GoFirst (GoAir) Grounded here is Something of Interest
GoFirst (GoAir), the Emblem Serves as a Poignant reminder of a legacy forged through adversity, piracy, and a touch of dowry.
Even in the current grounding of GoFirst (GoAir), there's a fascinating tale behind the emblem adorning their aircraft fuselage: a ship from the 18th century. Ever pondered its significance in the 21st-century skies? Let me unravel this captivating story for you.
It all traces back to a notorious figure, Henry Every, a man whose rapacious nature led him to piracy—an era where such traits were oddly revered. Every's audacious exploits ranged from plundering Spanish vessels to a fateful encounter with a Mughal pilgrim fleet departing from India. In a savage act, he pillaged the fleet, amassing unimaginable wealth and even seizing jewels belonging to Aurangzeb’s daughter.
Unsurprisingly, this brazen act incurred the wrath of Aurangzeb, prompting a monumental retaliation. The British, realizing the gravity of their offense, sought to appease Aurangzeb by offering compensation and pursuing Every. This eventuality led to the largest manhunt of its time, compelling the British to reassess their vulnerable position in Surat, a bustling maritime hub.
In a strategic move, they turned their attention to Bombay, a possession acquired via dowry in 1534. However, the transition proved arduous, as Surat boasted a thriving shipbuilding industry—a resource not readily available in Bombay. Enter Lowjee Nusserwanjee, a skilled foreman from Surat, who, with the backing of the British, established shipbuilding operations in Bombay.
Under Nusserwanjee's expertise, Bombay witnessed the rise of a renowned shipbuilding legacy. The Wadia Group, founded in 1736, became synonymous with excellence, constructing ships renowned for their durability and prowess in battle. Their reputation transcended borders, with clientele ranging from the British Navy to the Nizam of Hyderabad.
As the maritime landscape evolved with the advent of steam, the Wadia Group remained at the forefront of innovation. Ardaseer Cursatjee, Nusserwanjee's grandson, played a pivotal role in introducing steam technology to India, revolutionizing industries beyond shipbuilding.
The Wadia legacy extended beyond maritime endeavors, branching into textiles with the inception of Bombay Dyeing, catalyzing the industrial landscape of India. From textiles to biscuits and even cricket teams, the Wadia empire flourished, leaving an indelible mark on India's business landscape.
So, when GoFirst (GoAir) chose to honor this storied lineage with their emblem, it was a nod to the foundations laid centuries ago—an emblem of resilience, innovation, and enduring legacy.
Despite the grounding of GoFirst (GoAir), the emblem serves as a poignant reminder of a legacy forged through adversity, piracy, and a touch of dowry. Today, the Wadia Group stands tall as one of India's foremost business conglomerates, a testament to the enduring spirit of enterprise.
Though GoFirst (GoAir) is currently grounded here is something of interest
"If you have ever flown Go Air, on their fuselage you would have seen the logo of a company with a ship on it.
If you have ever wondered, what is an 18th Century Ship doing on a 21st century airplane, then it's time for a nice little story.
A story involving dowry and an act of piracy.
It all starts with a British dude named Henry Every. And he was a rapacious man. His rapaciousness was so awful that even the 1800s Englishmen called him rapacious.
So naturally, he took up a job, where rapaciousness was a virtue.
Banking?
No, not banking.
It was Piracy.
And Henry Every was a notorious pirate. He started his looting career by targeting Spanish Ships. Then one day, he heard that there is a Mughal pilgrim fleet that leaves for Mecca from India every year, which had more money than England.
Naturally he decided to attack it.
And he did.
What followed was an orgy of rape and murder rarely seen.
They took so much money that it could well be the wealthiest ship ever taken by the pirates. They even took jewels of Aurangzeb’s daughter.
It was a despicable act of barbarity, or for the English, a normal day.
Unfortunately for them, the consequences were far from normal.
When Aurangzeb, heard about this, he decided to avenge with all fury.
He arrested all the Englishmen in their main base of Surat and started marching towards it with the intention of expelling English forever.
Realizing they had messed with the wrong person, the British prostrated to Aurangazed.
They offered him to compensate and capture and hang Every.
To placate him, they launched the largest manhunt in human history till that point in time. And Aurangazeb backed off.
However, this led the British to understand that as long as they were in Surat, they were vulnerable from the Mughals, as well as the rising Marathas.
They decided to shift their main base to some place, where the land-based powers couldn’t reach easily.
Which is when they turned to a place, they had got as dowry in 1534. The islets of Mumbai.
Though the British had their presence in Bombay, it was at this time that they decided to make it their main centre.
But shifting from Surat was also difficult.
Surat had been a maritime center for thousands of years, with a proper ship building industry, docks, etc.
It would be very difficult to recreate it in Bombay.
And no Surat shipbuilder was ready to relocate to a useless piece of rock in the Arabian Sea.
Enter Lowjee Nusserwanjee.
He was not a shipbuilder by birth, but used to work as a foreman for another ship builder in Surat. He became friendly with the British during the construction of a ship called Queen.
So the British decided to offer him a chance to move to Bombay, which he took gladly. He moved with some of his carpenters, and took over the nascent ship building infra in Bombay.
And he built some awesome ships. Gradually, the ships built by Nusserwanjee started gaining reputation for longevity and taking a lot of punishment in battle and still remaining afloat.
With steady contracts from East India Co., Lowjee Nusserwanjee built Asia’s first dry dock in 1750 and then laid the foundation of Mazgaon dock in 1774.
But Lowjee Nusserwanjee name was big and complicated which the British found difficult to pronounce. So he decided to revert to his native language, Gujarati, for a nice name, both for his company and his family.
Now, the Gujarati name for a trustworthy businessman was Wadia.
So he called his company, which he started in 1736, as the Wadia group, and the family, the Wadia family.
Wadia group became the pre-eminent ship builders not only in India but across the world.
From 1736 to 1884, the Wadia group built more than 334 ships, with customers ranging from the British Navy, the EIC and the Nizam of Hyderabad.
They built the ship on which the American National anthem was written and was called HMS Trincomalee, in 1817. This ship is still afloat, 216 years later, as a floating Naval Museum in England. And when the era of steam came, the Wadias were first to adapt.
His Grandson, Ardaseer Cursatjee, was one of the pioneers of steam engine in India.
For a long time, he was the only guy who could repair steam engines in this part of the world. But there was another unintended consequence to his steam engine expertise.
In 1879, There was another Parsee Textile Magnate, Dinshaw Petit, who was setting up a textile mill. So he asked the Wadia family for help to select the correct machinery from England.
One of the heirs, Nowrosjee Wadia, went on this supposedly pointless errand.
But when he saw the sophistication of these steam operated machines, he decided to have a piece of the textile pie!
The company he started was Bombay Dyeing. (He even started Century mills, which was sold later).
Using their expertise in steam machinery, Bombay Dyeing quickly became one of the most prosperous and the largest mills in India.
Which became the foundation, of the Wadia empire.
The Wadia empire today stretches across textiles, trading, biscuits and Cricket teams. They even had a studio, which gave India’s first action queen, “Fearless Nadia”.
So when the Wadia group wanted a logo, they decided to honour their original business, that of Ship Building.
That’s why you see the logo of a ship on an airplane. Today, Wadia Group is one of the most prosperous business groups in India. And India's oldest business house.
But it all kind of started, with an act of Piracy and some dowry."
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