Shaikh Abdullah (Papa Mian) (June 1874 - March 1965) & Begum Waheed Jahan

Sheikh Abdullah was born in a village in the Poonch district of Kashmir. His grandfather Mehta Mast Ram was the Lambardar of the village. His father’s name was Mehta Gurmukh Singh and his own name before conversion was Thakur Das, he embraced Islam in 1891 while at Lahore . He was married to Waheed Jahan, the youngest daughter of Mirza Mohammad Ibrahim of Delhi in 1902 at Aligarh . He was survived by five daughters and one son. One of his daughters, Mumtaz Jahan (Mrs. Haider), served over thirty years as Principal of the Women’s College at Aligarh Muslim University , of which he was the founder.

He received his early education at the village school. He had to leave his home for English education. He first went to Jammu and then to Lahore . After passing the Matriculation Examination in 1891 from Lahore he proceeded to Aligarh for higher education. While at Aligarh he attracted the attention of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who was always very kind to him. It was under his influence that Sheikh Abdullah began to take interest in the social resurgence of the Muslims. After taking the degrees of B.A. and LLB, he established himself at Aligarh permanently and started his career as a lawyer but at the same time he nurtured in his heart the desire to improve the lot of the women folk.

Because of his interest in women’s welfare Sheikh Abdullah was made the Secretary of the Women’s section of the Muslim Educational Conference in 1902. He organized the work of the conference very ably. In 1904 he started a monthly journal for women, the Khatoon, which aimed at creating a suitable atmosphere for women’s education. Through the columns of this journal he pleaded for better facilities for women education and for the improvement of their lot. The journal served the cause of women’s education for a decade. He stopped its publication only when he was convinced that the cause for which he had fought single-handed had been taken up by others in different parts of the country and there was no need of the journal under his editorship.

He next devoted himself whole-heartedly to the development of the Girls’ School, which he had started as far back as 1906. He succeeded in getting financial assistance from Begum Sultan Jahan, the ruler of Bhopal . This was followed by a grant from the government. In 1914 the opening ceremony of the School Boarding House was performed by the Begum of Bhopal and a Ladies’ Conference was also held in the school premises, which was a grand success. Thus in a short time Sheikh Abdullah succeeded in creating an awakening among the people regarding women’s education. His success was due largely to the cooperation and help, which he received from his wife in running the school. She served the school as Honorary Superintendent of the Boarding House for 25 years from 1914-1939. All through her life she nursed the institution with care and patience and hundreds of girls from all over India found in her a true guide and mother. Thus it was through their joint care and supervision that the small institution expanded into Degree College (now known as Muslim University Women’s College/Abdullah College).

Sheikh Abdullah served the Aligarh Muslim University in various capacities. He was a member of the University Court from 1920 till his death and a member of the Executive Council from 1920 to 1928 and also served as Honorary Treasurer of the University for many terms. He was a leading Advocate of the Civil Court , Aligarh , and was the President of the Bar Association. The Aligarh Muslim University awarded him the degree of LLD in 1950. He was awarded Padma Bushan in 1964, and earlier he was given the title of Khan Bahadur by the British.

Sheikh Abdullah’s principal interest was in the fields of education and social reform. But he did not keep himself completely aloof from politics, although he did not take any active part in it. He pleaded for modernizing the system of government so as to suit the changing needs of the time, but he did not demand full democracy or self-government. In the twenties he served for some time as a member of the U.P. Legislative Council. He was sympathetic towards the Khilafat agitation. At the same time he was critical of the work of the Central Khilafat Committee in trying to rouse the emotions of the Muslims on the question of the dismemberment of the Turkish Empire . He was a supporter of the policies of the All-India Muslim League, although not very actively associated with that body. At the Aligarh session of the League in 1925 acted as Chairman of the Reception Committee. In the late thirties and early forties he was distressed by the growing alienation between the two major communities in India . He urged the leaders of the two communities to work for political understanding and communal harmony.

Sheikh Abdullah combined in himself the qualities of a man of action, philosopher and humanitarian. He fought all his life for a good cause viz., the emancipation of Muslim women. The task bristled with great difficulties because of the conservatism of the Muslims and their hatred for every thing associated with the name of the British. He faced the opposition of the orthodox section of his community and bore their vilification campaign calmly, and in the long run overcame all opposition.