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Seth Viccaji and Seth Pestonji Meherji: Great Nineteenth Century Parsi Revenue Farmers, Traders and Bankers.

Viccaji b. 1783 - d. 1854 Pestonji b. 1798 - d. 1853

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Seth Viccaji and Seth Pestonji Meherji were members of the industrious Parsi community that originally migrated from Persia and settled in Gujarat in the 9th century CE.

Little is known about the brothers or their family until the later 18th century, when their name began to appear in East India Company records. They were known to have lived in the Tarapore area and at the time took the surname 'Tarpaorevala', later dropped in the early to mid 19th century. The brothers began their ascent as tax farmers, farming the revenues of a locality known as Aseri in the Bssein under the Maratha Peshwas. As such they soon came to the attention of the nascent British power, and known for their efficient administration and many works of great philanthropy and charity for the benefit of all communities, including roads, dams and rest houses. The East India company granted them the village of Parnali where they had constructed a dam across the Banganga river at great personal expense to prevent the salt water tides from spoiling local farmers' lands.

However after the defeat of the local Maratha Peshwas by the British in 1818, the British took over the administration of the Maratha territories directly. The Brothers turned to the flourishing China trade around this time, exporting cotton to China and importing tea to India, building up a network of trading offices stretching from Mumbai to Shanghai via Calcutta, Singapore and Hong Kong. During the Governorship of the Bombay Presidency of Sir Robert Grant 1835-1938, the Brothers were entrusted with the farming of the land and sea customs of the Northern and Southern Konkan, Poona, Ahmednagar, Sholapur and Khandeish Zillah.

Around 1826 the brothers turned to founding and developing the cotton trade between the Nizam's dominion of Berar and the Bombay Presidency. Trade started with a mere 500 bullock cart-loads. Within a decade this number had reached 200,000 cart-loads. To achieve this they built road through the western ghats, bridges to cross rivers, halting places and cotton presses. The tremendous economic value and benefit of this trade is inestimable in todays's money.

It was around this time when the brother's connection to the Nizams of Hyderabad was facilitated by the British. Seeking to increase revenues from the Nizam's territories and their own influence, the Brother's were introduced to the Nizam's Prime Minister, Chundoolal, and mortgaged several jagirs and taluks in the Berar district. At the same time, the Broether's established a banking house as merchant bankers to the Nizam. they were permitted to mint their own coinage at the Aurangabad mint, the only Parsis to have ever earned this right in 1300 year history of Parsis in India. Over 10 million were Pestonshahi Siccas of varying denominations were minted with Seth Pestonji's initials on the coin, in both silver and copper. The coins were struck between 1832 - 1842 and remained current in Nandair, Aurangabad, Porbhani and some of the ceded territories of Berar till the beginning of the twentieth century.

Once the family established their banking house, or Kothi, in Hyderabad, close relations developed with the British Resident there also, and by this the seeds of the brother's great misfortunes were sown. The Nizams were not sometimes tardy in payments to the British. In the early 1840's the British were heavily involved in the Afghan campaigns. The cost of these campaigns was draining the East India company's treasury. Consequently the native army was not being paid on time. Unrest and resentment was fomenting among th ranks. In order to avoid a mutiny they needed to be paid. At this point, the Nizam owed the Britiah considerable sums. However in order to obtain funds quicker, the British asked Viccaji and Pestonji to make payments on the Nizam's behalf and deduct the same from their own mortgage payments. The brothers believed they had received reassurance3s from the British in the event of trouble should arise from the Nizam. The funds were paid over and the Afghan native army was paid and prevented from mutiny. However the Nizxm was less than pleased and as a result decided to attack the brothers' territories and seize them. During the attack, 16 people were killed on both sides and there were numerous injuries. the Brothers' mercenaries were no match for the Nizam's army and the battle lasted but a day.

However Viccaji and Pestonji did not give up. They were Britiah subjects and immediately appealed for justice. The case rose through the judicial process. Each brother sent a son, Jivanji Pestonji and Rustomji Viccaji, to London to follow the case. They made two visits in the early 1850's and the case went before parliament and then before the Lords and the Privy council. The case was won however the British were reluctant to enforce the judgment against such a powerful and important native Indian ally on behalf of their British subjects. [Note 1]

The brothers were effectively ruined by the whole affair. the bank was wound down and the family retreated into private life. Some degree of redress was made through stipends and pensions, however it was nothing compared to the losses sustained which would amount to the best part of a billion dollars in today's money. Some of the brotehrs' descendants remain in Hyderabad and administer the family truat fund, the Old Parsi Fire Temple Trust. Manekshah Dinshah was great grandson of Pestonji Meherji and rose to the position of minister in the Nizam's government. A lawyer and a judge, by profession, he was also tutor to the Nizam.

Today the brothers' descendants are scattered around the globe. Apart from Hyderabad and Mumbai, many live in the UK and US.

[Note 1] Whilst Rustomji Viccajee was in London, he met and fell in love with an English officer's daughter. he divorced his wife in India and married her. They returned to India and had a family and when his English wife succumbed to illness in India, he married her sister.