BrigitteDugdale at 08:18, 2 January 2026

2026-01-02T08:18:55Z

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{{Short description|Indian Jain community}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox caste
| caste_name = Agrawal Jain
| image = File:Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, Chandni Chowk, Delhi.jpg
| alt =
| caption = [[Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir]]
| populated_states = [[Haryana]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Rajasthan]]
| languages = [[Haryanvi language|Haryanvi]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]]
| religions = [[Jainism]]
}}
{{Jainism}}
'''Agrawal Jains''' are an Indian [[Jain community]] who originated from [[Agroha (town)|Agroha]] near [[Hisar (city)|Hisar]]<nowiki/>in 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 dynasty|Tomara]] Anangapal of Yoginipur (now Mehrauli, near Delhi).<ref>An Early Attestation of the Toponym Ḍhillī, by Richard J. Cohen, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 1989, p. 513-519</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010818/windows/slice.htm |title=The story of Hisar |publisher=Tribuneindia.com |date=2001-08-18 |access-date=2011-11-12}}</ref> 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 stupa]]s at [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|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]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

===Agrawal Jains in Rajput Kingdoms===

In the early 15th century, Agrawals flourished as a trader community under the [[Tomaras of Gwalior]].<ref name="ReferenceB">Kashtha Sangha Bhattarakas of Gwalior and Agrawal Shravakas, Dr. K. C. Jain</ref>{{Page needed|date=September 2013}}

Historian K.C. Jain comments:
{{cquote|Golden Age of the Jain Digambar Church in Gwalior under the Tomara rulers inspired by the Kashtha Bhattarakas and their Jain Agrawal disciples who dominated the Court of father and son viz. Dungar Singh (1425–1459) and Kirti Singh (1459–1480) with the Poet-Laureate [[Raighu]] as their mouthpiece and spokesman, a centenarian author of as many as thirty books, big and small of which two dozen are reported to be extant today. Verify the advent of the Hisar-Firuza-based Jain Agrawals who functioned as the ministers and treasurers of the ruling family had turned the Rajput State of Gwalior into a Digambara Jain Centre par excellence representing the culture of the Agrawal multi-millionner shravakas as sponsored by them.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>}}

In the 15th century, many Agrawals migrated to [[Amer, Rajasthan|Amer]] kingdom (now [[Jaipur]]). In VS 1535, Agrawal Nenasi conducted a [[Panch-kalyanak Pratishtha]] ceremony at [[Sanganer]].<ref>Jain Inscriptions of Rajasthan, R.V. Somani, 1982</ref>{{Page needed|date=September 2013}} 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.<ref>Amarasena Chariu, Dr. Kasturchand Jain Suman, 1990</ref>{{Page needed|date=September 2013}}

==Prachin Shri Agarwal Digambar Jain Panchayat==

Seth Girdhari Lal, the son of [[Raja Harsukh Rai|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.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120707091234/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-31/delhi/30576182_1_antique-idol-summons-international-market Court calls for Lal Mandir antique idol, Dec 31, 2011]</ref> It is the oldest Agrawal Jain organization. It has been led by descendants of same family.<ref>Progressive Jains Of India
Satish Kumar Jain, Shraman Sahitya Sansthan, 1975</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ahimsa Foundation, India ( WWW.JAINSAMAJ.ORG ) - Information Source about Jain History, Philosophy, Tirthankars, Community, Temples, Literature & much more. |url=https://jainsamaj.org/magazines/ahimsatimesshow.php?id=85 |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=jainsamaj.org}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*Jinendra Varni compiler of the five volume "Jainendra Siddhanta Kosha" and [[Saman Suttam]] compilation.<ref>Progressive Jains of India By Satish Kumar Jain, 1975, Shraman Sahitya Sansthan</ref>

==See also==
* [[Sarawagi|Khandelwal Jain]]
* [[Shrimal Jain]]
* [[Agrasen ki Baoli]]
* [[Jainism in Delhi]]
* [[Jainism in Bundelkhand]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Jainism Topics}}

[[Category:Jain communities]]
[[Category:Agrawal|*]]
[[Category:Social groups of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Social groups of Haryana]]
[[Category:Social groups of Delhi]]
[[Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Social groups of Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Social groups of Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Social groups of Uttarakhand]]

Agrawal Jain - Revision history

BrigitteDugdale at 08:18, 2 January 2026