Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Biography(Indian Minister of Education (1947-58))
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the face of communal harmony in modern India. A renowned scholar and an active political leader, he had a charismatic personality right from the beginning. So deep embedded was the willingness to participate in the national struggle for independence that he gave up on his clergyman profession and took to serving in the Indian independence movement. Azad was profoundly inspired by Gandhi and was an active supporter of the latter’s non-violence, civil disobedience and non-cooperation movement. Unlike other Muslim leaders, he condemned communal separation advocated by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other Muslim leaders and stressed on the fact that national freedom was of greater importance than communal freedom. He worked for religious harmony and became a staunch opponent of the partition. He lived long not just to witness Indian Independence and the subsequent Partition, but also served as free India’s first Education Minister.
Birthday: November 11, 1888 (Scorpio)
Born In: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Also Known As: Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed Bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini Azad
Died At Age: 69
Spouse/Ex-: Zulaikha Begum
Died On: February 22, 1958
Place Of Death: Delhi, India
Cause Of Death: Stroke
Childhood & Early Life :
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was born as Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin on November 11, 1888 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia to Maulana Muhammad Khairuddin and Zulaikha Begum.
Descendant of the eminent scholars of the Islamic religion, learning and writing came naturally to young Azad. Since an early age, he became multi-linguist, mastering numerous languages such as Urdu, Hindi, Persian, Bengali, English and Arabic. He received tutelage in Hanbali fiqh, shariat, mathematics, philosophy, world history and science.
A meritorious student, he was blessed with a strong aptitude for knowledge that helped him stay ahead of his contemporaries. At a young age, he brought out several journals, served as an editor of the weekly Al-Misbah and reinterpreted the holy Quran, the Hadith and the principles of Fiqh and Kalam.
It was during this time that he developed radical political views that were in contingent with the Indian nationalist movement. He was critical of the British Raj and the Muslim’s communal issues that he believed were not as important as national freedom.
His visit to Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Turkey reformed his belief and conviction and turned him into a nationalist revolutionary. Upon returning to India, he was influenced by prominent Hindu revolutionaries Sri Aurobindo and Shyam Sundar Chakravarty and actively participated in the national struggle for freedom.
Unlike other Muslim activists, he opposed the partition of Bengal and rejected All India Muslim League’s plea for communal separatism. He was against the racial discrimination meted out to the people of India.
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