200th anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji

Source:  FPJ

Subject:  History

Context: India celebrated the 200th birth anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji in 2025, honouring his legacy as a nationalist leader, economic thinker and early architect of the freedom movement.

About 200th anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji:

Who he was?

• Dadabhai Naoroji (1825–1917) was an Indian nationalist leader, economic theorist, social reformer, scholar, and the first Indian Member of British Parliament.

Early Life & Education:

• Born on 4 September 1825 in Bombay (some sources say Navsari), in a middle-class Parsi family.
• Educated at Elphinstone Institute, where he excelled in mathematics and English.
• Became the first Indian Professor at Elphinstone College, symbolising modern Indian intellectual awakening.

Contributions to the Indian Freedom Movement:

• Economic Contributions:

• • Drain of Wealth Theory: Systematically demonstrated how British rule drained India’s resources through salaries, pensions, remittances, and unequal trade.
  • Authored major works:
    • Poverty and Un-British Rule in India
    • Poverty of India
  • His advocacy led to the creation of the Welby Commission (1895) on Indian expenditure, where he served as a member.
  • Popularised economic nationalism and laid foundations for Swadeshi and fiscal self-reliance.

• Political Contributions:

• • Founding member of Indian National Congress (INC) and its President in 1886, 1893, and 1906.
  • Elected first Indian MP in British Parliament (1892) from Central Finsbury on a Liberal Party ticket.
  • Advocated self-government, constitutional methods, and parliamentary democracy.
  • Played a unifying role between Moderates and Extremists, presiding over the 1906 Calcutta Session that adopted the demand for Swaraj.
  • Mentored future leaders including Tilak, Gokhale, and Mahatma Gandhi.

• Social Reform:

• • Champion of women’s education—helped run special classes at Elphinstone and supported girls’ schooling.
  • Founded Rast Goftar, a Gujarati newspaper promoting social reform.
  • Co-founded Rahnumai Mazdayasan Sabha (1851) to reform Parsi society.
  • Led efforts for compulsory primary education, submitting recommendations (with Jyotiba Phule) to the Hunter Commission (1882).

• Organisational Building:

• • Founded or co-founded key institutions to internationalise India’s cause:
    • London Indian Society (1865)
    • East India Association (1866)
  • These groups later merged with the INC and served as platforms for India’s political diplomacy.

Unique Facts:

• Known worldwide as the “Grand Old Man of India.”
• Called the “Unofficial Ambassador of India” for championing India’s cause in Britain.
• Taught Gujarati at University College London, breaking academic barriers.
•  Among the first to scientifically analyse poverty in India using data-based methods.
• His 1906 INC presidential address was the first to adopt “Swaraj” as the national goal.