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Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism
The definitive biography of Dadabhai Naoroji, the nineteenth-century activist who founded the Indian National Congress, was the first British MP of Indian origin, and inspired Gandhi and Nehru.
Mahatma Gandhi called Dadabhai Naoroji the "father of the nation," a title that today is reserved for Gandhi himself. Dinyar Patel examines the extraordinary life of this foundational figure in India's modern political history, a devastating critic of British colonialism who served in Parliament as the first-ever Indian MP, forged ties with anti-imperialists around the world, and established self-rule or swaraj as India's objective.
Naoroji's political career evolved in three distinct phases. He began as the activist who formulated the "drain of wealth" theory, which held the British Raj responsible for India's crippling poverty and devastating famines. His ideas upended conventional wisdom holding that colonialism was beneficial for Indian subjects and put a generation of imperial officials on the defensive. Next, he attempted to influence the British Parliament to institute political reforms. He immersed himself in British politics, forging links with socialists, Irish home rulers, suffragists, and critics of empire. With these allies, Naoroji clinched his landmark election to the House of Commons in 1892, an event noticed by colonial subjects around the world. Finally, in his twilight years he grew disillusioned with parliamentary politics and became more radical. He strengthened his ties with British and European socialists, reached out to American anti-imperialists and Progressives, and fully enunciated his demand for swaraj. Only self-rule, he declared, could remedy the economic ills brought about by British control in India.
Naoroji is the first comprehensive study of the most significant Indian nationalist leader before Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi called Dadabhai Naoroji the "father of the nation," a title that today is reserved for Gandhi himself. Dinyar Patel examines the extraordinary life of this foundational figure in India's modern political history, a devastating critic of British colonialism who served in Parliament as the first-ever Indian MP, forged ties with anti-imperialists around the world, and established self-rule or swaraj as India's objective.
Naoroji's political career evolved in three distinct phases. He began as the activist who formulated the "drain of wealth" theory, which held the British Raj responsible for India's crippling poverty and devastating famines. His ideas upended conventional wisdom holding that colonialism was beneficial for Indian subjects and put a generation of imperial officials on the defensive. Next, he attempted to influence the British Parliament to institute political reforms. He immersed himself in British politics, forging links with socialists, Irish home rulers, suffragists, and critics of empire. With these allies, Naoroji clinched his landmark election to the House of Commons in 1892, an event noticed by colonial subjects around the world. Finally, in his twilight years he grew disillusioned with parliamentary politics and became more radical. He strengthened his ties with British and European socialists, reached out to American anti-imperialists and Progressives, and fully enunciated his demand for swaraj. Only self-rule, he declared, could remedy the economic ills brought about by British control in India.
Naoroji is the first comprehensive study of the most significant Indian nationalist leader before Gandhi.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2020
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296 people want to read
About the author
Dinyar Patel
4 books1 followerDinyar Patel is Assistant Professor of History at the University of South Carolina. He has written for BBC News and the New York Times, among other publications.
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January 26, 2022"It came down to three votes, a margin later widened to five. A handful of ballot sheets, however, proved enough to make history. Late on a July evening in 1892, telegraph wires emanating from London lit up with the name of Dadabhai Naoroji and some very improbable news: an Indian had been elected to the British Parliament. A Parsi from Bombay, a man who claimed to represent some 300 million downtrodden subjects in the faraway Indian subcontinent, now also represented Central Finsbury, a constituency at the very heart of the British Empire."
So begins what was a pretty enjoyable biography of the "Grand Old Man of India", Dadhabhai Naoroji (1825-1917). Dinyar Patel does a good job at condensing Naoroji's life into a short, and readable narrative. He is situated in wider contexts quite well- Elphinstone College, Indian reformist circles, the Liberal Party, Social Democratic Circles, and the Indian diaspora were all a crucial part of his life and work.
However, I did feel that the personal element sometimes got lost in all of these details- I know a great deal about Naoroji now, but in some respects he still seems quite distant as an individual(that may well be due to the limitations of the sources available, of course). I would also have liked to see more detailed analysis of Naoroji's writings and intellectual work- especially given how Patel clearly wants to impress their importance for Indian nationalism, and anti-imperialism more broadly, upon the reader. Patel deftly explores the evolutions in his thought but, and this is mostly personal preference, I would have liked to see more lengthy quotations from the man himself.
