Jinnahbhai Poonja
Jinnahbhai Poonja | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1857 |
| Died | April 15, 1902 (aged 44–45) |
| Nationality | British Indian |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Organization(s) | Jinnahbhai & Co. Graham's Shipping and Trading Company |
| Spouse | Mitthibhai Jinnah |
| Children | 7 Muhammad Ali Jinnah Ahmed Ali Jinnah Bunde Ali Jinnah Rahmat Bai Jinnah Shireen Bai Jinnah Maryam Bai Jinnah Fatima Jinnah |
| Parent |
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| Family | Jinnah family |
Jinnahbhai Poonja (1857 – 15 April 1902) was a prosperous Khoja Gujarati merchant in British India, who was also the father of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Fatima Jinnah, alongside 5 other children. Jinnahbhai moved to Karachi from Gujarat shortly before the birth of his son Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Jinnahbhai is the reason that the Jinnah family became more Islamic and abandoned many Hindu traditions. Jinnahbhai gave his children Muslim names instead of Hindu ones, and taught his children the Quran.
Biography[edit]
Jinnahbhai Poonja was born in Paneli Moti, Gujarat, to Poonja Meghji, a weaver.[1] Jinnahbhai had two brothers, Valji and Nathoo, and one sister, Manbai.[2] Throughout his life Poonja was a prosperous merchant and businessman and brought his family up in a fairly wealthy lifestyle.[3] Jinnahbhai married Mitthibhai Jinnah in 1874. Poonja started Jinnahbhai & Co., a wealthy merchant company that operated out of Karachi. Shortly before the birth of his son Mohammed Ali Jinnah, he moved to Karachi due to his partnership with Graham's Shipping and Trading Company, who's regional office was based in Karachi.[4][3][5] Karachi was an optimal place at the time due to the opening of the Suez Canal, meaning Karachi was closer to Europe in terms of shipping, making it a much more popular port than before.[6] Poonja rented the Wazir Mansion for his family, and this is where his children, most notably Muhammad Ali Jinnah was born. In 1900, Poonja returned to Gujarat, where he died in 1901.[2]
Upbringing and business[edit]
Jinnahbhai's family were not agriculturists like most of Paneli Moti, but owned a few handlooms. Poonja's brothers worked on the handlooms alongside their father, but this way of life did not attract Poonja, who wanted to be a businessman. Poonja left Paneli for Gondal, where he started his business with much success. In her book, "My Brother", Fatima Jinnah stated about her father,[2]
"His father gave him little cash but much advice that before he invested his money in any business he should make a thorough study as to which would be the best business to enter. Having an analytical and cautious mind and a meager purse, my father was not a man to rush into a venture in a hurry. It did not take him long to find a few profitable lines in which he could do quick buying and selling. His flair for business and hard work soon helped him to make sufficient profits, enabling him to add substantially to the original capital. When he returned from Gondal to Paneli after some months, his father was happy to find that his son had made good in a big city. Believing as they did in the old traditional values of life, they were afraid that temptations in Gondal might allure their youthful son and distract his mind from a lucrative business that he had succeeded in establishing in such a short time"
— My Brother, p. 33
In 1874, Poonja married Mitthibhai, a fellow Khoja, and they eventually had 7 children.
Raising his children[edit]
Unlike his ancestors who were originally Hindu, Poonja brought up his children in a more Islamic way, abandoning many Hindu traditions and customs his family had observed. Poonja taught his children the Quran and gave them an Islamic education. Poonja played a massive role in transitioning his family from a more Hindu lifestyle to an Islamic one. In 1886, Poonja got his son Muhammad Ali Jinnah admitted into the Sindh Madrasa, before also having him attend the Anjuman-e-Islam School in Bombay.[2] Poonja eventually sent Muhammad Ali Jinnah to England, after getting offered apprenticeship by Sir Frederick Leigh Croft to work for his firm, Graham's Shipping and Trading Company.[7] It was needed for Muhammad Ali Jinnah to go to England, as there was a legal proceeding against Jinnahbhai Poonja, which placed the family's property at risk of being sequestered.
Legal Issues[edit]
By the time Muhammad Ali Jinnah went to England, Poonja's wife and Muhammad Ali Jinnah's mother, Mithibai Jinnah, had died. Poonja was in debt and owed money to numerous businesses, and was faced with numerous legal battles. Fatima Jinnah stated,
"On reaching home, my father was soon in conference with him, explaining to him that the family business was in ruins, and that he had to pay large sums of money to a number of business houses, some of whom had filed cases in law courts. This was true also of those business deals that my father had done in the name of Mohammad Ali Jinnahbhai & Co, hoping that by the time his son returned from England he would take over, besides the family business, a business of his own, already well established and prosperous. That business also proved a flop, and there were a number of cases pending against the firm of Mohammad Ali Jinnahbhai & Co. Here was a young Barrister, whom the gloomy prospect of defending cases against himself stared in the face. 'My son', father said, 'all my dreams have come tumbling down and I don't know what will happen to you and your young brothers and sisters. I am already broken down in health and I don't know how long I will live.'"
— My Brother, p. 56
With his life in Karachi falling apart, Poonja moved his family to Bombay in 1893, where Mohammedali began to take care of his family's expenses instead of Poonja.[8]
Death[edit]
Poonja died on 15 April 1902, leaving behind 7 children. Mohammedali, now legally renamed to Muhammad Ali, would move to Bombay as a barrister and to support his family.[9] Muhammad Ali Jinnah would go on to be one of the most notable Indian and later Pakistani political leaders of the 20th century.[10][11]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Panigrahi, Devendra (2004-08-19). India's Partition. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203324882. ISBN 978-0-203-32488-2.
- ^ a b c d Jinnah, Fatima (1987). My Brother. Quaid-e-Azam Academy. ISBN 978-969-413-036-1.
- ^ a b "Jinnahbhai Poonja - Khoja Wiki". khojawiki.org. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
- ^ "Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
- ^ Dua, H. (2006), "Urdu", Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics, Elsevier, pp. 269–275, doi:10.1016/b0-08-044854-2/02244-6, ISBN 978-0-08-044854-1, retrieved 2023-12-11
- ^ Wolpert, Stanley A.; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali (1984). Jinnah of Pakistan. New York u.a: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-503412-7.
- ^ Read, Anthony; Fisher, David (1998). The proudest day: India's long road to independence (1 ed.). New York: Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-04594-9.
- ^ Roberts, Moss (2011). "Jaswant Singh. Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence. (Oxford, 2010)". Critical Asian Studies. 43 (4): 653–660. doi:10.1080/14672715.2011.623528. ISSN 1467-2715.
- ^ Wolpert, Stanley A.; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali (1984). Jinnah of Pakistan. New York u.a: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-503412-7.
- ^ Wolpert, Stanley (2009-12-31). India. University of California Press. doi:10.1525/9780520343160. ISBN 978-0-520-34316-0.
- ^ Mohiuddin, Yasmeen Niaz (2007). Pakistan: a global studies handbook. Global studies Asia. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-85109-801-9.