Dadabhai Naoroji - Politician

Dadabhai Naoroji was born on the 4th September 1825 in Bombay (now Mumbai).

In 1867 Naoroji moved to London, where he became the first Indian to serve on the London School Board. In 1892, at the age of 67 Naoroji made history when he was elected Liberal member of parliament for Finsbury Central - he was the first person of Indian heritage to sit in the British House of Commons. 

In Parliament Naoroji repeatedly demanded better rights for Indians, he questioned policies on taxation, education, and poverty. He also championed Indian Home Rule.

One of Naoroji’s most powerful works was his ‘Drain Theory’ – a concept he'd developed to expose how the British Empire was profiting at India’s expense. He argued that millions of pounds was being taken from India annually, leaving the country impoverished. In his 1901 book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India he backed his claims with data and challenged the moral basis of colonial rule.

Naoroji was one of the key founding members of the Indian National Congress – future leaders of the the congress included Gandhi and Nehru. Naoroji was credited with laying the groundwork for Indian independence. Known affectionately as the ‘Grand Old Man of India’, he was widely respected.

Dadabhai Naoroji passed away in 1917.

"In self-government is our hope, strength and greatness. I am a Hindu, a Muslim, a Parsi, but above all an Indian First.“

Dadabhai Naoroji in 1904

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