Naoroji was the first Indian MP to be elected in the United Kingdom, served as Diwan to a Maharaja in the princely state of Baroda, and was a pioneer of the "Drain Thesis" which linked India's poverty to British imperial policy. While in the UK he organised with Irish nationalists, feminists, Indian diaspora, socialists, and labour unions, all the while constantly impressing upon his audiences the poverty of India and the desperate need for reform. He attended meetings of the Second International alongside Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Kautsky, took the podium at working class demonstrations alongside Eleanor Marx, met Ida B. Wells, and inspired W.E.B. DuBois. He mentored young Indians coming to the United Kingdom, helped found the Indian National Congress, challenged narratives of imperial beneficence, and was a source of inspiration for Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru, and many more. And yet, as Patel shows, Naoroji isn't nearly as well known as one might expect.
His politics were very much a product of their age, even though they continued to evolve. His steadfast belief in the fundamental decency of the British, his insistence on working within the system, and the fact that for much of his life he merely wished to reform the Raj, have relegated him to an ambiguous place in the Indian nationalist pantheon. He had his limits politically, and yet in many respects he was indeed- as the book's title suggests- a pioneer.
So begins what was a pretty enjoyable biography of the "Grand Old Man of India", Dadhabhai Naoroji (1825-1917). Dinyar Patel does a good job at condensing Naoroji's life into a short, and readable narrative. He is situated in wider contexts quite well- Elphinstone College, Indian reformist circles, the Liberal Party, Social Democratic Circles, and the Indian diaspora were all a crucial part of his life and work.
However, I did feel that the personal element sometimes got lost in all of these details- I know a great deal about Naoroji now, but in some respects he still seems quite distant as an individual(that may well be due to the limitations of the sources available, of course). I would also have liked to see more detailed analysis of Naoroji's writings and intellectual work- especially given how Patel clearly wants to impress their importance for Indian nationalism, and anti-imperialism more broadly, upon the reader. Patel deftly explores the evolutions in his thought but, and this is mostly personal preference, I would have liked to see more lengthy quotations from the man himself.
Naoroji was the first Indian MP to be elected in the United Kingdom, served as Diwan to a Maharaja in the princely state of Baroda, and was a pioneer of the "Drain Thesis" which linked India's poverty to British imperial policy. While in the UK he organised with Irish nationalists, feminists, Indian diaspora, socialists, and labour unions, all the while constantly impressing upon his audiences the poverty of India and the desperate need for reform. He attended meetings of the Second International alongside Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Kautsky, took the podium at working class demonstrations alongside Eleanor Marx, met Ida B. Wells, and inspired W.E.B. DuBois. He mentored young Indians coming to the United Kingdom, helped found the Indian National Congress, challenged narratives of imperial beneficence, and was a source of inspiration for Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru, and many more. And yet, as Patel shows, Naoroji isn't nearly as well known as one might expect.
His politics were very much a product of their age, even though they continued to evolve. His steadfast belief in the fundamental decency of the British, his insistence on working within the system, and the fact that for much of his life he merely wished to reform the Raj, have relegated him to an ambiguous place in the Indian nationalist pantheon. He had his limits politically, and yet in many respects he was indeed- as the book's title suggests- a pioneer.
October 16, 2020
Naoroji is a wonderful book documenting the life of a man, hitherto undocumented and little understood in the annals of anti colonial struggle for India. A pioneer in multifarious aspects, Dadabhai Naoroji was one of those rare men who were keenly persistent and brimming with perseverance. In the words of the author, he 'radicalized with age'. In this work, Naoroji the public figure has been explored in great detail but apart from a few references, Naoroji the man is sorely missed. Thus the book becomes more of a 'what and how it happened' but fails to draw much light on 'why it happened.' Regardless, this book very much like its subject remains a pioneering work of writing bringing out the contours of the early nationalist movement in India, exemplified by its original 'Grand Old Man.'
December 1, 2020
Dadabhai Naoroji is a personality in Indian freedom history who everyone has heard of but probably doesn’t know beyond the fact that he was one of the early moderate figures of the freedom struggle and known as ‘the Grand Old Man of India’. Probably people also would know that he formulated and propagated the economic drain theory that the British empire inflicted very heavily on India. But there is one astonishing fact that not many people might know further is that he was elected to the British Parliament in 1892 and also that he won by a wafer-thin margin of 5 votes. How could an Indian go and represent an English constituency in the colonial times when the British Empire was at its zenith? This phase of Naoroji’s life along with the other chapters of his illustrious life is covered in this enriching biography by Dinyar Patel.
