Seth Vishandas Nihalchand
Vishandas Nihalchand | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1843 |
| Died | 1929 |
| Nationality | British Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Commerce, politics, social work, businessperson |
Vishandas Nihalchand was a Sindhi Hindu. He belonged to a merchants, land-owners bhavnani family which was settled in Sindh of British India. Seth Vishandas had settled many of cotton ginning, cotton bailing-press and rice thrashing factories in different places of Sindh as in Manjhu, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Dadu and Badin. He also took part in political and social services.[1]
Early life
Birth and education
Seth Vishandas was born in Manjhu, a village in Tehsil Kotri, Sindh of Talpur dynasty in 1843 AD, one month before the invasion of Sindh and annexation to British India. He was full-bloded Sindhi, as his father and mother both were of Sindhi origin.
When he was 18 years old, he left his family home to seek a teacher. He walked all the way from Sindh to Punjab, and near Lahore, he found a famous saint called Gulabdas who became his guru for many years.
Family
Seth Vishandas‘s father was Seth Nihalchand Lakhmichand of Manjhu, who was born in 1798 and died in 1865. He had one brother, Lilaram.
Seth Vishandas married Beejhalbai, the daughter of Seth Dunimal Tilokchandani (a businessman from Manjhand). They had three sons: the eldest was Seth Harchandrai Vishandas, was a lawyer and famous politician who became known as the “father of modern Karachi.“ Seth Udhavdas Vishandas, the second son, was born in Manjhu in 1896, became a landlord and cotton merchant, and died at his birthplace in 1926. Seth Srichand was the third son. Seth Vishandas also had four daughters, called Gungalbhai, Panjalbai, Motibai, and Chandibai.
Professional life
Mercantile background
Seth Vishandas had much vast lands and commerce, which after on management, brought him in the list of wealthiest men in Sindh. He was a landlord of the time and running cotton ginning, cotton bailing-press and rice thrashing factories at Manjhu, Nawabshah, Badin, Dadu and Hyderabad. He was a big timber contractor and he allowed the poor to sell wood to make a living and also permitted them to graze their cattle on his land.
Local and political affairs
He attended first, second, third session of Indian National Congress. In fact the 28th session of Congress in 1913 was held in Karachi largely due efforts of him, his son Harchandrai and Ghulam Mohamed Bhurgari. He and Harchandrai served as Chairman and Secretary of reception committee in that session.[2] He was a member till his death of Karachi District Local Board and the president of Kotri Tehsil Local Board. The deti-Leti system was fostering in Hindu society, to provide radical cure to this disease, he composed a book and sent free to different Panchayats. He then started visiting village to village, town to town, instructing Panchayats and educating public. At his place of birth, Manjhu, he founded a school, he built a library in Kotri. At Hyderabad where he had taken up residential quarters, known as Vishin Nagar, he opened a school, a hospital, a Rest house and a grain shop. In credit of his role as a social reformer, he was conferred with the title of Rai Bahadur.
Death
Afflicted by asthma problem, Seth Vishandas died in 1929, in Hyderabad, Sindh. Two of his sons died in his lifetime, Harchandrai in 1928 and Udhavdas in 1926. Vishandas’ other son, after 3 years of his death, Seth Srichand died in Manjhu in 1932. Vishandas left behind over 8,000 acres of land and two huge ginning factories which were distributed equally in his sons and grand children.
References
- ^ Khadim Hussain Soomro. Seth Harchandrai Vishandas. Sain Publishers, 2001 original from the University of Michigan. p. 13.
- ^ They Too Fought for India's Freedom: The Role of Minorities edited by Asgharali Engineer. 2006. p. 218.