The Indian Councils Act 1861 set up the Bombay Legislative Council as an advisory body through which the colonial administration obtained advice and assistance. The Act empowered the provincial Governor to nominate four non-English Indian members to the council for the first time. Under the Act, the nominated members were allowed to move their own bills and vote on bills introduced in the council. However, they were not allowed to question the executive, move resolutions or examine the budget and not interfere with the laws passed by the Central Legislature. The Governor was also the president of the Council and he had complete authority over when, where and how long to convene the Council and what to discuss. Two members of his Executive Council and the Advocate-General of Bombay were also allowed to participate and vote in the Council.

The first meeting of the erstwhile Legislative Council of the then Bombay Province was held on 22 January 1862 at the Durbar Hall of the Town Hall in Bombay. The meeting was then chaired by the then Governor, Sir George Russell Clerk. The first five Indian members of the council were chosen such that three of them did not know English.

In 1892, the role of the Council was expanded by the Indian Councils Act 1892 and increased the total number of members of the Council to twenty. The non-official members were to be nominated from the Bombay Municipal Corporation, the Fellows of Bombay University, the Chamber of Commerce of Bombay, the Chamber of Commerce of Karachi, the zamindars of Sind, the sardars of the Deccan, the municipalities of the Northern Division, the local boards of the Southern Division and three representatives of the Central Division.  The Council could discuss the annual financial statement and ask questions subject to certain limitations.

The Indian Councils Act 1909 officially introduced the method of electing members to the Council, but did not provide for direct election of the members. It abolished automatic official (executive) majorities in the Council and gave its members the power to move resolutions upon matters of general public interest and the budget and also to ask supplementary questions.

Based on the recommendations of the Montague-Chelmsford report, the Government of India Act of 1919 was enacted. The Act enlarged the Bombay legislative council and increased the strength of elected members to be greater than that of nominated and official members. It introduced a system of dyarchy in the Provinces.

The Government of India Act of 1935 abolished dyarchy and established provincial autonomy.

Sindh played vital role in this Council up to 1936, when she was awarded provincial autonomy and a new Sindh Legislative Assembly was established under The Government of India Act of 1935.

Gul Hayat Institute is working on this project and compilation of the list of Sindh Members is in hand and sample of the same is shared here with lovers of Sindh History. We have collected very important Proceedings and Debates of the Bombay Council related to Sindh also.

In the list of members shared here, you will find years of membership in brackets.

Abdul Hamid Khan (1920)

Abdul Wahid Shah (1920)

Ahmed Khan Saburgar (1920)

Ali Akbar Hussan Ali (1920)

Allah Bux Soomro(1926, 1928,1929,1936,1938)

B.G. Pahalajani (1921,1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926)

Bechar N.A (1927, 1928, 1929)

Bhai Shewakram Gaganmal  (1920)

Bhargri Jan Muhammad (1920, 1921) 

Bhojising Gurdinmal (1920, 1926)

Bhutto Shah Nawaz (1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1935, 1936)

 Bijarani Sher Muhammad (1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927)

Bozdar Kaisar Khan (1921) 

Burgri J.M (1923, 1926, 1927)

Clayton (1921) 

D.B Adwani (1924, 1925, 1925, 1926)

 Depchand Tejbhandas Ojha (1922, 1923)        

Dhahmal Lilaram (1935)

 Dhani Bux Jatoi (1920)

 Diwan Bahadur Esarsing Tolasing (1936)

 Diwan Bahadur Heranand Khemsing (1936)

F. Clayton (1924)           

 Fakir Bux (19200

 G.H Raschen (1936)

G.W Bhurgri (1924, 1928, 1929)

GhanKhan Muhammad Panah (1920, 1921) 

Ghulam Haider Shah (1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1936)

Ghulam Hussain Kasim (1920)

Ghulam Muhammad Isran (1920, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1828, 1929, 1935, 1936)

Gokaldas Mewaldas (1920)

Gopaldas Jhamatmal (1920)

H.K Kirpalani (1936)

Haji Abdullah Haroon (1924, 1925, 1926, 1934)

 Haji Amir Ali Lahori (1922)

 Haji Fazul Muhammad Khan Laghari (1924, 1926, 1928)

Haji Khamir Gul Muhammad (1924)

Haji Khamiso Memon (1926)

Hiranand Santokram Advani(1920)

Igran Ghulam Muhammad (1921) 

Jairamdas Daulatram (1926, 1927, 1928, 1929)

Jan Muhammad Khan (1920, 1927, 1928, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938)

Jaoti Haji Imambux (1920, 1921, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929)

K.B Jan Muhammad Pathan (1924, 1925)

K.B Khair Bux (1920)

K.B Sher Muhammad Bijarani (1920, 1928, 1929, 1936)

Kadirbux Jatoi (1926)

Kaisar Khan Bozdar (1922)

Karam Ali Shah (1920)

 Kasim Ghulam Hussain (1921, 1922, 1923)

Kazi Abdul Kayan (1920)

Kesowndas Bhawandas (1920)

Khair Bux Laghari (1920, 1922, 1923)

Khan Sahib Karimbux Jatoi (1924, 1925)

Khuhro (1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1935, 1936)

Lalchand Navalrai (1934)

Lokamal Gobin Bux (1920)

M.S Ridley (1936)

Mir Bandeh Ali Khan (1935, 1936)

Mir Haji Allahbad Tayan (1935)

Mir Kasim Khan (1920)

Mir Muhammad Baloach (1927, 1928, 1929)

Muhammad Abid (1920)

Muhammad Abidani (1920)

Muhammad Ayub Khuhro (1924, 1925)

Muhammad Hashim Gazdar (1920, 1935, 1936)

Muhammad Kamal Shah (1920, 1926)

Muhammad Panah (1923, 1926)

Muhammad Panah Dhakha (1922)

Mukhi Jethanand Pritamdas (1920, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1936)

Murlidhar Jairamdas (1920)

Nabi Bux Shah (1920, 1922)

Naraidas Anandjee (1920)

Noor Muhammad Shaikh (1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929)

Pahlajani P.G (1927, 1928, 1929)

Parmanand Kundanmal (1936)

 Pir Rasool Bakhs Shah (1924, 1925)

Prijarani Sher Muhammad (1924, 1925)

 Purshotamdas Thankurdas (1922)

Rarchadani Vishindas (1926)

Rasool Bux Shah (1926)

Rohill Khan (1920)

S.B Mir Allahdad (1936)

S.C Shanani (1920)

S.S Talani (1935, 1936)

Shaikh A. Majeed (1934)

Shaikh A. Majeed (1934)

Shaikh Ghulam Hussain (1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929)

Shamsudeen Khan (1920)

Sir G.H Hidayatullah (1920, 1936)

Sufi Kalander Bux (1920, 1921, 1922) 

Syed Ghulam Nabi Shah (1920, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1935)

Syed Miran Muhammad Shah (1928, 1929, 1935, 1936)

Syed Muhammad Kamil Shah (1924, 1927, 1928, 1929)

Syed Muhammad Qasim Shah (1926)

Tulsidas Shivandas Tajwani (1920)

Wader Ali Gohar (1920)

Wadhomal Odharam (1921) 

Wadhumal Oudharam (1920)

Wali Muhammad (1920)