Syed Mahmud
Encyclopedia
Dr. Syed Mahmud was an India
n politician and senior leader in the Indian National Congress
during the Indian independence movement
and in post-independence India.
, near Ghazipur
in modern Uttar Pradesh
, India. He was educated at the Aligarh Muslim University
. During his time at the University, Mahmud became involved in student political activities and attended the 1905 session of the Indian National Congress
, the largest Indian nationalist organisation in what was then British-ruled India
. Along with fellow student and later political leader, Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, Mahmud was amongst the Muslim students who opposed the pro-British loyalties of the All India Muslim League and were drawn more to the nationalist Congress. After being expelled from Aligarh for his political activities, Mahmud travelled to England
to study at Lincoln's Inn
to become a barrister
. In 1909, he earned a Ph.D.
from Germany
and returned to practise law in India. After practising law for a few years, he was soon drawn into the strengthening movement for India's independence.
between the Congress and the Muslim League. He participated in the Home Rule movement
in 1916 and in the Non-cooperation movement
and the Khilafat movement
under the influence and leadership of Mahatma Gandhi
. In 1923 he was elected to the post of deputy general secretary of the All India Congress Committee
. In 1930, he was imprisoned in Allahabad
along with Indian leader Jawaharlal Nehru
during the Civil disobedience movement. After the sweeping Congress victory in the 1937 central and provincial elections, Syed Mahmud was considered one of the leading prospective candidates to serve as Chief Minister of Bihar but instead eminent nationalists Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Shri Krishna Sinha were called from Central Legislative Assembly(Council of Estates) and groomed for Chiefministership.The succession of fellow Bihari Congressman Srikrishna Sinha to the post over Mahmud caused some controversy, but Mahmud joined Sinha's government as a cabinet minister and was accorded third place in the cabinet.
that endorsed the 1942 Quit India movement
, calling for an immediate end to British rule. Between 1942 and 1946, the entire Congress Working Committee was imprisoned in Ahmednagar. During imprisonment, Mahmud's health deteriorated due to an allergy to the inoculation against cholera that had been administered by the prison medical authorities. After a fortnight of illness, Mahmud's health had begun to recover when he was released by the government in 1944. After his release, the British authorities announced that Mahmud had written a letter to the Viceroy of India apologizing for his participation in the movement. Mahmud initially expressed surprise at his release, but after anger and a sense of betrayal spread amongst other freedom fighters over, Mahmud admitted to writing the letter. After meeting with Gandhi, he apologized for doing so and letting down his colleagues and the movement. Mahmud's standing with Indian nationalists improved over the succeeding years. He was one of the secular Muslim leaders who opposed the Muslim League's demand for the creation of a separate Muslim state of Pakistan
, and worked with other Indian leaders against the resulting communal violence between Muslims and Hindus in Bihar and other parts of India.
(lower house of the Indian Parliament) from the constituency of Champaran-East in Bihar. He served as the Minister of External Affairs between 1954 and 1957 and represented India at the Bandung Conference.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n politician and senior leader in the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
during the Indian independence movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
and in post-independence India.
Early life
Mahmud was born in the village of SaidpurSaidpur
Saidpur is a city of Nilphamari district in Rangpur Division of Bangladesh . The city becomes a very important communication hub for adjoining major district headquarters. Saidpur Airport is one of the domestic airports in Bangladesh. The Saidpur Railway Workshop, established in 1870, is the...
, near Ghazipur
Ghazipur
Ghazipur , or Ghazipur City, previously spelt Ghazeepore, is a city/town and a municipal corporation and headquarter of Ghazipur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Ghazipur Division and Sub-division...
in modern Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India. He was educated at the Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
. During his time at the University, Mahmud became involved in student political activities and attended the 1905 session of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, the largest Indian nationalist organisation in what was then British-ruled India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. Along with fellow student and later political leader, Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, Mahmud was amongst the Muslim students who opposed the pro-British loyalties of the All India Muslim League and were drawn more to the nationalist Congress. After being expelled from Aligarh for his political activities, Mahmud travelled to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to study at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
to become a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. In 1909, he earned a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and returned to practise law in India. After practising law for a few years, he was soon drawn into the strengthening movement for India's independence.
Political career
Syed Mahmud was one of the young Muslim leaders who played a role in crafting the 1916 Lucknow PactLucknow Pact
Lucknow Pact refers to an agreement between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League...
between the Congress and the Muslim League. He participated in the Home Rule movement
Home Rule Movement
The All India Home Rule League was a national political organization founded in 1916 to lead the national demand for self-government, termed Home Rule, and to obtain the status of a Dominion within the British Empire as enjoyed by Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Newfoundland at the...
in 1916 and in the Non-cooperation movement
Non-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
and the Khilafat movement
Khilafat Movement
The Khilafat movement was a pan-Islamic, political campaign launched by Muslims in British India to influence the British government and to protect the Ottoman Empire during the aftermath of World War I...
under the influence and leadership of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
. In 1923 he was elected to the post of deputy general secretary of the All India Congress Committee
All India Congress Committee
The All India Congress Committee is the Presidium or central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress Party. It is composed of members elected from State-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousand members...
. In 1930, he was imprisoned in Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
along with Indian leader Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
during the Civil disobedience movement. After the sweeping Congress victory in the 1937 central and provincial elections, Syed Mahmud was considered one of the leading prospective candidates to serve as Chief Minister of Bihar but instead eminent nationalists Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Shri Krishna Sinha were called from Central Legislative Assembly(Council of Estates) and groomed for Chiefministership.The succession of fellow Bihari Congressman Srikrishna Sinha to the post over Mahmud caused some controversy, but Mahmud joined Sinha's government as a cabinet minister and was accorded third place in the cabinet.
Quit India controversy
By 1942, the Congress ministries across India had resigned over opposition to Indian involvement in the Second World War. Syed Mahmud was one of the members of the Congress Working CommitteeCongress Working Committee
Congress Working Committee is the executive committee of the Congress Party in India, it typically consisting of fifteen members elected from the All India Congress Committee or AICC, and is headed by the Working President....
that endorsed the 1942 Quit India movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
, calling for an immediate end to British rule. Between 1942 and 1946, the entire Congress Working Committee was imprisoned in Ahmednagar. During imprisonment, Mahmud's health deteriorated due to an allergy to the inoculation against cholera that had been administered by the prison medical authorities. After a fortnight of illness, Mahmud's health had begun to recover when he was released by the government in 1944. After his release, the British authorities announced that Mahmud had written a letter to the Viceroy of India apologizing for his participation in the movement. Mahmud initially expressed surprise at his release, but after anger and a sense of betrayal spread amongst other freedom fighters over, Mahmud admitted to writing the letter. After meeting with Gandhi, he apologized for doing so and letting down his colleagues and the movement. Mahmud's standing with Indian nationalists improved over the succeeding years. He was one of the secular Muslim leaders who opposed the Muslim League's demand for the creation of a separate Muslim state of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and worked with other Indian leaders against the resulting communal violence between Muslims and Hindus in Bihar and other parts of India.
Post-independence
After India's independence, Syed Mahmud was elected to the first Lok SabhaLok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
(lower house of the Indian Parliament) from the constituency of Champaran-East in Bihar. He served as the Minister of External Affairs between 1954 and 1957 and represented India at the Bandung Conference.