Khora Ramji Chawda (1860–1924), better known as Seth Khora Ramji, was a noted railway contractor, coal mines owner, banker and philanthropist of the early 20th century in India, who worked from Jharia near Dhanbad.
Life-sketch He was born in the year 1860 in a small village called Sinugra in Cutch and belonged to small but enterprising KGK community.Encyclopaedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa (1920) by British Gazetteer.-Section : People from the region Life-sketch of Seth Khora Ramji.Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa & Pawan Jethwa of Calcutta (1998). He was one of the reputed Railway Contractors of his times and his exploits were mentioned by British authorities. He is also credited by them to be the first Indian to break monopoly of Europeans in Jharia coalfields. He established his first Colliery name Khas Jharia Colliery in 1895 and moved on to establish five more by 1910. He was also a financing partner in more than 10 collieries of Jharia coal belt and additionally worked as a Private Banker. Seth Khora Ramji and Jethabhai were all together five brothers and all were partners as HUF in the colliery and railway contract businessKhora Ramji Legal : Partner in Khimji WaljiKhora Ramji Khas Jharia Colliery : Legal Case The law reports. Indian appeals: being cases in the Privy council on appeal from the East Indies, Volume 72. With his brother, Jethabhai Lira Jethwa (1862–1932) he owned Khas Jinagora Colliery, which operated under name & style of J. & K. Ramji.Jinagora Khas J.&K. Ramji. Jethabhai LiraJinagora J.&K. Ramji
Railway Contract Works across British India As per British records – a few lines are quoted –
Some of the works done by Khora Ramji Chawda of Sinugra are : 1880 : 100 Miles work in SPDR & NWSR, Hubli Loco Shed & other station and yard works, 20 Miles Work in SMR, 177 miles in 1882–84 Hotgi to Gadag with his brothers in SMR, 22 Miles Railway and a bridge in EBSR, 1888 – 128 miles in Bilaspur to Jharsuguda with fellow Mistris section including Bridge over Hasdeo River at Champa in BNR, in 1894 Jharia Branch line of EIR, 1895: Railway line in ECoSR & Bridge over Rushikulya near Ganjam. His last Railway work was in 1903: Bridge over Ganges river in Allahabad – Lucknow section 32 Miles Railway in GIPR.
Shift in career from Contractor to Miner
His last Railway work was in 1903: Bridge over Ganges river in Allahabad – Lucknow section 32 Miles Railway in GIPR, while working for this bridge, he was harassed by Engineer-in-Charge R. R. Gale, so he decided to stop railway contracts. By this time since 1895 to 1901 he had already started two collieries in Jharia. A. B. Gale later realized his mistake and offered him contracts in other section. But Khora Ramji declined the offer and diverted all his energy to coal mining business, in which he was assisted by his brother's and their sons. He also started a new venture as a private banker at Jharia. He rose to such a height by 1920 and became Seth Khora Ramji from Khora Ramji that British had to mention his name in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa.Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas : A brief History & Glory : by Raja Pawan Jethwa. (2007) Calcutta. Seth Khora Ramji & Brothers -A biosketch pp: 90-91 He had studied up to fourth standard in his native village school but still managed to build railway bridges which requires technical knowledge and mathematical calculations.Nanji Bapa ni Nondh Pothi written by Nanji Govindji Taunk and compiled by Dharsi J. Taunk (1999) (Gujarati Book)
Coal Mines at Jharia coalfields belt Khora Ramji and Brothers established collieries at Khas Jharia, Jeenagora, Jamadoba, Balihari, Fatehpur, Gareria, Bansjora & Bagadih.Khora Ramji The Indian economic and social history review, Volume 13.Khora Ramji Statistics of British India, Part 1 printed by Superintendent Government Printing, India, 1913.Khora Ramji Indian coal statistics, Manager of Publications, 1915 – Technology & EngineeringIndia at a Glance: A comprehensive reference book on India by T.V. Rama Rao, G.D.Binani. Published by Orient Longmans in 1954 ( Coal Mines Section )Indigenous Enterprise in the Indian Coal Mining Industry c.1835–1939 C.P. Simmons – Published in 1976. In Pure Jharia Colliery Khora Ramji and brothers were partners with Diwan Bahadur D.D. Thacker. Khora Ramji was also partner in Khimji Walji & Company's Indian Jharia Colliery located at Tisra. Seth Khora Ramji was also held partnership stake in Goa Petha Chawda & Co's Khas Jeenagora Colliery. The GPC & Co was partnership between Goa Petha, Seth Khora Ramji, Bishram Karman & Seth Tricumji Jiwandas. In 1930 after death of Khora Ramji, the successors sold their stake in the colliery.
