The winner of the game Sahajan Mohammad who hails from Jaspur town of Odisha works as a chef at a hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi:
A 28-year-old United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Indian expatriate won the grand prize of Dirhams 20,000 (Rs 4,48,927) in Dream Island’s scratch card game.
The winner of the game Sahajan Mohammad who hails from Jaspur town of Odisha works as a chef at a hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Mohammad has tried his luck at different raffle draws in the past to no avail.
On June 7, he purchased scratch cards through an ongoing promotion and won a free ticket.
Mohammad has decided to contribute a portion of his winnings towards assisting the victims of a tragic train accident that took place in his hometown. The accident killed at least 288 people and injured more than 1,000 people.
He will also use the prize money for construction expenses and some for his relatives who are in need and struggling for their livelihood.
“I am flying home on June 25. I have become a father now. I will be meeting my baby girl. She has brought this luck,” an elated Mohammad told Khaleej Times.
About Dream Island
Dream Island, the UAE’s gaming platform rewards players with the chance to win cash prizes by playing a selection of games.
With each play charged between Dirhams 10 and Dirhams 50, participants have the chance to win prizes of different sizes – the largest being Dirhams 10 million.
The rules and prizes of different Dream Island games vary, as do the prize amounts.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Middle East> UAE / by Sakina Fatima / June 10th, 2023
In a significant development, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed Mansoor Ali Khan as the Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) attached to the AICC In-charge of Telangana.
The appointment is effective immediately, according to the release.
Simultaneously, PC Vishnunadh, who previously served as the Secretary of AICC in Karnataka, has been relieved from his current responsibilities and has now been attached to the AICC In-charge of Telangana.
While relieving, both N.S Boseraju and Nadeem Javed from their responsibilities as Secretaries, AICC, The All India Congress Committee appreciated contributions of both the leader during their tenure as Secretaries of AICC.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> India / by Vartha Bharati / June 09th, 2023
Renowned expert Mohammad Lateef Khan, Chairman of MS Education Academy, conducted the training sessions.
MS workshop
Hyderabad:
MS Education Academy organises a three-day workshop on mind mapping, memory skills, and speed reading for 650 teachers at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Renowned expert Mohammad Lateef Khan, Chairman of MS Education Academy, conducted the training sessions. Khan, who received formal training from Tony Buzan, a world-renowned expert in mind mapping and memory management, is one of the few licensed instructors in Tony Buzan Mind Mapping, Memory Skills, and Speed Reading.
Following the completion of the workshop, Khan expressed confidence in transferring these techniques to the students after equipping the teachers with enhanced mental abilities. He highlighted the rarity of the skills being taught, emphasizing the changing world and the importance of utilizing the brain effectively in the era of artificial intelligence.
Khan shared his gratitude for the opportunity to provide this training to teachers, mentioning his extensive travel and coursework to acquire knowledge in mind mapping, memory skills, speed reading, and creativity. His goal is to impart these opportunities to the entire MS staff across all schools, ultimately benefiting all MS students.
The three-day workshop was designed to engage participants throughout the day. Initially, the staff members were unaware of what they would learn, but their interest and energy levels increased as the workshop progressed. Khan noted their enthusiasm, suggesting that they were eager to apply their newfound knowledge to enhance the mental abilities of the students. He emphasized the importance of thinking in defining an individual’s identity and expressed the desire for students to develop higher thinking skills and excel in facing new challenges. Khan highlighted the need for organized teaching and a comprehensive curriculum to achieve these goals.
With gratitude to Allah, Khan mentioned the development of a comprehensive curriculum on memory skills and mind mapping within MS Education Academy. He expressed optimism that this curriculum would lead to improved academic results and extraordinary achievements among students.
Lateef Khan expressed his appreciation for the rare acquisition and training of these skills, acknowledging the conferred title of “Memory Khan” by the Indian Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) on November 26, 2017. The title and certificate were awarded to Khan by the chief guest, Suresh Parbhane, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, at the conclusion of a week-long memory workshop at the Indian Islamic Cultural Centre.