As the author notes, Naoroji’s glittering political career could be divided into 3 phases: From mid-1860s to 1885 where he advanced the drain theory and focused on propagating the theory along with the details of the reforms required to a diverse audience set. In the 2nd phase- from 1886 to 1895, the intent was to influence the British policy towards India, by representation in Parliament and the last phase where he adopted a more radical approach towards atleast some level of Swaraj if not Purna Swaraj. The author does full justice to all these aspects of Naoroji’s life and bring them to life very ably in the narrative.
Again there are many aspects of Naoroji’s life which are not widely known: his early education and struggles to rise from relative poverty, to studying in the newly setup Elphinstone college and then becoming a full professor himself in 1854. Again, his involvement in the ‘Young Bombay’ movement which was led by new generation of Elphinstone graduates who were committed to social and religious reform is well-documented. He also took leadership in the conduct of raft of associations including Dnyan Prasarak Mandli, the Parsi newspaper Rast Goftar etc and his important role- in promoting female education in Bombay. All these elements help us in understanding a personality who right from an early age was fully drawn towards nation building and influencing equal opportunities for Indians to participate in their own country.
Naoroji left for Britain for business partnerships in 1855, and the fact that he was able to see more clearly the difference in standard of living between India and other countries and specially Britain led to him researching and developing the economic study of India. The fact that he could prove his theory by using government statistics and data, and many-a-times correcting the intentionally fallacious of the British empire officials lent extremely high weightage to his literature. Again, we see the polymath temperament in Naoroji, excelling in macro economics (he evaluated the per capita income for India), and using his economic theory to developing a political corollary- more power and opportunities to native Indians in their country.
Again, we see that precisely to extend this further, Naoroji leaped into the next phase- of trying to directly influence British policy by Parliament representation. It was not an easy ride at all, and the multitude of challenges that he faced at all levels including political, social including racism is worth reading, and the author manages to convey the twists and turns excellently. Naoroji’s collaborative personality also come to the fore where he was able to canvass support through a diverse set of people and also importantly in India where the groundswell of support and of course the financial support even from princely states helped his campaign tremendously and finally his election.
With this objective accomplished however, Naoroji’s hopes of finding better support in parliament and beyond evaporated pretty soon and where his transition into the anti-imperialist crystallized and he became a more aggressive supporter of Swaraj for India. His final and probably one of the most contribution was the declaration of Swaraj in the Calcutta session of 1906 Congress which he presided as a balancing act between moderates and extremists of the INC.
To the credit of the author, he provides a balanced perspective of Naoroji’s political career, and also sharing instances where Naoroji filtered some of his aggressive political views for India (of course during the Parliament election campaigns). But the picture that definitely emerges is of Naoroji not being any sort of collaborator with the Empire, but having the interests of India at heart and struggling lifelong using different forums and channels to make a difference as far as possible from his side. The only caveat is that the author doesn’t explore Naoroji’s personal life and its influence on his political career very deeply, and we only get some peeks into this aspect from time-to-time.
The authenticity of the book is also well-established through the extensive reference including the copious Dadabhai Naoroji correspondence which the author spent many years investigating as part of his doctoral research and carried forward for the book and you feel pretty satisfied that the author befitting a research scholar has taken a 360-degree view of the required information. In fact in one of the interviews, the author mentioned that the book has been almost 10 years in the making!
In summary, this is an instructive book about a figure in Indian history who is known but needs to be known further by the general populace. Very much a recommended read for anyone interested in one of the fascinating periods of Indian freedom history
As the author notes, Naoroji’s glittering political career could be divided into 3 phases: From mid-1860s to 1885 where he advanced the drain theory and focused on propagating the theory along with the details of the reforms required to a diverse audience set. In the 2nd phase- from 1886 to 1895, the intent was to influence the British policy towards India, by representation in Parliament and the last phase where he adopted a more radical approach towards atleast some level of Swaraj if not Purna Swaraj. The author does full justice to all these aspects of Naoroji’s life and bring them to life very ably in the narrative.