The credit of being first Indian to break the monopoly of British in Jharia Coalfields goes to Seth Khora Ramji of Sinugra. In the life sketch of Khora Ramji given in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa – the British have noted this fact in year 1920 – "In Jharia Coalfield he was first Indian to seize the opportunity and by his prompt entry into colliery business, he was able to remove the stigma that would otherwise be levelled against his community as economically backward class." Further, details are given in the book Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kshatriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa & Pawan Jethwa -Quote: He similarly purchased about eight coal-fields from years 1895–1909. Further, he also encouraged fellow Mistri contractors to purchase the land and even financed them to do so. The location of his three collieries named Jeenagora, Khas Jherria, Gareria is mentioned also in 1917 Gazetteers of Bengal, Assam, Bihar & Orissa. The Jharia underground fire still raging first came to notice in November 1930 with subsidence at Seth Khora Ramji's Khas Jharia Colliery(Page 159). Page 160). The politics of labour under late colonialism:workers, unions, and the state in Chota Nagpur, 1928–1939 by Dilip Simeon.Gazetteers of Bengal, Assam, Bihar & Orissa 1917 Khora Ramji Colliries As per details given in Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa & Pawan Jethwa – "Seth Khora Ramji headed the first association as mentioned by British authorities in Encyclopaedia Bengal, Bihar & Orissa (1920)."
Shipping Business at Cutch State Seth Khora Ramji and his brothers also owned a fleet of ships based in Cutch State, which was used to deal in importing and exporting dry fruits and spices, trading from Tuna Port and Mandvi with Muscat, Mombasa, Mzizima, Zanzibar. After the death of Khora Ramji, one of his grandsons, Jivram Jeram carried on a shipping business for a couple of decades until 1945.
Death
Khora Ramji died in year 1924 at Jharia.
Philanthropic activities As a philanthropist, in his native village Sinugra, he had built and donated a Hindu temple, wells, welcome-gate, Chabutro and a primary school, which is now named Seth Khora Ramji Prathmik Shala in the year 1910. He also donated major fund along with some other Mistri colliery owners to start a Gujarati school named the Jharia Anglo-Gujarati School at Jharia in 1905. He also owned more than 500 acres farm-lands, the produce of which was given away to poor and needy. In the year 1920, when he held a large public charity event and a yagna at Sinugra. At the time of this event, Seth Khora Ramji was honoured by Maharao of Cutch, HH Sir Khengarji III Sawai Bahadur, who sent him a Paghdi by hands of royal messenger. Further, at Mathura he along with Jetha Lira Jethwa of Sinugra had built and donated a Dharamashala now named Kutch Kadia Kshatriya Dharamshala in the year 1889–1900, when they were stationed there for railway contract job.
Seth Khora Ramji was one of the sponsors of AITUC meeting held in 1921 at Jharia, hosted by Ramjush Agarwalla. As he had become old and was unwell, his eldest son Karamshi Khora, represented Seth Khora Ramji & Brothers and was among the dignitaries, who shared dais in historic All India Trade Union Congress meeting held at Jharia in 1921 by prominent AITUC labor leaders like Joseph Baptista, Diwan Chaman Lall, Swami Viswananda, Swami Darsanananda and Savitri Devi, Hardevdas Aagarwal and Shyam Sundar Chakravarty. The meeting was hosted by colliery owner, Ramjush Agarwalla and dignitaries representing various colliery firms present on dais were Karamshi Khora, D. D. Thacker, Chhaganlal Karamshi Parekh, Gangji Dosa, Keshavji Pitambar, R. A. Mucadam, Madhavji Jiwan, Nibaran Chandra Sircar and others.
Successors
The several mines were owned jointly as HUF by the family of 5 brothers of Seth Khora Ramji, which were divided among the family mutually after his death. Ambalal Khora also carried on father's legacy as a railway contractor, who died in a railway accident.
Capcize & Fire in main mines
His eldest son Karamshi Khora took over the management of Khas Jharia and Golden Jharia mines after his death. Several after his death two of his main collieries, Khas Jharia & Golden Jharia, which worked on maximum 260-foot-deep shafts, collapsed due to now infamous underground fires, in which their house and bungalow also collapsed on 8 November 1930, causing 18 feet subsidence and widespread destruction.Khora Ramji Mines capsized in 1930Jharia Coalfields: Khora Ramji, Narayan Chowra, etcAmbalal Khora Economic geography of India, 1970 pp 291 These two main coal mines at that time were run by his sons Karamshi Khora, Ambalal Khora & Chandulal Khora. The other collieries, which survived fires were managed by Mulji Akhoy Chawda, Bhimji Narayan Chawda, Jiwram Jairam Chawda and Devram Jethabhai Jethwa.
New Ventures Successors invested in fresh coal mines business as joint venture with Ojha family and others to start Shampore Colliery at Mohuda.
Nationalization of Coal Mines in 1971
The business of some other coal mines in Jharia of Seth Khora Ramji were carried on by his successors along with some new joint ventures like Shampore Colliery with Jayantial Ojha, were all taken over by the government when the all the private coal mines in India were nationalized in 1971–72.
See also
Jagmal Raja Chauhan Mulji Jagmal Savaria
References