Shapurji Saklatvala

Shapurji Saklatvala Biography

Shapurji Saklatvala was a British politician of Indian origin. He was born into a Parsi family of Mumbai. He was a leader of Communist Party, and was an elected representative of Communist Party of Great Britain to serve as a Member of Parliament. He is also linked to the illustrious Tata business family of India, and was a cousin to Dorabji Tata, Ratanji Tata and Ratan Naval Tata, members of India’s leading industrialist family. Shapurji Saklatvala is only the third ethnic Indian to be elected to British parliament.

Shapurji Saklatvala was born on 28 March 1874 in Mumbai, present-day Maharashtra. He belonged to a rich Parsi family of Mumbai, who owned their own business. His father Dorabji Saklatvala was a merchant, while his mother Jerbai was a member of Tata family. She was the sister of industrialist J. N. Tata. Shapurji Saklatvala completed his education from Mumbai, where he graduated from St. Xavier's College. After studies he briefly worked with his uncle Tata in coal industry. He contacted with malaria and his health deteriorated day-by-day. After that he moved to England in 1905.

At England, he pursued law studies after joining Lincoln's Inn, although he left before qualifying as a barrister. While at England he got into politics, and slowly he turned fully active in politics of Britain as a Communist party leader. Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917 influenced him a lot to follow Communist Party, and he got elected to British Parliament representing the same party as well. He became a member of Communist Party of Great Britain in 1921. He died of a heart attack, on 16 January 1936 at his London home. He was survived by his wife Sarah Elizabeth Marsh, a British woman.

Published: February 03, 2019

Updated: February 03, 2019