Again there are many aspects of Naoroji’s life which are not widely known: his early education and struggles to rise from relative poverty, to studying in the newly setup Elphinstone college and then becoming a full professor himself in 1854. Again, his involvement in the ‘Young Bombay’ movement which was led by new generation of Elphinstone graduates who were committed to social and religious reform is well-documented. He also took leadership in the conduct of raft of associations including Dnyan Prasarak Mandli, the Parsi newspaper Rast Goftar etc and his important role- in promoting female education in Bombay. All these elements help us in understanding a personality who right from an early age was fully drawn towards nation building and influencing equal opportunities for Indians to participate in their own country.
Naoroji left for Britain for business partnerships in 1855, and the fact that he was able to see more clearly the difference in standard of living between India and other countries and specially Britain led to him researching and developing the economic study of India. The fact that he could prove his theory by using government statistics and data, and many-a-times correcting the intentionally fallacious of the British empire officials lent extremely high weightage to his literature. Again, we see the polymath temperament in Naoroji, excelling in macro economics (he evaluated the per capita income for India), and using his economic theory to developing a political corollary- more power and opportunities to native Indians in their country.
Again, we see that precisely to extend this further, Naoroji leaped into the next phase- of trying to directly influence British policy by Parliament representation. It was not an easy ride at all, and the multitude of challenges that he faced at all levels including political, social including racism is worth reading, and the author manages to convey the twists and turns excellently. Naoroji’s collaborative personality also come to the fore where he was able to canvass support through a diverse set of people and also importantly in India where the groundswell of support and of course the financial support even from princely states helped his campaign tremendously and finally his election.
With this objective accomplished however, Naoroji’s hopes of finding better support in parliament and beyond evaporated pretty soon and where his transition into the anti-imperialist crystallized and he became a more aggressive supporter of Swaraj for India. His final and probably one of the most contribution was the declaration of Swaraj in the Calcutta session of 1906 Congress which he presided as a balancing act between moderates and extremists of the INC.
To the credit of the author, he provides a balanced perspective of Naoroji’s political career, and also sharing instances where Naoroji filtered some of his aggressive political views for India (of course during the Parliament election campaigns). But the picture that definitely emerges is of Naoroji not being any sort of collaborator with the Empire, but having the interests of India at heart and struggling lifelong using different forums and channels to make a difference as far as possible from his side. The only caveat is that the author doesn’t explore Naoroji’s personal life and its influence on his political career very deeply, and we only get some peeks into this aspect from time-to-time.
The authenticity of the book is also well-established through the extensive reference including the copious Dadabhai Naoroji correspondence which the author spent many years investigating as part of his doctoral research and carried forward for the book and you feel pretty satisfied that the author befitting a research scholar has taken a 360-degree view of the required information. In fact in one of the interviews, the author mentioned that the book has been almost 10 years in the making!
In summary, this is an instructive book about a figure in Indian history who is known but needs to be known further by the general populace. Very much a recommended read for anyone interested in one of the fascinating periods of Indian freedom history
June 17, 2020
This is a fine biography of the early Indian nationalists, a truly global man whose ninety years of life saw him through the early stages of British paramountcy of India to the advent of Swaraj and beyond. This is meticulously researched, finely written and thoughtfully presented. Despite his great contribution, Naoroji, along with his other colleagues in the early nationalist era, is mostly forgotten today. This is a tragedy and this book goes some way in correcting that.
May 17, 2025
Five stars. Bonafide biography. It's worth reading Dinyar Patel's description of his mentor SR Mehrotra [1] who also collected and preserved Naoroji's papers. A governing principle is to let "the sources speak for themselves" — a necessarily hyperbolic sentiment to dissuade writers from hagiographies or imposing unwarranted interpretations. This principle is faithfully instantiated here in a scholarly and measured tone. Beyond the archival foundation, however, Patel's ingenuity deserves credit for enriching the prose in ways I'll elaborate below.
First, a biographer approaches their subject with personal motivations that invariably shape their research. Patel's emotive underpinnings are crucial, functioning as an interpretive lens externally imposed on the sources. Patel's motivation appears to be rehabilitating the image of earlier nationalists, especially Parsis, demonstrating they were not merely complicit with British rule but genuine patriots who struggled against formidable odds for their country. Admittedly, I was among the many who harboured skepticism towards Parsi contribution to nationalist struggle, but the book convincingly transformed my perspective.
