Muhammad Fadl

Muhammad Fadl

Town of birth

• Bombay

Country of birth

• British India

Place of Death

• Muscat

Profession or occupation carriedout for the longest period in life

• Business

Where-City or Country

• Sultanate of Oman

Family tree

Born in Bombay

"By far the most important Luti merchant of the later nineteenth century was Muhammad Fadl.

Muhammad Fadl was born in Bombay in 1858 and eventually settled in the Sur Luwatiyya. He began his business career as a clerk in the American firm, W. J. Towell, founded in 1865.

He worked his way through the firm, becoming a partner in 1894 and full owner in 1906.

He also served as American Vice-Consul and later Consul and was quite active in securing American trade for Masqat. For most of the late nineteenth century and up until World War I, W. J. Towell was the leading exporter of dates to the United States, and the company also acted as an agent.

Unlike most of his Banian contemporaries, Muhammad Fadl did not have close relations with the government of the Sultan."

'Allen, Calvin H. "The Indian merchant community of Masqat." Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 44, no. 01 (1981): 39.