Leading lights

On the 200th death anniversary of Mulla Kaus Rustam Jalal I give below some gleanings from Parsee Prakash which may be of interest to your readers.

He was the first Vada Dastur of the Kadmi sect and head of the Mullafiroz family. He was originally a native of Bharuch. He was fluent in Persian and Arabic. In 1767, when the conflict over differences in roz/mah was at its peak in Surat, Seth Dhanjisha Manjisha found him to be capable in every respect and sent him to Iran to find out about the Kabeesa differences. He left for Iran along with his eight-year-old son Peshotan (who later became Dastur Mulla Firoz) on March 20, 1768. He traveled to Yazd, Kerman, Isafahan, Shiraz, Rum. He had an audience with Shah Mohammed Karim Khan, the Shah of Iran. He returned to Surat after 12 years on February 9, 1780. As Seth Dhanjisha Manjisha had gone to Bombay, Mulla Kaus came to Bombay and got to know Seth Dady Nosherwanji Dadyseth who expressed his desire to consecrate an atash behram in Bombay, according to Kadmi tradition. All the consecration ceremonies were performed under his leadership. The sacred fire was enthroned on September 27, 1783. On that very day, he was appointed the Vada Dastur of the Kadmi Anjuman.

Later he entrusted the post of Vada Dastur to his son Mulla Firoz and left for Hyderabad in 1794. He got acquainted with the Nizam through the help of a Parsi official Seth Noshirwanji Raja. His influence at the Nizam’s court increased. He spent the rest of his life trading at Hyderabad and passed away there. His grave is still in Hyderabad. He wrote two books, one on the Kabeesa conflict and another Maqulaate Bahamani. He passed away on roz Ram, mah Shahrever (Kadmi) 1171 Yazdegirdi, February 26, 1802 at age 69.

On the subject of Parsis in business, Parsee Prakash reports:

A meeting of European and native traders was held on September 22, 1836 at Customs House to consider establishing a Chamber of Commerce in Bombay. A resolution was passed to establish such a Chamber. Thereafter, another meeting was held on September 24, 1836 to frame the rules and regulations of this body. A managing committee of three Englishmen and three Parsis was set up which included Seths Dadabhai Pestonji Wadia, Dadybhai Kharshedji Ardeshir Dadyseth and Jehangirji Nusserwanji Wadia. The names of the following Parsi businessmen/enterprises figured in the list of members: Seth Kharshedji Ardeshir Dady and Company, Faramji Cowasjee Banaji, Mancherji Pestonji Wadia, Jehangirji Nusserwanji Wadia, Manekji Navrozji Faramji Cowasjee, Jejeebhoy Dadabhoy and Company, Faramji Pestonji Moos, Furdunji Limji Panday and Sons. According to a report in The Bombay Courier of October 22, 1836: "The committee of the above Chamber of Commerce wrote to the chief secretary of the government Mr Wathan on September 30, 1836 and requested that the government help it in matters pertaining to trade and commerce.” In reply, the government in its letter dated October 15, 1836 wrote that the government is pleased to note that such a chamber has been established and that the government will extend it all kinds of assistance.

Several Parsi businessmen of Bombay started an insurance company by the name of Parsi Insurance Society on September 28, 1844. This company issued 102 shares each of Rs 1,500. The entire capital was in the name of Seth Jejeebhoy Dadabhoy and Nusserwanji Kharshedji Jussawalla as trustees. The names of Parsi businessmen are given in the Bombay Times of September 1844. These included Seth Jejeebhoy Dadabhoy, Jehangirji Nusserwanji Jussawalla, Faramji Nusserwanji Batliwalla, Jivanji Edulji Appu, Dinshaw Dadabhai Gandhi.

MARZBAN GIARA