Feb 4, 2012
If you ever lived in Bangladesh, you'd be familiar with the name Ispahani. It is a common household name. I grew up with it as it is the brand of tea that is used in our house everyday. And it is probably the best brand in Bangladesh. I did not think of much of the name Ispahani until I was introduced to someone named Mariam Ispahani in San Jose, California by my friend Guneeta. The first time I met Mariam, I took a Ispahani tea bag in a ziploc bag and asked her, "Is this your people?"
She laughed and said, Yes!
I was happy that I could relate the name with a person. Mariam and I became friends fast. Coincidentally, when I made my plans for the Bangladesh trip for the 1947 Paritition Archive, Mariam too made plans for coming to Dhaka. We decided to meet and have 'tea'.
The plan was to visit her parents and hear her family history from her dad, Alijoon Ispahani. Unfortunately, Alijoon uncle was not in in town when I was in Dhaka. But I did get a chance to meet Mariam's mom, Ameneh Ispahani. Mariam and her parents live in a place called the Ispahani Colony in the heart of Dhaka. I was curious about the origin of the name and learnt that the Ispahanis had a huge property in that area and primarily lived there. Today many of the family members have moved to other locations but the name stayed behind. Mariam and her family have been living in the Ispahani colony for more than 30 years now. The house is a 3 story building with a beautiful lawn and garden infront of it. It is quite rare to have such a big compound and garden in the city today. I sat down and asked Mariam about her family history.
The Ispahanis moved from Espahan, Persia to Bombay in 1820 and established the MM Ispahani Limited, one of the largest business concerns of the Sub-Continent. The family subsequently expanded to include a broad range of businesses stretching from Bombay in the west, to Madras in the south and Burma in the east which until the 1930's was part of British India. Mirza Abu Talib Ispahani was one of the earliest visitors from the sub-continent to England in 1799. Many of their descendants were educated at universities in UK. Some held legal, diplomatic, and political positions in the West as well as some in the sub-continent. His grandson Haji Mirza Mehdy Ispahani (1841–1913) moved the corporate headquarters to Madras. He also spent twelve years in Cairo expanding his trade - leather, tea, turmeric; tamarind, peanuts and other produce of India. He opened a branch office in Dhaka in the year 1888. His son Mirza Mohamed Ispahani (1871–1925) established the Calcutta office of MM Ispahani & Sons in the year 1900, when a branch office was also established in London.
Mirza Ahmad Ispahani (1898–1986) eldest son of Mirza Mohamed Ispahani joined the partnership in 1918 and established the private limited company, M.M. Ispahani Limited in 1934 in Calcutta along with his younger brothers Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani and Haji Mirza Mahmood Ispahani. When the British India was devided, the Ispahanis moved their corporate headquarters to Chittagong in the newly created East Pakistan in 1947 where it stands today. By 1947, MM Ispahani Limited was the foremost exporter of shellac, kapok, hessian, jute bags, tea and chemicals. In 1948 Mirza Ahmad Ispahani left the family business for public service where he and his brother Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani played a pivotal role in the formation and industrialisation of the new country of Pakistan (currently Bangladesh).
His son Mirza Mehdy Ispahani (a.k.a. Sadri Ispahani) born in 1923, was made chairman of M.M. Ispahani Limited in 1949 and remained in that post until he died in 2004. The company now has corporate offices in Chittagong, Dhaka and Khulna where it employs over 20,000 people in many sectors such as tea, textile, real estate, crisps, poultry, shipping and internet services.
Mirza Mahmood was Mariam's grand father. He, along with most of his family members migrated to W. Paksitan from Calcutta after partition. While Mariam's father, Alijoon and his cousin Sadri migrated to E. Pakistan. The families kept close touch during the years of Paksitan (1947-1971). When the liberation war broke out in 1971, many of the Ispahanis left Dhaka for Karachi, while Alijoon, Sadri and his sons stayed back in Dhaka. When Bangladesh became independent, it was these members of the Ispahanis who took hold of the family business.
