Agrawal Jains are an Indian Jain community who originated from Agroha near Hisarin what is now the state of Haryana. In Sanskrit inscriptions and texts, the community is termed Agrotakanvaya.
History Agrawal Jains in Delhi The Agrawal merchant Nattal Sahu and the Agrawal poet Vibudh Shridhar lived during the rule of Tomara Anangapal of Yoginipur (now Mehrauli, near Delhi).An Early Attestation of the Toponym Ḍhillī, by Richard J. Cohen, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 1989, p. 513-519 Vibudh Shridhar wrote Pasanahacariu in 1132, which includes a historical account of Yoginipur (early Delhi near Mehrauli) then.
In 1354, Firuz Shah Tughluq started the construction of a new city near Agroha called Hisar-e Feroza "Firuz's Fort". Most of the raw material for building the town was brought from Agroha. Hisar was a major center of the Agrawal community.
Some Agrawals rose to good positions in Mughal period, specially during Akbar. Sahu Todar was a supervisor of the royal mint at Agra, who had rebuilt the 514 Jain stupas at Mathura in 1573, during the rule of Akbar.
Sah Ranveer Singh was a royal treasurer during the rule of Akbar. He established the town Saharanpur. His father as well as son and grandson had built several Jain temples, including the one at Kucha Sukhanand in Delhi.
Agrawal Jains in Rajput Kingdoms
In the early 15th century, Agrawals flourished as a trader community under the Tomaras of Gwalior.Kashtha Sangha Bhattarakas of Gwalior and Agrawal Shravakas, Dr. K. C. Jain
Historian K.C. Jain comments:
In the 15th century, many Agrawals migrated to Amer kingdom (now Jaipur). In VS 1535, Agrawal Nenasi conducted a Panch-kalyanak Pratishtha ceremony at Sanganer.Jain Inscriptions of Rajasthan, R.V. Somani, 1982 A copy of Amarsen Chariu copied in VS 1577 at Sonipat was found at Amer, suggesting that Agrawals took sacred texts with them during this migration.Amarasena Chariu, Dr. Kasturchand Jain Suman, 1990
Prachin Shri Agarwal Digambar Jain Panchayat
Seth Girdhari Lal, the son of Raja Shugan Chand, founded the organization Hissar Panipat Agarwal Jain Panchayat. It is now known as Prachin (i.e. old) Shri Agarwal Digambar Jain Panchayat. It is the oldest Agrawal Jain organization. It has been led by descendants of same family.Progressive Jains Of India Satish Kumar Jain, Shraman Sahitya Sansthan, 1975 The organization manages the historical Naya Mandir as well as the Lal Mandir.
The Panchayat has been active in promoting unity among Jains of different sectarian backgrounds.
Notable people Jinendra Varni compiler of the five volume "Jainendra Siddhanta Kosha" and Saman Suttam compilation.Progressive Jains of India By Satish Kumar Jain, 1975, Shraman Sahitya Sansthan
See also Khandelwal Jain Shrimal Jain Agrasen ki Baoli Jainism in Delhi Jainism in Bundelkhand
References