David Sassoon
David Sassoon (born October 1792 in Baghdad , † November 7, 1864 in Poona ) was an Ottoman - Indian - British businessman and philanthropist .
Life
Early years
He was born in Baghdad as the son of the wealthy Jewish banker Sheikh Saleh Sassoon (1750-1830), the finance minister of the governor Ahmed Pasha . As a result of the suppression of the Jewish community by the Ottoman Sultanate , Sassoon fled with his family and little fortune via Persia to Bombay in 1833 .
Commercial success
After small beginnings as a carpet dealer, he soon became one of the richest men in town. There he also founded the trading company David Sassoon & Co. After the Nanking contract in 1842, which gave foreign merchants largely free access to the Chinese market, the company expanded to China , with David's son Elias , where it had branches in Hong Kong, among others , Canton and Shanghai opened. There the Sassoons were initially involved in the wool trade , but later mainly in the opium trade, and in the decades that followed, they achieved legendary wealth. At the beginning of the 20th century, they were among the wealthiest families in the country, along with the Hardoons and Kadoories, who were also Jewish .
Private life
Although he didn't even speak English, David Sassoon became a British citizen in 1853 . Nonetheless, he retained the clothes and customs of the Baghdad Jews and saw himself as the leader of the Jewish community in Bombay. In India he had several synagogues built, but also a school, a research institute, a library and a convalescent home.
After his death in 1864, David Sassoon's business legacy was carried on by his son, Sir Albert Abdullah David Sassoon .
See also
Web links
- Biography on www.jewishencyclopedia.com
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sassoon, David |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British-Indian merchant and philanthropist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 1792 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Baghdad |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 7, 1864 |
| Place of death | Poona |