HISTORY

SURTEE SOONNEE MUSSULMAN SOCIETY

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The Surtees

The migration of South Gujarat Muslim merchants and traders from the hinterland of the port city of Surat to the British colony of Mauritius, which started in the 1830s, was initially linked to the possibilities for trade principally in textiles and commodities. It was only from the 1850s onwards that the migration and settlement of Gujarati Sunnee Vohras gathered pace. These ‘marchands Arabes’,as they were referred to ,became a common sight in the CBD of eighteenth century Port Louis , specially along Corderie and Desforges Streets,later to be known as Surtee Bazaar.
The founding members of SSMS

Mr ABOO BAKER MAMODE TAHER,
the representative of “ISSOP MAMODE SULLIMAN”

Mr AJUM GOOLAM HOSSEN,
Managing Director of “AJUM GOOLAM HOSSEN & CO.”

Mr AHMAD GOOLAM HOSSEN,
Managing Director of “GOOLAM MOHAMED AJUM & CO.”

Mr AMODE ISMAEL TOORAWA,
Managing Director of “I. I. TOORAWA & CO.”

Mr IBRAHIM AFFEJEE CASSIM,
Managing Director of “A. AFFEJEE CASSIM & CO.”

Mr MAHOMED TIMOL,
Managing Director of “MAHOMED TIMOL BROTHERS”

Mr IBRAHIM CASSAM,
Managing Director of “CASSAM HASSAM & CO.”

Mr AMODE CASSAM VAWRA,
Managing Director of “CASSIM AMODE & CO.”

Mr GOOLAM MAHOMED (ISSAC),
Managing Director of “RAMJAN CATTEEA & CO.”

Mr SULLIMAN IBRAHIM,
the representative of Mr MAMODE KEEKABHAY.

Mr HAFFEJEE MAMODE LOKHAT.

Mr AMODE AFFEJEE CASSIM.

Mr CASSAM AJUM PIPERDY.

Mr MOOSSAJEE ISMAELJEE HARIFF.

Mr DAWJEE MAHOMED VAYEED.

Mr IBRAHIM AMODE HARIFF.

Mr MAMOOJEE GOOLAM MAHOMED DHOBAH,
Managing Director of “ASSENJEE & MAMOOJEE”

Mr ISMAEL ESSACK.

Mr ISMAEL LALL HOSSEN,
Managing Director of “AFFEJEE LALL HOSSEN & CO.” and,

Mr AMODE HOSSEN MORIA

The Surtees

The migration of South Gujarat Muslim merchants and traders from the hinterland of the port city of Surat to the British colony of Mauritius, which started in the 1830s, was initially linked to the possibilities for trade principally in textiles and commodities. It was only from the 1850s onwards that the migration and settlement of Gujarati Sunnee Vohras gathered pace. These ‘marchands Arabes’,as they were referred to ,became a common sight in the CBD of eighteenth century Port Louis , specially along Corderie and Desforges Streets,later to be known as Surtee Bazaar.
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The founding members of SSMS

Mr ABOO BAKER MAMODE TAHER,
the representative of “ISSOP MAMODE SULLIMAN”

Mr AJUM GOOLAM HOSSEN,
Managing Director of “AJUM GOOLAM HOSSEN & CO.”

Mr AHMAD GOOLAM HOSSEN,
Managing Director of “GOOLAM MOHAMED AJUM & CO.”

Mr AMODE ISMAEL TOORAWA,
Managing Director of “I. I. TOORAWA & CO.”

Mr IBRAHIM AFFEJEE CASSIM,
Managing Director of “A. AFFEJEE CASSIM & CO.”

Mr MAHOMED TIMOL,
Managing Director of “MAHOMED TIMOL BROTHERS”

Mr IBRAHIM CASSAM,
Managing Director of “CASSAM HASSAM & CO.”

Mr AMODE CASSAM VAWRA,
Managing Director of “CASSIM AMODE & CO.”

Mr GOOLAM MAHOMED (ISSAC),
Managing Director of “RAMJAN CATTEEA & CO.”

Mr SULLIMAN IBRAHIM,
the representative of Mr MAMODE KEEKABHAY.

Mr HAFFEJEE MAMODE LOKHAT.

