Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta (7 January 1886 – 1 August 1952) was a Pakistani politician. He was the first elected
Mayor of Karachi
Mayor of Karachi (Urdu: ; ) is the executive of the Karachi metropolitan corporation and the Karachi local government system of the city of Karachi, which is the third tier of governance in Pakistan after federal and provincial governments.
...
from 1933 to 1934, and is still remembered as the "Maker of Modern Karachi" (Baba-e-Karachi).
[ He was also a notable figure in the Pakistan Boy Scouts Association.
]
Early life and education
Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta was born on 7 January 1886 to a well-off Parsi
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 ...
family in Karachi
Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
, Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
, British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
.Parsi
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 ...
community and owned large businesses which included a retail shop at Elphinstone Street, later renamed as Zaibunnisa Street. His father also owned a salt factory, a tile factory, a flour mill, an ice factory and a wholesale shop for groceries and liquor. Jamshed wanted to join the family business to fulfill his father's wishes. He then went to Daver's Commercial College, Bombay for training in business management. On his return, he joined the family firm, Nusserwanji & Co.[
]
Career
In 1918, Mehta was elected a councillor of the Karachi Municipal Corporation and served in that position for six years. He was soon elected the President of the Corporation. He served in that capacity for 12 years from April 1922 to October 1933. Then he was elected to become the first Mayor of Karachi from 1933 to 1934 in British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
.[
He transformed the city into a great and important metropolis during his 19 years period of active role as a local politician (1918 – 1934) from a fishing village to a well-planned city. There was a lot of social and economic development in Karachi during his time.][
People who lived during this time remembered that the streets of Karachi were washed twice a day and achieved the status of cleanest city in the East.][
He was a member of the ]Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
Legislative Assembly, the father of Scouting
Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
in Sindh, and one of the founder members of the Boy Scout Movement in India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, and later on in Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. He was the Deputy Chief Commissioner of the GHQ and its Honorary Treasurer. Pakistan's Sea Scout landing craft is named after him.
Jamshed Quarters was developed by Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta in 1922.
Memorials
A commemorative postage stamp of Rs. 3 was issued by the Pakistan Post Office on 7 January 1988. Jamsheed Memorial Hall, named after him, is located on M. A. Jinnah Road, Karachi.Profile of Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta (scroll down to read his profile) on Paknetmag.com website
Retrieved 31 October 2021
References
Further reading
*Jamshed Nusserwanji Mehta-A Life Sketch, World Zoroastrian Organization
External links
* Akhtar Balouch
The real Father of Karachi
''Dawn'' June 17, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehta, Jamshed Nusserwanjee
Parsi people
Mayors of Karachi
Scouting and Guiding in Pakistan
1886 births
1952 deaths
Politicians from Karachi
Members of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh
Pakistani Zoroastrians
20th-century Pakistani philanthropists