Hakim Ajmal Khan
|
Date of Birth |
: |
1863 |
Date of Death |
: |
1927 |
Place of Birth |
: |
Delhi |
Dr. Hakim Ajmal Khan was a noted Indian freedom fighter, renowned
physician and educationalist. He was the founder of the Jamia Millia
Islamia in Delhi. Hakim Ajmal Khan was born in 1863 in Delhi. His
family, a distinguished line of physicians descended from the army of
Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India. Khan studied the
Qur'an and traditional Islamic knowledge, before studying medicine at
home, under the tutelage of his relatives. After launching himself in
practise, Khan was appointed chief physician to the Nawab of Rampur from
1892 to 1902. In Rampur he met Syed Ahmed Khan and was appointed a
trustee of the Aligarh college, now the Aligarh Muslim University.
Hakim Ajmal Khan took much interest in the expansion
and development of the indigenous system of medicine, Tibb-i-Yunani, or
Unani. Khan's family established the Tibbiya school in Delhi, in order
to expand the research and practise of Unani. In recognition of his
services in this field the Government of India conferred on him, in 1907
the title of 'Haziq-ul-Mulk'. But in 1910, Dr. Khan was organizing
Indian physicians in protest of a Government decision to revoke official
recongition for the practioners of Indian systems of medicine, of Unani
and Ayurveda. Dr. Khan's involvement in politics began with writing for
the Urdu weekly 'Akmal-ul-Akhbar', which was founded in 1865-70 and was
run by his family. Dr. Khan was in the deputation of Muslims that met
the Viceroy of India in Shimla in 1906, presenting him a memorandum on
behalf of the community, and in 1907 was present in Dhaka where the All
India Muslim League was created. Dr. Khan also backed the British during
World War I, encouraging Indians to support the government, but the
situation changed with the entry of Turkey. Upon the arrest of many
Muslim leaders, Dr. Khan came to Mahatma Gandhi for support, who joined
Khan and other Muslim leaders like Maulana Azad, Maulana Mohammad Ali
and Maulana Shaukat Ali in the Khilafat movement. Dr. Khan resigned from
the AMU when the authorities refused to endorse or participate in the
Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian
National Congress. He was elected the President of the Congress in 1921,
and fiercely condemned the Amritsar Massacre and the British response
to the Khilafat. He was imprisoned for many months by police
authorities. Dr. Khan had left the AMU owing to its historic resistance
to the Indian National Congress. Along with many prominent Muslim
nationalists like Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, he laid the foundations of
the Jamia Millia Islamia (Islamic National University) in Aligarh in
1920, in response to Mahatma Gandhi's call for Indians to boycott
government institutions. The JMI grew into a prominent and prestigious
university, and was moved to Delhi, where it stands today. Dr. Khan
served as its first Chancellor, and was a key patron of the institution.
Dr. Khan died of heart problems on December 29, 1927. Dr. Khan had
renounced his government title, and many of his Indian fans awarded him
the title of 'Masih-ul-Mulk' (Healer of the Nation). He was succeeded in
the position of JMI Chancellor by Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari.