Bhimji Parekh was a seventeenth century Bania merchant from Surat. Bhimji along with other merchants led  the first non-violent movement in India against Aurangzeb's bigotry. Apart from it, Bhimji Parekh was the first Indian who brought printing press to India.

Life 

Bhimji was a son of Tulsidas who dealt in textiles, coral and lent large amount of money.  Bhimji probably started his career as a broker in the year 1662. Bhimji also worked as a broker for the English, and the Company awarded him with a medal and a chain of gold for his impeccable services. The English communications of 1669 made frequent references to Bhimji Parekh in context of the persecution of the Hindu communities in Surat. One incident that shook Surat was the forced conversion of a relative of Bhimji Parekh. In 1669 a nephew of Tulsidas Parekh and a Persian scribe were converted to Islam by the local Mughal authorities. The scribe committed suicide on being forcefully circumscribed. This led to a great discontent among the Hindu population in Surat. At the time, an English letter dated 21^st November 1669 claimed that the Qazi and Mughal authorities in Surat derived large incomes from the Banias “to redeem their places of idolatrous worship from being defaced and their persons from their malice.”[ref] These two incidents of forced conversion were the matter of grave concern for the Hindu population. Bhimji led a deputation of five Banias to Gerald Aungier, and asked for asylum in Bombay, but Aungier played it politically safe and advised the Hindu merchants to proceed to Ahmedabad and from there put their case to the King.  On 23^rd and 24^th September all the heads of the Bania families numbering 8,000 departed the town leaving their families in the care of kinsmen. The Qazi was furious at this and asked the Governor to call the Bania merchants back. However, this time the Governor had to side with the Bania merchants, for he came to realize their importance in the economic life of the city. Meanwhile, the people in Surat suffered in great want as the Bania families refused to open their shops until further orders from their Mahajan. There was no provision to get, no money to be procured; mints were shut, trade came at a halt. An English letter dated November 26, 1669 mentioned that “Ever since the flight of the Bannians, the trade of Surat hath suffered great obstruction and tis [this] the opinion of many wise men that it will prove of fatall [fatal] consequence to the utter ruins of it...”[ref] The situation lasted till 20 December 1669; afterwards, the Banias returned to Surat as Aurangzeb was compelled to assure them the safety of their religion. This incident demonstrates the organizational capabilities of the Hindu merchants. Moreover, the strike led by Bhimji Parkeh and other Banias against religious persecution was perhaps the first biggest mercantile strike in India and it was completely non-violent.[ref]

Printing Press

It was perhaps his early association with the English that Bhimji attracted by the rapidly advancing printing technology in the Western countries, tried to establish printing press in India. An English communication of January 9, 1670 from Surat claimed that “Bimgee Parrack makes his humble request to you that you would please to send out an able Printer to Bombay….for the said Printer’s encouragement he is willing to allow him £50 sterling a year for three years, and also to be at the charges of tooles [tools] and instruments necessary for him, and in case that will not be sufficient he humbly reffers [refers] it to your Prudence…”.[ref] Hence, Bhimji tried to get an English printer to print some “ancient Braminy writings.”  In the year 1672, an English printer named Henry Hills[ref] was invited from London to Surat to print, but even after taking full amount, the English printer refused to teach the art of printing to Indians. [ref]Thus, Bhimji Parekh’s dream of establishing printing press in India could not fulfill.

Bhimji Parekh died in 1686.[ref] Bhimji’s brother Vitthal continued to carry his family legacy in trade.