Dadabhai Naoroji (1825 - 1917)

He was born in Mumbai on September 4, 1825, the son of a Parsi priest. He was a top-ranking student during his academic years. His mother made great sacrifices to fund his education. At the age of eleven, he married Gulbai, who was seven years old. He passed the matriculation examination with first-class distinction. Subsequently, he graduated with a B.A. from Elphinstone College in 1845. In 1850, he became an assistant headmaster at Elphinstone School. In 1851, he launched a weekly publication named 'Satyavadi'. Subsequently, in 1854, he served as a Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Elphinstone College. However, in 1855, he moved to England to work as a company manager.

In 1856, he briefly served as a Professor of Gujarati at the University of London. He established a trading firm named 'Dadabhai Naoroji & Co' in 1860 and also founded the 'India Society' in London. His book, 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India', is considered one of the finest works on the Indian economy. He campaigned among the British public regarding the misrule in India. Upon returning to India, he accepted an invitation from Malhar Rao, the ruler of Baroda, and became the state's Diwan in 1873. He worked actively with A.O. Hume and W.C. Bonnerjee to organize the inaugural session of the Indian National Congress (INC) in Mumbai in 1885. He presided over the Congress session held in Kolkata in December 1886.

After returning to England in 1886, he yielded to the urging of friends and contested the election for the British Parliament from the Holborn constituency but was defeated. He contested again in 1892 and made history by winning the election to Parliament from Central Finsbury. Upon his return to India, he was accorded a grand reception in recognition of his status as a Member of Parliament. Dadabhai Naoroji was the first Indian to become a member of the British Parliament. He presided over the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1893. He contested the election for the British Parliament again in 1895 but was defeated. He stated that India's goal should be 'Swaraj' and that Hindus and Muslims were the two eyes of India; if one eye lost its sight, the other would also become useless. He passed away on June 30, 1917.