Dosabhai Framji Karaka (1829–1902) was an Indian newspaper editor and official, known for his history of the

Parsis The Parsis or Parsees () are a Zoroastrian ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. They are descended from Persian refugees who migrated to the Indian subcontinent during and after the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century, w ...

. He was educated at the Elphinstone Institution. After editing a Gujarati paper, he became manager of the ''

Bombay Times ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest selling English-language daily i ...

''. He spent 1858–9 in England, where he wrote ''The Parsis: their history, manners, customs, and religion''. Returning to India, he held a number of legal and official positions. He became chairman of the Bombay Municipal Corporation. He was selected

Sheriff of Mumbai The Sheriff of Bombay is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Bombay. The sheriff is an officer of the High Court and the nominal Head of the High Court Department which carries out the or ...

for 1872. His grandson, also named Dosabhai Framji Karaka, was also a reputed journalist. As member of the

Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest unive ...

he became Treasurer, Secretary and Librarian before being elected the first President thereof of South Asian origin, succeeding his close friend

Michael Foot Michael Mackintosh Foot (23 July 19133 March 2010) was a British politician who was Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposition from 1980 to 1983. Foot beg ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karaka, Dosabhai Framji 1829 births 1902 deaths 19th-century Indian historians Members of the Bombay Legislative Council Parsi people Sheriffs of Mumbai Zoroastrian studies scholars 19th-century Indian translators