M.A. Jinnah: Financial Administration and International Relief Correspondence

Sub title : Banking Transactions, Bihar Relief Fund Management, and Messages of Global Muslim Solidarity

Subject: Financial Management of M.A. Jinnah and the Muslim League | Banking Correspondence

Date of publication: 1946

Language: English

Page: 32 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27991

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah -- Bihar Relief Fund 1946 -- Muslim League Finances -- Habib Bank -- National Bank of India -- Imperial Bank of India -- Banking Transactions | Dividend Warrant -- Sirpur Paper Mills -- Diaspora Donations -- Persian Gulf Migrants | Arabian American Oil Company -- Indonesian Muslim Solidarity -- Sjarifoeddin -- Financial Administration.

Abstract: This collection provides a rare glimpse into the financial and administrative machinery supporting M.A. Jinnah’s political work on the eve of Pakistan's creation. It predominantly features banking correspondence concerning Jinnah's personal accounts (dividend warrants, stop-payment orders) and the meticulous management of the Bihar Relief Fund, established after the 1946 riots. Documents reveal the vast, organized network of fundraising, with donations streaming in from local Muslim Leagues across India (Sialkot, Lyallpur) and from the Indian Muslim diaspora in the Persian Gulf (Dubai, Bahrain, Dhahran) employed by companies like the Arabian American Oil Company. The collection includes acknowledgments, banking instructions, and inquiries about missing receipts, highlighting the challenges of managing a large-scale relief operation. A significant contrasting document is a message of solidarity from Indonesian leader Sjarifoeddin, expressing the support of 60 million Indonesian Muslims for their Indian brethren's freedom struggle.

Description: This archival set illuminates the often-overlooked practical and financial dimensions of leadership during the Pakistan Movement. It consists of formal letters from major banks (National Bank of India, Imperial Bank, Habib Bank) detailing transactions, dividend payments, and account instructions for M.A. Jinnah. A major theme is the administration of the Bihar Muslim League Relief Fund, showcasing a systematic, nationwide (and international) fundraising campaign. Correspondence with donors in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf underscores the transnational financial support for the League's causes. The letter from Sjarifoeddin, Prime Minister of Indonesia, adds a poignant layer of global Islamic political solidarity. Together, these documents move beyond high politics to reveal the logistical, financial, and communicative networks that underpinned the movement, portraying Jinnah not only as a political strategist but also as a manager of substantial funds and international relationships. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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