Jamnalal Bajaj was born to small-time Marwari money lenders in a village in Rajasthan on 4 November, 1889. At 5, he was adopted by a business family in Wardha. After Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa, Bajaj took an instant liking to his teachings. Looking to get Gandhi to make Wardha a centre of his freedom movement, Bajaj donated 20 acres of land to Gandhi, who later adopted him as a son. Jamnalal went on to participate in the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22), Nagpur Jhanda Satyagraha (1923), Boycott of Simon Commission (1928), Dandi March (1930), among other important events leading up to 1942.