Rattanbai Jinnah

Rattanbai Jinnah (née Petit; 20 February 1900 – 20 February 1929), also known as Ruttie Jinnah, was the wife of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, an important figure in the creation of Pakistan and the country's founder. Additionally, Rattanbai Petit belonged to some of the most influential families of the Indian Subcontinent, the Petit family, through her father; and the Jinnah family through her marriage. Her daughter Dina Wadia married Bombay Dyeing chairman Neville Wadia, of the Wadia family. Family and background Rattanbai Petit (often informally called "Ruttie") was born on 20 February 1900 in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India, into the extremely affluent and well-connected Petit family that belonged to the Parsi community. She was the only daughter of the businessman Sir Dinshaw Petit, the second baronet Petit, and his wife Lady Dinabai Petit. Her paternal grandfather, Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, the first baronet, had built some of the earliest cotton mills in India. He was also a philanthropist who aided the Zoroastrians of Iran who were persecuted by the Qajars. Her brother, Fali, who later became Sir Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, the 3rd Baronet, married Sylla Tata, a member of the Tata family and the sister of J. R. D. Tata, who later became the longest-serving chairman of the Tata Group, one of India's leading business conglomerates. Rattanbai Petit was famous in Bombay. Not only was she the well-read, fashionable, extroverted, and nationalistic daughter of the 2nd Baronet, she was considered beautiful. As she entered her late teens she was called "The Flower of Bombay" by the city's high society, many of which were frequent guests in her father's home. The Petits were an extremely anglicized family that strove to be fully British in manner, dress, language, diet, and customs. The 2nd Baronet would import only the finest flowers, marble, and furniture from Europe for his home. Every room had multiple Persian rugs, and Petit Hall even had a Grecian fountain. Unsurprisingly, they spared their children almost no luxuries. Ruttie's father would shower her with gifts of books, clothes, pets, sweets, gourmet meals, and vacations to Europe or other parts of India where they owned homes. Ruttie was a huge lover of fashion and was allowed to go shopping unattended and purchase anything she wanted; with no spending limits. Her parents left most of the raising of their children to European nannies.