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Sir Ziauddin Ahmad (born Ziauddin Ahmed Zuberi; 13 February 1873 – 23 December 1947) was an Indian
mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...
, parliamentarian,
logician Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premises ...
,
natural philosopher Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior throu ...
, politician,
political theorist A political theorist is someone who engages in constructing or evaluating political theory, including political philosophy. Theorists may be academics or independent scholars. Here the most notable political theorists are categorized by their ...
,
educationist Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Var ...
and a
scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...
.Karachi: Services of Dr Ziauddin Ahmad highlighted
Dawn newspaper, Published 29 April 2003. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
He was a member of the
Aligarh Movement The Aligarh Movement was the push to establish a modern system of Western–style scientific education for the Muslim population of British India, during the later decades of the 19th century. The movement's name derives from the fact that it ...
and was a professor, principal of MAO College, first pro vice-chancellor,
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 is ...
and
rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of
Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...
, India. He served as vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University for three terms. In 1917, he was appointed a member of the
Calcutta University 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, C ...
Commission also known as the
Sadler Commission Sadler may refer to: * Sadler (surname), people with the surname ''Sadler'' * James Sadler and Sons Ltd English pottery manufacturer * Sadler, Kentucky, United States; an unincorporated community * Sadler, Texas, United States; a city * Sadler repo ...
. He was also a member of Skeen Committee also known as Indian Sandhurst Committee and Shea Commission for the Indianisation of the British Indian Army.


Early life

He was born on 13 February 1873, in
Meerut Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capital ...
,
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, British India.. Retrieved 6 June 2017. His
primary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first ...
was at a
madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
and later joined
Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College ( ur, Madrasatul Uloom Musalmanan-e-Hind, italics=yes) was founded in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, initially as a primary school, with the intention of taking it to a college level institution, known as Muhammed ...
, Aligarh. Ahmad's association with Aligarh began in 1889, when at the age of 16 years, he joined the 'first year' at the M.A.O. College School. He passed high school in first division and was awarded the Lang Medal and a government scholarship.
He had to join the Government College, Allahabad, as science courses were not available at Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College. He returned to Aligarh and passed his B.A in 1895 in first division, standing first among science students, and was awarded Strachy Gold Medal. Soon after passing B.A., he was appointed assistant lecturer in mathematics at Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College. On the basis of merit he was nominated for the post of deputy collector, but Ahmad declined the offer and elected to continue in the service of the college.
Sir Syed Sir Syed Ahmad Khan KCSI (17 October 1817 – 27 March 1898; also Sayyid Ahmad Khan) was an Indian Muslim reformer, philosopher, and educationist in nineteenth-century British India. Though initially espousing Hindu-Muslim unity, he ...
offered him a permanent appointment in the grade of Rs , provided he signed a bond to serve for a period of five years. He responded by undertaking to serve for his entire life. A highly impressed Sir Syed tore up the bond.


Education

Ahmad completed his BA in mathematics (with distinction) from
Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College ( ur, Madrasatul Uloom Musalmanan-e-Hind, italics=yes) was founded in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, initially as a primary school, with the intention of taking it to a college level institution, known as Muhammed ...
in 1895. He was the first Muslim to obtain a D.Sc. (Mathematics), from Allahabad University. His field was complex
logarithms In mathematics, the logarithm is the inverse function to exponentiation. That means the logarithm of a number  to the base  is the exponent to which must be raised, to produce . For example, since , the ''logarithm base'' 10 o ...
applications. He published in
differential geometry Differential geometry is a mathematical discipline that studies the geometry of smooth shapes and smooth spaces, otherwise known as smooth manifolds. It uses the techniques of differential calculus, integral calculus, linear algebra and multili ...
and
algebraic geometry Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics, classically studying zeros of multivariate polynomials. Modern algebraic geometry is based on the use of abstract algebraic techniques, mainly from commutative algebra, for solving geometrical ...
. He won the
Lytton Strachey Giles Lytton Strachey (; 1 March 1880 – 21 January 1932) was an English writer and critic. A founding member of the Bloomsbury Group and author of ''Eminent Victorians'', he established a new form of biography in which psychological insight ...
Gold Medal in 1897. While teaching, he continued his education and earned M.A. degrees from Calcutta and Allahabad Universities and also a D.Sc. from the latter in 1901. In 1901, Ahmad left for England on a government scholarship and obtained his honours degree in mathematics from Cambridge University. He was awarded the Isaac Newton Scholarship in 1904, the first Indian awardee becoming the first Indian to secure this coveted honour. He became a Wrangler He was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Astronomical Society (Whatever shines should be observed) , predecessor = , successor = , formation = , founder = , extinction = , merger = , merged = , type = NGO ...
and
London Mathematical Society The London Mathematical Society (LMS) is one of the United Kingdom's learned societies for mathematics (the others being the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), the Edinburgh Mathematical S ...
. Thereafter He joined the Gointtingen University in Germany in 1904 and received a PhD from the
University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
, Germany. He visited Paris University and Bologna University for advanced studies in modern geometry. He did research in astronomy in
Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
, Italy. He visited
Al Azhar University , image = جامعة_الأزهر_بالقاهرة.jpg , image_size = 250 , caption = Al-Azhar University portal , motto = , established = *970/972 first foundat ...
, Cairo to understand their academic methodologies.