The workshop concluded with the participants enriched and inspired to apply their learnings in the classroom, fostering an environment of enhanced mental abilities and academic excellence among MS Education Academy students.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Zahed Farooqui / June 06th, 2023
In the past, services of the Hyderabadi shooter have been sought by several state governments to eliminate man-eating wild animals.
Hyderabadi shooter Shafat Ali Khan receives lifetime award
Hyderabad:
Renowned shooter from Hyderabad, Nawab Shafat Ali Khan has received ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from Bihar Government.
In recognition of his remarkable feat of shooting down ten thousand ‘Blue Bulls’ that were ravaging agricultural fields and causing significant crop losses for impoverished farmers, the Bihar Government has bestowed the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement” award upon the Hyderabadi shooter.
Over the course of the past year, the relentless raids by Blue Bulls have wreaked havoc on fields, posing a severe threat to farmers. To tackle this menace, the Bihar Government enlisted the expertise of Nawab Shafat Ali Khan, who successfully eliminated ten thousand bulls, bringing immense relief to the struggling farmers.
On Monday, District Magistrate cum Collector Yashpal Meena, IAS, of Vaishali, presented the award to Nawab Shafat Ali Khan in a formal ceremony.
In the past, the services of the Hyderabadi shooter have been sought by several state governments to eliminate man-eating wild animals.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Sameer Khan / June 06th, 2023
Books have been Maryam’s passion ever since she learnt to read. She turned her passion into a mission of starting a library for children with the books from her own collection.
Two years ago, Maryam had amassed nearly 150 books of her own when she started her very first library in the balcony of their home in Baijipura called Dr APJ Abdul Kalaam Library.
How it began
It was during the lockdown, with no school or homework to occupy her time, that she noticed many idle children in her neighborhood. Inspired by this observation, Maryam approached her father, Mirza Abdul Qayyum, who runs the popular bookstore called Mirza World Book House.
The first library in the balcony of Maryam’s house
Mirza, being an avid reader himself, readily agreed to support his daughter’s idea. Mirza is also affiliated with the Read and Learn Foundation (RLF), a movement dedicated to promoting reading habits, particularly among children. Starting a library for children aligned perfectly with the foundation’s objectives.
Thus, Maryam and her father gathered around 300 books, including donations, and set up the first library named Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Library, located in the balcony of their home in Baijipura. The library inauguration was attended by local children, and from that day forward, they began visiting the library, borrowing books, and returning them within a week.
More libraries for more children
The library was a hit and soon Maryam and her father were thinking of starting another library in another locality. Thus, the second library was started under the aegis of RLF in Rahemaniya colony with another 300 books. Here also the response was good.
Seeing the enthusiasm of the little girls and boys, Maryam resolved to have more libraries and her father assured her that he would support her. Maryam wanted to reach out to the children dwelling in slums. Her aim was to have at least 10 libraries for that year.
Supporting her were her elder sisters too who, like, were students in college. Maryam started collecting funds from the people to set up the Mohalla libraries. The neighbours and other donors began contributing with small amounts and with each Rs.5000/- collected, Maryam purchased a cupboard, books and some stationery to maintain the records of the library.
Some of the places where the libraries have been set up are the anganwadi centre of the mohalla, a place in the school yard, a mosque, or a room in the house of a generous well-wisher. In a span of 14 months Maryam had 31 libraries functioning including one in her own school.
“In some localities we needed to put in more work”, shared Maryam with Twocircles.net. “Sometimes the people of the locality were not very responsive to the idea of having a library. They did not see any use to having a mohalla library. We motivated them by explaining the importance of reading and how it develops the personality of their children”.
While in some areas the people were very cooperative, they offered space to run the library and even offered cool drinking water to the children who come to read in the library.
Managing the libraries
There are nearly 30 children who are involved in the day-to-day functioning of the libraries in different Mohallas. The library is open for an hour daily in the evenings offering books in English, Hindi, Urdu, and Marathi.
There are books of general knowledge, adventure stories, and biographies of historical figures.
