Adamjee Peerbhoy

Who was Adamjee Peerbhoy?

Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy was an Indian business magnate, philanthropist and a social reformist of Dawoodi Bohra community based at Bombay in British India.

Adamji Peerbhoy was born in the year 1846 at Dhoraji in Princely State of Gondal of British India now Gujarat, in a very poor Dawoodi Bohra family to Qadir bhai and Sakina Banu Peerbhoy.

Adamjee 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. At one point he employed more than 15,000 workers in his cotton mills 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, one of the largest tannery in Asia. It is thought that he first made his money from shipbuilding, and then diversified into trade and commercial interests.