Rustomji Dorabji Patel

Who is Rustomji Dorabji Patel?

Rustomji Dorabji Patel was a Parsi community leader who helped the British forces fight-off an invasion of the Mumbai islands by Siddi forces. In gratitude, the British accorded him the title of Patel.

The Parsis, originally from Iran, migrated to India about 900 years ago. This they did to save their religion, Zoroastrianism, from invading Arabs who proselytized Islam. However, in 1689-90, when a severe plague had struck down most of the Europeans, the Siddi Chief of Janjira made several attempts to re-possess the islands by force, but the son of the former, a trader named Rustomji Dorabji Patel, successfully warded off the attacks on behalf of the British with the help of the 'Kolis', the original fisher-folk inhabitants of these islands. The remnants of the Koli settlements can still be seen at Backbay reclamation, Mahim, Bandra, Khar, Bassien and Madh island.