Goolam Hossen

Goolam Hossen (born Goolamhossen Issop Piperdy; c. 1820 – 1875) was a prominent 19th-century trader and entrepreneur in British Mauritius. Born in Rander, Surat, in the British Raj, he was a member of the extended Piperdy family of Rander.

Following an initial wave of South Gujarat Muslim merchants in the 1830s drawn by the textile and commodities trade, Hossen migrated to Mauritius in the 1850s. He is recorded as the second migrant from Surat to arrive in the colony, following a merchant named Bahemia. Hossen played a key role in facilitating the further migration and settlement of Gujarati Sunni Vohras (often referred to locally as 'marchands Arabes'). These merchants established themselves in the Central Business District of Port Louis, particularly along Corderie and Desforges streets, an area that later became known as Surtee Bazaar. During this period, Hossen's first son, Ajum, was born around 1850 in Pamplemousses, Mauritius.

In Mauritius, Hossen established and served as the CEO of the family firm, Goolam Hossen & Co. Under his leadership in the mid-to-late 19th century, the company became a major commercial entity. Its operations spanned multiple sectors, including wholesale and retail trade, import and export, shipping, and significant investments in real estate.

The firm's commercial reach extended internationally. Goolam Hossen & Co. established trading outposts in strategic locations such as Burma, Singapore, and the Arabian Peninsula, where they primarily dealt in commodities like foodstuffs, textiles, and timber.

Goolam Hossen died in Port Louis in 1875. Following his death, ownership and leadership of the company passed to his son, Ajum, who subsequently renamed the business Ajum Goolam Hossen & Co.