Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khan

Nawab Muhammad Ismail Khan

Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khan was born on august 1884 in Agra. His grandfather was Muhammad Mustafa khan who was a great poet. Mustafa Khan is known as “Shaifta” in Urdu poetry. His father’s name was Muhammad Ishaq Khan he was a session judge. His father was also the president of the All India Muslim educational conference (1891). He was also the honorary secretary of MAO College in 1913. He had three sons and his eldest son was Nawab Muhammad Ismail khan and he was a barrister by occupation. He was doing his practice at Meerut.

Education and Work:

He got his early education at home. A teacher came and taught him at home. His forefathers were very strict in religious matters. Nawab Ismail Khan was an intelligent student. After the home education, he went to MAO College Aligarh for his further education. For higher education, he went to Cambridge University London. He got his bachelor’s degree from Cambridge University and after that, he got the degree of a barrister from the inner temple. After completing his education he lived in England for some time and came back to India after 10 years. Then he started his practice at Meerut, to learn more about the practice he joined Pandit Jawhar Laal Nehru. Pandit Jawahar Laal Nehru was a senior advocate of Allahabad high court. And he was also the father of Pandit Moti Laal Nehru. It was that time when people of India stood against the British, no doubt that practicing and politics are very close professions.

Role in Khilafat Movement

Although Nawab Ismail Khan was taking part in politics he came in front practically he took part in the Home Rule League in 1917. An English lady Mrs. Annie basin made a new political party named “Home Rule League” with the help of Baal Gangadhar Tilak. Dada Bhai Noroji was the first president of that party. Mrs. Annie Basin was detained by the British government. Nawab Ismail Khan did his best to get her freed. It was the first time when Jinnah and Ismail Khan got close to each other. In March 1919 Rowlett act was accepted by the central committee. The perspective of this Act was to reduce the revolutionary acts against the British government. Nawab Ismail Khan joined khilafat movement on the invitation of Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali Jauhar. Nawab Ismail khan was selected as the member of all India khilafat committee and president of the khilafat committee in U.P. He organized many protests against this Rowlett Act. Nawab Ismail Khan arranged the Khilafat Conference in Meerut, in which he invited Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, Mrs. Sarvajani Nado, and representatives from all provinces and districts of India. There was stir up all over the U.P. “Mustafa castle”(residence of Nawab Ismail Khan) of Meerut received very much importance. All the major leaders and religious scholars came and stayed there for many days. And Nawab treated them at his best. Nawab Ismail Khan organized the khilafat committee not only in U.P but also in many cities of NWFP, Punjab, and Sindh. The British government arrested the Ali brothers many times during the Khilafat movement and in the absence of the Ali brothers, Nawab Ismail Khan ran the khilafat movement very well. Khilafat committee took out the rally in the leadership of Nawab Ismail Khan on December 13, 1919. He led that rally. Although Ali brothers sowed the seeds of the khilafat movement but Ismail khan grown-up those seeds. When this movement was at its peak, then there occurred some problems due to which this movement got failed. As Shuddi movement and abundance of Khilafat by Mustafa Kamal Pasha were two of the main causes. So the Khilafat movement broke out in late 1922.

Other Political Activities

From 1925 to 1935 there wasn’t any proper political party for Muslims. In this period some parties tried to organize themselves in the leadership of Nawab Ismail khan like

All Muslim parties conference
All India Muslim conference
Muslim Unity Board

When the Khilafat movement came to an end with that short honeymoon of Hindu Muslim unity came to an end as well. Then there arose conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. So Nawab Ismail Khan tried to reorganize Muslims. Dr. Saif Uddin Kachlo arranged all parties’ conferences in the presidency of Nawab Ismail Khan from 16-19^th July 1925, at Amritsar. Although Nawab Ismail Khan was not much good orator, he wrote his speech by himself. In his speech, he said that he said that now the Muslim league is the only party that can protect the rights of the Muslims. Nawab Ismail Khan participated in the conference of all parties on 2^nd February 1928. Nawab participated in all the sessions of the All Parties Conference whole-heartedly. After that Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar called for a session of All Muslim Parties on 1^st January 1929 in Delhi. Nawab Ismail Khan delivered a very heart-touching and inspiring speech. In this session, the All India Muslim League, Khilafat Committee, and Jamiat Ulema e Hind also participated. From 1930 to 1935 it was a very tough time for Indian Muslims. By the efforts of Chaudary Khaleeq u Zaman, there was built all India Muslim unity board in the presidency of Nawab Ismail Khan in Lucknow. Its 1^st session was called on May 15 or 16, 1934. All the members of the khilafat committee were also the members of Muslim league. Nawab Ismail Khan joined the Muslim league in 1926, and then never left it on any occasion until Pakistan came into being. After 1926, Nawab Ismail Khan never missed any session of the All-India Muslim League. He was with Jinnah on every occasion and never let him alone. Nawab Ismail Khan also acknowledged the Pakistan Resolution. He was also the chairman of the committee of action. In 1945-50 Nawab was a member of the Indian legislative assembly. In 1950-52 he was a member of the Indian parliament. He was also the vice-chancellor of Muslim university Aligarh from October 1947 to November 1948. After the partition of India, Nawab Ismail Khan refused to migrate to Pakistan for the welfare of Indian Muslims. After the creation of Pakistan, he came twice a time to Pakistan. First time in 1951-53 and the second time in 1955-56. He died on June 28, 1958, at the age of 74 years in Mustafa castle at Meerut, U.P India. He was buried in the family graveyard at the shrine of Hazrat Nizam Uddin Auliya.