Abdullah Haji Adam Jhaveri, widely known as Dada Abdulla, was an affluent Indian-South African Muslim merchant and the founder of the firm Dada Abdulla and Company. He is a figure of immense historical significance as the client who, through a commercial lawsuit, was directly responsible for bringing Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to South Africa in 1893, setting the stage for Gandhi’s transformation into the global leader known as Mahatma Gandhi.
Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Abdullah Haji Adam Jhaveri |
| Commonly Known As | Dada Abdulla |
| Occupation | Merchant, Businessman, Director of Dada Abdulla and Company |
| Origin | Porbandar, Gujarat, India |
| Location | Durban, Natal Colony (South Africa) |
| Key Role | Hired Mohandas K. Gandhi as his legal representative in 1893. |
| Political Role | First President of the Natal Indian Congress (1894). |
| Death | Died in 1912 (The firm was reportedly dissolved after his death). |
The Case That Launched a Movement
Dada Abdulla’s legal dispute became the catalyst for Gandhi’s non-violent resistance movement, Satyagraha.
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The Lawsuit: Dada Abdulla was embroiled in a major commercial dispute against his cousin, Tayob Haji Hkan Mahomed, over payments stemming from the sale of the company’s Transvaal operations. The lawsuit was significant, with a claim of $\textsterling40,000$, a substantial sum at the time.
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Hiring Gandhi: In 1893, Dada Abdulla’s firm hired Gandhi, a young, struggling, London-trained barrister from Porbandar who spoke the necessary language, Gujarati, to assist their English lawyers in the legal proceedings in Pretoria. Gandhi initially went to South Africa for a one-year contract.
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The Pietermaritzburg Incident: Shortly after his arrival, Dada Abdulla arranged for Gandhi to take a first-class train to Pretoria for the case. It was during this journey that Gandhi was famously ejected from the train at Pietermaritzburg station for being an Indian with a first-class ticket. This act of blatant racial discrimination profoundly affected Gandhi and motivated him to stay and fight for the rights of Indians in South Africa.
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Focus on Reconciliation: Gandhi learned the “true practice of law” through the Abdulla case. Instead of pursuing lengthy litigation, Gandhi persuaded Dada Abdulla and his cousin to settle the dispute through arbitration and reconciliation, a method he would later apply to political disputes.
Political Legacy
Dada Abdulla’s support extended beyond his legal case, providing the political and financial foundation for Gandhi’s activism.
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Natal Indian Congress (NIC): In 1894, on the eve of Gandhi’s scheduled departure, a farewell party at Dada Abdulla’s home turned into a working committee meeting. Guests persuaded Gandhi to stay and fight discriminatory legislation. Together with Gandhi and other merchants, Dada Abdulla was a cofounder and served as the first President of the Natal Indian Congress (NIC), established to protect the economic and political rights of the Indian community.
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Early Activism: He was among the first in the Indian community to suffer persecution for resisting segregation, and he was reportedly the first Indian to burn his identification pass in protest against British segregation.
Dada Abdulla provided the initial economic opportunity and the subsequent political platform that allowed Mohandas Gandhi to develop his revolutionary philosophy of non-violent resistance.