Some lesser-known facts about Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Founder of Pakistan)

Muhammad-Ali Jinna-bhai Thakkar

I'm from a small town in Gujarat called Paneli Moti. I would like to share something that is tied to the history of my town.

Father of Pakistan Muhammad-Ali Jinnah's ancestors have roots in my town.

Muhammad-Ali's grandfather was "Premji Meghji Thakkar (Premji's pet name was Poonja-Bhai)", a man from the Khoja Lohana community who was following the Shia Ismaili sect. Muslims of Khoja Lohana community are mostly secular and they also celebrate Hindu festivals (An example is Salim-Sulaiman musician duo who also belong to same community). Premji also gave his children Hindu names. Premji was a strict vegetarian. He was in the handloom business.

Muhammad-Ali's father was "Jinna Premji Thakkar". He was born and brought up in Paneli Moti. Jinna moved to Gondal city to do trading business and later moved to Karachi. Jinna was unlike his father, Jinna was more interested in Islam. He stopped following Hindu traditions, he totally embraced Islam, and gave his children Muslim names. He dropped his Thakkar surname, which sounded like Hindu, and kept his name to only "Jinna-Bhai Poonja".

"Muhammad-Ali Jinna-Bhai Thakkar" was born and brought up in Karachi. He went to England to study law and practiced law in Mumbai. Muhammad-Ali had a daughter who goes by the name of Dina Jinnah. But more accurately, we can call her "Dina Thakkar".

At the age of 42, Muhammad Ali married an 18-year-old rich Parsi girl named Rattan-Bai (her pet name was Ruttie) against her family's will. Ruttie abandoned her family and Parsi community for this old fart Muhammad-Ali. But life did a funny thing to Muhammad-Ali, later in life, Muhammad-Ali's daughter married into a rich Parsi Indian family against her father's will. Muhammad-Ali wanted his daughter to marry a Muslim boy, but Dina was free-spirited just like her mother Ruttie and went on to marry a Parsi boy of the Wadia family.

The Wadia family owned a well-known textile company called Bombay Dyeing.

Life was unfair to Ruttie, Ruttie died at the age of 29 due to some illness. Some say she died because of cancer.

Muhammad-Ali suffered from tuberculosis from the 1930s. He knew that death was near, but instead of taking a break from politics and spending time at home, he kept working to fulfill his dream, which was to create a separate nation called Pakistan. By the time of Pakistan's independence in 1947, His health had significantly worsened. He was a heavy smoker, consuming up to 50 cigarettes a day for over 30 years. Muhammad-Ali died in Sep 1948, which is a year after independence of India and Pakistan.

Dina Thakkar Wadia's son Nusli Wadia went on to become a respectable industrialist in India. He is known for his contribution to the success of Britannia Biscuits.

So, Muhammad's ancestors started from Paneli Moti as Khoja Lohana, and now his descendants are in Mumbai, who are Parsi.