Rehemtulla Alidina

Like many other Ismaili merchants during the prewar period, Jaffer Alidina established a trade in Uganda’s cotton industry. In 1912, he and his three sons—Rehemtulla Alidina, Gangji Permohamed, and Mohamed Ali—opened Jaffer Alidina & Sons in Kampala with the help of a Rs. 15,000 loan from the Standard Bank of South Africa. By 1918, the firm was averaging Rs. 100,000 in annual turnover.

Following the passing of Jaffer Alidina Visram, a new partnership was formed by the sons under the name of Rehemtulla Alidina & Bros—“Rehemtulla” being the name of the eldest brother. By this agreement, the brothers divided 90 percent of the profits equally among each other. The other 10 percent of the firm’s earnings were allocated to Ismaili charities and community functions as well as family members, parents, and in-laws.56 To meet new demand, the firm took out a second loan of Rs. 200,000 in 1920. One portion of the loan 56

A more specific rundown of the agreement went as follows: The 10% was divided into 1) 2.5% to charity; 2) 2.5% for to [their mother] during her lifetime; 3) 2.5% for maintenance of the partners’ parents; 4) 2.5% to Perali Allidina partners older brother (during life time); and 5) 90% to be shared between the two partners.

It also specified that Expenses for partners for boarding and lodging and for jamatkhana shall be paid from the shop account. was used to renovate and increase the size of their Kampala store.

Another Rs. 85,000 portion was used to construct 3 shambas (farms), which they rented out from a Mbogo chief in Uganda at Rs. 48 per acre. The brothers, furthermore, utilized a facility from the Standard Bank of South Africa classified as “document against payment,” wherein the bank handled outbound shipments of cotton exports for client firms.

By the mid-1920s, the firm was prospering, exporting more than 300 barrels of cotton each year. Over the pre- and interwar period, the firm gained many customers in India and England.

One of them was a Bombay-based Ismaili merchant by the name of Manji Ladak. In 1917, the Kampala firm entered into an agreement with Ladak to supply him with bales at Rs. 750 in exchange for financing at a rate of five percent per month up to Rs. 87,000. This agreement continued until 1924, when the Standard Bank of South Africa made a fateful mistake. According worth of cotton to Liverpool instead of Bombay. It is not clear precisely how much the brothers were able to redeem from taking legal action against the bank. (The bank had offered a Ksh 140,000-settlement, which the firm refused, and we don’t know the outcome.) Nor is it clear how the firm fared following the settlement, if there was one.

However, by the interwar period, Rehemtulla Alidina & Bros. appears to have been suffering financially and, for this reason, looked to reopen the case with the help of East Africa’s Aga Khan Council. “We had to sell our valuable properties such as three ginneries, etc. at the lowest price we could get,” wrote one firm partner, Fazal Jaffer. The firm eventually filed suit against the Standard Bank of South Africa for damages of Rs. 245,000.57

Re: Standard Bank of South Africa, Ltd, 1939, UONL RAC DF, Series 11, Serial No. 24.