Professor

On his return to India in 1907, Ahmad joined his alma mater. In 1911, he was appointed secretary of the AMU Foundation and Constitution Committees. He became a professor of history at Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College and in 1918 was selected principal. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in the 1915
King's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning British monarch's official birthday by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are present ...
list. He coached students who were seeking admission at Roorkie Engineering College. He held seminars and coached students in engineering and forestry. Ahmad paid to bring students to
Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College ( ur, Madrasatul Uloom Musalmanan-e-Hind, italics=yes) was founded in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, initially as a primary school, with the intention of taking it to a college level institution, known as Muhammed ...
. One of the most notable was
Hasrat Mohani Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan (1 January 1875 – 13 May 1951), known by his pen-name Hasrat Mohani, was an Indian activist, freedom fighter in the Indian independence movement and a noted poet of the Urdu language. He coined the notable slogan ''Inquil ...
, who hailed from Kanpur and was planning to go to Lucknow. Ahmad noticed Mohani's math talent and went to Kanpur to convince him and his family to attend MAO College. He was appointed assistant master in MAO College and served as Acting Principal for a time in 1913. Along with Professor Chakravarti, Ahmad cofounded the first group of researchers focused on Astronomy, History of Mathematics and Theory of Functions. They made innovations in teaching and other discoveries. In 1890, MAO College Mathematics Society was formed with him as president and A.M. Kureishy as secretary. The society continues as Aligarh Mathematical Society. The Department of Mathematics was founded when MAO College was given the status of a residential University in 1920, becoming one of its oldest departments. Ahmad was the first professor and head of the department. Principal of the College Beck and Sir Morrison proposed that Ahmad be appointed Deputy Collector with UP Government, which paid Rs. 500/-. He declined the offer in favor of a position as assistant lecturer at the college making Rs. 60/- per month. Khan offered Ahmad a five-year contract, but Ahmad told him that he planned to spend his life there and that anyone who would stay only complete a contract would not be worth keeping. Khan tore up the contract and Ahmad's career as a teacher began. To keep his promise to Khan, he left the
Indian Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million ...
. Ahmad also taught other subjects. For example, in 1897, Professor Arnold, who taught logic, resigned. The budget did not have room for a faculty member from England and so Ahmad took over.


Sadler Commission

At the time of the Government of India Resolution in 1913 five universities operated in India. Colleges were outside the control of the various universities. At this time London University was reorganised per recommendations of the Royal Commission. A decision to reform Indian Universities led to a second university commission, the 1917 Calcutta University Commission. The members of the commission were Sir Ziauddin, Dr. Gregory, Ramsay Muir, Sir Hartog, Dr. Horniel and Sir Asutosh Mukerji. At the time of the Government of India Resolution in 1913 there were only five universities in India and the number of colleges was beyond the control of the various universities within their territorial limits. As a result, different administrative problems piled up in that period. Sir Asutosh Mukherji was the vice chancellor of Calcutta University. He started imparting post-graduate education in the university in 1916 as recommended by the University Education Commission of 1902. This has attracted the attention of the Government. By this time the London University was reorganised and reformed as per recommendations of the Royal Commission under the chairmanship of Lord Halden. Therefore, it became a necessity to reform the Indian Universities also. All these circumstances led to the formation of the second university commission. i.e., Calcutta University Commission, 1917. The commission reviewed the entire field from school education to university education. The Sadler Commission held the view that improved
secondary education Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final pha ...
was a necessary condition for the improvement of university education.


