Jagmal Raja Chauhan

Jagmal Raja Chauhan (1887–1974), better known as Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja, was a noted railway contractor, industrialist, miner, private banker, aviation pioneer and philanthropist of India.

Builder, railways contractor, engineer and architect

Railway contracts for railways and bridges

His father Raja Narayan Chauhan was also a noted railway contractor. Raja Narayan of Nagor with Mulji Meghji Chauhan also of Nagor in 1903 together built bridge over Yamuna river at Agra. Jagmal Raja Chauhan carried on father's legacy, who joined him at an early age of twelve to get practical knowledge of building bridges and laying rail lines. In all the railway contracts done by him, his partners and sub-contractors were railway contractors from his own community – Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya. The Bally Bridge was named Willingdon Bridge after Viceroy of India, The Marquess of Willingdon, who inaugurated it. The British acknowledged the feat of Jagmal Raja, by naming the first train that ran across Willingdon Bridge as Jagmal Raja Howrah Express. The name plates mentioning Erection & Caissoning done by Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja, Allahabad, can still be seen riveted on each girder of Bally Bridge.

Contractor for docks

Further, in 1924 the extension of Calcutta Port Trust at Khiddirpore in Calcutta was made by building a new dock named the "King George Dockyard", which was done by Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan with Bhimjee Pancha Chauhan & Mavji Punja Chauhan, all from Nagor. This work was completed in 1927. The dock has now been renamed as "Netaji Subhas Docks".

He was also involved in construction and erection Darya Mahal, the second monumental residence of Maharao Khengarji III of Cutch, which was commissioned in 1940. Maharao advised Jagmal Raja to oversee the construction but as he was too busy in his other business ventures, he declined to take complete responsibility, however, he sent a team of expert Mistri artisans from Kutch, who worked with other architects appointed by the king. and the Naini Glass Works, both located at Naini, in 1912. In 1919, his glass factory at Naini was visited by Sir Harcort Butler, the Lieutenant Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. Later he established another glass factory named the Bombay Glass Works at Bombay in 1930 and one more named Raja Glass Works at Sodepur near Calcutta in 1932.

He also started a Sanitary ware factory in year 1932 at Derol named Gujarat Pottery Works and owned tiles factory, fire clay factory.

Pharmaceuticals He was Chairman of Zandu Pharmaceutical for several years. It operated in the western coast of India an had its head office in Bombay. which operated on Bombay – Bhuj – Rajkot – Jamnagar – Morvi and Bombay – Baroda – Ahmedabad air routes. He entered into coal mining business purchasing the mines in 1913 from one Gujarati miner, Bhawan Kara of Balambha. His partner in coal mines, Manji Jeram died in 1954, however, he carried on his mining business till 1970, when he sold his mine just one year before nationalisation of coal mines in India. and he also owned a finance company.

Paper Mills and other ventures Among his other industrial ventures was a paper board factory at Dahanu named Dahanu Straw Boards, an aromatics unit named Hindustan Aromatics, ice factory, cold storage and export businesses. He also ventured into the packaged food and pickle export businesses.

He shared personal friendship with Maharao of Cutch, Khengarji III and was personal aide-de-camp (ADC) to him in the Coronation ceremony of King George VI in 1937. Although, he had studied up to fifth standard in his native village (Nagor), he had the distinction of being conferred with Degree of AEIE (UK) on recommendation of Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin. His residential palace at M.G Road in Allahabad, was spread in acres and built like a royal palace, as a replica of Prag Mahal of Bhuj.

During his stay in Calcutta for construction of Bally bridge, through his friends and established in Calcutta; Lira Raja Rathor and Devram Jetha Jethwa, he came in contact with Jeewanlal Motichand Shah, father of Viren J. Shah, who owned an Aluminum utensils factory named Jeevanlal & Company later named as Jeewanlal (1929) Limited at Calcutta. Institution of Civil Engineers (Great Britain), His one son Varjang Jagmal Raja headed his Bombay Glass Works factory., whereas the Allahabad Glass Works factory and Gujarat Pottery Works were headed by elder son Jairam Jagmal. Varjang Jagmal was also a trained pilot and a member of Bombay Flying Club.

Philanthropy

He built an ashram with a huge Dharamshala at Jhusi having more than hundred rooms and other facilities near Allahabad on banks of river Ganges. He also built and donated Boys Hostel and Boarding School known as Mistri Boarding House at Bhuj, Cutch his native state in 1932. At his native village Nagor in Kutch he had built and donated a huge public garden, a Hindu temple, a housing colony for Harijans, several wells, a chabutro, welcome-gate and also a 10 km long pucca road from Nagor to Bhuj. His ancestral home still stands there. and higher studies.

Honors Apart from being awarded title of Rai Bahadur in 1923, he was also recipient of the George V Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935 and the George VI Coronation Medal in 1937.