Dadabhai Naoroji

Dadabhai Naoroji (4 September 1825 – 30 June 1917) was an Indian political leader, merchant, scholar and writer who played a prominent role in both Indian and British public life. He was among the founding members of the Indian National Congress and served as its President on three occasions, from 1886 to 1887, 1893 to 1894 and 1906 to 1907. Naoroji's early career included serving as the Diwan of Baroda in 1874. Subsequently, he moved to England, where he continued to advocate for Indian interests. In 1892, he was elected to the House of Commons as a Liberal Party Member of Parliament, representing Finsbury Central until 1895. He was the second person of Asian descent to become a British MP following David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre, who was an Anglo Indian MP.

Naoroji is particularly known for formulating the "drain theory", which argued that economic exploitation under British rule led to the transfer of wealth from India to Britain. He detailed these views in his 1901 publication Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, which contributed to emerging debates on colonial economics and political representation. His work was influential among early nationalists and reformers, and he remained a key figure in shaping early Indian political thought. Naoroji also took part in international socialist networks and was a member of the Second International, alongside figures such as Karl Kautsky and Georgi Plekhanov. While Naoroji himself maintained a moderate stance, his engagement with transnational political groups reflected his broader concern with issues of labor, empire and global inequality.

In later years, Naoroji received posthumous recognition in both India and the United Kingdom. In 2014, the British government introduced the Dadabhai Naoroji Awards, launched by then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, to honor contributions to UK-India relations. India Post commemorated him with postal stamps issued in 1963, 1997 and 2017. His legacy continues to be studied in the context of Indian nationalism, colonial critique and the early history of Asian participation in British politics.

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