Shantidas Jhaveri

Shantidas Jhaveri was an influential Indian businessman who operated as jeweler, bullion trader, and moneylender during the Mughal era. During his life he became the wealthiest merchant in Ahmedabad city. Shantidas Jhaveri was also a philanthropist who made donations to temples and schools.

Shantidas Jhaveri was an Oswal Jain frim the Marwar region who migrated from Osain to Ahmedabad with his father, Sahasra Kiran. He inherited his father’s jewelery retail business and expanded it by setting up a “sarrafa” (bullion trading) business.

In his jewelery business he had dealing with the richest members of the society, including nobility and all three Mughal Emperors that reigned during his life: Jahangir (r. 1605 - 1627), Shah Jahan (r. 1628 – 1658), and Aurangzeb (r. 1658 – 1707). He was also involved in spice trade and had done business with the English and the Dutch East India Company, Persian and Arab traders. However, Shantidas Jhaveriwas was most influential as a moneylender. Most of the capital lent to the Dutch East India Company in India came from Shantidas and his close associate Virji Vora. Moneylending provided him with excellent profits and strong and constant flow of gold-denominated interest payments, making him a wealthy man. Part of his wealth Shantidas Jhaveri gave generously to the Gujarati Jain community for religious and educational purpose.