M. Sarmad
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Jinnah itself is a surname of Gujarati origin ... I don't think dropping "Bhai" in his surname meant that he wanted to cut off his Gujarati roots.
Jinnah was hardly 18 years old when he, in a letter to Lincoln’s Inn (where he was studying law), stated that he wanted his surname, Jinnah bhai, shortened to ‘Jinnah’ ..... Jinnah was sent to London by his father in 1893 to join Graham's Shipping and Trading Company .....In Akbar S. Ahmed's words, Jinnah asserted his independence by making two important personal decisions. Within months of his arrival he left the business firm to join Lincoln's Inn and study law. In 1894 he changed his name by deed poll, dropping the 'bhai' from his surname.
At the time of his birth, Jinnah's official name was Mahomedali Jinnahbhai..... He changed it to Muhammad Ali Jinnah
In a letter dated Feb 10, 1895, Jinnah asked the British Museum for permission to use its reading room and signed as “M.A. Jinnah” on its reading card....
On March 30, 1895 Jinnah applied to Lincoln’s Inn Council for the alteration of his name from Mahomedali Jinnahbhai to Mahomed Ali Jinnah, which he anglicized to M.A. Jinnah. This was granted to him in April 1895.
Why did he change his name ? to assert his independence .... and he altered his name in such a way as to make it easily anglicizable ....... While in Rome, Do as the Romans do
However, there is another possible explanation. "Mahomedalli " is the "Ismaili" style of writing Mahomed Ali
In the Aga Khan Case of 1866, the Bombay High Court redefined the caste group of khojas as ‘Ismaili’ ...( A hybrid of Hindus and Muslims). Jinnah (soon after his return to India) changed his religion/sect from "Khoja Ismaili" to "Asna Ashari (Twelver Shia)" ... This change in name might have resulted from Jinnah's change of faith/mind ...
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