Sir Ratan Tata, the younger of group founder Jamsetji Tata's two sons, died in 1918 at the age of 47. A sensitive and artistic personality, Sir Ratan was a man whose ideas were far ahead of his time.

He supported the non-cooperation movement in South Africa in 1912, led by a then relatively unknown lawyer, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He extended financial support to Gopal Krishna Gokhale to set up the Servants of India Society.

Sir Ratan endowed a house at Shantiniketan for European research scholars coming to India to study Oriental literature and culture. He funded the first archaeological excavation at Pataliputra between 1913 to 1917, which resulted in the discovery of the 100-column Mauryan throne room in Emperor Ashoka's palace.

In 1912, when few men from backgrounds comparable to Sir Ratan were even remotely interested or even aware of poverty and destitution, he encouraged the University of London to institute a chair at the London School of Economics to investigate and research the causes of destitution and poverty.

Sir Ratan had a passion for the arts and enjoyed being able to indulge his well-developed aesthetic sense. He bought and built some of the most extraordinary, elegant homes, ranging from York House in Twickenham, England, which he bought from the Duc d'Orleans, to the elegant and exquisite mansion he built in Bombay, Tata House.

His deep interest and discerning eye for art led to the finest collection of that time, which he bequeathed to the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay. Understanding the importance of arts and culture in human development, he wished that the widest cross-section of people have free access and opportunity to appreciate, value and gain as much as he did from his collection.

Sensitive to the suffering of mankind, he bequeathed property worth Rs. 8.1 million to a trust fund. At the age of 47, Sir Ratan died, leaving behind his widow, Lady Navajbai Tata, who was to outlive him by 44 years. In his will he noted: "If I leave no children, I give the rest of the residue of my property for the advancement of education, learning and industry in all its branches, including education in economy, sanitary science and art, or for the relief of human suffering or for other works of public utility. Such work is not (to be) undertaken from a stereotyped point of view, but from the point of view of fresh light that is thrown from day to day by the advance of science and philosophy on problems of human well-being."