Dadabhai Naoroji: Happy Birthday!

Informally known as the “Grand Old Man of India,” last Thursday marked the 189th birthday of Dadabhai Naoroji, the first Asian to be elected to the British Houses of Parliament.

Born in present-day Mumbai on the 4th of September1825, Naoroji started his public life as a minister to the Maharaja in 1874. Prior to this position, Naoroji had already founded the Rahnumae Mazdayasne Sabha (Guides on the Mazdayasne Path) in 1851, which sought to re-establish the Zoroastrian faith. By 1855, Naoroji had been appointed professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Elphinstone College in Bombay, making him the first Indian person to be promoted to this position.

By 1859, Naoroji had established his own trading company, having first been a partner in trading company Cama and Co. With his growing accolades and qualifications, Naoroji helped to co-establish the East India Association, an integral organization preceding the Indian National Congress.

Throughout his life, Naoroji remained not only committed to communicating the Indian perspective to the British public, but steadfast in advocating for social justice and cultural tolerance. When elected as the MP for Finsbury Central in 1892, Naoroji refused to take his oath on the Bible as he was not Christian. Barred from making his oath to office with the Khordeh Avesta, Naoroji remained unswayed by the intolerance of 19th century Parliamentary, speaking out against Irish home rule and the condition of Indian people under British rule.

Naoroji returned to Indian politics as the second-time president of the Indian National Congress. During his time there, he remained a staunch moderate in a polarized government.

Naoroji died in Bombay on June the 30th 1917, aged 91. Though officially blessing British politics for a brief three years, Naoroji’s unyielding courage in the face of cultural dogmatism transcends his era and helps shape lessons for a contemporary parliament. Because of figures like Naoroji, Parliament works towards becoming a more open and inclusive space for all Brits.

Happy Birthday Dadabhai Naoroji!

Priscilla Mensah