The Ispahanis have many charitable organizations, such as the Islamia Eye Hospital, the Ispahani School and College in Dhaka, Comilla and Chittagong. Today this big family is spread all over the sub-continent, in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._M._Ispahani
If you ever lived in Bangladesh, you'd be familiar with the name Ispahani. It is a common household name. I grew up with it as it is the brand of tea that is used in our house everyday. And it is probably the best brand in Bangladesh. I did not think of much of the name Ispahani until I was introduced to someone named Mariam Ispahani in San Jose, California by my friend Guneeta. The first time I met Mariam, I took a Ispahani tea bag in a ziploc bag and asked her, "Is this your people?"
I was happy that I could relate the name with a person. Mariam and I became friends fast. Coincidentally, when I made my plans for the Bangladesh trip for the 1947 Paritition Archive, Mariam too made plans for coming to Dhaka. We decided to meet and have 'tea'.
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| Mirza Ahmad Ispahani (1898-1986) establised the Ispahani Limited in 1934 in Calcutta |
The plan was to visit her parents and hear her family history from her dad, Alijoon Ispahani. Unfortunately, Alijoon uncle was not in in town when I was in Dhaka. But I did get a chance to meet Mariam's mom, Ameneh Ispahani. Mariam and her parents live in a place called the Ispahani Colony in the heart of Dhaka. I was curious about the origin of the name and learnt that the Ispahanis had a huge property in that area and primarily lived there. Today many of the family members have moved to other locations but the name stayed behind. Mariam and her family have been living in the Ispahani colony for more than 30 years now. The house is a 3 story building with a beautiful lawn and garden infront of it. It is quite rare to have such a big compound and garden in the city today. I sat down and asked Mariam about her family history.
 |
| Mariam Ispahani talks about her family in the Ispahani Colony in Dhaka, Bangladesh |
Mirza Ahmad Ispahani (1898–1986) eldest son of Mirza Mohamed Ispahani joined the partnership in 1918 and established the private limited company, M.M. Ispahani Limited in 1934 in Calcutta along with his younger brothers Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani and Haji Mirza Mahmood Ispahani. When the British India was devided, the Ispahanis moved their corporate headquarters to Chittagong in the newly created East Pakistan in 1947 where it stands today. By 1947, MM Ispahani Limited was the foremost exporter of shellac, kapok, hessian, jute bags, tea and chemicals. In 1948 Mirza Ahmad Ispahani left the family business for public service where he and his brother Mirza Abol Hassan Ispahani played a pivotal role in the formation and industrialisation of the new country of Pakistan (currently Bangladesh).
His son Mirza Mehdy Ispahani (a.k.a. Sadri Ispahani) born in 1923, was made chairman of M.M. Ispahani Limited in 1949 and remained in that post until he died in 2004. The company now has corporate offices in Chittagong, Dhaka and Khulna where it employs over 20,000 people in many sectors such as tea, textile, real estate, crisps, poultry, shipping and internet services.
Mirza Mahmood was Mariam's grand father. He, along with most of his family members migrated to W. Paksitan from Calcutta after partition. While Mariam's father, Alijoon and his cousin Sadri migrated to E. Pakistan. The families kept close touch during the years of Paksitan (1947-1971). When the liberation war broke out in 1971, many of the Ispahanis left Dhaka for Karachi, while Alijoon, Sadri and his sons stayed back in Dhaka. When Bangladesh became independent, it was these members of the Ispahanis who took hold of the family business.
The Ispahanis have many charitable organizations, such as the Islamia Eye Hospital, the Ispahani School and College in Dhaka, Comilla and Chittagong. Today this big family is spread all over the sub-continent, in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._M._Ispahani
Good to know more about our friend Mariam and her family. Interesting blog. Nicely written.
ReplyDeleteoh great, good to know about Ispahani
ReplyDeleteHow can I ever forget, Shah begum Khala, and her family , her husband Mohammad Ali bhai, her children, Feerooz and Fazel. Then the Basravi family, Agha Shariati and family. The gentleman that taught me to read the Quran, Agha Kirmanshahi . The old Bara Abdul .
ReplyDelete