Who's Who in India Supplement 1 (1912)/Ibrahim Rahimtoola, the Hon'ble Sir, Kt., C.I.E., J.P.

by Prag Narain Bhargava

Ibrahim Rahimtoola, the Hon'ble Sir, Kt., c. i. e., j.p., Member of the Legislative Council, the Municipal Corporation and the Improvement Trust, Bombay; Director of the Bank of India, Ltd.; was born in May, 1862. He is the son of the late Rahimtoola Kaderbhoy. He lost his father at an early age, and, leaving school, joined his brother in business. He started the firm of Rahimtoola Kaderbhoy and Company whilst still a youth and rapidly developed the business till it now occupies a prominent position among the mercantile firms of Western India. Sir Ibrahim has twice been returned as a member of Bombay Corporation. In 1894 he was nominated Justice of the Peace. In 1895 he was elected a member of the Standing Committee of the Corporation, and three years later he was unanimously chosen as Chairman of that committee. In 1899 he was elected President of the Corporation. In these offices he has discharged his duties with conspicuous success. He has since been elected by the

THE HON'BLE SIR IBRAHIM RAHIMTOOLA, Kt.

Corporation as a member of the Joint Schools Committee. Sir Ibrahim is an ardent supporter of primary education. In order to improve the attendance at schools of Mohammadan boys and girls he approached the Government on the subject of introducing the reading of the Koran in schools. The reply of Government was sympathetic, but Sir Ibrahim had to face strong opposition in the Corporation; his object was, however, secured by a narrow majority. Sir Ibrahim is a member of the Managing Committee of the Anjuman-i-Islam, and President of the M. J. Khoja Reading-Room and Library. His work on the Improvement Trust of Bombay is well known. Sir Ibrahim was one of the first to bring to the notice of the Health Officer the circumstance that plague had broken out in Bombay, and as Chairman of the Voluntary Plague Committee of Umerkhadi Section he proved the success of the experiment of enlisting public help in grappling with this disease. Sir Ibrahim was nominated Member of the Legislative Council in 1899, and appointed Sheriff of Bombay in 1904. In 1907 he was created Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire, and in the same year was appointed as a representative on the Museum Conference held at Calcutta under the chairmanship of Sir Thomas Holland. On the occasion of the recent Coronation Durbar he received at the hands of His Majesty the honour of Knighthood. Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola is President of the Islam Gymkhana, and is a Member of the Orient Club, Bombay. Address: Bombay.

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