“The USP (unique selling proposition/ point) of these libraries is that Urdu and Marathi – the two regional languages are getting readers, apart from encouraging the reading habit in children.” Says Maryam’s father, Mirza Abdul Qayyum Nadvi
felicitated by her school teachers
The children take their responsibilities seriously, ensuring that borrowed books are returned on time and in good condition. Their dedication has impressed not only the adults but also the neighbors, who sometimes assist the children in maintaining the libraries. Additionally, Maryam and her father conduct awareness campaigns on various topics such as educating girls and eradicating child labor.
Maryam aims to establish 50 libraries by the end of 2023. The mohalla libraries are named after Urdu writers, poets and other well-known personalities. Some libraries are named after the parents of the generous donors who sponsor a complete library.
Her efforts have inspired similar initiatives in other towns surrounding Aurangabad, such as Jalna, Beed, Jalgaon, and Ahmednagar.
Receiving the FAME Award in Aurangabad
Recognition and awards
Maryam’s remarkable achievements have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, she was honored by the American Federation of Muslims Indian (AFMI) Origin, The award was presented to her in New Delhi at the hands of the former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung.
In May 2023, she received the Mukta Samman from News 18 Lokmat in Mumbai.
At the awards ceremony Maryam quoted Safdar Hashmi’s poem ‘Kitabein’ to a thundering applause.
Receiving the Mukta samman award in Mumbai
Despite the recognition and accolades, Maryam remains grounded, acknowledging that her father’s bookstore has greatly benefited from her library project, as most of the books are purchased from there.
Looking ahead, Maryam aspires to become a neurosurgeon. Her favourite books are the Harry Potter series. And when she is not reading, she likes drawing and colouring.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Children / by Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net / May 31st, 2023
A top Islamic scholar – Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani – was elected fifth president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), with Jamaat-e-Islami Hind president Syed Sadatullah Husaini and Gulbarga-based Maulana Khusro Hussaini as vice-presidents.
Maulana Khalid Saifullah replaced Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadawi who passed away in April this year.
Maulana Fadl al-Rahim Mujaddidi has been elected as the General Secretary. He will be supported by secretaries – Maulana Umrain Mahfouz Rahmani, Maulana Syed Bilal Hussaini Sahib, Maulana Yasin Ali Usmani Sahib, and Maulana Ahmed Faisal Rahmani.
The board elections took place in the town of Mhow near Indore during the board’s executive committee meeting on June 3 and 4.
Maulana Khalid Saifullah was elected unanimously. There are 251 members of the board, including 51 executive members.
Welfare Party of India (WPI) president Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas has been elected as the spokesperson and Kamal Farooqui, a practicing chartered accountant and former chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission, has been elected as deputy spokesperson.
Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani was elected through consensus. A proposal was mooted by Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Sufyan Qasmi Sahib of Darul Uloom, Deoband, and subsequently supported by Maulana Shahid Hosni and Maulana Syed Mahmood Madani. All members unanimously voted for Moulana Rahmani.
After Wali Rahmani’s death, Moulana Khalid Rahmani was appointed as the interim general secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. He is also a member of the Legal Council of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and serves as the general secretary of the Islamic Fiqh Academy in New Delhi.
He regularly contributes as a columnist for the Friday edition of Munsif and holds the position of editor for the Islamic juristic quarterly journal – Behs-o-Nazar – which was originally founded by Mujahidul Islam Qasmi.
Born in 1956 in Darbhanga district in Bihar, he has a rich educational background in Islamic studies and is renowned for his insightful teachings on various aspects of Sharia law. He began his education at home and then spent two years at Madrasa Qasimul Uloom Hussainia. He pursued further studies at Jamia Rahmani in Munger, where he earned his degree.
He was enrolled in the Dawra-e-Hadith program at Darul Uloom Deoband where he focused on the study of Hadith within the Dars-e-Nizami curriculum. He successfully completed his studies and graduated from Darul Uloom Deoband in the year 1395 AH (according to the Islamic calendar) or 1975 as per Gregorian calendar. Later, he specialized in Islamic law and jurisprudence at Amarat-e-Sharia in Patna.
