Shantidas Jhaveri (c. 1580s–1659) was an influential Indian jeweller, bullion trader (sarraf) and moneylender (sahukar) during the Mughal era. He was the wealthiest merchant in the Ahmedabad city during the 17th century. Early life Shantidas Jhaveri was an Oswal Jain from the Marwar region. His father Sahasra Kiran had migrated from Osian to Ahmedabad in the late 16th century. Shantidas expanded his father's jewellery retail business by setting up a sarrafa (bullion trading) business. Business activities Shantidas retailed jewellery to the rich, including the Mughal royalty and nobility. Farmans from Emperor Jahangir and Dara Shikoh indicate that he was asked to offer jewellery to the Mughal royalty. In 1639, Asaf Khan the brother of Nur Jahan and the father of Mumtaz Mahal purchased a large quantity of jewels from Shantidas. After he died, the Emperor Shah Jahan forced Shantidas to take back the jewels and refund the money. Shantidas also traded with the European companies (British East India Company and Dutch VOC), as well as Persian and Arab traders, in commodities such as cloves. In September 1635, Shantidas and some other merchants from Surat and Ahmedabad, lost their goods to English pirates. He used his influence and political connections to recover his loss from the English. He however became most influential as a moneylender: most of the capital lent to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in India came from Shantidas and his close associate Virji Vora. These associations provided him with excellent profits and strong and constant flow of gold-denominated interest payments, making him a wealthy man. Relations with the Mughal authorities As a court jeweller, Shantidas had access to the Mughal household. Modern Jain tradition asserts that Shantidas was addressed as mama (maternal uncle) by the Emperor Shah Jahan. Farmans issued by the Mughal emperors Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb suggest that the Mughal royalty maintained good relations with him. Jehangir is said to have conferred the title of "Nagarsheth" upon him. Farmans were issued during Shah Jahan's reign which prohibited the administrators of the Subah of Ahmedabad from illegally encroaching on his properties, interfering in the rent collection of his businesses, or troubling his family. Port authorities were also directed to give safe conduct to Shantidas' agents and assist them in the procurement of "jewels and other articles". Shantidas was also entrusted with the responsibility of procuring jewels for the celebration of the anniversary of the royal