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{{Use Indian English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
'''Sir Adamji Peerbhoy''' (13 August 1845 — 11 August 1913) was an Indian business magnate, [[philanthropist]] and member of the [[Dawoodi Bohra]] community based at [[Bombay]] in [[British India]].

Adamji Peerbhoy was born in 1846 in [[Dhoraji]], [[Gondal State|Princely State of Gondal]], [[British India]] (now [[Gujarat]]), in a very poor Dawoodi Bohra family to Qadir bhai and Sakina Banu Peerbhoy.<ref name=z/>

Adamji Peerbhoy started his career at age of 13, as a street vendor in Bombay, selling match boxes but in one of the "rags to riches" stories being helped by two persons in his early life, one Seth Lukmanji and other an Englishman, Lt. Smith. Later by his untiring efforts and ability by the turn of the 19th century, became one of India's largest cotton manufacturers and wealthiest men.<ref>{{cite book|last=E. Ulrich|first=Hellen|title=Competition and Modernization in South Asia|date=1 Jun 2003|publisher=Abhinav Publications|page=154|isbn=9788170170235|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZMBPFm-QBb4C&pg=PA154 }}</ref> At one point he employed more than 15,000 workers in his [[cotton mills]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Curtis|first=William Eleroy|title=Modern India|year=2008|publisher=Wildhern Press|page=11|isbn=9781848309210|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=adM9TRYbegwC&pg=PA11 }}</ref> and supplied the [[canvas]] used for the tents and khaki uniforms of the British soldiers during the [[Second Boer War]]. He established several factories manufacturing thousands of tents and shoes for British soldiers and was also the owner of the Western Indian Tanneries,<ref>{{cite book|last=Rajnarayan|first=Chandavarkar|title=The Origins of Industrial Capitalism in India: Business Strategies and the Working Classes in Bombay, 1900-1940|year=2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=70|isbn=9780521525954|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZFa5tb75QUsC&pg=PA70 }}</ref> one of the largest [[Tanning (leather)|tannery]] in Asia. It is thought that he first made his money from shipbuilding, and then diversified into trade and commercial interests.

Adamji Peerbhoy became appointed as the first Indian [[Sheriff of Mumbai]] in 1897 and was also appointed as [[Justice of Peace]]. Later, Peerbhoy became the first president of the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] for a time, presiding over its first session in [[Karachi]] in December 1907.

In 1900 he was honoured by the title of `[[Kaiser-i-Hind|Qaisare-Hind]]'. In 1907 he was made a knight and given the title of `Sir’ by the [[British Government]]. Though an illiterate, Sir Adamji was honoured by Mohammedan Educational Conference to be its first president. He was also known as 'Rafiuddin' in the Bohra community, the 49th [[Da'i al-Mutlaq|Dai]], [[Mohammed Burhanuddin I|Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin]] had conferred title of `Rafiuddin’ on him.<ref name=z/>

In 1884, Adamji Peerbhoy had built several properties, [[Masjid]], sanatorium, [[kabristan]], and [[Saifee Hospital|Amanbai Charitable Hospital]] on [[Charni Road]] opposite the railway station. The property was built for the benefit of the poor and the needy. He wanted to provide a safe haven for the travelers, poor, or needy to rest, use the Masjid for prayers, or the hospital if they needed it.<ref name=z>{{Cite web |url=https://dawoodi-bohras.com/about_us/people/peerbhoy/ |access-date=13 Jun 2020 |title=Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy: Legendary philanthropist and pioneer Bohra reformist |website=dawoodi-bohras.com |first1=Insaf |last1=Saifuddin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611174435/https://www.dawoodi-bohras.com/about_us/people/peerbhoy/ |archive-date=11 June 2020}}</ref>

In the year 1892, plague hit numerous parts of the [[Bombay State]]. Peerbhoy appointed doctors, arranged for vaccines & medicines from abroad and treated the public free of cost at the Amanbai Charitable hospital, for the sake of the nation. Among his other philanthropic works were distribution of grain during drought of [[Gujarat]] in 1877 and 1897, relief works at [[Burhanpur]] in 1866, relief works in [[Yemen]], building of rest houses in [[Mecca]], [[Medina]], [[Karbala]], starting orphanage in [[Kathiawar]], starting at least 27 schools and funding establishment of Prince of Wales Science Institute at [[Aligarh Muslim University]], to name a few.<ref name=z/>
[[File:Mumbai 03-2016 21 Saifee Hospital.jpg|thumb|Saifee Hospital, opposite [[Charni Road|Charni Road Station]] founded as Amanbai Charitable Hospital by Sir Adamji Peerbhoy.]]

Peerbhoy financed his son, Abdul Hussein Peerbhoy's construction of the [[Matheran Hill Railway]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Kennedy|first=Dane Keith|title=The Magic Mountains: Hill Stations and the British Raj|year=1996|publisher=University of California Press|page=206|isbn=9780520201880|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UveLzKDlZBEC&pg=PA206 }}</ref> which linked [[Matheran]] and [[Neral, India|Neral]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Railways plan steam run to Matheran|publisher=[[Times of India]]|date= 9 May 2002|url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/9305418.cms |quote=The rail link between Neral and The hill station of Matheran were introduced in 1907 and were financed by a wealthy merchant named Sir Adamji Peerbhoy.}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peerbhoy, Sir Adamji}}
[[Category:Businesspeople from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Sheriffs of Mumbai]]
[[Category:1846 births]]
[[Category:1913 deaths]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Indian Ismailis]]
[[Category:Dawoodi Bohras]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal]]
[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]
[[Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:People from Rajkot district]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople in textiles]]
[[Category:All India Muslim League members]]
[[Category:Indian people in rail transport]]
[[Category:Indian justices of the peace]]

Adamjee Peerbhoy - Revision history

->SdkbBot at 03:11, 5 January 2022