Written by: Haroon Shuaib
Posted on: December 24, 2019 | 
| 中文
Jinnah Posing Next to His Car, Circa 1920
There is no denying that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, one of the political giants of the 20th Century who shaped the map of the modern world, was a very private man. But besides his political legacy, his taste and sense of style has continued to fascinate aficionados of the Quaid.
His family of modest means was settled in the Kharadar district of Karachi, a thriving urban center. His parents, Jinnah Bhai Poonja and Sakina Bano, moved into a two-story apartment in a building constructed by Wazir Ali Ponawala – now referred to as Wazir Mansion. From an early age, Jinnah carried a disposition befitting the role he was to play in future. As a young boy, he preferred to play Cricket instead of Marbles, because he did not want his hands and clothes to get dusty. His grace, sophistication, and charm only grew with time.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a Young Barrister
Mr. Jinnah soon became the highest earning lawyer in India, and his lifestyle resembled that of a well endowed aristocrat. According to Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India from 1943-1947, “Mr. Jinnah was one of the handsomest men I have ever seen; he combined the clear cut, almost Grecian features of the West with oriental grace and movement.” It came as no surprise that Mr. Jinnah was adored by women for his distinguished fashion sense. Dina, his daughter, lovingly called him a “dandy”. A British general’s wife once recalled, “He (Mr. Jinnah) has a great personality. He talks the most beautiful English. He models his clothes and his manners on Du Maurier, the actor, and his English on Burke’s speeches. I have always wanted to meet him and now I had my wish.”
Mr. Jinnah was widely followed, documented, and photographed all his life, but was always impeccably turned out. According to his biographer Stanely Wolpert, he “came to own over 200 suits, which he wore with heavily starched shirts with detachable collars, and as a barrister took pride in never wearing the same silk tie twice.” He mostly fancied light colours and wore cream, beige or light grey suits. Mr. Jinnah wore size 10 shoes, noticeable for their sheen even in the archival photos.
Jinnah at Home with His Dogs
The footwear in his collection comprised boots, slipon shoes, sandals, slippers, khoosa type shoes and his favourite black pump "Grugabi" (a slipon with bow), which he used on several ceremonial occasions. Most of his shoes were made in England and France, and his bespoke suits were tailored by Messers Lesley and Roberts, London, Watson Fagerstrom and Hughes Ltd London, Laffan's Bombay, and Muhammad Tailors, Dehli.
Jinnah in his Malabar Hill Home
His taste in cars was also expensive. When in London, he would go around in a chauffeur driven Bentley, and in India he used a top of the line Rolls-Royce and a Cadillac. He always smoked his favourite A. Craven cigarettes, and owned the finest collection of Havana cigars.
Jinnah's Rolls Royce Car
His monocle and pocket watches were style statements. In a display corner adjacent to his mausoleum in Karachi, one can see a collection of his personal items like ivory napkin holders, a silver cigarette case and his typical cigarette lighter, a collection of his canes, breeches, his top-of-the-line golf clubs, a fine silk handkerchief and handmade buckskin shoes. Most of his personal items, clothing and accessories were personalized with his initials, “M.A.J.”.
He ate little, but breakfast was always the most meal important for him. He would either take a scrambled or three quarter boiled egg, and one toast with a little butter, honey or marmalade in the morning. He also liked siri-paaye and enjoyed having it once or twice a month. According to Dina Jinnah, her father mostly liked to have curry and rice served on his dining table, and sometimes took a piece of naan. He always had two cooks, one Indian and one Irish. Having spent a large part of his life in England, he was very fond of fish and chips. In fruits, he especially relished mangoes and grapes.
In the 1930’s and more so after Partition, Mr. Jinnah adopted a national dress, and made the Sherwani fashionable. He either paired it with a choridar (tight pajamas) or a shalwar, but almost always topped it with the karakul cap, which is now more widely referred to as Jinnah cap. The cap is traditionally made up of the fur of the Qaraqul or Karakul breed of sheep, found in the desert areas of Central Asia. Such was the commitment to sophistication and propriety in Mr. Jinnah even when he was critically sick and on his deathbed, he insisted on being formally dressed. "I will not travel in my pajamas,” he was reported to have said.
Along with his distinct sense of style, was his love of property, starting with his prized residence in the posh Malabar Hill neighborhood of Bombay. The sea facing, 10,000 square meters’ house was built in 1936, at an enormous price of 2 lacs. It was designed by architect Claude Batley, in European-style architecture with exquisite Italian marble and walnut woodwork. Imported Italian stonemasons were employed for its construction, with Mr. Jinnah personally supervising. He also owned a house in Hampstead, one of the most exclusive and expensive areas of real estate in London, and stayed there during his time in England. He was often photographed spending time there with his daughter, his sister Fatima Jinnah, and his beloved hounds.
Jinnah with His Daughter Dina in Their Hampstead Home
Another house owned by Mr. Jinnah is located at 10 Aurangzeb Road, Delhi, referred to as the Lutyens Bungalow Zone. The British built this community as a collection of sprawling bungalows and vast open spaces, fit for the best in India’s new capital city. Jinnah lived here between 1938 and 1947. Some of the most lavish parties and historic meetings were held in this house. In particular, the 1939 meeting between Jinnah, Gandhi and Rajenda Prasad (India’s first president), in which he brought up the concept of a separate Muslim homeland.
Jinnah's Home on 10 Aurangzeb Road, Delhi
Lastly, the imposing Quaid-e-Azam House in Karachi, at the crossing of Shahrah-e-Faisal and Fatima Jinnah Road, Staff Lines, Karachi Cantonment served as his official residence till his death, and has now been converted to a museum. Mr. Jinnah purchased this property on 14th August 1943 from Mr. Sorab Kavasji Katrak, a former Mayor of Karachi.
Flagstaff House Karachi
Jinnah carved out a country for the Indian Muslims against all odds, after a constitutional and a democratic struggle. His vision and concept of Pakistan was based on the principles of equal rights of citizenship for people of different religious denominations and ethnicities, a tolerant and pluralist Pakistan.
For more pictures from Quaid-e-Azam's life, click here.
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