Heirs seek repayment of 1917 war loan from British Government

More than a century after the First World War, the descendants of a Madhya Pradesh industrialist have claimed that the British government owes them repayment of a loan extended in 1917.
According to family sources, Seth Jammalal Rudiya, a prominent businessman from Sehore in present-day Madhya Pradesh, had lent Rs 35,000 to the British administration during World War I. The amount was reportedly raised as a “war loan” to meet administrative expenses of the then Bhopal princely state amid financial strain caused by the war.
The matter remained dormant for decades as the family lacked documentary proof. However, Vivek Rudiya, grandson of Jammalal Rudiya, said he discovered original certificates and related deeds while examining old documents and his father’s will after his father’s demise.
He claimed that Rs 35,000 was a substantial amount in 1917 and that, when adjusted to present value based on gold prices of that period, the sum would translate into several hundred crore rupees today.
The Rudiya family is now preparing to send a legal notice to the British government, asserting that under international law, a sovereign state is bound to honour its financial obligations.
Historically, the Rudiya family was considered one of the most influential families in the princely regions of Sehore and Bhopal. Even today, a significant portion of residential land in Sehore is said to be owned by the family, which is currently engaged in agriculture, real estate and hospitality ventures.