Second, a biographer must craft a coherent narrative framework from disparate sources -- another external imposition. Here, Patel excels remarkably, using Naoroji's political imagination as the fulcrum. Naoroji distilled the concept of "drain" to elegantly synthesize various anti-colonial positions. Subsequently, he meticulously researched and quantified this economic haemorrhage using the Raj's own statistical data. When his analysis gained traction, he strategically elevated his approach, securing financial backing from maharajas and entering the political arena, where he forged empathetic coalitions with suffragists, labour movements, Irish nationalists, progressives, and influential power brokers. Within Parliament, he recalibrated his articulation of drain theory, making tactical concessions to British sensibilities. When parliamentary advocacy proved insufficient, he pivoted toward demonstrations and popular protest. Throughout this journey, he adapted his political stance with pragmatic humility. This progression from intellectual conception to practical activism, deceivingly obvious in hindsight, constitutes the biography's most illuminating revelation.
As I progressed through the book, I feared its scholarly restraint might preclude narrative engagement. Yet Patel skillfully generates momentum at critical junctures. The election contest Naoroji won by merely four votes rivals contemporary political dramas. Similarly, the evolution of his Swaraj concept -- from its initial tentative formulation to its final, uncompromising declaration at the Calcutta Congress session in 1906 -- proves deeply stirring. Nevertheless, I occasionally yearned for greater access to Naoroji's interiority. Glimpses appear in his intimate exchanges with Malabari, his impassioned declarations of perseverance against overwhelming odds, and the pan-Indian solidarity his candidacy inspired. Still, questions linger: Did he ever harbour doubts about his claim to represent 250 million Indians? How did he reconcile the Moderate-Radical divide in his private reflections? Where sources remain silent, I wish Patel, with his astute scholarship, had ventured into pragmatic speculations about Naoroji's unrecorded thoughts.
A brief note on texture: the portraits of Bombay and London emerge with unexpected vibrancy. Patel casts new light on Bombay's academic landscape and liberal ferment, sidestepping standard depictions of either a creative dreamscape or commercial powerhouse. I was struck by the sheer number of organizations that arose in the 1850s -- Parsi Lekhak Mandli, Parsi Natak Mandli, Cowasji Lecture Hall, Literary and Scientific Societies, Darpan, Dnyan Prasarak Mandli, Gujarati creative writing scholarships, Parsi religious reform orgs. While that era was particularly conducive to such intellectual flowering, I couldn't help but wonder why contemporary urban life in Mumbai lacks comparable intellectual vitality. Furthermore, London unfolds through the perspective of our subject, a principled emissary devoted to the welfare of Indians abroad.
Bluntly, Naoroji walked so we could run. INC's leaders should draw inspiration from a man who fought with courage, persistence, and strategic brilliance against arguably history's most formidable empire.
[1] SR Mehrotra (1931-2019): A tireless chronicler of India’s struggle for freedom, https://scroll.in/article/931319/sr-m...
First, a biographer approaches their subject with personal motivations that invariably shape their research. Patel's emotive underpinnings are crucial, functioning as an interpretive lens externally imposed on the sources. Patel's motivation appears to be rehabilitating the image of earlier nationalists, especially Parsis, demonstrating they were not merely complicit with British rule but genuine patriots who struggled against formidable odds for their country. Admittedly, I was among the many who harboured skepticism towards Parsi contribution to nationalist struggle, but the book convincingly transformed my perspective.
Second, a biographer must craft a coherent narrative framework from disparate sources -- another external imposition. Here, Patel excels remarkably, using Naoroji's political imagination as the fulcrum. Naoroji distilled the concept of "drain" to elegantly synthesize various anti-colonial positions. Subsequently, he meticulously researched and quantified this economic haemorrhage using the Raj's own statistical data. When his analysis gained traction, he strategically elevated his approach, securing financial backing from maharajas and entering the political arena, where he forged empathetic coalitions with suffragists, labour movements, Irish nationalists, progressives, and influential power brokers. Within Parliament, he recalibrated his articulation of drain theory, making tactical concessions to British sensibilities. When parliamentary advocacy proved insufficient, he pivoted toward demonstrations and popular protest. Throughout this journey, he adapted his political stance with pragmatic humility. This progression from intellectual conception to practical activism, deceivingly obvious in hindsight, constitutes the biography's most illuminating revelation.
