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The granddaughter of Seth Cursetjee Manekjee Shroff, the noted philanthropistwhose statue in Byculla Mumbaikers fondly call ’Khada Parsi’, Dosebai CowasjeeJessawalla (1832-1911) was one of the first Indian girls to receive the benefits ofan English education. This decision made by her mother, Meheribai, triggered bothcriticism from the Parsi community and mockery from the popular press. However,its life-changing effects were apparent in just a few years-and endured for alifetime-as Dosebai became a part of both Indian and Western society and wasempowered in ways unimaginable for most women at the time. In her lifestyle andchoices, she proved herself to be of brave spirit and independent mind.A formidable woman with a great zest for life, Dosebai marched through the IndianParsi society without a care for its stifling patriarchal norms that bound women tohousehold drudgery. Dosebai went out into the world with rare confidence: sheattended the Delhi Durbar of 1877 that declared Queen Victoria the Empress ofIndia; became acquaintances with Governor-General Lytton and his wife; travelledwidely, from Europe-where she met the English monarchs at Windsor Castle andthe Pope in Rome-to Japan and the United States; learnt to drive a car and rode ahot air balloon.First published by her sons only months after her death in 1911, Dosebai’sremarkable autobiography describes her youth, education, marriage and globaltravels. Her experiences are not just a reflection of the challenges faced even byprivileged women in the nineteenth century, but also of attempts to indigenizeEuropean practices.A fascinating autobiography, The Story of My Life is also a valuable document about theevolution of the Parsi community through the nineteenth century, and the merging oftradition with modern sensibilities during that important time in Indian history.