Indianisation of officer ranks of British Indian Army

The British Government of India appointed the Indian Sandhurst Committee also known as Skeen Committee in March 1925 with the objective of reform and Indianisation of British Indian Army. This committee was consisted of Lt.General Sir Andrew Skeen who was the then Chief of General Staff of India as chairman, and 12 Indian of Military and civil stature as its member. Sir Ziauddin along with Motilal Nehru, M.A.Jinnah, Sardar Jogendra Singh, Sir Phiroze Sethna, Ramachandra Rao, Sahibzada Abdul Qaiyum, Capt. Hira Singh, Capt. J.N. Banerjee, Major Thaku Zorawar Singh were its members. This committee met for the first time in Shimla and quickly decided upon its working. It studied French, American, Canadian, British military system and submitted its report within 6 months. The committee recommended the opening of a Military college in India at Dehradoon which later become Indian Military Academy.


Aligarh Muslim University

In 1911, a Central Committee was set up to transform MAO College into a university, with Raja Mahmoodabad as president, Syed Ali Bilgrami as secretary and Ahmad as joint secretary. The college had to raise Rs. 30 lakh (3 million) for elevation to university status, which was achieved in 1915. The student body at that time was less than 1500. Ahmad traveled across India to raise funds. He established most of the departments of AMU. He collected funds to open a Medical College at AMU, which later became Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC). He drafted the new university's Constitution. The university named its dental college after Ahmad. He founded the Commerce and Polytechnic Departments and several other departments. On his recommendation Abdullah School merged with AMU.


Vice Chancellor

He became AMU's first pro-vice-chancellor. He was elected vice-chancellor in 1934, remaining until 1946, becoming its longest serving VC. He became an honorary professor in the department, working simultaneously as vice-chancellor. Because of his love for the subject, he taught courses both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He was AMU's only teaching VC. With his help, Islamia College was established in
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
. Ahmad laid the foundation stone for the college and for Islamia College,
Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...
.


Students

He recommended students for all kinds of employment, ranging from clerical and administrative to military. Ahmad visited students in their dormitories and mediated sometimes violent student disputes. Habib A. Zuberi, who was also Ahmad's student, writes, "In 1946-47, when I was a student in Xth class at M.U. High School,...he lectured us either once or twice a week....He was a fine teacher. His goal was to include Trigonometry in High School curriculum." Ahmad encouraged informal relations between faculty and students. The university emphasized sports and had a Riding School, a unit of U.O.T.C., and an active Student Union, where students elected their leaders and participated in debates. When the British hung the father of
Pir Pagara sd, , image = , caption = , office = President of Pakistan Muslim League (F) , term_start = 1985 , term_end = 10 January 2012 , predecessor = ''Position established'' , successor ...
, Pir Sabghatullah Shah Rashidi, on 20 March 1943, and abolished his Gaddi (Spiritual Office),
Pir Pagara sd, , image = , caption = , office = President of Pakistan Muslim League (F) , term_start = 1985 , term_end = 10 January 2012 , predecessor = ''Position established'' , successor ...
Syed Shah Mardan Shah-II sd, , image = , caption = , office = President of Pakistan Muslim League (F) , term_start = 1985 , term_end = 10 January 2012 , predecessor = ''Position established'' , successor ...
was hardly 15 years old. During the same year Ahmad, at that time AMU vice-chancellor, took him and his brother to Aligarh. At Aligarh the brothers stayed in 'English House', a hostel established to house the sons of
nawabs Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian, Punjabi , Sindhi, Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
and
rajas Rajas (Sanskrit: रजस्) is one of the three Guṇas (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.James G. Lochtefeld, Rajas, in The Illustrated Encycloped ...
. In 1946 Ahmad arranged for their education in England. He was known for throwing parties, often entertaining visiting dignitaries at his house. He often invited people for dinner with ever-swelling guest lists.


