Mohammedan Literary Society was a historic literary society based in Kolkata for Muslims of South Asia.

History

Mohammedan Literary Society was founded by

Nawab Abdul Latif Nawab Bahadur Abdul Latif (1828 – 10 July 1893) was a 19th-century Bengali aristocrat, educator and social worker. His title, ''Nawab'' was awarded by the British in 1880. He was one of the first Muslims in 19th-century India to embrace the i ...

in 1863 in Kolkata,

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 ...

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 himsel ...

. The society was located at Latif's residence in 16 Taltala, Kolkata. Latif was the secretary of the society while Prince Mahomed Ruheemoodin of Mysore was the president. The society had two vice-presidents, Prince Mahomed Nusseroodin Hyder of Mysore and Prince Mirza Jahan Kader Bahadur, the son-in-law of the Prince of Oudh. Notable members in the governing committee included

Nawab Asman Jah Bahadur Nawab Sir Muhammad Mazharuddin Khan Bahadur (1839 – 18 July 1898), commonly known as Sir Asman Jah or Nawab Sir Asman Jah Bahadur, was an Indian noble who served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad from 1887 to 1894. A member of the powerful Pai ...

and Prince Mahomed Bakhtyar Shah. The patron of the society was the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. The society used Arabic, English, Persian, and Urdu languages. The goal of the society was the education of Muslim youth in English medium schools that would allow them to compete with their English and Hindu peers. The society held gathering annually in Kolkata Town Hall. In the meeting in 1865 was attended by over 2000 people including Christians, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims. The society was a gathering place Indian royals such as the

Maharaja of Indore The Holkar (Pronunciation: �o(ː)ɭkəɾ dynasty was a Maratha clan of Dhangar origin in India. The Holkars were generals under Peshwa Baji Rao I, and later became Maharajas of Indore in Central India as an independent member of the Marat ...

, Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal, the rajas of

Jaipur State Jaipur State was a princely state in India during East India Company rule and thereafter under the British Raj. It signed a treaty creating a subsidiary alliance with the Company in 1818, after the Third Anglo-Maratha War. It acceded ...

Maharaja of Patiala The Maharaja of Patiala was a maharaja in India and the ruler of the princely state of Patiala, a state in British India. The first Maharaja of Patiala was Baba Ala Singh (1695–1765). Yadavindra Singh became the maharaja on 23 March 1938. ...

, and the Raja of

Cooch Behar State Cooch Behar, also known as Koch Bihar, was a princely state in India during the British Raj. The state was placed under the Bengal States Agency, part of the Eastern States Agency of the Bengal Presidency. It is located south of the Hima ...

. The society campaigned for the utilization of the Mohsin Fund and drew attention of the British government to the educational needs of the Muslim community of India. It survived till 1930, at which point its name changed to Muslim Institute of Calcutta.

References

1863 establishments in India Organisations based in Kolkata Literary societies {{India-org-stub