Maulana Azad

Azad
1st Minister of Education
In office
15 August 1947 – 2 February 1958
Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru
Preceded byOffice Established
Succeeded byK.L. Shrimali
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
21 February 1952 – 22 February 1958
ConstituencyRampur, Uttar Pradesh
In office
14 March 1957 – 22 February 1958
ConstituencyGurgaon, Punjab
(present-day Haryana)
Member of the Constituent Assembly of India
In office
November 1946 – 26 January 1950
ProvinceUnited Provinces
President of the Indian National Congress
In office
1940–1946
Preceded byRajendra Prasad
Succeeded byJ. B. Kripalani
In office
1923–1924
Preceded byMohammad Ali Jauhar
Succeeded byMahatma Gandhi
Personal details
Born(1888-11-11)11 November 1888[1]
Mecca, Hejaz, Ottoman Empire
(present-day Saudi Arabia)
Died22 February 1958(1958-02-22) (aged 69)
Delhi, India
Cause of deathStroke
Resting placeJama Masjid, Delhi
Political partyIndian National Congress
SpouseZulaikha Begum
OccupationTheologian, scholar, political activist
AwardsBharat Ratna
(posthumously in 1992)
Signature

Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini Azad ((listen); 11 November 1888 – 22 February 1958) was an Indian independence activist, writer and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress. Following India's independence, he became the First Minister of Education in the Indian government. He is commonly remembered as Maulana Azad; the word Maulana is an honorific meaning 'Our Master' and he had adopted Azad (Free) as his pen name. His contribution to establishing the education foundation in India is recognised by celebrating his birthday as National Education Day across India.[2][3]

As a young man, Azad composed poetry in Urdu, as well as treatises on religion and philosophy. He rose to prominence through his work as a journalist, publishing works critical of the British Raj and espousing the causes of Indian nationalism. Azad became the leader of the Khilafat Movement, during which he came into close contact with the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. After the failure of the Khilafat Movement, he became closer to the Congress.[4] Azad became an enthusiastic supporter of Gandhi's ideas of non-violent civil disobedience, and worked to organise the non-co-operation movement in protest of the 1919 Rowlatt Acts. Azad committed himself to Gandhi's ideals, including promoting Swadeshi (indigenous) products and the cause of Swaraj (Self-rule) for India. In 1923, at an age of 35, he became the youngest person to serve as the President of the Indian National Congress.

In October 1920, Azad was elected as a member of foundation committee to establish Jamia Millia Islamia at Aligarh in U. P. without taking help from British colonial government. He assisted in shifting the campus of the university from Aligarh to New Delhi in 1934. The main gate (Gate No. 7) to the main campus of the university is named after him.

Azad was one of the main organizers of the Dharasana Satyagraha in 1931, and emerged as one of the most important national leaders of the time, prominently leading the causes of Hindu–Muslim unity as well as espousing secularism and socialism. He served as Congress president from 1940 to 1945, during which the Quit India rebellion was launched. Azad was imprisoned, together with the entire Congress leadership. He also worked for Hindu–Muslim unity through the Al-Hilal newspaper.[5]

  1. ^ Fahad, Obaidullah (2011). "Tracing Pluralistic Trends in Sīrah Literature: A Study of Some Contemporary Scholars". Islamic Studies. 50 (2): 238. JSTOR 41932590.
  2. ^ "International Urdu conference from Nov. 10". The Hindu. 7 November 2010. Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  3. ^ Chawla, Muhammad (2016). "Maulana Azad and the Demand for Pakistan: A Reappraisal". Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society. 64 (3): 7–24.
  4. ^ Anil Chandra Banerjee (1981). Two Nations: The Philosophy of Muslim Nationalism. Concept Publishing Company. p. 211.
  5. ^ "Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Biography – Maulana Azad Indian Freedom Fighter – Information on Maulana Azad – History of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad". www.iloveindia.com. Retrieved 3 November 2015.