All India Muhammadan Educational Conference Building

All India Muhammadan Educational Conference

The All India Muhammadan Educational Conference was an organization promoting modern, liberal education for the Muslim community in India. It was founded by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, also the founder of the Aligarh Muslim University. Muhammadan Educational Conference used to hold its annual meetings in various cities where, by the cooperation of local Muslims, steps were taken for the progress of education.

History

The Muhammedan Educational Congress was founded in 1886. It was renamed the Muhammedan Educational Conference in 1890. The first conclave of the organization was held in December 1886 at Aligarh and was presided by Maulvi Samiullah Khan. The second conclave concluded in December 1887 at Lucknow.

Aims

The principal aims of the Conference were:

Conference

After the Congress sponsored agitation against the partition of Bengal (1905), an All India Muhammadan Educational Conference was held at Shahbag in Dhaka, capital of the then East Bengal and Assam Province in the year 1906. The conference was sponsored by Nawab Khwaja Salimullah, the Nawab of Dhaka.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Venue

Venue of Conference

The place where All India Muhammadan Educational Conference were held was known to all as Ishrat Manzil, a mansion of the Dhaka Nawab Family that was later donated for the establishment of the Dhaka University. After 5 years of this conference in the year 1911 Partition of Bengal was annulled in the Delhi Durbar. In the year 1912 A delegation headed by Khawaja Nawab Sir Salimulla met Lord Hardinge Lt. Governor, to the same venue demanding establishment of a university at Dacca and it was agreed. Upon whom present Dhaka University was started its functioning on 1 July 1921 in the same venue. Now the Eshrat Manzil lapsed its heritage, fame and name of Dhaka's Nawab family and prevailed as a canteen named Madhur Canteen.

Delegates

A total of 1955 delegates attended the event. The conference was attended by most of the Muslim zamindars, educationists, pleaders, and other leaders of the community. The programme was attended among others by:

  • Nawab Muhsinul Mulk Bahadur
  • Mumtazul Mulk Khalifa Syed Muhammad Hussain from Patiala
  • Hakim Ajmal Khan, Delhi
  • Khan Bahadur Raja Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan of Mahmudabad
  • H.M. Malek of Nagpur
  • Khan Bahadur Ahmad Muhiuddin of Madras
  • Khan Bahadur Sheikh Gulam Sadik of Amritsar
  • Raja Naushad Ali Khan, Talukder of Audh
  • Syed Nabiullah, Bar-at-law, Lucknow
  • Honourable Khan-Bahadur Nawab Syed Navaab Ali Chowdhury, Zaminder of Mymensingh
  • Honourable Moulvi Khan Bahadur Syed Abdul Majid, District Session Judge, Assam
  • Abdul Karim, School Inspector, Chittagong Division
  • Mr. Sharp, Director of Public Instructions, East Bengal
  • Colonel J. Hardinge, CIE