As I progressed through the book, I feared its scholarly restraint might preclude narrative engagement. Yet Patel skillfully generates momentum at critical junctures. The election contest Naoroji won by merely four votes rivals contemporary political dramas. Similarly, the evolution of his Swaraj concept -- from its initial tentative formulation to its final, uncompromising declaration at the Calcutta Congress session in 1906 -- proves deeply stirring. Nevertheless, I occasionally yearned for greater access to Naoroji's interiority. Glimpses appear in his intimate exchanges with Malabari, his impassioned declarations of perseverance against overwhelming odds, and the pan-Indian solidarity his candidacy inspired. Still, questions linger: Did he ever harbour doubts about his claim to represent 250 million Indians? How did he reconcile the Moderate-Radical divide in his private reflections? Where sources remain silent, I wish Patel, with his astute scholarship, had ventured into pragmatic speculations about Naoroji's unrecorded thoughts.
A brief note on texture: the portraits of Bombay and London emerge with unexpected vibrancy. Patel casts new light on Bombay's academic landscape and liberal ferment, sidestepping standard depictions of either a creative dreamscape or commercial powerhouse. I was struck by the sheer number of organizations that arose in the 1850s -- Parsi Lekhak Mandli, Parsi Natak Mandli, Cowasji Lecture Hall, Literary and Scientific Societies, Darpan, Dnyan Prasarak Mandli, Gujarati creative writing scholarships, Parsi religious reform orgs. While that era was particularly conducive to such intellectual flowering, I couldn't help but wonder why contemporary urban life in Mumbai lacks comparable intellectual vitality. Furthermore, London unfolds through the perspective of our subject, a principled emissary devoted to the welfare of Indians abroad.
Bluntly, Naoroji walked so we could run. INC's leaders should draw inspiration from a man who fought with courage, persistence, and strategic brilliance against arguably history's most formidable empire.
[1] SR Mehrotra (1931-2019): A tireless chronicler of India’s struggle for freedom, https://scroll.in/article/931319/sr-m...
February 28, 2021
An opportunity lost!
Biography needs to be more than just a collection of chronological facts about the subject. It needs to bring alive the history with that subtle art of story telling. Unfortunately the biographer miserably fails to do justice to Naoroji and lets down the reader on multiple counts. While reading the book one can't help but compare it with the two volume masterpiece biography of Gandhi written by Prof. Guha, which makes its shortcoming even more glaring.
For one, the writer feels mere 270 pages are enough to narrate life story of the man whom Gandhi himself called' father of the nation'. Despite writer's own acceptance of availability of abundant resources including Naoroji's correspondece, newspaper reports, etc, these material are used and provided only in a cursory manner. Writer is more focussed on providing his interpretation of what transpired rather than presenting to reader how contemporaries understood and reacted to what was happening. Thus, one is forced to understand Naoroji within the narrow scope provided by the biographer.
Further, it is difficult to understand writer's obsession with detailing only political activities and completely sidelining Naoroji's personal life (till the last 10-15 pages). It creates a barrier between protagonist and reader. Till the very end writer is unable to create that connection between the two. After reading this account a reader may be able to tell who Naoroji was as a politician but will find it hard to describe who he was as a person and more importantly will fail to be inspired by the great man.
The biography seems to be a half-hearted attempt by an academic working to meet strict timelines negotiated with his publisher. Despite a relatively easier subject the book comes out as a soulless account of an ageing politician. One is left to wonder who Naoroji really was and what he must have felt at various instances.
Writer further fails to develop secondary characters and any discussion on people like Malabari, Hyndmann is purely incidental. Writer goes through hundred of names and instances without dwelling upon any of them for sufficient amount of time. It should be noted that understanding these excluded figures is of paramount importance to understand contemporary political and nationalist scenario. But biographer fails in this regard as well.
This biography calls for an urgent revision, suitably by a more able historian who does not view history as a mere hodgepodge of crammable facts. A personality like Naoroji deserves a much better description and this generation of readers deserve better familiarity with the grandold man of India than what this biography is able to provide.
