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Agarwal
Including among the Vaishy community, the leading Agarwal Race is perhaps the most
ancient race from the historical point of view which has been maintaining its majority
for more than a thousand years in the major part of Northern India from Punjab to
Rajasthan to Bihar. This is genraly considered to be the highest and most important
subdivision of the Banias.
The
original person of Agarwal race who was founder of Agaray Republic is famous by
the name of Maharaja Agarsen. The chief city of this republic was Agroha whose former
remains are scattered in a wide area along Hisar-Sirsa road in Haryana in the Northwest,
13 miles from the city of Hisar.
There
are many rumors prevalent about Maharaja Agarsen, which indicates his time about
1300-1400B.C. But the famous archeologist and historians Late Dr.Vasudev Sharan
Agarwal has discovered after research that the Ageay Republic was present at the
time of Alexander and its founder Maharaja Agarsen was famous among the Lichci's
of the ancient Vaishali Republic. In 600 B.C. Magadh Emperor "Azat Shatru" demolished
Vaishali in a terrible war. It is said that it was the most terrible and destroying
war after the battle of Maharabharat. Vaishali was again demolished twice after
150 or 200 years even after this. It is guessed that between the first and second
demolition under the leader ship of Licchvi, Agrakumar. Seventeen Lichhvi of different
family did not appreciate autocratic system & crossed the states governed by
the king. They came in this Western Anchak and settled there. They founded an
Agray Republic on the lines of the Vaishali Republic, which was governed by Agrakumar
with leaders of 18 families or family representatives. These leaders also elected
the head of the republic for the whole life from among them. Maharaja Agrakumar
adopted the place of Maharaja Agarsen and became its first President. Another account
is that the 17 sons of Agarsen married the 17 daughters of Basuki, the king
of the Nagas or snakes. The Agarwals for this reason will never molest or kill a
snake and some paint pictures of snakes on either side of the outside of their houses,
and make offerings of fruit and flowers before them. Raja Agarsen is said to have
ruled over both Agra and Agroha. The country around Delhi and Agra is their home,
and the shrine of the tutelary goddess of some of the Agarwals is near Delhi in
Mahaur.
Like other banias they are divided into the Bisa and Dasa or 20 and 10 subdivisions,
and marry amongst themselves. The Bisa rank higher than the Dasa, the latter considered
to have some flaw in their pedigree, such as descent from a remarried widow. The
Dasas are sometimes said to be the descendants of the maidservants who accompanied
the 17 Naga princesses on their marriages to the sons of Raja Agarsen. A third division
has now come into existence, the Pancha or fives. The divisions are endogamous,
but a man who cannot obtain a wife from his own group will marry in a lower group.
The Agarwalas are divided into 17 and a halve gotras, from the 17 sons of Agrasen.
The extra half gotra is accounted for by a legend, but it probably has in reality
to do with illegimate descent. The remarriage of widows is prohibited, and divorce
is not recognised.
The
name of the family was Oogra. Perhaps Agarkumar or Maharaja Agarsen might have related
to this Oogra family. Even to day name Ugrasen is general among Agarwal Jains.It
is the impression that after Maharaja Agarsen this office was entrusted to other
respectable or elected great man to the chief member of Aroha families.With the
lapse of long period of time and due to many political changes, the one time prosperous
town of Agroha was buried underneath. Since the year 1975 Archeological Department
of India started digging this place with the help of Agarwal Community. On excavation
of a 60 feet high mond of Agoha, 52 coins of mixed silver and copper on which there
are the figures of an ox in front, the figure of lion behind or there is also a
tree of Chatya have been found. There is inscribed the phrase "Janpadas Agachh of
Angodh" in Brahini Lipi on the coins. According to Pandit Parmanand Shastri all
above words are indicator of Angodhak and of being follower of Jainism. By excavating
this maund, a statue of Jin and a statue of "Tirthankar" or "Parshavnath" with a
hood has been found. Some Jain statues have also been found some years before from
the fort of Hansi at the distance of five miles from Agroha. The remains of three
cities have also been found on one above another of the time of the most ancient
habitation and have been estimated from 5th to 3rd B.C. by the Archeologists. This
city was demolished three times; its final demolition was done by 11th-12th century
by Muslims invaders by means of throwing fire. After this Agroha could never be
inherited and agroha families, which were known as Agarwals, spread in whole of
the Northern India and at present they are living in whole of the world. This town
is being developed again. Today it is a very attractive and charming pligrimage
center and we feel this place must be as prosperous as it was before five thousand
years ago.
