History News Desk !!! Dadabhai Naoroji (English: Dadabhai Naoroji, born- 4 September, 1825 AD Mumbai; died- 30 June, 1917 AD Mumbai) is called the ‘Father of Indian Politics’. He was also a veteran politician, industrialist, educationist and thinker. The educational side of Shri Dadabhai Naoroji was very bright. In 1845, he became a professor of mathematics at Elphinstone College. An English professor here called him ‘India’s hope’. Dadabhai created many organizations. In 1851, he started publishing the weekly ‘Rast Gaftar’ in Gujarati language. In 1867, he formed the ‘East India Association’. Elsewhere, he became a professor of Gujarati in the University of London. He returned to India in 1869. Here he was welcomed with a bag of Rs 30,000 and a certificate of honor. In 1885 he became a member of the ‘Bombay Legislative Council’. In 1886 he contested for Parliament from ‘Holborn constituency’ but was unsuccessful. In 1886 he was elected to Parliament from Finsbury constituency. He wrote the book ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’ which was a great work of its time. In 1886 and 1906 he was made the President of the ‘Indian National Congress’.
Birth
Dadabhai Naoroji was born on 4 September 1825 in a poor Parsi family in Mumbai. When Dadabhai was 4 years old, his father died. His mother gave her son higher education despite poverty. After getting higher education, Dadabhai started teaching at the University College of London. Indian students studying there used to come and go to his house in London. Gandhiji was also one of them. At the age of just 25, he became the first Indian to be appointed as a leading professor at the Elphinstone Institute.
in politics
Naoroji became the first British MP of Indian origin by winning from Finsbury Central on a Liberal Party ticket in the 1892 general elections in Britain. Naoroji laid the foundation for Congress politics in India. He helped form the Congress’ predecessor, the East India Association. Later, in 1886, he was elected Congress President. At that time, he played an important role in deciding the direction of the Congress. Naoroji was also an advisor to Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mahatma Gandhi. He worked as a professor of mathematics and philosophy in Bombay until 1855. Later, he went to London to become a partner in Kama & Company. In 1859, he started trading in cotton under the name of Naoroji & Company. Before the formation of the Congress, he was also a member of the Indian National Association founded by Sir Surendranath Banerjee. This organization later merged with the Congress.[1]He presided over the ‘Calcutta Session’ of the Indian National Congress in 1906. His magnum opus Poverty and Un-British Rule in India is called the ‘Bible of the National Movement’. He was the source of inspiration for Mahatma Gandhi. He was the first Indian to be appointed as a professor at Elphinstone College. Later he served as a professor at University College, London. He contributed to the development of education, social upliftment and encouraging many institutions for charity, and he was also the editor of the famous weekly ‘Rast Goftar’. He was also associated with many other journals. He was also interested in social work. He used to say, ‘We move forward with the help of society, so we should also serve the society wholeheartedly.’
Contribution
Dadabhai Naoroji founded a women’s high school named ‘Gyan Prasarak Mandali’ and ‘Bombay Association’ in 1852. While living in London, Dadabhai founded ‘London Indian Association’ and ‘East India Association’ in 1866. He was quite liberal in political views. He considered British rule as a divine boon for Indians. In 1906, under his presidency, the demand for self-rule was raised for the first time in the Calcutta session of the Congress. Dadabhai said, “We do not beg for mercy. We only want justice. We do not talk about equal rights as British citizens, we want self-rule.” In his presidential address, he described three fundamental rights of the Indian people. These rights were-
More appointments of Indian people in public services.
Greater representation of Indians in the legislatures.
Establishment of proper economic relations between India and England.
In Abroad
After establishing his identity in Bombay, he went to England and raised his voice for the revival of ‘Indian economics and politics’ and was elected to the House of Commons. Dadabhai Naoroji, a famous politician, industrialist, educationist and thinker, known as the ‘Father of Indian Politics’, not only exposed the dark reality of the fascination of the intellectual class towards British colonialism, but also prepared the political ground for the Congress. He tried to end the fascination of the intellectual class towards British colonialism. Dadabhai Naoroji is called the ‘Grand Old Man’ of Indian politics. He was the first Indian to be appointed as a professor in ‘Elphinstone College’. Later, he served as a professor in ‘University College’, London. He contributed to encouraging many institutions for the development of education, social upliftment and charity, and he was also the editor of the famous ‘Weekly Rast Goftar’. He was also associated with many other journals. After establishing himself in Bombay, he went to England and campaigned for ‘Indian economic and political reform’ and was elected to the House of Commons.
ideals of leaders
Dadabhai Naoroji, who founded the ‘East India Association’ in London in 1866 and presented the first economic analysis of British rule, is one of the leading founding members of the Indian National Congress. Between 1885 and 1907, moderate or liberal leaders dominated the Congress. Surendranath Banerjee, Dadabhai Naoroji, Madan Mohan Malviya, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, KT Telang, Firoz Shah Mehta, etc. were trying to get their demands accepted in a peaceful manner. Freedom from British slavery was the sole aim of all these leaders. Dadabhai raised the demand that at least one seat should be guaranteed for an Indian in the Parliament of England. Impressed by his brilliant talent and defeated by his irrefutable arguments, the British accepted his demand. He was chosen to represent Indians in the Parliament of England. It was only possible for a person like Dadabhai to stand in the Parliament of the British and speak against them. He discharged his responsibility with great wisdom. Dadabhai Naoroji’s guidance and his active contribution to the country’s independence will never be forgotten.
