Afshan Khan, BeyondHeadlines
The booklet, ‘Remembering Muslim Makers of Modern Bihar’ is an attempt to serve the purpose of preserving the history of Bihar and the identity of those contributors who have not been recorded in the history books and if recorded, this is done half-heartedly. This booklet is a compilation of 65 personalities of Bihar from the pre and post-independence era.
The book has been dedicated to Syed Hasan Askari and Papiya Ghosh, “who devoted themselves to the Bihar studies”.
The author, Prof Mohammad Sajjad, who teaches at the Centre for Advanced Study in History, Aligarh Muslim University, has written widely discussed academic works on the politics of Bihar which include ‘Muslim Politics in Bihar: Changing Contours’ and ‘Contesting Colonialism and Separatism: Muslims of Muzaffarpur since 1857’.
The book by Prof Sajjad helps in countering the anti-Muslim hatred and bigotry that the current NDA regime has adopted and advocated. It is a much-needed work which aims at saving the Muslim identity from the threat of erasure of their history which the state is openly doing.
It includes profiles of heroes like Syed Imdad Ali (d.1886), Khuda Bakhsh (1842-1908), Syed Amir Husain (1843-1910), Imdad Imam Asar (1849-1934), Shah Badruddin(1852-??), Syed Ali Bilgrami (1853-1911), Rasheed-un-Nesa (1855-1926), Syed Noorul Huda (1855-1939), Justice Syed Sharfuddin (1856-1921), Shaikh Gulab (1857-1920), Sarfaraz Husain Khan (1860-1931), Maulana Mazharul Haque (1866-1930), Batakh Miyan Ansari (1867-1957), Sir Fakhruddin (1868-1933), Syed Ali Imam (1869-1932), Syed Hasan Imam (1871-1933), Salahuddin Khuda Bakhsh (1875-1931), Shafi Daudi(1875-1949), Khwaja Md. Noor(1875-??), Abdul Wadood (d.1955), Syed Abul Hasan (1878-1960), Sir Sultan Ahmad (1880-1963), Maulana Sajjad (1880-1940), Pir Mohammad Munis (1882-1949), Abdul Bari (1882-1947), Syed Sulaiman Nadvi (1884-1953), Mohammad Yunus (1884-1952), Shah Md. Zubair (1884-1930), Syed Abdul Aziz (1885-1948), Zubaida Begum Daudi (1886-1972), Syed Tafazzul Karim (1886-1964), Mr. Mohammad Shafi (1888-1955), Qazi Ahmad Husain (1889-1961), Dr. Syed Mahmud (1889-1971), Ali Husain Aasim Bihari (1890-1953), Shah Mohammad Umair (1894-1978), Abdul Ahad Mohammad Noor (1894-1975), Hakeem Md. Kabiruddin (1894-1976), Maulana Usman Ghani (1896-1977), Manzoor Ahsan Aijazi (1897-1969), Shah Md Ozair Muni’mi (1899-1961), Maghfur Aijazi (1900-1966), Syed Jafar Imam (1900-1965), Syed Badruddin Ahmad (1901-1983), Mohammad Tahir (1903-???), Syed Jafar Imam (1903-1979), Syed Fida Husain (1904-80), Abdul Qaiyum Ansari (1905-1974), Wajihuddin Minhaji (1907-1984), Syed Md. Aiyub (1910-1964), Abdul Sami Nadvi (1913-????), Abul Hayat Chand (1914-1958), Ahad Fatmi (1915-1980), Zawwar Husain (1916-80), Shafiqullah Ansari (1917-1980), Shah Mushtaq Ahmad (1917-2002), Abdul Ghafoor (1918-2004), Col. Mahboob Ahmad (1920-1992), Taqi Raheem (1920-1999), Zahra Daudi(1923-2003), Shakoor Ahmad (1924-1981), Syed Hasan (1924-2016), Yunus Lohia (1925-2019), Ghulam Sarwar (1926-2004) and Syed Shahabuddin (1935-2017)
It is said in the introduction of this book itself that the book could not cover all the personalities due to various valid reasons, but it will definitely open doors for many researchers to search and write more details and more history-makers.
As the content on the cover page suggests, this is the compilation of brief profiles of these unsung Muslim heroes of Modern Bihar and does not provide a detailed account of their contributions, but it will certainly help those who are interested in the politics of Bihar and to look for more details. In order to enable the readers to make sense of the roles of the profiles of these makers of Bihar, it also includes one short essay by Professor Mohammad Sajjad on the history of Muslim participation in the political processes of post-independence Bihar.
It helps in remembering and preserving the contributions of Muslim history-makers in the nation-making and freedom struggle of India which remained under-acknowledged, forgotten and neglected. This volume is not just meant for the ‘Bihari’ readers but for every Indian who takes interest in understanding the unexplored roles of the makers of this Nation and the diversity in their outlook and vision for an Independent India.
This volume is brought before us on the initiative of Bihar Collective which has been extensively involved in providing a platform where different artists, intellectuals, journalists and activists can join hands to promote diversity, pluralism and constitutional values.
Remembering Muslim Makers of Modern Bihar
Compiled and edited by Mohammad Sajjad
Publisher —Brown Books
First Edition —2019
Price —200/-
