Portrait of Seth Lachman Das, CIE

This painting by Raja Ravi Varma is a portrait of Seth Lachman Das, a well known banker and businessman from the city of Mathura, located on the banks of the Yamuna. In C. Raja Raja Varma's book "A Narrative of the Tour of Upper India of His Highness Prince Marthanda Varma of Travancore", 1896, Seth Lachman Das is described in the following words: Seth Lachman as is the head of a large banking firm of Northern India, having branch offices in almost all the important towns. His grandfather, Maniram, who was a Jain by religion and a comparatively poor man, had a subordinate post under Gokul Das Parakh, the founder of the firm and treasurer to the Maharaja Sindia (sic). Having had no issue and having been on bad terms with his brother he bequeathed at the time of his death all his wealth to Maniram, of whom he was extremely fond. Maniram left three sons, the famous Seth Lakmichand, Radha Krishen and Govind Das, of which the first two each had a son, Raghunath Das, and Seth Lachman Das, respectively. On the death of Lakmichand, his son Raghunath Das, not possessing his father's business faculties, the affair of the firm were managed jointly by Lakmichand's two brothers, but the cruel hand of death removed them all one after another, leaving our friend Seth Lachman Das the sole surviving heir to the magnificent fortune. His non-sectarian charities, hospitality, and goodness of heart have won him a Companionship of the Indian Empire, and a seat in the Lieutenant Governor's Council at Allahabad.