David Sassoon
Encyclopedia
David Sassoon was the treasurer of Baghdad
between 1817 and 1829. He became the leader of the Jewish community in Bombay (now Mumbai
) after Baghdadi Jews
emigrated there.
, where his father, Saleh Sassoon, was a wealthy businessman, chief treasurer to the pasha
s (the governors of Baghdad) from 1781 to 1817, and leader of the city's Jewish community.
The family were Sephardim whose ancestors once lived in Spain. His mother was Amam Gabbai. After a traditional education in the Hebrew language
, Sassoon married Hannah in 1818. They had two sons and two daughters before she died in 1826. Two years later he married Farha Hyeem (who was born in 1812 and died in 1886). The pair had six sons and three daughters.
Following increasing persecution of Baghdad's Jews by Daud Pasha
, the family moved to Bombay via Persia
. Sassoon was in business in Bombay no later than 1832, originally acting as a middleman between British textile firms and Gulf commodity merchants, subsequently investing in valuable harbour properties. His major competitors were Parsis, whose profits were built on their domination of the Sino-Indian opium
trade since the 1820s.
When the Treaty of Nanking
opened up China to British traders, Sassoon developed his textile operations into a profitable triangular trade: Indian yarn
and opium
were carried to China, where he bought goods which were sold in Britain, from where he obtained Lancashire
cotton products
. He sent his son Elias David Sassoon
to Canton
, where he was the first Jewish trader (with 24 Parsi rivals). In 1845 David Sassoon & Sons opened an office in what would soon become Shanghai
's British concession
, and it became the firm's second hub of operations.
In 1844, he set up a branch in Hong Kong, and a year later, he set up his Shanghai branch on the Bund to cash in on the opium trade.
It was not until the 1860s that the Sassoons were able to lead the Baghdadi Jewish community in overtaking Parsi dominance. A particular opportunity was given by the American Civil War
, during which turmoil American cotton exports from the South declined. Lancashire factories replaced American cotton imports with Sassoon's Indian cotton.
Along with Parsi businessmen such as Jamshedji Jejaboy, David Sassoon continued the trade with China and from the wealth earned there he started his own business of oil. His first mill was named E.D. Sassoon Mills and he became exceedingly propserous. Later the Sassoons were the largest mill owners and were known as Badshah of the business community of Bombay. Overall there were 17 mills, each mill having around 15 to 20,000 workers. Later, David Sassoon also entered the cotton, fabrics and various other industries on a large scale.
David Sassoon, as an Orthodox Jew, continued his Jewish religious observances, observing the Jewish Sabbath throughout his busy life. He was also a member of the Legislative Assembly of the time. He built one of the largest and most beautiful synagogues of India, the Magen David synaguogue at Byculla, Bombay. He also built the Ohel David Synagogue of Pune. Today these are well known tourist attractions and form an important part of the cultural heritage of India. Various charity trusts were named after him and other members of his family, funded from his private income, which continue in existence today. David Sassoon one of the great people of Bombay who created so many monuments and educational institutions, building great buildings that have become the most prominent places of Bombay and Pune. He also constructed the Sassoon Dock at Colaba, one of the largest docks ever built in Bombay.
He lived with his family at Byculla's Bungalow which was in fact actually a Palace named Shin Sangoo. This was later donated to the Parsi Trust and is today's Massina Hospital. Nearby, the Victoria Garden (present day Rani Baugh) was also the property of the Sassoons and was donated to the Bombay Municipal Corporation for the construction of the Albert Museum, designed by the most prominent architect of the time. The interior is exactly like the Magen David synagogue of Mumbai and Ohel David synagoague of Pune. It also has the famous Victoria clock tower.
Although David Sassoon did not speak English
, he became a naturalised British
citizen in 1853. He kept the dress and manners of the Baghdadi Jews
, but allowed his sons to adopt English manners. His son, Abdullah
changed his name to Albert, moved to England
, became a Baronet
and married into the Rothschild family
. All the Sassoons of Europe are said to be descendants of David Sassoon.
He built a synagogue
in the Fort (area) and another in Byculla, as well as a school, a Mechanics' Institute, a library and a convalescent home in Pune
. David Sassoon was conscious of his role as a leader of the Jewish community in Bombay. He helped to arouse a sense of Jewish identity amongst the Bene Israel
i and Cochin Jewish communities. The Sassoon Docks
(built by his son) and the David Sassoon Library
are named after him.
