Page:Who's Who in India Supplement 2 (1914).djvu/176

no WHO'S WHO IN INDIA CHUNNIBHAI MADHAWLA.L SiRDAR, SiR, KT., C.I.E., Baronet, of Ahmedabad, was born in 1864. His grandfather, the late Runchorelal Chotalal, C.i.E., was one of the pioneers of trade and especially of the cotton manufacturing trade in Gujarat and started the first Spinning Mill in Ahmedabad nearly fifty years ago. This example was quickly followed by other capitalists and there are to-day over half a hundred cotton mills of various classes working in Ahmedabad. This gentle- man and his son Madhawlal took a very prominent part in the development of the city and it is but true to say that it owes much of its present day prosperity to their exertions. Sir Chunnibhai passed through the Ahmedabad High School and then matriculated and passed two years at College. This course was succeeded by a two years term at the Ahmedabad Spinning and Weaving Mills where he was well grounded in commercial matters under the personal supervision of his long-sighted grandfather. At a comparatively young age, he lost his grandfather, and his father almost at the same time, and the vast responsibilities of the business were thrown on to his shoulders ; but he was not only equal to the burdens of his business as a merchant and cotton spinner but was able also to undertake the duties of a Municipal Coun- cillor and to carry them out with conspicuous ability and credit to himself. Sir Chunnibhai was the first man in India to attempt the spinning of the finest variety of *' counts " from Egyptian cotton, and to-day he owns two of the most success- ful Cotton Mills in the Bombay Presidency giving employ- ment to over 5,000 hands. His public works are many and include the foundation of a Science Institute in his native city at a cost of Rs. 6,00,000; and a donation of Rs. 3,00,000 to the Runchorelal Chotalal Technical Institute. Sir Chunni- bhai's charities are not confined to Ahmedabad alone but extend to distant lands like Hardwar, Benares and Southern India. Among them may be mentioned the establishment of a High School bearing his grandfather's name at a cost of Rs. 75,000 and a donation of Rs. 25,000 towards the spread