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The flourishing story of Shekhawati started in the late 18th century with the development
of the overland caravan trade route linking Pali, in Jodhpur state in the south
and Bhiwani near Delhi in the North. It was in response to the foundation of the
trade link of Gujarat rulers with the Gulf, supported by the development of the
Bhavnagar port. The routes between these two towns crossed the region of Churu and
Shekhawati. The principle commercial lines followed are: from Delhi via Bhiwani
in Hissar (the greatest eastern part of Rajputana) to Rani (Taranagar), the other
via Churu, Ratangarh and Sujangarh to Phalodi, Nagore, Jodhpur and Pali in Marwar
(Jodhpur state).
By the late 18th and the early 19th century, shortage of funds compelled the rulers
to force as much revenue as possible out of trade and across their frontiers. They
increased duties until the rates were exorbitant, which destroyed commerce in the
region.
Together, Jaipur and Bikaner spanned northern Rajasthan, but for a channel between
them- a narrow passage where neither the prince of Jaipur nor Bikaner controlled
tariffs. In Shekhawati, each individual baron set his own rates, and they were low.
Here was the bottleneck that drew the merchants. The trade itself was not instrumental
in funding construction of many painted buildings. There was no time for ostentatious
display as it was not wise to draw the baron's attention to one's affluence.
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It is hard to be sure how long this concentration of trade persisted through Shekhawati,
but it is not difficult to pinpoint its end. By the 1820's, because of high duties,
traders were preferring diversion through Shekhawati and caravan trade across the
region presented an ever-decreasing proportion of the local Bania's source of wealth.
Reduced to a mere moderate flow after the inflated traffic of those earlier years,
it continued throughout the 19th century. Opinions as to whether it was better to
pass through Churu or Shekhawati varied along with fluctuations in the rates of
duty well into the century. At times the merchants would prefer to cross Churu,
where they were only taxed once on entering Bikaner state. At others, they chose
Shekhawati, despite being faced with taxes at the border of each little estate,
because the total bill would be lower.
By mid 19th century the Banias had become quite powerful. They would tolerate only
a certain amount of extortion by their Rajput rulers and then they started exhibiting
their firmness and made confident moves, migrating out of their region. For fixing
their permanent security, wealthy families patched up with the Raja of Sikar. This
co-operation and their money power brought an unprecedented era of tranquility and
order.
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