David Sassoon died in his country house in Pune
in 1864. His business interests were inherited by his son Sir Albert Sassoon
; Elias David had established a rival firm.
Some of the prominent Buildings build or contributed by David sasoon and their family are as follows
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
between 1817 and 1829. He became the leader of the Jewish community in Bombay (now Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
) after Baghdadi Jews
Baghdadi Jews
Baghdadi Jews, also known as Iraqi Jews, are Jewish emigrants from Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq, who fled religious persecution and formed immigrant communities in their new homelands...
emigrated there.
Biography
Sassoon was born in BaghdadBaghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, where his father, Saleh Sassoon, was a wealthy businessman, chief treasurer to the pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
s (the governors of Baghdad) from 1781 to 1817, and leader of the city's Jewish community.
The family were Sephardim whose ancestors once lived in Spain. His mother was Amam Gabbai. After a traditional education in the Hebrew language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, Sassoon married Hannah in 1818. They had two sons and two daughters before she died in 1826. Two years later he married Farha Hyeem (who was born in 1812 and died in 1886). The pair had six sons and three daughters.
Following increasing persecution of Baghdad's Jews by Daud Pasha
Daud Pasha (mamluk)
Daud Pasha was the last Mamluk ruler of Iraq, from 1816 to 1831. Iraq at this period was nominally part of the Ottoman Empire but in practice largely autonomous...
, the family moved to Bombay via Persia
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Sassoon was in business in Bombay no later than 1832, originally acting as a middleman between British textile firms and Gulf commodity merchants, subsequently investing in valuable harbour properties. His major competitors were Parsis, whose profits were built on their domination of the Sino-Indian opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
trade since the 1820s.
When the Treaty of Nanking
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was signed on 29 August 1842 to mark the end of the First Opium War between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing Dynasty of China...
opened up China to British traders, Sassoon developed his textile operations into a profitable triangular trade: Indian yarn
Yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...
and opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
were carried to China, where he bought goods which were sold in Britain, from where he obtained Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
cotton products
Textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution changed the nature of work and society. Opinion varies as to the exact date, but it is estimated that the First Industrial Revolution took place between 1750 and 1850, and the second phase or Second Industrial Revolution between 1860 and 1900. The three key drivers in...
. He sent his son Elias David Sassoon
Elias David Sassoon
Elias David Sassoon was a businessman involved in trade in India and the Far East....
to Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, where he was the first Jewish trader (with 24 Parsi rivals). In 1845 David Sassoon & Sons opened an office in what would soon become Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
's British concession
Shanghai International Settlement
The Shanghai International Settlement began originally as a purely British settlement. It was one of the original five treaty ports which were established under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking at the end of the first opium war in the year 1842...
, and it became the firm's second hub of operations.
In 1844, he set up a branch in Hong Kong, and a year later, he set up his Shanghai branch on the Bund to cash in on the opium trade.
It was not until the 1860s that the Sassoons were able to lead the Baghdadi Jewish community in overtaking Parsi dominance. A particular opportunity was given by the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, during which turmoil American cotton exports from the South declined. Lancashire factories replaced American cotton imports with Sassoon's Indian cotton.
Along with Parsi businessmen such as Jamshedji Jejaboy, David Sassoon continued the trade with China and from the wealth earned there he started his own business of oil. His first mill was named E.D. Sassoon Mills and he became exceedingly propserous. Later the Sassoons were the largest mill owners and were known as Badshah of the business community of Bombay. Overall there were 17 mills, each mill having around 15 to 20,000 workers. Later, David Sassoon also entered the cotton, fabrics and various other industries on a large scale.
David Sassoon, as an Orthodox Jew, continued his Jewish religious observances, observing the Jewish Sabbath throughout his busy life. He was also a member of the Legislative Assembly of the time. He built one of the largest and most beautiful synagogues of India, the Magen David synaguogue at Byculla, Bombay. He also built the Ohel David Synagogue of Pune. Today these are well known tourist attractions and form an important part of the cultural heritage of India. Various charity trusts were named after him and other members of his family, funded from his private income, which continue in existence today. David Sassoon one of the great people of Bombay who created so many monuments and educational institutions, building great buildings that have become the most prominent places of Bombay and Pune. He also constructed the Sassoon Dock at Colaba, one of the largest docks ever built in Bombay.