In
the beginning Maharaja Agrasen was follower of the Sanatan Dharma and to please
Lord Vishnu he performed 17 great animal Sacrifice Yagyas with the advice of Brahmin
Guru. It is a rumor that during the course of 18th yagyas the younger queen Padmavati,
who was the princes of Naagvansh and was called Sudravati by her second name. The
Agarah families gradually gave up Kshatriya increnation adopted "Vaishya" nature
In the nature of vaniks, the Agarwal's adopted the trade of such articles in which
they can avoid solid violence i.e. grains, kirana, bajaja, kaserth, jewellery and
mahajani etc. The Family Goddess of Agarwals is MAHALAKSHMI. The only hand written
copy of "Mahalakshmi fast story" has been available from the personal library of
Bhartendu Babu Harishchandra an inhabitant of Kashi. According to this book Maharaja
Agrasen was the unique devotee of Goddess Mahalakshmi. He performed a severe penance
with his family at the time of long time famine in the kingdom due to no rains or
less rains. By pleasing the goddess Lakshmi with his meditation, he filled the kingdom
with prosperity and wealth. This statement has been made in the "Peranik Rupak"
method of which, the real meaning is the Maharaja Agarsen boldly faced the contrary
conditions of famine and compensated the loss of rain by digging wells, tanks etc.
in order to irrigate the whole kingdom and he himself labored in the construction
works. Moreover, to develop the trade industry and other occupation, he tried whole-heartedly.
By this meditation Maharaja Agarsen pleased the Goddess Mahalakshmi. As a result,
Agoha Republic began to be counted among the leading prosperous nations.
The
most ancient written statement belongs to Vikrami-Sambat 1189 in which a well known
Haryanavi Agarwal poet Bibuddha Sridhar has written a description of an Agarwal
City Seth of Yoginipur (DELHI) in the praise of an essay poetry book in old deformed
language. The historians are not known up to this time such an ancient writing of
any other document of any other race including in the vaish community. It is a clear
proof of this fact that among the Vaish Community Agarwal community has remained
most ancient and prosperous and the Agarwal Seths have kept equal interest in earning
money and composing literature and they have been patrons and guardians of the literary
people. The most ancient use of Gotra with name belongs to 1302 Vikrami Sambat e.g,"Agrothkanraye
Gohit Gotre..." In the writings of after time, the use of gotra with name generally
appears to be made. To Dr. Swarajmani Agarwal all the writing enclosed all the Agarwal
Bandhu whether they are Kuber in wealth or they are respectable famous literary
man or poets were followers of Jainism. From this we conclude that it will not be
wrong to say those 700-800 years before the Agarwal community or its major part
was follower of Jainism. The background of the non-violence to be kind to the living
animals and vegetarian seems to be a witness of this very fact. The birth anniversary
of Maharaja Agarsen is celebrated on first day of Ashwin Shukla, but no historic
or puranik background is available up to this time. It is said that being asked
by a Purohit of an Agarwal Shreshtha that when the birth anniversary of Maharaja
Agarsen should be celebrated, the wise Pandit advised that his birth anniversary
on first date after Ashwin Shukla may be celebrated Perhaps, the story of Mahalakshmi
fast might have beam composed by this very Purohit. Whatever the case may be, but
the Birth Anniversary of original founder Maharaja Agarsen is celebrated by agarwal
society on first date of Ashwin Shukla with great zeal and enthusiam. Maharaja Agarsen
is regarded a symbol of racial love and cooperation. The first date of Ashwin-Shukla
is assigned to his sacred memory. We wish that his ideals might always inspire Agarwal
race. Our country is fortunate to give birth to such wonder person as Maharaja Agarsen
about 5000 years ago.
It
is said that Maharaj Agrasen, the king of Agroha, was born to king Vallabh of Pratapnagar
some 5182 years back. Maharaj Agrasen was king of great administrative skill. His
concepts of kingdom and the duties of the king towards his subjects have evolved
him as a centurial man.
Equality,
Nationalism, Socialism and Non-Violence were the principles which formed the backbone
of his kingship. Maharaj Agrasen established the republican state of Agroha. Agroha
consisted of 18 state units. The head of each state unit was given a gotra. All
the residents of that particular state unit were identified by that gotra. It was
maintained by Maharaj Agrasen that a nupital alliance could not take place in the
same gotra. That is a girl of "Goel" gotra could not marry a "Goel boy"', but could
be married in any of the other 17 Gotra. This rule enunciated by Maharaj Agrasen
promoted harmony and brotherhood among all the 18 Gotra represented by state units.
This facilitated promotion of unity and nationalism among the state units.
- Aren
- Bansal
- Bhandal
- Bindal
- Dharan
- Gargal
- Goel, Goyal
- Goen
- Jindel
- Kansal
- Kuchhal
- Mangal
- Mittal
- Mridkul
- Nagal
- Singhal
- Tayal
- Tingal
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