Biography needs to be more than just a collection of chronological facts about the subject. It needs to bring alive the history with that subtle art of story telling. Unfortunately the biographer miserably fails to do justice to Naoroji and lets down the reader on multiple counts. While reading the book one can't help but compare it with the two volume masterpiece biography of Gandhi written by Prof. Guha, which makes its shortcoming even more glaring.
For one, the writer feels mere 270 pages are enough to narrate life story of the man whom Gandhi himself called' father of the nation'. Despite writer's own acceptance of availability of abundant resources including Naoroji's correspondece, newspaper reports, etc, these material are used and provided only in a cursory manner. Writer is more focussed on providing his interpretation of what transpired rather than presenting to reader how contemporaries understood and reacted to what was happening. Thus, one is forced to understand Naoroji within the narrow scope provided by the biographer.
Further, it is difficult to understand writer's obsession with detailing only political activities and completely sidelining Naoroji's personal life (till the last 10-15 pages). It creates a barrier between protagonist and reader. Till the very end writer is unable to create that connection between the two. After reading this account a reader may be able to tell who Naoroji was as a politician but will find it hard to describe who he was as a person and more importantly will fail to be inspired by the great man.
The biography seems to be a half-hearted attempt by an academic working to meet strict timelines negotiated with his publisher. Despite a relatively easier subject the book comes out as a soulless account of an ageing politician. One is left to wonder who Naoroji really was and what he must have felt at various instances.
Writer further fails to develop secondary characters and any discussion on people like Malabari, Hyndmann is purely incidental. Writer goes through hundred of names and instances without dwelling upon any of them for sufficient amount of time. It should be noted that understanding these excluded figures is of paramount importance to understand contemporary political and nationalist scenario. But biographer fails in this regard as well.
This biography calls for an urgent revision, suitably by a more able historian who does not view history as a mere hodgepodge of crammable facts. A personality like Naoroji deserves a much better description and this generation of readers deserve better familiarity with the grandold man of India than what this biography is able to provide.
October 2, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this extensively researched biography on Dadabhai Naoroji. Though Naoroji is known for his famous Drain of Wealth theory that has led to endless debates among historians, Naoroji and his very dynamic life have remained much in obscurity. Dinyar Patel's book helps the reader understand Naoroji the intellectual, the politician and the pioneer. Particularly fascinating is how Naoroji made the Indian cause a popular international issue, often at the cost of his private life obligations. However, this lovingly written portrait of Naoroji could have used a more critical analysis of Naoroji's unique position that straddled the delicate line of appeasing the British public and politics while also holding it accountable for its imperialist policies in India. Nonetheless, a very engaging book that can also be recommended to undergraduate students trying to understand the mind behind the famous Drain Theory.
February 21, 2022
Dadabhai's contribution to India is not as well recognized as it should be. The passage of time was partly to blame.
Dinyar does a heroic job of trying to cover a vast ground - a career spanning well over 50 years. And what a remarkable career it was - educator, reformist, nationalist...
The book probably deserves less than a 4 rating because of the less than stellar editing. The flow of the narrative is interrupted far too often with repetitive facts. It's a small blemish on otherwise a wonderful effort.
Dinyar does a heroic job of trying to cover a vast ground - a career spanning well over 50 years. And what a remarkable career it was - educator, reformist, nationalist...
The book probably deserves less than a 4 rating because of the less than stellar editing. The flow of the narrative is interrupted far too often with repetitive facts. It's a small blemish on otherwise a wonderful effort.
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January 2, 2022It is a travesty that the Naoroji material is tattered and there is no formal archive!
The book while being a biography better serves as an intellectual history. Blame not the biographer but the archive.
The book while being a biography better serves as an intellectual history. Blame not the biographer but the archive.
November 23, 2020
This was my first introduction to The Grand Old Man of India... This is surprising that very few books are written on him... i was looking for more details on his work 'Drain Theory' & "poverty'.
June 11, 2021
This book sheds light on the often forgotten leader of Indian nationalism, Dadabhai Naoroji. His persistent efforts in seeking socio-political reform ushered in a generation of Indian nationalists, more confident and more decisive in their struggle for Swaraj. Dinyar Patel has brilliantly elucidated, through scattered sources, an early journey of Indian political struggle against the British on a global stage.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews