A reader of The Aligarian has shared a newspaper photograph of Allama Muhammad Iqbal at the Muslim University, Aligarh, in 1929. The clipping, headlined “Iqbal in Aligarh”, shows the poet-philosopher seated among the university’s teachers and officers. It was sent to our Facebook page by Syed Umair Wasti, who says it has been preserved since 1929 from a newspaper of that time.
Key takeaways
- The photograph shows Allama Iqbal at the Muslim University, Aligarh, in 1929.
- Sir Ross Masood, named in the caption as Dr Nawab Masud Jang, sits beside him as Vice-Chancellor.
- The caption names 16 people, seven seated and nine standing.
- Iqbal delivered his lectures on the reconstruction of religious thought in Islam at Aligarh in late 1929.
- The clipping was shared by reader Syed Umair Wasti.
What the 1929 clipping shows
The photograph is a formal group portrait, taken outdoors against a brick wall and palm fronds. Most of the men wear Turkish caps and sherwanis, the dress Aligarh was known for. Iqbal sits third from the left in the front row, in a dark sherwani and cap, with a white cloth on his lap.
The printed caption reads: “Allama Iqbal visited the Muslim University, Aligarh, in 1929 when this photograph was taken.” It then names everyone in the frame.
Also read12 AMU Traditions Every Alig Knows: From the Sherwani to the Tarana
Seated, from left to right:
- Dr K. G. Saiyidain
- Dr Nawab Masud Jang (Vice-Chancellor)
- Dr Muhammad Iqbal
- Mr E. A. Horne
- Qazi Ghiasuddin
- Dr S. Zafarul Hasan
- K. Masud Ali Zauqui
Standing: Badiuddin Ahmad, Noorun-Nabi, Haider Husain Siddiqui, Mohd. Ismail, Dr Abdullah Chughtai, Azmat Ali Wasty, Mahboob Hasan Shah, Mazhar Husain and M. Akhtar Siddiqui.
Why Iqbal was in Aligarh in 1929
Iqbal spent 1928 and 1929 writing a series of lectures on Islam and modern thought. He first delivered them in Madras and Hyderabad in early 1929, and then at Aligarh later that year. The lectures were published in Lahore in 1930 and later became the book The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, his main work in English prose (history of the lectures).
The timing fits the caption. Sir Ross Masood, the grandson of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, became Vice-Chancellor of the university in 1929 (Wikipedia). Masood held the Hyderabad title Nawab Masood Jung, which is how the caption names him. He and Iqbal were close friends.
Who else is in the photograph
Several names in the caption are well known in Aligarh’s history.
- Dr K. G. Saiyidain (Khwaja Ghulam Saiyidain) was an educationist who taught at Aligarh and later became one of India’s senior education officials. He also wrote on Iqbal’s ideas on education.
- Dr S. Zafarul Hasan taught philosophy at the Muslim University.
- Dr Nawab Masud Jang is Sir Ross Masood, the Vice-Chancellor who hosted Iqbal.
We have not yet confirmed who the others were or what roles they held at the university. If you know anyone in this photograph, or have family papers from that visit, please write to us on our Facebook page.
A clipping kept for nearly a century
Old newspaper photographs of Aligarh rarely survive outside libraries. This one has lasted almost 100 years because a family chose to keep it. Syed Umair Wasti sent us a photograph of the clipping with a short note on where it came from.
We are grateful to him for sharing it. Readers who hold similar material, such as old photographs, letters, union records or clippings about AMU and its alumni, can send it to us. We credit every contributor.
Photo courtesy: Syed Umair Wasti (reader).
Frequently asked questions
When did Allama Iqbal visit Aligarh Muslim University?
Iqbal visited the Muslim University, Aligarh, in 1929, when he delivered his lectures on the reconstruction of religious thought in Islam there. A newspaper photograph headlined “Iqbal in Aligarh” records the visit.
Who was the Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University in 1929?
Sir Ross Masood, also known by his Hyderabad title Nawab Masood Jung, became Vice-Chancellor in 1929. He sits next to Iqbal in the photograph.
What lectures did Iqbal give at Aligarh?
He delivered the lectures later published as The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. He had given them earlier in 1929 in Madras and Hyderabad.
Who shared the Iqbal in Aligarh photograph?
The clipping was shared with The Aligarian by reader Syed Umair Wasti, who says it has been preserved since 1929.
Who is in the Iqbal in Aligarh photograph?
Seated are Dr K. G. Saiyidain, Dr Nawab Masud Jang (Ross Masood), Dr Muhammad Iqbal, Mr E. A. Horne, Qazi Ghiasuddin, Dr S. Zafarul Hasan and K. Masud Ali Zauqui. Nine more people stand behind them.