He has been a student of Anzar Shah Kashmiri, Mahmud Hasan Gangohi, and Muhammad Salim Qasmi, and also benefited from the guidance of his uncle Mujahidul Islam Qasmi.
Established in 1973, AIMPLB serves as an authoritative body responsible for interpreting and implementing Muslim personal law in India. It comprises distinguished scholars, jurists, and community leaders who work collectively to uphold and protect the rights of Muslims in matters pertaining to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and other aspects of personal and family law.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Breaking News / by admin india tomorrow / June 06th, 2023
Ghazal singers Ahmed Hussain and Mohammad Hussain (Photo/ANI)
Jaipur, RAJASTHAN (ANI):
Ghazal singers Ahmed Hussain and Mohammad Hussain of Jaipur will be awarded Padma Shri in the field of arts.
Hussain brothers have thanked the central and state government for this honour.
In conversation with ANI, the Hussain brothers extended their greetings to the people on Republic Day and Basant Panchami.
Ahmed Hussain said, ” those interested in this field should not be in a hurry to create a platform, do not care about the echo of applause. If someone gets trapped in the trap of publicity and money, then he drifts away from his art.”
He said, “get an education from the one whom you consider a guru in the field.”
The brothers further said, “we are thankful to the central and state government for the award.” He said that after being named for the Padma Shri award, now our responsibilities have also increased. We should never look back.
The recipients of this year’s Padma awards were announced on Wednesday evening, on the eve of the 74th Republic Day.
On the eve of the 74th Republic Day on Wednesday, Padma award winners were announced by the Central Government. (ANI)
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> India / by ANI / January 27th, 2023
Sadaat Bano Kitchlew with a foreigner (Courtesy Heritage Times)
Qudsia Bano once remarked that in a family led by a towering personality, the other members will always remain dwarfs. She failed to add that if the other family member is a woman, her stature will diminish further.
This is so true about many women including Saadat Bano, who was the wife of the well-known freedom fighter Saifuddin Kitchlew. It was against his arrest that the people were protesting at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar when Dyer fired upon them, killing 379 and injuring more than 1200 people. Not many would remember Saddat Bano since our patriarchal society teaches us “Saadat was married to Saifuddin” and not that “Saifuddin was the husband of Saadat”.
Seldom do we find any mention of Saadat Bano in our history textbooks as an independent woman or for her work.
Should Saadat be only remembered as the wife of a great man? Especially when she was a published writer and women’s rights activist even before she married Kitchlew. She was an excellent orator on social and political issues.
Born in 1893 in Amritsar, Saadat was home-tutored in Urdu, Persian, and English. At a very young age, she started writing in leading magazines of the early 20th century like Deccan Review, Tehzeeb e Niswaan, and Khatoon. With a series of articles by the title of Hurriyat e Niswaan (Freedom of Women) published in Tehzeeb e Niswaan at 16, she became one of the leading women thinkers in India. Her writings were not limited to women’s issues; she wrote about the educational reforms of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the politics of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, fashion, etc.
Years before marrying the Cambridge-educated Saifuddin Kitchlew in 1915, she also had a name as a poet. She composed poems on nationalism and humanism. One of the couplets from a poem, “Pyare watan ke naam pe jaaun nisaar main, Ujde chaman mai dekhun Ilahi bahaar main” (I wish to sacrifice my life for my country and bring back its lost glory), bears testimony to her emotions.
After her marriage at the age of 22, she became more active in public life. Saifuddin was a prominent leader. After her marriage to a leading nationalist leader, Sadaar could write without fear. When Lala Lajpat Rai returned to Punjab after a long exile, Saadat welcomed him with an emotional poem. She wrote, “even when thousands are oblivious of the national duty, Lajpat has kept the honour of the nation”.
In 1919, Saifuddin was jailed for agitating against the Rowlatt Act. People organised a public meeting at Jallianwala Bagh to register a protest against it. What happened at Jalianwalla Bagh is history, but not many know that Saadat was supposed to be there addressing the protesters. People had gathered to listen to Saadar but she could not reach the venue in time.When Saifuddin was in jail, Saadat addressed meetings, met political leaders, attended Congress sessions, wrote in newspapers, and participated in All India Women Conference activities. She was a good orator.
