Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad
Sir Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad KCIE (July 1864 – 10 December 1947) was an Indian barrister and jurist who practiced in the Bombay High Court in the early 20th century. Life and background

Chimanlal was born in July 1864 at Bharuch, Bharuch district, then in the Bombay Presidency of British India and now part of the state of Gujarat. The eldest of four brothers, he was born into an aristocratic Brahmakshatriya family which had achieved distinction in the law for the preceding two generations. The surname Setalvad derives from the family's origins in the Punjab, where their surname was Talvad. Some Talvads who were leaders of their community became known as Seth – Talvads ("Chiefs of the Talvads") which over time become "Setalvad". In the 18th century, some Setalvads migrated to present-day Gujarat and settled around Surat, serving as paymasters in the imperial Mughal armies. Chimanlal's grandfather, Ambashankar Brijrai Setalvad (1782–1853) worked for the East India Company in the early 19th century, initially as a sreshtadar (registrar) in the Sadr Diwani Adalat, the Supreme Civil Claims Court. He was subsequently appointed Sadr Amin, or subordinate judge, for Ahmedabad district. Soon becoming renowned for his legal acumen, he eventually rose to Principal Sadr Amin, the highest judicial post then open to non-Europeans, and held the post at the time of his death. Chimanlal's father, Rao Sahib Harilal Ambashankar Setalvad (1821–1899), also served as Sadr Amin of Ahmedabad and was awarded the title of Rao Sahib by the British government upon his retirement in 1877. He subsequently served as dewan of the salute state of Limbdi. Career

An alumnus of Elphinstone College, Mumbai, he  served as Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University and as a member of the Governor of Bombay's Executive Council. He also was founding President of Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha, established by B.R. Ambedkar in 1924. Chimanlal was recognized by Gandhi as an impartial advocate of great integrity. While in favour of independence from Britain, Chimanlal was opposed to Partition; sadly, he lived to see Partition and its accompanying horrors become a reality before his death on 10 December 1947, aged 83. Honours

Setalvad was knighted in the 1919 New Year Honours List. He was further appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in the 1924 Birthday Honours list. Family

He was the father of M.C. Setalvad, later Attorney General of India from 1950 to 1963. His great-granddaughter is Teesta Setalvad, a noted journalist and civil rights activist. Works

 Recollections & reflections, an autobiography, Padma Publications, 1946. In popular culture

In the film Gandhi (1982), Chimanlal Setalvad is portrayed by Habib Tanvir as a member of the Hunter Commission, in which role he cross-examines General Dyer (credited in movie as Indian Barrister). References

External links

 Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad at the National Portrait Gallery, London

19th-century Indian lawyers
1864 births
1947 deaths
Scholars from Mumbai
Elphinstone College alumni
Indian Knights Bachelor
Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
Indian knights
Gujarati people
20th-century Indian lawyers
Members of the Bombay Legislative Council
People from Bombay Presidency
Lawyers in British India