24 Facts About Rattanbai Jinnah

Rattanbai Jinnah, informally known as Ruttie, was the wife of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, an important figure in the creation of Pakistan and the country's founder.

Rattanbai Jinnah Petit 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.

Rattanbai Jinnah was the only daughter of the businessman Sir Dinshaw Petit, the second baronet Petit, and his wife Lady Dinabai Petit.

Rattanbai Jinnah was a philanthropist who aided the Zoroastrians of Iran who were persecuted by the Qajars.

Rattanbai Jinnah's parents left most of the raising of their children to European nannies.

Rattanbai Jinnah was a frequent guest at Petit Hall, the sprawling seaside residence of the Petit family at the foot of Malabar Hill in Mumbai.

Rattanbai Jinnah broached the topic with his friend by first discussing the question of interfaith and inter-community marriages, always a controversial topic in India.

Rattanbai Jinnah reacted with violent indignation to the idea and almost ordered Jinnah out of his house.

Rattanbai Jinnah calmly informed the gathering that she had accepted a proposal of marriage from Jinnah, and that they would be married shortly; she asked the audience to wish them joy.

Rattanbai Jinnah sat down to thundering silence, but despite the palpable outrage and opposition, a matter which had become so public could not be undone, and Ruttie could not be persuaded to change her mind.

Rattanbai Jinnah's family chose the latter, but Lady Dinshaw strove to be a part of her granddaughter's life, and was able to do so after Ruttie and Jinnah separated.

At the very beginning of their marriage, Rattanbai Jinnah surrendered his home and his closet to her.

Rattanbai Jinnah was allowed to completely furbish the house exactly the way she liked it.

Undoubtedly, Rattanbai Jinnah benefited from this arrangement as it presented him politically as a fashionable, modern Muslim man.

Rattanbai Jinnah's main choice of dress was a sleeveless blouse with chiffon saris.

Rattanbai Jinnah's daring wardrobe would not only shock the Muslim community, but the British.

Rattanbai Jinnah was preoccupied with politics, and Ruttie left their daughter to the care of nannies and servants.

In 1923, he helped Fatima Rattanbai Jinnah set up her own clinic in Bombay.

The infatuation had worn out, and Rattanbai Jinnah found the demands made on him onerous and vexatious.

Ruttie Rattanbai Jinnah developed intestinal ailments with cancer speculated to be the cause.

Rattanbai Jinnah suffered from depression, which was not well understood at the time.

Rattanbai Jinnah was in Delhi at the time, so he didn't find out about his wife's death until his father-in-law called him from Bombay to inform him that Ruttie had died.

Muhammad Ali Rattanbai Jinnah is seen as a very private person who hardly showed his emotions, but he is known to have wept twice in public, and both occasions were connected to Ruttie.

Rattanbai Jinnah left India in August 1947, never to return again.