Dadabhai Naoroji, dedicated to the service of the country and society, was not only an ideal for moderate leaders, but even extremist leaders like Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak considered him a source of inspiration. Tilak acquired practical knowledge of advocacy by staying with Dadabhai. Once Dadabhai had to go to England in connection with a case, Tilak ji also accompanied him as an assistant. Dadabhai, in order to save money, did not stay in London but stayed in a suburb far away from there. He had a habit of getting up early in the morning. He used to do all the household work himself. One day, when he was doing household work, Tilak ji woke up. He said, did the servant not come today, that you have to do all the work? On this, Dadabhai explained to Tilak ji and said, I do my work myself. I do not depend on others for any of my work. Tilak ji was overwhelmed on hearing this.
love for the country
Dadabhai’s patriotism brought him to India. At that time, the British East India Company ruled here. The British government had created an image that it was taking India on the path of progress, but Dadabhai Naoroji proved with facts and figures that India was suffering huge economic losses under the British rule. India was becoming poorer day by day. His words convinced people that India should now become independent. He was the first Indian who said that India belongs to the Indians. Leaders like Tilak, Gokhale and Gandhiji were also influenced by his words.[4]
Dadabhai Naoroji, popularly known as the Grand Old Man of India, was the first Asian to be elected to the British Parliament. As a Member of Parliament, he presented the opposition to India in Britain. He presented a theory in the British Parliament regarding the loot of India. This Drain Theory mentioned taking the looted wealth from India to Britain. Prof. SR Mehrotra, who wrote the history of Congress, told that Naoroji used to amaze people with his oratory skills. When he was elected a member of the British Parliament, he said in the Parliament, ‘that I am an Indian beyond religion and caste’. He used to say that when one word can do the job, two words should not be used. As a liberal, he was elected to the House of Commons in 1892. He was a skilled entrepreneur. RP Masani, who wrote Naoroji’s biography for the first time in 1939, has mentioned that there were more than 70 thousand documents about Naoroji which were not collected properly.
According to Mehrotra, like Wedburn, W.C. Banerjee and A.O. Hume, the history of Congress is incomplete without Dadabhai Naoroji. The letters he wrote need to be collected and preserved. He passed away on 30 June 1917. Naoroji was the guru of Gopal Krishna and Mahatma Gandhi. Naoroji was the first to bring to the world how the British government was taking Indian wealth to itself. He wrote a book titled India without poverty and British rule. He was a member of the British Parliament from 1892 to 1895. He is credited with founding the Indian National Congress along with A.O. Hume and Dinsha Edulji Wacha. Dadabhai Naoroji, son of Manekbai and Naoroji Palanji Dordi, was born in a poor Parsi family on 4 September 1825 in Navsari, Gujarat. He was very brilliant from the beginning. In the year 1850, at the age of only 25, he was appointed assistant professor at the prestigious Elphinstone Institute. He was the first Indian to hold such a respectable position at such a young age.
Withdrawal of Indian funds
In 1868, Dadabhai Naoroji was the first to draw the attention of all Indians towards the ‘drain of wealth’ from India by the British. On 2 May 1867, he presented the theory of outflow of wealth for the first time while reading his paper titled ‘England Debut To India’ at the meeting of the ‘East India Association’ held in London. He said – “India’s wealth goes out of India, and then the money is again given to India in the form of loan, for which it has to pay more money in the form of interest. All this was a vicious circle, which was difficult to break.” In his book ‘Poverty And Unbritish Rules In India’, he estimated the per capita annual income to be Rs 20. Apart from this, his other books, in which he has explained the theory of drain of wealth, are ‘The Wants and Means of India (1870 AD)’, ‘On the Commerce of India (1871 AD)’ etc. Dadabhai Naoroji was the first and most ardent proponent of the ‘theory of drain of wealth’. In 1905 AD, he said that “drain of wealth is the root of all evils and the main reason for Indian poverty.” Dadabhai Naoroji has called drain of wealth the ‘worst of evils’.
Mahadev Govind Ranade said, “One third of the national capital is taken out of India in one form or the other by the British rule.” Lord Salisbury called him a black man. Though he was very fair. He refused to take oath on the Bible in Parliament. To expose the misdeeds of the British he started a paper called Rast Gotar which was called the paper which spoke the truth. In the year 1874 he became the Prime Minister of Baroda and then he was elected a member of the Legislative Council of the then Bombay. He founded the Indian National Association in Bombay which later merged with the Congress.
Patriot
Dadabhai was such an ardent patriot that we got to know about it in the Kolkata Congress of 1906. Here he used the word Swaraj for the first time. He said, we are not begging for any favour. We want justice.
demise
Dadabhai kept visiting England from time to time, but due to poor health he mostly stayed in his home country and died on 30 June 1917 in Mumbai, India at the age of 92. He was the father of national sentiments in India. He laid the foundation of Swaraj in the country.