The Sassoon family
The Sassoons were a Baghdadi Jewish merchant dynasty that built a major commercial empire across Bombay (Mumbai), Shanghai, and later London in the 19th–early 20th centuries—often nicknamed the “Rothschilds of the East.” 
#TheSassoonFamily
#BaghdadiJewish
#Rothschilds_of_the_East
1) Origins: Baghdad Bombay (Mumbai)
The family’s rise is usually traced to David Sassoon (1792–1864), who left Ottoman-era Iraq and settled in Bombay in the 1830s, founding David Sassoon & Co. 
In Bombay, the firm grew into a multi-branch trading network around the Indian Ocean and East Asia, staffed heavily by Baghdadi Jewish associates and relatives. 
#DavidSassoon
2) The engine of wealth: textiles, shipping — and opium
A major (and controversial) pillar of Sassoon wealth came from the 19th-century India–China opium trade, alongside cotton/textiles and shipping/finance. 
#OpiumWar
3) Shanghai chapter: “from trade to skyline”
By the early 20th century, a later generation—especially Sir Victor Sassoon—became deeply associated with Shanghai real estate and hospitality, including Sassoon House on the Bund (now part of the Peace Hotel complex). 
#Bund
#Shanghai
4) Philanthropy and civic footprint
The Sassoons also left a large philanthropic and civic legacy, particularly in Bombay—funding schools, scholarships, community institutions, and public works. 
One visible example of the family’s imprint is Sassoon Docks in Mumbai (named for the family/business). 
5) Migration to Britain and integration into the elite
Over time, branches of the family moved toward Britain, where some members became prominent in society and politics and were ennobled. 
If you want, tell me which angle you care about and I’ll go deeper:
Empire map (Bombay–Shanghai–Hong Kong–London) and what each node did
Opium trade context (legal framework, partners/rivals like the Jardines, reputational debates)
Victor Sassoon’s Shanghai assets (buildings, hotel strategy, capital)
Comparison: Sassoon vs Kadoorie (utilities/hotels vs trade/real estate)