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200th Birth Anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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200th Birth Anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji

Posted 04 Sep 2025

2 min read

Dadabhai Naoroji also known as the "Grand Old Man of India" and "official Ambassador of India" was an Indian Parsi scholar, trader and politician.

  • He was a founding member and thrice president of the Indian National Congress (in 1886, 1893, and 1906).

Key Contributions of Dadabhai Naoroji (1825–1917)

  • Social Reform
    • Promoted Women’s Education: Founded Literary and Scientific Society (1848) which established 6 schools for girls by 1849.
    • Spread reformist ideas: Founded Rast Goftar newspaper, Co-founded Rahnumai Mazdayasan Sabha (1851) to reform Parsi society.
  • Economic Contributions
    • Drain of Wealth Theory: Highlighted how British policies drained India’s wealth through taxation, salaries, pensions, and remittances.
    • Major Literary  works: Poverty of India (1876), Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901)
    • Exposed colonial exploitation at forums like East India Association.
  • Political Contributions
    • Moderate leader: Advocated constitutional and peaceful methods like petitions, prayers, and protests.
      • Founded the London Indian Society in 1865 and the East India Association in 1866,
    • First Indian MP in British Parliament: Elected for the Liberal Party in Finsbury Central at the 1892 general election.
    • Declared Swaraj (self-government): As concrete political goal of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1906.
    • Mentorship: Naoroji played a crucial role in mentoring future INC leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Mahatma Gandhi.
  • Tags :
  • Drain of Wealth Theory
  • Dadabhai Naoroji
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