SIR MANGALDAS

See also:

• SIR MANGALDAS NATHUBHOY (1832–1890)

NATHUBHOY (1832–1890)  , Seth or head of the Kapol Bania caste, well known for their thrift and keen commercial instincts . He was born on the 15th of October 1832, of a family whose ancestors emigrated from Diu to Bombay soon after Bombay came into British possession . His grandfather, Ramdas Manordas, amassed a considerable fortune, which, owing to the premature death of his father, came into the sole possession of Mangaldas at the age of eleven . He had to take charge of the business in early life, though he gave some time to English studies . On the death of his wife he established a dispensary at Kalyan in her memory and also a special female ward in connexion with the David Sassoon hospital in Poona . As a merchant Mangaldas was upright and successful . In social matters he stood forth as a reformer, and to him the change to election from hereditary succession to the headship of the caste is due . In 1862 he founded a fellowship in Bombay university to allow graduates to spend some years in Europe . A bequest in his will enabled the university to establish seven similar scholarships . He took keen interest in learning, and in such institutions as the Asiatic and geographical societies . In ,866 he was nominated to the legislative council and sat till 1874 . In 1867 he revived the Bombay association, a political body, over which he presided for a time .

In 1872 he was made C.S.I., and in 1875 the dignity of

Knight Bachelor was conferred on him . Besides a large donation to the Indian Famine Fund, Sir Mangaldas is known to have expended 500,000 on charities . He died at Bombay on the 9th of March 189o .