PNN
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 19: India's historical and cultural scholarship achieved an important milestone with the launch of A City Called Agroha, an ambitious and meticulously researched reconstruction of the ancient republic founded by Samrat Agrasen. With its extensive research and interdisciplinary approach, A City Called Agroha is poised to serve as a foundational reference for future studies, firmly placing Samrat Agrasen's where more than 100 distinguished guests from the fields of law, archaeology, academia, politics, defence, maritime professions, media and medicine were present.
The event was presided over by the Chief Guest, C.A. Uttamprakash Agarwal, National President of the Agroha Vikas Trust, who described the publication as "a cultural and civilisational milestone for India," commending its remarkable depth and unprecedented scope. He was joined by senior dignitaries of the Trust, including Shri Alkesh Agarwal, Shri Dinesh Agarwal, Shrimati Premlata Agarwal, Shrimati Rekha Goel, Shrimati Vandana Garg, Shrimati Kamala Goenka, Shrimati Namrata Agarwal and Shrimati Manisha Agrawal, all of whom emphasised the enduring relevance of Agrasen's legacy for contemporary society.
Guests of Honour included Dr Adv. Chitrasen Abhyankar, CEO and Secretary of the Nirmal Education Society; Dr Zarin Sethna, noted clinical psychologist; Adv. Raj Saraf of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha; former Director of Education at the Goenka & Associates Educational Trust, Shrimati Poonam Jaiswal; Business Upturn Media Group founder Vipul Sipani; and Joseph P. Chacko, founder of Frontier India Technology and the book's publisher. Among the special attendees were Op Pawan and Kargil War veteran Lt Col (Retd) Shreesh Kumar; Master Mariner Capt. Sundeep Shivanagi; actress Nivedita Bhargava; along with several medical professionals and social leaders.
At the heart of the launch was lead author Vaibhav M. Agrawal, a maritime and logistics legal professional and co-founder of Commercyon, whose vision forms the intellectual anchor of the project. He noted that the initiative stemmed from a desire "to recover India's lost models of ethical commerce and responsible governance," adding that "the first step of true nationalism comes from knowing and studying one's own lineage and roots." His role as a researcher, educator and legal scholar of indigenous governance systems offers a strong conceptual framework to the work.
Widely described as one of the world's first comprehensive studies on Agroha, the book reconstructs the economic, legal and administrative structures of Samrat Agrasen's republic. Its scope spans governance systems, welfare models, arbitration mechanisms, fiscal policy, state ethics and the role of women and familial institutions. The authors also chart international trade routes, maritime linkages and archaeological stratigraphy, drawing meaningful parallels between ancient governance practices and modern constitutional principles. Co-author Neha Mhatre observed that the work "bridges material evidence, cultural memory and academic inquiry in a way never attempted before," underscoring its multidisciplinary breadth.
By bringing together archaeology, law, economic history, epigraphy and oral tradition, A City Called Agroha consolidates fragmented narratives into a single scholarly text -- a characteristic that stands out as one of its most compelling strengths. The book presents the ancient republic not merely as a historical subject but as a sophisticated socio-economic model with contemporary significance for policymakers, researchers and communities exploring India's indigenous frameworks of governance and commerce.
The launch marked an important moment for Indian scholarship and for the Agrawal community's cultural heritage. With its extensive research and interdisciplinary approach, A City Called Agroha is poised to serve as a foundational reference for future studies, firmly placing Samrat Agrasen's legacy within the larger discourse on India's civilisational evolution.
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