Khilafat movement

In 1920, Indian Muslims, led by Maulana
Mohammad Ali Jouhar Muhammad Ali Jauhar (10 December 1878 – 4 January 1931), was an Indian Muslim activist, prominent member of the All-India Muslim League, journalist and a poet, a leading figure of the Khilafat Movement and one of the founders of Jamia Milli ...
and his brother Maulana
Shaukat Ali Shaukat Ali, also known as Shaukat Ali Khan, (3 May 1944 – 2 April 2021) was a Pakistani folk singer. Early life and career Born on 3 May 1944, into a family of artists in Malakwal, a town in District Gujrat (now falls in new District Mand ...
, launched a movement to restore the
Khilafat A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
(caliphate) in
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. The Turks themselves had no use for the Khilafat and had chosen
Mustafa Kemal Pasha Mustafa ( ar, مصطفى , Muṣṭafā) is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad, and the name means "chosen, selected, appointed, preferred", used as an Arabic given name and surname. Mustafa is a common name in the Muslim world. Given name Mou ...
as their leader; the Arabs did not want it and the British opposed it. The Congress party supported their efforts and on 9 September 1920, passed a resolution which began the
non-cooperation movement The Non-cooperation movement was a political campaign launched on 4 September 1920, by Mahatma Gandhi to have Indians revoke their cooperation from the British government, with the aim of persuading them to grant self-governance.
. This movement was hailed as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity in India. On 11 October 1920, the Ali brothers visited Aligarh with Swami Satya Dev and Gandhiji. These leaders were invited to address the MAO College Student Union. The students passed a resolution in support of non-cooperation with the British government, condemned the British attitude towards Turkey, demanded that the college accept no grants from the government and discontinue affiliation with Allahabad University. Furthermore, the resolution asked to change MAO College into a National University independent of the government. Ahmad had accepted Khan Ahmed Khan's thesis that Muslims should not get involved in politics until reaching educational parity with other Indian communities. He approached the university authorities, and convinced them to keep the college out of this struggle. When the crisis deepened, he closed the college and sent the students home. Ahmad made great efforts to bring about reconciliation between the members of the board of trustees, and succeeded in bringing most students back to campus. In honor of Ahmad, who was now known as Doctor Sahib, the faculty and staff on campus gave a dinner to which college trustees as well as British officers of Aligarh and Agra were invited. Khawaja Abdul Majeed, one of the trustees who did not support him initially, stated: "I was against Dr. Sahib’s appointment as Principal, but the improvements that have resulted under his leadership have convinced me that this will be good for the future of students, staff, honorary Secretary, public and the relations with the government." Ahmad had opposed a popular movement and risked alienating the Muslim masses. He had to choose between supporting a popular movement and losing government support (financial and otherwise) or establishing a Muslim University with government assistance. When classes resumed, a sizeable number of students stayed home. It appeared that the sharp decline in enrollment the college would cost the college its elevation. Dr. Sahib visited several towns and convince most of the students to return, while new students enrolled. However, Ahmad earned the wrath of people who continued to oppose him thereafter. At the same time he found a solid base that supported him.


Elevation

On 1 December 1920 the Muslim University Act passed, and thus MAO College became Aligarh Muslim University. Raja Mahmoodabad became the first vice-chancellor and Ahmad, pro-vice-chancellor. Raja Sahib was not particularly in favor of Dr. Sahib becoming the PVC, instead preferring an Englishman. When no European was willing to accept this position and no other capable Muslim was available, he accepted Ahmad. The University Act stated that the PVC would become "the principal academic officer of the university." It was further stipulated that in the absence of the vice chancellor the PVC would act as the chairman of the Academic Council. Dr. Sahib and Raja Sahib often held differing views on managing university affairs. After a year, Raja Sahib resigned and Nawabzada Aftab Ahmed Khan became the V.C. In 1922, Dr. Sahib was re-elected to the State Assembly.


Sahibzada Aftab Ahmed Khan

Fundamental disagreements developed between Sahibzada Aftab Ahmed Khan and Dr. Sahib. Sahibzada was a lawyer and was a stickler for rules and regulations, while Dr. Sahib maintained that "rules are made for students; students are not made for rules." Dr. Amir Husain Siddiqui stated, "Dr. Ahmad created educational aids, reduced fees and other expenditure, relaxed the rules for admission and examinations and encouraged extra lectures for those who fell short of attendance.". These policies made him popular among students and parents. He introduced a system of private examinations, because the government did not permit the affiliation of colleges and schools to the university. It was not clear whether students could appear in exams as private candidates, but he continued this practice while PVC. In 1925, the university administration celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the foundation of Aligarh College. At this time differences between the VC and the PVC surfaced. Dr. Sahib decided to take a leave and asked the VC to appoint a replacement. Sahibzada refused his request and prevailed upon him to continue as PVC. The Jubilee was celebrated on a grand scale, and raised Rs 176,000/-. Dr. Sahib reserved these funds for the establishment of an Engineering College and Departments of Applied Physics and Applied Chemistry. However, by law the university was required to obtain permission from the government and the effort was unsuccessful.


