Download PDF

Timeline of Hajee Sir Ismail Sait

 A self-made industrialist, philanthropist, and visionary whose life shaped Bangalore, KGF, and communities across India.

  • Home
  • INTERACTIVE TIMELINE OF HAJEE SIR ISMAIL SAIT

A Journey of Vision, Courage & Compassion

Across seven decades of profound change, Hajee Sir Ismail Sait built enterprises that linked mining towns, port cities, and emerging urban centers, while keeping his roots firmly anchored in Bangalore and Kolar Gold Fields. From modest beginnings and early responsibility, he grew into a trusted figure for traders, administrators, and community leaders alike – a man whose word carried as much weight as his commercial acumen. His life was repeatedly described as one of “unbounded generosity, remarkable nobility, and deep wisdom” – qualities that shaped not just his business decisions, but also his quiet, decisive acts of public service.

“Unbounded generosity, remarkable nobility, and deep wisdom” – a legacy remembered by family, chroniclers, and the communities he transformed.

TIMELINE

1859 — Birth

  • Born on 7 March 1859 in Mysore
  • Parents: Hajee Sallah Mohammed Sait & Khadija Bai

1870–1874 — Early Responsibility

  • Father passes away

  • Young Ismail begins working to support family
  • Starts as a newspaper delivery boy, then a hawker

1879 — Opens The English Warehouse (KGF)

  • At ~20 years old, establishes his first major enterprise

  • Sells everything from pins to machinery

  • Becomes the foundation of his future empire

1880s–1890s — Expansion Across India

  • Warehouse branches opened in:

    • Bangalore (St. Mark’s Road)

    • Madras (1885)

    • Hyderabad (1890)

    • Secunderabad (1892)

  • Begins mining operations in KGF & Shimoga
  • Starts timber trade supporting railways

1895 — Famine Relief

  • Imports foodgrains and distributes them free to the poor

  • Gains admiration for compassion and leadership

1898 — Carbonic Acid Factory, Calcutta

  • Establishes modern factory producing chemicals for textile mills

  • Expands industrial footprint

1900–1910 — Timber & Railways Leadership

  • Imports Burma teak

  • Supplies nearly half of South India’s sleeper demand

  • Establishes the Champion Reefs Sawmill — one of the region’s largest
  • Archival postcard of sawmill inauguration exists in historical panel

1905–1906 — Selling Kerosene Distribution Business

  • Sells kerosene enterprise to Shaw Wallace
  • After building statewide depots in Hubli, Gadag, Bombay, Assam & Kerala

1905–1906 — D.V. Gundappa Works for HSIS

  • The famous Kannada scholar DVG works at HSIS’s KGF store
  • Receives a glowing character certificate upon leaving

1911 — Three Major Milestones

1. Khan Bahadur title

2.Nominated Member,Madras Legislative Council

3.Foundation of the Frazer Town Mosque

  • HSIS personally lays the foundation stone
  • Photos included in the HSIS Deck

1913 — Fakhr-ut-Tujjar Title

  • Bestowed by the Maharaja of Mysore

  • Means “Pride of Merchants”

  • Recognises business excellence and ethical conduct

1911–1924 — Widening Influence

  • Director of Carnatic/Binny Mills

  • Director, Mysore Bank Ltd

  • Director, Mysore Iron Works & Sugar Co.

  • Expands sawmills, factories, and warehousing

  • Continues philanthropic work quietly

1925 — Two Defining Events

1. Knighted by King George V
Receives title “Sir”

Recognised for his service to industry and humanity

2. Gosha Hospital Opens (24 November 1925)
HSIS’s most iconic healthcare contribution

Built specially for women observing purdah

PDF panel includes his direct quote on the need for this hospital

Photographs preserved in archives

1925 — Chief Guest at Russell Market Inauguration

  • Honoured by Bangalore municipality
  • Receives a commemorative silver key from C. Krishniah Chetty & Sons

1927–1931 — Expansion of Gosha Hospital

  • Funds a new extension block costing ₹60,000
  • Inaugurated in 1931

1920s–1930s — Global Religious Contributions

  • 1930 — Passing of Son (Ahmed Sait)
  • One of the most difficult family tragedies

1934 — Final Days

  • Admitted to Arogyavaram TB Sanatorium (Madanapalle)

  • Passes away on 24 April 1934

  • Buried beside the prayer hall of Cutchi Memon Masjid, Mysore

    • A mosque he himself constructed

Threads That Defined His Life

Resilience

Rising from poverty to prominence.

Compassion

Giving anonymously, generously, and wisely.

Vision

Seeing opportunity where others saw risk.

Community Leadership

Guiding people, institutions, and development.