He lived with his family at Byculla's Bungalow which was in fact actually a Palace named Shin Sangoo. This was later donated to the Parsi Trust and is today's Massina Hospital. Nearby, the Victoria Garden (present day Rani Baugh) was also the property of the Sassoons and was donated to the Bombay Municipal Corporation for the construction of the Albert Museum, designed by the most prominent architect of the time. The interior is exactly like the Magen David synagogue of Mumbai and Ohel David synagoague of Pune. It also has the famous Victoria clock tower.
Legacy
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, he became a naturalised British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
citizen in 1853. He kept the dress and manners of the Baghdadi Jews
Baghdadi Jews
Baghdadi Jews, also known as Iraqi Jews, are Jewish emigrants from Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq, who fled religious persecution and formed immigrant communities in their new homelands...
, but allowed his sons to adopt English manners. His son, Abdullah
Albert Abdullah David Sassoon
Sir Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, 1st Baronet, KCB, CSI, , a British Indian philanthropist and merchant, was born a Jew in Baghdad, a member of a family that had lived there since the beginning of the 16th century, having been expelled from Spain in the 1490s. He was named Abdullah at birth, but...
changed his name to Albert, moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, became a Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
and married into the Rothschild family
Rothschild family
The Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
. All the Sassoons of Europe are said to be descendants of David Sassoon.
He built a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in the Fort (area) and another in Byculla, as well as a school, a Mechanics' Institute, a library and a convalescent home in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. David Sassoon was conscious of his role as a leader of the Jewish community in Bombay. He helped to arouse a sense of Jewish identity amongst the Bene Israel
Bene Israel
The Bene Israel are a group of Jews who migrated in the 19th century from villages in the Konkan area to the nearby Indian cities, primarily Mumbai, but also to Pune, and Ahmedabad. Prior to these waves of emigrations and to this day, the Bene Israel formed the largest sector of the subcontinent's...
i and Cochin Jewish communities. The Sassoon Docks
Sassoon Docks
thumb|250px|The Sassoon DocksThe Sassoon Docks is the biggest dock in Mumbai and one of the few docks in the city open to the public. It is situated just off Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai, and is today one of largest fish markets in the city...
(built by his son) and the David Sassoon Library
David Sassoon Library
The David Sassoon Library is the name of a famous library and heritage structure in Mumbai, India. The idea for a library to be situated in the center of the city was the brainchild of Albert Sassoon, son of the famous Baghdadi Jewish philanthropist, David Sassoon. The building was designed by...
are named after him.
David Sassoon died in his country house in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
in 1864. His business interests were inherited by his son Sir Albert Sassoon
Albert Abdullah David Sassoon
Sir Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, 1st Baronet, KCB, CSI, , a British Indian philanthropist and merchant, was born a Jew in Baghdad, a member of a family that had lived there since the beginning of the 16th century, having been expelled from Spain in the 1490s. He was named Abdullah at birth, but...
; Elias David had established a rival firm.
Some of the prominent Buildings build or contributed by David sasoon and their family are as follows
- David Sassoon Library & reading room, Fort Mumbai
- Jacob Sasooon High School, Byculla, Mumbai
- EEE Sassoon High School, Byculla, Mumbai
- David Sassoon Hospital, JJ Hospital Premises, Byculla, Mumbai
- Masina Hospital, Byculla, Mumbai
- Magen David Synagauge, Byculla, Mumbai
- Kenneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Colaba, Mumbai
- Sassoon Dock, Colaba, Mumbai
- Elphiston Technological School, Parel, Mumbai
- The Gateway of IndiaGateway of IndiaIts design is a combination of both Hindu and Muslim architectural styles, the arch is in Muslim style while the decorations are in Hindu style. The Gateway is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete. The stone was locally obtained, and the perforated screens were brought from Gwalior.The...
- The Bank of IndiaBank of IndiaBank of India is a state-owned commercial bank with headquarters in Mumbai. Government-owned since nationalization in 1969, It is India's 4th largest bank, after State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda. It has 3415 branches, including 29 branches outside India...
, Fort (head office), Mumbai - The David Sassoon Reformary and Deaf school, Matunga, Mumbai
- The Victoria Garden and Albert Museum (today's Rani naugh)
- Ohel David Synagogue, Pune
- Sassoon Hospital, Pune
- Lady Rachel Sassoon Dispensary, Pune
- David Sassoon Vridha Ashram, Pune