Introduction, Early Life and Education of Abul Kalam Azad

The Biography of Famous Personalities of India will tell you about the controversies, the dark sides of a person that you may have never heard of.

Introduction, Early Life and Education of Abul Kalam Azad

Introduction

Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was born on November 11, 1888 in Mecca. He belonged to an orthodox Muslim scholar family. His ancestors came to India from Afghanistan. His mother died when he was only 11 years old.
Introduction, Early Life and Education of Abul Kalam Azad 1
After completing education, Maulana Azad started writing articles reinterpreting and analyzing the Quran, the Hadith, and the rules of Fiqh and Kalam. He rejected the orthodoxy of Taqliq and accepted the modern principles of Tajdid. At that time he was influenced by Pan-Islamic views of Jamaluddin Afghani and the Aligarh thought of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. He was also deeply inspired by modernism and Western philosophy. He visited Iraq and met the revolutionary nationalists who opposed the imperialism. He also went to Egypt and met revolutionary leaders of the Arab world.

Maulana Azad was moved by the idea of anti-imperialism. He came back to India and joined the Indian freedom movement. He protested against the racial discrimination of the British Government and opposed the views of Muslim politicians who were more interested in the communal issues than national interest.

Maulana Azad also opposed the communal separatism of All India Muslim League. In 1905 he criticised the partition of Bengal. During that time Maulana Abul Kalam Azad met revolutionary leader Sri Aurobindo and Shyam Sundar Chakravarthy and started working with them. He established many secret revolutionary centers all over north India and Bombay. He persuaded the Muslim leaders to join the revolutionary activities.

In 1912 Maulana Azad started publishing a weekly journal in Urdu named Al-Hilal to propagate revolutionary ideas amongst the Muslims. He also wrote many articles in this journal to promote communal harmony. In 1914 British Government banned Azad’s Al-Hilal for spreading extremist views. After that he started a new journal, the Al-Balagh. He again started propagating revolutionary ideas and nationalism through this paper. During that time he supported the Khilafat movement.

In 1916, the government banned Al-Balagh under Defence of India Regulations Act. He was arrested and imprisoned in Ranchi. In 1920, he was released from the jail. After that he joined the National Congress and played a crucial role in Non-Cooperation Movement. In 1923 he was nominated as the President of the special session of the Congress in Delhi. In 1930, he participated in Gandhiji’s Salt Satyagraha. He was again arrested and sent to the Meerut jail. He was released after more than a year.

Maulana Azad was selected as the president of Congress in Ramgarh session. In his presidential speech he clearly stated that ignoring the idea of religious separatism is very important. His speech thus still stands as the insignia of communal harmony. He held this post till the year 1946. He wanted unified nation and opposed the partition as well as Jinnah’s Two-Nation Theory.

After independence he became Minister of Education in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. He was the member of Constituent Assembly, which was responsible for drafting the Constitution of India. Maulana Azad wanted to spread education among the common people of the country.

In 1956 he was selected as the President of the UNESCO Genera! Conference in Delhi. In 1957 his famous book India Wins Freedom was published.

Maulana Azad left the mortal coil on February 22nd, 1958. He was posthumously awarded India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna in 1992.

In 1916, the government banned Al-Balagh under Defence of India Regulations Act. He was arrested and imprisoned in Ranchi. In 1920, he was released from the jail. After that he joined the National Congress and played a crucial role in Non-Cooperation Movement. In 1923 he was nominated as the President of the special session of the Congress in Delhi. In 1930, he participated in Gandhiji’s Salt Satyagraha. He was again arrested and sent to the Meerut jail. He was released after more than a year.

Maulana Azad was selected as the president of Congress in Ramgarh session. In his presidential speech he clearly stated that ignoring the idea of religious separatism is very important. His speech thus still stands as the insignia of communal harmony. He held this post till the year 1946. He wanted unified nation and opposed the partition as well as Jinnah’s Two-Nation Theory.

After independence he became Minister of Education in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. He was the member of Constituent Assembly, which was responsible for drafting the Constitution of India. Maulana Azad wanted to spread education among the common people of the country.

In 1956 he was selected as the President of the UNESCO Genera! Conference in Delhi. In 1957 his famous book India Wins Freedom was published. Maulana Azad left the mortal coil on February 22nd, 1958. He was posthumously awarded India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna in 1992.

Early Life and Education

To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotation bo your goal.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was born in 1888 in Mecca.Exactly two years later when he was a young child his father had to move for his chin treatment to Calcutta. His father Maulana Khairuddin was a very religious man and believed in Islamic tradition. He had no faith in western education nor did he ever think of educating Maulana Abul Kalam in that system of education. Maulana Khairuddin believed that modern education system would destroy religious faith of Muslims, therefore, he arranged Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s Education in old traditional manner.

The old system of education for Muslims in India prevalent during those times was one in which people were taught Persian and then Arabic and when they acquired some proficiency in these two languages they were taught Philosophy, Geometry, Mathematics and Algebra in Arabic. Courses in Islamic Theology were deemed as an essential part of such education. Maulana’s father taught him at home and didn’t like him to go to Madarsa.

The Calcutta Madrasa which was the only Centre of Islamic learning in Bengal would not merit Maulana’s father’s approval. He thought that Calcutta Madarsa was deteriorating both in terms of faculty as well as courses. Thus Maulana’s father Maulana Khairuddin appointed different teachers of eminence from different discipline to teach Maulana Azad. Maulana Khairuddin’s emphasis had been on educating his son by eminent scholars.

Courses that would take other pupil to complete any where between the age twenty to twenty-five, Maulana Azad completed just when he was sixteen years of age. Maulana acquired mastery over Islamic Theology Philosophy, Mathematics and Algebra. Further Maulana taught some fifteen students of his age these subjects as he had acquired thorough knowledge of the disciplines.

Maulana Azad was exposed to the writing of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan which deeply impressed him. He almost believed that Sir Syed was very right when he proclaimed that a man cannot be truly educated in the modern world unless he studied Modern Sciences, Philosophy, Literature and English. This belief led Maulana Azad to learn English language.

Having acquired some understanding of English language Maulana started reading Bible along with Arabic, Persian and Urdu version of the same. Further Maulana subscribed and read English Newspaper with the help of dictionary. Thereafter he devoted himself to the study of Philosophy and History. Exposure to English, Modern Science, Logic and Philosophy by western scholarships led Maulana to live and spell a deep sense of mental crises.

All conventions of the traditional life as enunciated in the courses of Islamic theology and at home were accepted without question by Maulana and any deviation from it was virtually inconceivable. However, this exposure to the English language and literature led Maulana to a realm of belief which he could not reconcile as it was contrary to the prevailing customs, belief and tradition in Maulana’s family.

Thus Maulana’s heart was full of nuisance of revolt. Perhaps logical too. The training, ideas and education, the Maulana had acquired from his family, early education and training could no longer satisfy him. And so Maulana’s inner soul heart and mind were restless to find the truth for himself. He instinctively began to move out of the family orbit and seek his own path to truth.