Resignation

In February 1926, Dr. Sahib's term as PVC ended and with Sahibzada Sahib recommendation began another term. However, when Sahibzada's own term as VC ended in December 1926, the trustees appointed Nawab Sir Muzzamil Ullah Khan in his place. Before leaving Sahibzada wrote a pamphlet pointing out irregularities for which he held Dr. Sahib responsible. He sent a copy to the Viceroy, to Begum Bhopal (Chancellor) and to the trustees. Moin-ul-Haque, who was on the History Department faculty, claimed that Dr. Sahib was willing to break rules to aid students in graduating and finding work. The pamphlet resulted in the formation of an inquiry committee. The committee expressed appreciation of Dr. Sahib services, but recommended that he take a six-month paid leave and then retire. Before the University Court could meet to discuss the issue, Dr. Sahib submitted his resignation, to take effect from 27 April 1928, declining the offer of leave. Farewell parties produced poems in his honor. One staff member, Qazi Jalal Uddin, wrote a two-page poem. The vice-president of the Student Union, in his farewell address, stated: "If Khan was the founder of this institution, you are beyond a question its savior." After 33 years, Ahmad left Aligarh on 27 April 1928. According to Zia-i-Hayat, almost the entire student body came to bid him farewell at the railway station.


New colleges

Seven years after he had left Aligarh, Ahmad returned to the University on 19 April 1935, as vice-chancellor. He immediately made plans to improve the Science Faculty. Although plans for a building for Tibbiya College had been discussed earlier, Dr. Sahib moved to make it a reality. The work was completed in 1940. At that time Sir Shah Sulaiman was serving as vice chancellor. Dr. Sahib next launched a program to establish an Institute of Technology. Nawab of Jungadh donated Rs 50,000/- to this program. Nawab Muzzamil Ullah Khan donated his Johnson Factory Building to the effort along with two of his old cars, so that students enrolled in the motor engineering course could work on them. In 1937, Ahmad proposed a College of Technology to prepare students for work in electrical, mechanical, sanitary and civil engineering and agriculture. Other related subjects included applied chemistry, electro-chemistry, and textile chemistry. In the same year, the Technology workshop opened. Its foundation stone was laid by Nawab Sahib of Rampur. In 1937, Girls Intermediate College became a Degree College and affiliated with the university. At the same time, upon Ahmad's recommendation, for the first time girls were admitted to their Teachers Training College. Dr. Sahib also proposed a military college. His first term ended on 30 April 1938. He was succeeded by Sir Shah Suleiman, a judge of the Federal Court, who then died on 13 March 1941. Ahmad was appointed vice-chancellor for the second time on 24 April 1941. Tibbiya College became his administration's top priority. Work on the college building was completed 1943 due to scarcity of resources. His second priority was the establishment of a full-fledged Engineering College. This goal was achieved by 1945. He made an effort to establish an airport near the university in 1942. Nawab Sahib Bhopal contributed Rs 50,000/- to build an aeronautics workshop. The university acquired a plane as well, enabling students to take flying lessons. Ahmad proposed to establish a department of applied physics and to attach it to the College of Engineering. Ahmad's second term as VC came to an end in 1943 and he was reappointed. In 1944, he proposed to establish a medical College at Aligarh, for which he collected a sum of Rs. 50 lakh (5 million) by the end of 1946. In 1945, Commerce College opened. He then began to shift his focus from career training to scholarship and the quality of education.


