Maulvi Mohammad Zakaullah or Munshi Zakaullah (20 April 1832–7 November 1910) was a British Indian Urdu writer and translator. He wrote ''Tarikh-e-Hindustan'', a fourteen-volume compilation of Indian history in Urdu.

Early life and education

Zakaullah was born on 20 April 1832 in Delhi. His father Mohammad Sanaullah was the tutor of one of the princes in the Mughal courts. He commended his studies under his grand father Hafiz Mohammad Bakaullah and got his education in the Delhi College under professor Ramchundra, who was a distinct mathematical teacher. His other teachers include

Mamluk Ali Nanautawi Mamluk Ali Nanautawi (also written as Mamluk al-Ali Nanautawi) (1789–7 October 1851) was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar who served as the Head Teacher of Arabic language at the Zakir Husain Delhi College. His notable students include Muhammad Q ...

Career

He started his service as a scholar at the Delhi College and continued to serve in the education department till he was 55. At Delhi College he also headed the Vernacular Translation Society in translating texts in western sciences, history and philosophy into Urdu. In 1855 he was appointed Deputy Inspector of Schools of Bulandshahar and Muradabad. In 1866 he was then appointed the head master for the Normal School in Delhi. He was then transferred to the

Muir Central College Muir Central College in Allahabad in northern India was a college of higher education founded by William Muir in 1872. It had a separate existence to 1921, when as a result of the Allahabad University Act it was merged into Allahabad University. ...

in Allahabad in 1872 to teach western science in the medium of urdu. He retired on pension from Allahabad in 1877. Shortly before his retirement he was awarded the title of Khan Bahadur and Shams-ul-Ulema. After his retirement he spent some time in Aligarh working for the literary movement of

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan 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 ...

and his friend Maulvi Samiullah. He was an early supporter 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 translated works for

Scientific Society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...

along with his contemporaries Maulvi Nazir Ahmad and

Altaf Hussain Hali Altaf Hussain Hali ( – ; 1837 – 31 December 1914), also known as Maulana Khawaja Hali, was an Urdu poet and writer. Early life He was born in Panipat to Aizad Baksh and was a descendant of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. He was in the care of his ...

. He died at the age of 78 on 7 November 1910 at Delhi. He was survived by his son Inayatullah Delhvi who was also an Urdu writer and translator.

Literary work

The literary work of Maulvi Zakaullah include. * ''Aain-e-Qaisari'' * ''Falsafa-e-Imsal aur Mauntakh-ul-Imsal'' * ''Iqbalnama-e-Akabari'' * ''Karzan Nama'' * ''Mabadiul Insha'' * ''Mahasin-ul-Akhlaq'' * ''Makarim-ul-Akhlaq'' * ''Musalman Aur Science'' * ''Risala Majalis-e-Munazira'' * ''Risala Taqvim-ul-Lisan'' * ''Sawaneh Umari'' * ''Taqveem-ul-Lisan'' * ''Tareekh-e-Hindustan'' * ''Tareekh-e-Arooz Ahd-e-Saltanat Englishia Hind''

Early life and education

Career

Literary work

References

Further reading