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Maulana Azad was the first education minister of India and a dynamic individual with multiple facets to his personality. He is equally known as one of the foremost freedom fighters, an Urdu poet who also wrote treatises on philosophy and religion.Azad had hoped to lead not only the Muslims but all Indians to freedom. From 1903, when he picked up his pen to launch his first journal, till Partition, he never lost sight of his larger constituency-all Indians, regardless of religion. Why then is one who aspired and worked for national leadership remembered only as the leader of the Muslims of India? Why then did he lose to Jinnah, an individual who generally stood for everything which ran contrary to his beliefs? In this thought-provoking work, Syeda S. Hameed takes a fresh look at the works, politics, and life of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
This work investigates the historical paradox of why Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a staunch advocate for a unified, secular India, is frequently relegated to the role of a communal leader in public memory. Syeda Saiyidain Hameed examines the intellectual and political trajectory of India's first education minister, contrasting his vision of inclusive nationalism with the divisive political climate that culminated in the Partition of India. By analyzing his writings, political treatises, and public actions, the author seeks to reconcile Azad's universalist aspirations with the historical outcome that saw his influence eclipsed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
What You Will Find
Scholars and historians recognize this text as a significant contribution to the study of Indian political history and the intellectual legacy of Maulana Azad. Readers frequently note the clarity with which the author navigates complex religious and political tensions during the struggle for independence.
Page Count:
325
Publication Date:
2014-05-30
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199450463
ISBN-13:
9780199450466
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