganeriwala firm, before the Birlas emerged as the leading industrialists of India.^[2][3][4] The Great Ganeriwala Firm^[5][6], the Great Tarachand Ghanshyamdas, (founders of Ambuja Cement)^[6] and Great Sevaram Ramrikhdas were the largest trading firms in India for centuries till 1950s^[4][5] The firms employed Marwari families like the Birlas, Singhanias, and Mittals in the late 1700s and 1800s, introducing today's leading families to the Indian industry. Grandfather of Lakshmi Mittal worked at the Tarachand, Shobharam Birla at the Ganeriwals and Gautam Singhania's grandfather at Sevaram Rakrishdas.^[4][7] This era marked the beginning of a rising Marwari community, with restraint and austerity its defining attributes. The Marwari restraint is the basis for the joke 'Kanjoos Marwari'. The ethics instilled and passed on over 30 generations for the Great 3 firms were (translated) - 'Show less than what you have. Don't spend family wealth for personal use and spend the bare minimum. Stay away from worldly pleasures and most importantly, contribute to the community before yourself'^[5]

Ganeriwala's were local traders and by financing local Rajput rulers with fellow families of Shekhawati, they aided in bringing the Mughal Empire down in the 1700s, and continued financing the Maharaja's against the British Empire up till India's independence in 1947 hence obtaining the title of the great firm^[5][7] Wise investments in land in Shekhawati turned them into Zamindars. They expanded trading giving rise to the Great Ganeriwala firm.^[4] During the 1700s, they began using the effective Marwari accounting technique and spread out outside Shekhawati. In the 1800s they began financing Nizams of Hyderabad, lending with land as mortgage.^[7] They continued to purchase land at cheap prices from the profits of their businesses, anticipated a price raise and invested in another land with the profits; this practice allowed them to sustain wealth even while their businesses were in big losses in the early 1700s.^[5] As the their trading firm flourished in the 1800s and 1900s they further increased their status as landlords when they donated an astonishing 25 acres piece of land in then central Hyderabad, a predominantly Muslim area, to build the Hindu Sitaram Bagh temple.^[8] While financing the Nizam's, they continued to hold close ties with the Maharaja's of Rajasthan till the 20th century owing to anti-British business practices.^[1]

The Great prefix was the result of the Great firm theory applied to the 3 Marwari family businesses which sustained wealth with nation friendly and ethical practices over centuries.^[5][9][4] These set of families obtained sufficient support by the community and rulers to enter administration by the 1950s, but as a tradition they had severe distaste for politics, contending politics used the community to their own advantage, while true community service was done by those who earned an honest and simple living for themselves.^[4][5]

There have greater than 100 communal contributions spanning a period of 5 centuries.^[5] The Sitaram Bagh temple^[8][10] at Hyderabad was built by Seth Puranmal Ganeriwala, in 1830s who had also built the noted Rangji temple in Pushkar in 1850.^[11] Sitaram Bagh temple is spread over 25 acres and classified as a heritage property. The Ganeriwala Mandir in Nashik was built more than 300 years ago.

Seth Ram Dutt Ganeriwala^[1] was a prominent banker, trader, philanthropist and landlord, building the famous Arya School of Sirsa in 1800s.^[1] Seth Puranmal Ganeriwala made several noted contributions in the form of temples, hospitals and schools in the Ganeriwala family trust.^[8][10] Seth Jugal Das Ganeriwala Charitable trust is based in Kolkata. Land-lordship their primary profession profession they inherit stretches of land in and out of Rajasthan including the biggest Haveli of Shekhavati (hometown of the marwari families).^[12] The branches of the family separated and evolved to different industries from trading and traditional banking in the 1950s.^[5]

Courtyard inside the haveli

Aerial view from Fort

Rangji temple, Pushkar

References

1. Ganeriwala family, History of Sirsa Town, Jugal Kishore Gupta, Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 1991
2. Brushes With History, Krishna Kumar Birla, Penguin UK, 2009
3. A man of our times Hindustan Times, May 21, 2012
4. Timberg, Thomas A. (2015-05-22). The Marwaris: From Jagat Seth to the Birlas. Penguin UK. ISBN 9789351187134.
5. 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
6. Industrial Entreprenuership of Shekhawati Marwaris, D.K. Taknet, Kumar Prakashan, Jaipur, 1987 p. 76–80.
7. DAMODARAN, HARISH (2013-04-07). "The Marwari business model-I". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
8. 180 Year Celebrations of Sitaram Bagh Temple Hyderabad
9. A Study of a "Great" Marwari Firm: 1860-1914, TA Tillberg, Indian Economic & Social History Review July 1971 8: 264–283
10. Architectural assortment, K. VENKATESHWARLU, The Hindu, Feb 18, 2004
11. Indo-Muslim Cultures in Transition, Alka Patel, Karen Leonard, BRILL, Nov 25, 2011 p.155
12. sudhagee (2015-06-29). "The painted towns of Shekhawati-4: Laxmangarh". My Favourite Things. Retrieved 2016-05-04.