Sir Azizul Haque Memorial Sculpture, Bogra

Sir Muhammad Azizul Haque, KCSI, CIE (27 November 1892 – 23 March 1947), also known as Muhammad Azizul Huq or Mohammad Azizul Huque, was a

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

lawyer, writer and public servant. He studied at Presidency College and University Law College in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

. He worked to better the condition of Muslim people, primarily in the rural farmlands. This led him to work with Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Haque, Sir Abdulla Suhrawardy, Sir Salimullah and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He remained friends with many throughout his life. He served, from 1926, on the

Bengal Legislative Council The Bengal Legislative Council ( was the legislative council of British Bengal (now Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal). It was the legislature of the Bengal Presidency during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After reforms we ...

, as Education minister for Bengal (1934–1937), as the speaker of the

Bengal Legislative Assembly The Bengal Legislative Assembly () was the largest legislature in British India, serving as the lower chamber of the legislature of Bengal (now Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal). It was established under the Government of India A ...

(1937–1942), as the Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University (1938–1942), as the High Commissioner for India in the United Kingdom (December 1941 – May 1943), and as the member in charge, on the

Viceroy's Executive Council The Viceroy's Executive Council was the cabinet of the government of British India headed by the Viceroy of India. It is also known as the Council of the Governor-General of India. It was transformed from an advisory council into a cabinet consistin ...

, of the Department of Commerce, Food, Industries and Civil supplies (May 1943–1945).

Early life and education

Azizul Haque was born on 27 November 1892, to a

Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims ( bn, বাঙালি মুসলমান; ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the sec ...

family in

Shantipur Santipur is a city and a municipality in the Ranaghat subdivision of Nadia district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. The fort area of this city, also known as Daak-Garh (calling or gathering room) is thought ...

, located in the

Nadia district Nadia () is a district in the state of West Bengal, India. It borders Bangladesh to the east, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts to the south, Purba Bardhaman to the west, and Murshidabad to the north. Nadia district is highly influenti ...

of the erstwhile

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...

. His father, Mohammad Mozammel Huq, is a renowned Bengali poet and author. His grandfather, Nasiruddin Ahmad, and paternal family were originally from the village of Baweegachi, not far from Shantipur town. Haque studied at the Shantipur Muslim School, and passed his matriculation in 1907. He graduated from the

University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, ...

initially with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

, and later a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

degree.

Career

He started his career with a government job in 1914, and found employment as a Deputy Magistrate. The following year, he became a lawyer at the Judge Court in

Krishnanagar, Nadia Krishnanagar (; also spelled Krishnagar) is a city and a municipality. in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarter of the Nadia district. History Krishnanagar municipality was established in 1864 and is one of the oldest municipali ...

. Not long after, he was appointed as the Public Prosecutor of the District of Nadia. In 1926, he became the vice-chairman of the Nadia District Board. In 1928, he was made a fellow of the University of Calcutta and member of the Dacca University Court. He published an article titled ''A Plea for Separate Electorate in Bengal'' in protest to the

Nehru Report The Nehru Report of 1928 was a memorandum All Parties Conference in British India to appeal for a new dominion status and a federal set-up of government for the constitution of India. It also proposed for the Joint Electorates with reservation of ...

of 1931. In the same year, he was nominated as a member of the Indian Franchise Commission. He became a member of the Bengal Banking Enquiry Commission, Bengal Retrenchment Committee and Bengal Board of Economic Enquiry in 1932. Haque has also been a part of the Railway Advisory Committee and worked with the Public Accounts Committee of the

. He later became the vice-president of the Bengal Board of Industries. In 1933, Haque became the chairman of the Krishnanagar Municipality. He left the District Board in 1934, as he had then become a member of the Bengal Legislative Council and the Minister of Education in Bengal. It was Haque that was the first to introduce Free Universal Primary Education Bill. Among his other activities were the establishment of new schools, and better administration of schools in both urban and rural areas. He was also responsible for the registration and

waqf A waqf ( ar, وَقْف; ), also known as hubous () or '' mortmain'' property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitab ...

as a minister, as well as distribution of food. He also played a role in changing the medium of education from only English to Bengali. Following the 1937 legislative elections, Haque became a member of the

, and also served as its Speaker for the first five years. Haque became the second Muslim to be appointed as the

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

of the

in 1938. He was appointed again in 1940, thus serving as vice-chancellor for two terms, ending in 1942. His contributions included the introduction of a new

Islamic studies Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...

curriculum and the establishment of the School of Islamic History and Culture. Haque worked with the Kamal Yar Jung Education Committee, and began researching about issues pertaining to Muslim education across the British Raj from 1939 to 1941. His report presented a comprehensive educational plan that would support the cultures of the Muslims. He was appointed as the

High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom The High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom is the head of the High Commission of India to the United Kingdom. The High Commission is located at India House in London. History In 1919, a committee chaired by the Marquess of Crewe det ...

in December 1941. He returned to Bengal in May 1943 and became a member of the Governor-General's Executive Council, first under

Lord Linlithgow Marquess of Linlithgow, in the County of Linlithgow or West Lothian, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 23 October 1902 for John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun. The current holder of the title is Adrian Hope. This ...

and then under Lord Wavell. He was responsible for the departments of commerce, industries, civil supplies and food. He was later given the responsibility of the textiles office of the supplies department.

Awards and recognition

Order of the Indian Empire Certificate of Sir Azizul Haque

In 4 April 1938, the Azizul Haque College in

Bogra Bogra ( bn, বগুড়া), officially known as Bogura, is a major city located in Bogra District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. The city is a major commercial hub in Northern Bangladesh. It is the second largest city in Rajshahi Divi ...

was established in his name by Khan Bahadur Muhammad Ali and Moulvi Abdus Sattar. The

has awarded him with a

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Docto ...

. Haque was conferred the title of '' Khan Bahadur'' by the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

, appointed a CIE in 1937 knighted in the 1941 New Year Honours List, and appointed a KCSI in the 1946 Birthday Honours List. He subsequently renounced his British honours in protest against the government, on 16 August 1946.

Death

He died due to brain haemorrhage at his residence in

on 23 March 1947.

Major works

Haque's literary works include: # ''History and Problems of Moslem Education in Bengal'' (1917) # ''Education and Retrenchment'' (1924) # '' The Man behind the Plough'' (1939) # ''The Sword of the Crescent Moon'' # ''Cultural Contributions of Islam to Indian History'' # ''A Plea for Separate Electorate in Bengal'' (1931)

References

External links

* ''The Islamic Review'', Surrey, England, p. 331 (Oct. 194

* ''The Islamic Review'', Surrey, England, p. 411 (Dec. 194

* ''The Islamic Review'', Surrey, England, p. 16 (Nov. 1949

Azizul Haque
in Banglapedia * Rabindranath Tagore's letter to Sir Azizul Haqu

* Bengal Legislative Assembly Lis

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haque, Azizul 1947 deaths 1892 births Bengali writers Bengali educators Scholars from West Bengal 20th-century Indian lawyers Knights Bachelor Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire Indian Knights Bachelor High Commissioners of India to the United Kingdom People from Nadia district Presidency University, Kolkata alumni Shantipur University of Calcutta alumni Vice Chancellors of the University of Calcutta 20th-century Indian educators Krishak Sramik Party politicians Members of the Council of the Governor General of India Bengal MLAs 1937–1945 20th-century Bengalis Bengali Muslims Indian Sunni Muslims