26/08/2021
👤 JAIN PERSONALITIES
A GANDHI BEFORE GANDHI: VIRCHAND GANDHI
25th August, 2021, yesterday was the 157th Birth Anniversary of Shri Virchand Raghavji Gandhi.
Veerchand Raghavji Gandhi was born on 25 August 1864 in Mahuva near Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India to the Mahuva Nagar Sheth Raghavji Tejpalji Gandhi. After completing primary and secondary school in Mahuva, he was sent to Bhavnagar for further studies. In 1879, Gandhi married Jiviben. At the age of 16, upon placing first on the Bhavanagar matriculation examination, he was awarded the ‘Shri Jaswant Singhji’ scholarship. Gandhi continued his education at Elphinstone College, of the University of Bombay. He graduated with honors in 1884, having earned a bachelor's degree in law. Gandhi was a polyglot who spoke 14 languages, including Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, English, Prakrit, Sanskrit, and French. A barrister by profession, he worked to defend the rights of Jains, and wrote & lectured extensively on Jainism, other religions and philosophy. A 19th Century Indian legend known for his practice of universal brotherhood, he was admired by western people. He died at the tender age of 36.
He settled tax disputes of Palitana and Shikharji piggery case. In 1885, at the age of 21, he became the first honorary secretary of the Jain Association of India. During his term, he fought against a tax being levied by the ruler of Princely State of Palitana on pilgrims visiting Mount Shatrunjaya, Palitana. During the course of this fight Gandhi met Lord Reay (the British colonial governor of Bombay) and Colonel John Watson of the Kathiawar Agency. With the help of these two individuals, he ultimately negotiated an annual fixed payment of Rs.15000, rather than an individual tax on each pilgrim. Gandhi also fought to close a pig slaughterhouse that had been started in 1891 close to Mount Shikharji, a holy place of Jain pilgrimage. Gandhi spent six months in Calcutta learning Bengali and preparing his case against the slaughterhouse. He was eventually successful in getting the slaughterhouse closed.
Gandhi represented Jainism at the first World Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago in 1893. Jain monk Acharya Vijayanandsuri also known as Acharya Atmaram, had initially been invited to represent Jainism at the Parliament, but as Jain monks do not travel overseas, he could not attend. Atmaram recommended Virchand Gandhi to go in his place and serve as the emissary for the religion. Atmaram and his disciple trained Gandhi for six months.
Virchand Gandhi was important delegate to world’s 3 historic events -
- 1893′s Parliament of world religions
- 1893′s World’s Real Estate Congress and as sole Indian delegate participated World’s 3rd historic esteemed event.
- 1899′s International Congress of Commerce by Philadelphia Commercial Museum. From Old Diary Leaves by H.S. Olcott (Co-Founder of Theosophical Society) one learns that Swami Vivekananda, Virchand Gandhi and H.Dharmapala captivated public in 1893′s parliament of world religions.
As a reformer, he initiated a society in chicago called the 'Society for Education of Women in India (SEWI)' under whose banner several Indian women went to the USA for education. As a humanitarian, he collected money & sent Rs 40,000 and a shipload of grains from the USA to India during the worst famine of 1896-97.
He was scholar in various World religions. He had studied Buddhism, Vedanta Philosophy, Christianity and western philosophy. He praised Mogul Emperor Akbar for his equal treatment of all religions. Virchand Gandhi delivered 535 lectures in USA and Europe on various subjects like philosophy, occult science, concentration and others. And he happens to be one of the early personalities who introduced yoga to western people through his speeches on yoga. He is credited for scholarly translation of then a rare book, from french to English – ‘Unknown Life of jesus Christ’. Virchand Gandhi used to always express gratitude towards western people on his and nation’s behalf, in his speeches for their extended love and respect.
He was a friend of Mahatma Gandhi and used to help him in understanding Indian law by telling him stories of stalwarts and Barristers like Pheroz shah and Badruddin Tyabji etc. Virchand helped Mahatma in the latter's struggle to establish a legal practice. He also joined Mahatma in his experiments in dietetics (vegetarianism).
Virchand Gandhi died at the age of thirty-six of haemorrhaging of the lungs on 7 August 1901 at Mahuwar, near Mumbai, India.
In his Memory...
- Over the years, to commemorate this forgotten legend, in 1964 a museum was constructed in Bhuj, Kutch, Gujarat and dedicated to Veerchand Gandhi.
- In the 1990s, statues of Gandhi were erected in Chicago and Mahuva.
- He was remembered in the 1993 Parliament of World religions.
- A drama based on his life, Gandhi Before Gandhi, was performed 200 times throughout the world.
- On 8 November 2009, the Indian Postal Department honoured him by issuing a postal stamp with his image.
- And many other Jains and organisations have conducted various programmes in his memory.
(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virchand_Gandhi, www.livehistoryindia.com/story/snapshort-histories/the-other-gandhi-meets-the-world, https://virchandgandhi.wordpress.com/)