Resignation and appointment as Rector

In December 1946 some students spread a rumor, encouraged by his enemies, that Dr. Sahib had confiscated all copies of a magazine that reported riots in Bihar and that he was going to have its student author arrested. Between 250 and 300 students marched to the vice-chancellor's office shouting slogans, "Ahmad Must Go." Dr. Sahib remained in his office and asked student representatives what they wanted. They asked for his resignation, which he immediately did. In the evening, around 500–600 students went to his house shouting, "Ahmad come back." He did not withdraw his resignation, despite the entreaties of the executive council and the court. The court unanimously passed a resolution expressing their confidence in his leadership, and recommended his appointment as
rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of the university—to which he acceded. He devoted the rest of his time to raising funds for Aligarh's medical college. M.S. Aney, Governor of Bihar, wrote about Dr. Sahib: "…Last I met him was when he came to Colombo on a deputation of the Aligarh University to collect funds for the Medical College. I believe he made handsome collections there and was received very warmly, not just by Mohammedans at Colombo, but by other communities also. I had great respect for his learning and versatility."


Politics

By 1915 he was taking interest in public affairs and in technical and
vocational education Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an ind ...
. He was appointed
Member of the Legislative Assembly A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...
(MLA) of UP in 1919 and 1922 as representative of
Allahabad University , mottoeng = "As Many Branches So Many Trees" , established = , type = Public , chancellor = Ashish Chauhan , vice_chancellor = Sangita Srivastava , head_label ...
. he presided over the second Muslim Kamboh Conference held at Marehra (District Etha UP) on 21 and 22 April 1935 in Marison Islamia School. In 1924 he was elected to the
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Hindi: ''Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha'') is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of Uttar Pradesh. There are 403 seats in the house filled by direct election using a single-member first-past-the-p ...
from the Muslim Constituency of Mainpuri, Etah and Farrukhabad.


Central Assembly

He was elected a Member of the Central Assembly in 1930. He was repeatedly elected from different constituencies and served in the Central Legislature until 1947. In 1946, he was the chief whip of the Muslim League in the Central Assembly. He was
knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in the 1938
New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...
list. He sponsored the Indian Foreign Relations Act in Parliament. Ahmad worked on the budget for the
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tot ...
and with the
Reserve Bank of India The Reserve Bank of India, chiefly known as RBI, is India's central bank and regulatory body responsible for regulation of the Indian banking system. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is responsible for ...
(RBI). When RBI was founded he was involved in moving legislation for its more efficient functioning.


Anwer Noor

In 1931 Anwer Noor, in the Frontier Province, was so offended by an assistant commissioner that he attacked him. The officer was not injured, but Noor was nevertheless executed, creating a political issue. A committee was appointed to submit a report. However, the government seized the report before it was published. Ahmad stated that no harm had come to the assistant commissioner, that Noor had had no chance to appeal and that the government should say what greater punishment should follow a more serious attack. The colonial government thereafter withdrew the laws in question.


Aligarh Muslim University Centres

After the demise of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in 1898, Sir Syed Memorial Fund was created in different parts of country and the effort for the establishment of a Muslim University was sped up. All the persons associated with this movement wanted all Muslim institutions of India to be affiliated to the Muslim University. Dr. Sir Ziauddin, while presenting the idea of the Muslim University at Lahore session of All India Muslim Educational Conference in 1898, discussed at length the concept of a university and emphasized the importance of the right of affiliating colleges. Ahmad moved a billentral Legislative Assembly to amend the University Act 1920 to empower AMU to recognize and affiliate Schools and Colleges outside Aligarh. However, due to empathy of British ruler towards education of Indians the bill failed. In February, 2011, this vision was realised by the opening of two Centres of Aligarh Muslim University in
Mallapuram Mallapuram is a village in the Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and larg ...
,
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
and
Murshidabad Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district. During ...
,
West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
. In November 2013, the university opened a third satellite, in
Kishanganj Kishanganj is a city and district headquarters of Kishanganj district in Purnia division of Bihar state. History Kishanganj, which was previously part of Purnia district, is part of the Mithila region. Mithila first gained prominence after b ...
,
Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
.


Muslim League

Ahmad was an originally member of the Independent Party, which included Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. When this party dissolved he joined the Muslim League and served as its Parliamentary Secretary. In evaluating his performance in the Assembly, N.V Gadgil wrote: "Dr. Ahmad Ahmed was a popular figure in the Central Assembly during the period of my membership of that body. He was very well informed on Railway and General Finance… He was catholic in his hospitality, charitable towards friends and a conscientious legislator..."


