Maulana Azad

Sayyid Mawlānā Azad
1st Minister of Education
In office 15 August 1947 – 2 February 1958
Prime Minister	Jawaharlal Nehru
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	K.L. Shrimali
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 21 February 1952 – 22 February 1958
Constituency	Rampur, Uttar Pradesh
In office 14 March 1957 – 22 February 1958
Constituency	Gurgaon, Punjab (present-day Haryana)
Member of the Constituent Assembly of India
In office November 1946 – 26 January 1950
Province	United Provinces
President of the Indian National Congress
In office 1940–1946
Preceded by	Rajendra Prasad
Succeeded by	J. B. Kripalani
In office 1923–1924
Preceded by	Mohammad Ali Jauhar
Succeeded by	Mahatma Gandhi
Personal details
Born	(1888-11-11)11 November 1888[1] Mecca, Hejaz, Ottoman Empire (present-day Saudi Arabia)
Died	22 February 1958(1958-02-22) (aged 69) Delhi, India
Cause of death	Stroke
Resting place	Jama Masjid, Delhi
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Zulaikha Begum
Occupation	Theologian, scholar, political activist
Awards	Bharat Ratna (posthumously in 1992)
Signature

Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini Azad ((listen^ⓘ); 11 November 1888 – 22 February 1958) was an Indian independence activist, writer and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress. Following India's independence, he became the First Minister of Education in the Indian government. He is commonly remembered as Maulana Azad; the word Maulana is an honorific meaning 'Our Master' and he had adopted Azad (Free) as his pen name. His contribution to establishing the education foundation in India is recognised by celebrating his birthday as National Education Day across India.^[2][3]

As a young man, Azad composed poetry in Urdu, as well as treatises on religion and philosophy. He rose to prominence through his work as a journalist, publishing works critical of the British Raj and espousing the causes of Indian nationalism. Azad became the leader of the Khilafat Movement, during which he came into close contact with the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. After the failure of the Khilafat Movement, he became closer to the Congress.^[4] Azad became an enthusiastic supporter of Gandhi's ideas of non-violent civil disobedience, and worked to organise the non-co-operation movement in protest of the 1919 Rowlatt Acts. Azad committed himself to Gandhi's ideals, including promoting Swadeshi (indigenous) products and the cause of Swaraj (Self-rule) for India. In 1923, at an age of 35, he became the youngest person to serve as the President of the Indian National Congress.

In October 1920, Azad was elected as a member of foundation committee to establish Jamia Millia Islamia at Aligarh in U. P. without taking help from British colonial government. He assisted in shifting the campus of the university from Aligarh to New Delhi in 1934. The main gate (Gate No. 7) to the main campus of the university is named after him.

Azad was one of the main organizers of the Dharasana Satyagraha in 1931, and emerged as one of the most important national leaders of the time, prominently leading the causes of Hindu–Muslim unity as well as espousing secularism and socialism. He served as Congress president from 1940 to 1945, during which the Quit India rebellion was launched. Azad was imprisoned, together with the entire Congress leadership. He also worked for Hindu–Muslim unity through the Al-Hilal newspaper.^[5]