Dadabhai Naoroji is a significance personality of India's freedom struggle. He was born on September 4, 1825, in Bombay (now Mumbai) into a priestly Parsi family. He is famously known as Grand Old Man of India, due to his intellectual contributions.

Biographical Details of Dadabhai Naoroji

Education: He was a brilliant scholar and became the first Indian professor (of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy) at the prestigious Elphinstone College, Bombay in 1855.
Career in UK: He moved to London to manage a business (Cama & Co), becoming the first Indian to establish a trading firm in England. Later, he became a Professor of Gujarati at University College London.
First Indian MP: In 1892, he created history by becoming the first Indian (and first Asian) elected to the British House of Commons (Parliament) from the Finsbury Central constituency on a Liberal Party ticket.

Major Contributions by Dadabhai Naoroji :

A. Political Contributions:

Indian National Congress (INC): He was a founding member of the INC in 1885. He served as its President three times:
- 1886 (Calcutta Session)
- 1893 (Lahore Session)
- 1906 (Calcutta Session): Here, he famously declared "Swaraj" (Self-Government) as the goal of the Congress for the first time.
Organizations Established:
- London Indian Society (1865): Founded to discuss Indian political, social, and literary subjects.
- East India Association (1866): Founded in London to put across the Indian point of view before the British public and parliament. This was a predecessor to the INC.

Economic Impact (The Drain Theory):

Drain of Wealth Theory: Naoroji was the first to economically critique British rule. He argued that Britain was "draining" India's wealth to England, leaving India impoverished.
Mechanism of Drain: He explained that wealth flowed out through "Home Charges" (payments for British administration, pensions, and army in India) and trade surpluses that gave no return to India.
Famous Book: He published his theory in the classic book "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India" (1901).
Welby Commission: Due to his efforts, the British set up the Welby Commission (1895) to enquire into wasteful spending in India, and Naoroji was arguably the first Indian to sit on such a royal commission.

C. Social and Cultural Impact:

Women's Education: He was a pioneer in promoting education for girls in Bombay and helped establish the Student's Literary and Scientific Society.
Parsi Reforms: He founded the Rahnumai Mazdayasan Sabha (1851) to reform the Zoroastrian religion and remove social evils from the Parsi community.
Journalism: He started the Gujarati newspaper "Rast Goftar" (The Truth Teller) in 1854 to spread social reform messages.

Legacy:

Grand Old Man of India: He is affectionately remembered by this title for his long service to the nation.
Mentor: He acted as a mentor to younger leaders like Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mahatma Gandhi, teaching them the importance of factual agitation and economic understanding.
Recognition: In 2022, he received a Blue Plaque in London (at 72 Anerley Park, Penge), a distinct honor reserved for notable historical figures who lived in London.