Death

He was also a member of the East India Railway Company's board of directors, and the
viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
appointed him as a member of his defense council. Ahmad was
knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
by the Crown. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
he served as a
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
. Ahmad left India for Europe and America in 1947. While on a plane returning from Paris to London, he suffered a
stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
. The stroke was followed by
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
. When his condition slightly improved, he invited Aligarians living in London for tea. He advised them to go back to India upon completing their education. He even requested his physician, Ghayasuddin, to move to India.
Krishna Menon Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon (3 May 1896 – 6 October 1974) was an Indian academic, politician, and non-career diplomat. He was described by some as the second most powerful man in India, after the first list of Prime Ministers of In ...
, India's High Commissioner in U.K, visited Ahmad several times, as did Pakistan's high commissioner,
Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola (12 March 1912 – 2 January 1991) was a Pakistani politician, diplomat and industrialist. He served as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom between (1947–52). Rahimtoola also served as Governor of Sindh (1953–54) ...
. He died in London on 22 December 1947. His body, as he had requested, was sent back to Aligarh. Many people visited his family. At that time Nawab Ismail Khan was serving as vice chancellor. University authorities decided that Ahmad should be buried in the university mosque. His body was brought to the Cricket Pavilion for viewing. Students overruled the administration's choice of burial site and prepared his grave next to that of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. On his tomb stone is inscribed, "Hazarooun Saal Nargis Upni Bay Noori Pay Routi Hay Bari Mushkil Say Houta Hay Chaman mein Deeda Were Paida."


Family and legacy

Sir Ziauddin is a part of the famous
Zuberi Zuberi also written as Zubairi, Zubairy, Zoberi, Zobairi is a surname from Arabic. Notable people with the surname include: * Ziauddin Ahmed * Iqbal Zuberi * Itrat Husain Zuberi *Laila Zuberi Laila Zuberi is a Pakistani TV actress who has worked ...
family. Sir Ziauddin's son, Zakauddin Ahmad, had three children: Anjum Zia (female), Nigaht Zia (female), and Ahmad Ziauddin (Ahmad Zia). Ahmad Ziauddin's daughter, Dr. Aijaz Fatima, co-founded a hospital in memory of her father. She has four children (two sons and two daughters), including Asim Hussain.


Recognitions and awards

* Stratchey
Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
* Tripos Wrangler in Mathematics * Sir
Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...
Scholarship * He was the secretary,
Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...
Constitution Committee, in 1911. * Member of
Sadler Commission Sadler may refer to: * Sadler (surname), people with the surname ''Sadler'' * James Sadler and Sons Ltd English pottery manufacturer * Sadler, Kentucky, United States; an unincorporated community * Sadler, Texas, United States; a city * Sadler repo ...
on Higher Education also known as Calcutta University Commission. * Member of Skeen also known as Indian Sandhurst Committee and Shea Commission for the Indianisation of British Indian Army. * Moved ''Indian Foreign Relations Act'' in the legislative assembly in
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
* Worked proactively to establish
Reserve Bank of India The Reserve Bank of India, chiefly known as RBI, is India's central bank and regulatory body responsible for regulation of the Indian banking system. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is responsible for ...
and helped pass ''RBI Act of 1935''. * A four-storey hostel hall (dormitory hall for science and research students) is named after him Sir Ziauddin Hall at
Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...
, in December 1982. * Dental College is named after him at
Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...
, India in 2003 – Dr Ziauddin Ahmad Dental College. *
Ziauddin University The Ziauddin University ( ur, ); abbreviated as ZU) is a private university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
and Dr. Ziauddin Hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan were established by Asim Hussain in his honour. *A major street in
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
, ''Ziauddin Ahmad Road'' (formerly known as Kutchery Road), was named in his honour. *Sir Ziauddin Public School at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, bears his name.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Ziauddin 1873 births 1947 deaths Knights Bachelor Indian Knights Bachelor Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire Aligarh Muslim University alumni Aligarh Muslim University faculty University of Calcutta alumni All India Muslim League members Members of the Central Legislative Assembly of India Indian logicians 19th-century Indian mathematicians Differential geometers 19th-century Indian Muslims 20th-century Indian Muslims 19th-century Indian philosophers Pakistan Movement activists from the United Provinces Scholars from Allahabad People from Meerut Vice-Chancellors of the Aligarh Muslim University 20th-century Indian mathematicians Scientists from Allahabad