Dadabhai Naoroji was born in Bombay in 1826.  He came of a Parsi priest family.  He lost his father when he was quite young.  The charge of his education fell upon his mother. His mother was a very wise woman.  So she gave him the best education.  This lady had great influence upon him.  She made him what he was.  He read in the Elphinstone School and College.  He was the best boy in the class.  He managed to win most of the prizes.

After he had left college, he was appointed Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in the same college. But he did not remain there for a long time.  He thought of improving the condition of his country.  He gave up his professorship.  He established the first Gilr's School in Bombay.  He did many other things for the improvement of society and the education of his countrymen.  In 1851, he started a weekly newspaper in Guzrati.  In 1874, he became Prime Minister of the Baroda state.  As a minister, he did many things in Baroda for the improvement of the state.  In 1885, he became a Member of the Bombay Legislative Council.  His fame as a great patriot spread over the whole of India.  So he was elected President of the Indian National Congress thrice.  It was a great honour to him.

In 1885, he took to business.  In connection with his business, he had to go to England.  There he did much for the good of India.  He wanted that the Englishmen should take interest in Indian Association in 1887.  In 1892, he became a Member of the British Parliament and thus won a great name.

He lived long.  So he was known as "the Grand Old Man of India".  He spent the last days of his life peacefully in his village home.  He died there in 1917.

Naoroji will be remembered by the Indians as a great patriot.  It was Naoroji who first said that Swaraj was the goal of India.