Mr AMODE AFFEJEE CASSIM.

Mr CASSAM AJUM PIPERDY.

Mr MOOSSAJEE ISMAELJEE HARIFF.

Mr DAWJEE MAHOMED VAYEED.

Mr IBRAHIM AMODE HARIFF.

Mr MAMOOJEE GOOLAM MAHOMED DHOBAH,
Managing Director of “ASSENJEE & MAMOOJEE”

Mr ISMAEL ESSACK.

Mr ISMAEL LALL HOSSEN,
Managing Director of “AFFEJEE LALL HOSSEN & CO.” and,

Mr AMODE HOSSEN MORIA

From 1897 to

1897

In 1897, they purchased the plot of land at the corner of Corderie and Remy Ollier Streets Port-Louis. Thereafter the name of “Anjuman Himayat-Ul-Islam Society” was changed into “SURTEE SOONNEE MUSSULMAN SOCIETY”.
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1860

In 1860, those Vohra Traders joined hands and formed the “Anjuman Himayat-Ul-Islam Society”.
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1892

The greatest moment of the Surtee community was between the years 1892 and 1897. In 1897,at a banquet held in newly built Surtee Soonnee Building at Corderie Street to welcome the Governor H.Jeningham, Cassam Piperdy the son of A.J.Hossen pointed out that the Surtee merchants had “procured….the greatest portion of the rice” and “in times of scarcity (After the devastating cyclone in 1892) have not raise its price by speculation”and that "more than one-half of the sugarcrop” was purchased and shipped by “our firms”.

The Governor responded by acknowledging that “Allam came to me on the 30th of April and informed me that granaries were saved and that there was enough rice for three months”. He concluded that “the Mussulman community came generously to the rescue of their Christian brothers”. The perception of the Surtee community was further favorably improved when A.B.Taher persuaded his colleagues that a more congenial building was needed for the community. Thus in 1899 Chateau Rochecoute at Champ de Mars was bought and renamed Taher Bagh. The firm Botawala provided substantial funds towards its acquisition. And in 1902, the existing Anjumam Himayat e Islam was incorporated with its new name of Surtee Soonnee Mussulman Society (SSMS).

From 1897 to

1897

In 1897, they purchased the plot of land at the corner of Corderie and Remy Ollier Streets Port-Louis. Thereafter the name of “Anjuman Himayat-Ul-Islam Society” was changed into “SURTEE SOONNEE MUSSULMAN SOCIETY”.
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1860

The greatest moment of the Surtee community was between the years 1892 and 1897. In 1897,at a banquet held in newly built Surtee Soonnee Building at Corderie Street to welcome the Governor H.Jeningham, Cassam Piperdy the son of A.J.Hossen pointed out that the Surtee merchants had “procured….the greatest portion of the rice” and “in times of scarcity (After the devastating cyclone in 1892) have not raise its price by speculation”and that "more than one-half of the sugarcrop” was purchased and shipped by “our firms”.
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The greatest moment of the Surtee community was between the years 1892 and 1897. In 1897,at a banquet held in newly built Surtee Soonnee Building at Corderie Street to welcome the Governor H.Jeningham, Cassam Piperdy the son of A.J.Hossen pointed out that the Surtee merchants had “procured….the greatest portion of the rice” and “in times of scarcity (After the devastating cyclone in 1892) have not raise its price by speculation”and that "more than one-half of the sugarcrop” was purchased and shipped by “our firms”.

The Governor responded by acknowledging that “Allam came to me on the 30th of April and informed me that granaries were saved and that there was enough rice for three months”. He concluded that “the Mussulman community came generously to the rescue of their Christian brothers”. The perception of the Surtee community was further favorably improved when A.B.Taher persuaded his colleagues that a more congenial building was needed for the community. Thus in 1899 Chateau Rochecoute at Champ de Mars was bought and renamed Taher Bagh. The firm Botawala provided substantial funds towards its acquisition. And in 1902, the existing Anjumam Himayat e Islam was incorporated with its new name of Surtee Soonnee Mussulman Society (SSMS).

1892

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In 1860, those Vohra Traders joined hands and formed the “Anjuman Himayat-Ul-Islam Society”.