Chowdhury Kazemuddin Ahmed Siddiky
Encyclopedia
Khan Bahadur Chowdhury Kazemuddin Ahmed Siddiky, (1876-1937), was the Zamindar
of the Baliadi Estate in East Bengal
, one of the largest zamindaris in the province. He was a social worker and a political personality of Bengal
towards the closing years of the 19th century and the first three decades of the 20th century. He was also one of the founders of the University of Dhaka
.
. His family claimed descent to Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (R), the first Caliph of Islam. He is also the descendant of Nawab Shah Qutubuddin Siddiky Koka, the first Subedar of Bengal during the Mughal Empire. Nawab Kutubuddin Siddiky was also an adopted son of Emperor Akbar and foster brother of Emperor Jahangir.
In line with family tradition, he was taught at home by distinguished scholars and was well-versed in Bengali
, English
, Arabic, Persian
and Urdu
.
, and saved the institution from acute financial problems.
He was a great lover and promoter of education, learning and culture. Kazemuddin always took interest in the propagation of education among the backward Muslims of Bengal. He was one of the members of the Muslim Deputation headed by Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah that demanded the establishment of a university for the Muslims of Bengal.
When the University of Dhaka
was finally established he was made a member of the court of the university in 1921. For sometime he was also a member of the Jagannath College Governing Body. A man of literary taste and ability and a poet of some repute, he rendered the translation of Seraj-us-Salequin, a Persian text, into Bangla and named it Santi-Sopan. The work earned him fame in the enlightened circle.
As a devout Muslim, Kazemuddin Ahmad Siddiky placed the claims of his religion above all things. He insisted on five-time prayer a day by the followers of Islam, particularly the students of the Muslim community. He organised lectures on the excellence and greatness of Islam. In 1929 he donated Rs 4,200/- to Salimullah Muslim Hall to be disbursed as stipends only among the students who say their prayers regularly.
as its secretary.
In recognition of his public services the British Government conferred upon him the title of Khan Bahadur.
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
of the Baliadi Estate in East Bengal
East Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
, one of the largest zamindaris in the province. He was a social worker and a political personality of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
towards the closing years of the 19th century and the first three decades of the 20th century. He was also one of the founders of the University of Dhaka
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
.
Family
Kazemuddin Siddiky was born in 1876 into an aristocratic Muslim zamindar family hailing from Baliadi in the present day district of GazipurGazipur District
Gazipur District is a district of Dhaka Division, it has an area of 1741.53 km2 and is bounded by Mymensingh and Kishoreganj districts on the north, Dhaka, Narayanganj and Narsingdi districts on the south, Narsingdi on the east, Dhaka and Tangail districts on the west. Annual average...
. His family claimed descent to Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (R), the first Caliph of Islam. He is also the descendant of Nawab Shah Qutubuddin Siddiky Koka, the first Subedar of Bengal during the Mughal Empire. Nawab Kutubuddin Siddiky was also an adopted son of Emperor Akbar and foster brother of Emperor Jahangir.
In line with family tradition, he was taught at home by distinguished scholars and was well-versed in Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Arabic, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
.
Social Work
As a social worker, Chowdhury Kazemuddin Ahmed Siddiky paid attention to the improvement of communication facilities in the locality and donated lands for the construction of roads. At his initiative the Kadda - Kaliakair, Kaliakair - Dhamrai and Sreepur - Phulbaria roads were constructed. He founded some dispensaries and hospitals and launched irrigation works for which he, however, did not levy any extra charges on his tenants. He sanctioned Taka 10,000/- for the excavation and re-excavation of tanks, ponds and wells. He even remitted the land revenue of his poor tenants when they were unable to pay it for some reason or other. On different occasions he extended donations to the Salimullah Muslim Orphanage, DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, and saved the institution from acute financial problems.
He was a great lover and promoter of education, learning and culture. Kazemuddin always took interest in the propagation of education among the backward Muslims of Bengal. He was one of the members of the Muslim Deputation headed by Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah that demanded the establishment of a university for the Muslims of Bengal.
When the University of Dhaka
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
was finally established he was made a member of the court of the university in 1921. For sometime he was also a member of the Jagannath College Governing Body. A man of literary taste and ability and a poet of some repute, he rendered the translation of Seraj-us-Salequin, a Persian text, into Bangla and named it Santi-Sopan. The work earned him fame in the enlightened circle.
As a devout Muslim, Kazemuddin Ahmad Siddiky placed the claims of his religion above all things. He insisted on five-time prayer a day by the followers of Islam, particularly the students of the Muslim community. He organised lectures on the excellence and greatness of Islam. In 1929 he donated Rs 4,200/- to Salimullah Muslim Hall to be disbursed as stipends only among the students who say their prayers regularly.
Politics and Honors
Kazemuddin Siddiky played a prominent role in the political life of the Muslims of Bengal. He was the founding President of the East Bengal and Assam Provincial Muslim League when it was established at Dhaka in June of 1908 with Khwaja SalimullahKhwaja Salimullah
Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur, GCIE, KCSI was the fourth Nawab of Dhaka and one of the leading Muslim politicians during the British Raj. It was he who, in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905, made correspondance and discussed with Nawab Muhsinul Mulk at Aligarh over the issue of...
as its secretary.
In recognition of his public services the British Government conferred upon him the title of Khan Bahadur.
See also
- University of DhakaUniversity of DhakaThe University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
- Khwaja SalimullahKhwaja SalimullahNawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur, GCIE, KCSI was the fourth Nawab of Dhaka and one of the leading Muslim politicians during the British Raj. It was he who, in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905, made correspondance and discussed with Nawab Muhsinul Mulk at Aligarh over the issue of...
- Mughal EmpireMughal EmpireThe Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
- Bangladeshi Political FamiliesBangladeshi political familiesThis is a listing of political families in Bangladesh. The families listed here have been involved in different periods of political life in Bangladesh's history, from the pre-partition days during British rule to the present-day politics of Bangladesh....