Saadat along with Saifuddin was one of the most severe critics of Jinnah’s demand for Pakistan. When most of the Muslims from Amritsar fled to Pakistan the couple left Delhi. After India gained freedom, Sadaat remained active with Women’s organisations and Peace Conference till her last day – 18 August 1970.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Saquib Salim / May 21st, 2023
Princess Gulbadan was born in 1523, exactly 500 years ago. From a young age, she was a precocious child – very intelligent and curious about the incidents that were happening around her. The book narrates her life within the zenana.
The lifestyle of people who lived 500 years ago, especially those belonging to the Mughal dynasty, has been vividly brought to life in the pages of a book written by British author Rumer Godden. The title of the book is Gulbadan, Portrait of a Princess at the Mughal Court. The story is essentially a biography of Princess Gulbadan, youngest daughter of Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire in India.
The author consulted a variety of sources to gain information to write this fascinating book. Among her sources was a translation of the Humayunnama into English by Annette Beveridge, a well known Oriental scholar who also translated the Baburnama.
Rumer Godden, who authored the biography of Gulbadan lived in India and grew up with her sisters in Narayanganj (now in Bangladesh) where her father, a shipping company executive, was posted. Later Godden lived in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and in Kashmir for several years.
According to the biography, Princess Gulbadan was born in 1523, exactly 500 years ago. From a young age, she was a precocious child – very intelligent and curious about the incidents that were happening around her. The book narrates her life within the zenana.
When she was a small girl, her father Zahiruddin Mohammad Babur was ruling in Kabul. The Mughal dynasty had not been established in India. As a child she used to play with her brothers and sisters. Her brothers included Humayun, Kamran, Askari and Hindal, and she had three sisters.
The toys that the children possessed included small statues of horsemen, archers, farmers and others made of wood, painted in gay colours. With these they conducted imaginary battles. Another popular activity was to fly kites. From the highest ramparts of her father’s fort, it was a great pleasure to fly kites. Buffeted by strong winds, the kites would soar high in the sky and be made to dance under the skillful control of the children.
Babur was a very active ruler and would often be away from his fort for days and months. If he was not fighting battles, he would go on hunting trips. Little Gulbadan would miss her Baba very much. She was proud that her father was an important man and respected by everyone. From the topmost ramparts she would sometimes see rising clouds of dust far away in the fields. This sight would excite her. For it meant that horsemen were approaching. Perhaps her father was returning. Or at least a messenger from her father was coming bearing a letter.
This peaceful and happy life of childhood ended when Babur passed away. By then the family base was in India. There followed a period of hardship for the family because Humayun was not the strong and decisive leader that Babur had been.
The worst happened when Sher Shah overthrew Humayun. In one of the battles between Sher Shah’s troops and the Mughal contingent (which also included women and children of the royal family), the latter were forced back to a river from where they could not retreat any further. In a wild battle many innocent lives were lost including that of six year old Princess Aquiqa, the only daughter of Humayun.
She fell into the river and her body was never found. It was a sad day for the entire family and they were all grief stricken.
Many years later when Gulbadan was an adult, her nephew Emperor Akbar instructed her to write a biography of her father Babur and brother Humayun. By this time she wielded great influence in the imperial household and was much loved both by Akbar and his mother. Her biography of Humayun later became a famous work of literature.
She was an educated, pious, and cultured woman. She was fond of reading and she enjoyed the confidences of her brother, Humayun, and nephew, Akbar. A copy of the manuscript of her handwritten biography is kept at the British Library in London. Rumer Godden has written about the life of the Princess in a simple style which is delightful and informative.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Abhijit Sen Gupta / May 29th, 2023
Syed Ubaidur Rahman is an author based in New Delhi who seems to have completely dedicated his life for preserving Indian Muslim history. In the last five years he has authored at least five books, three of which have been highly acclaimed. Among these are ‘Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India: Bahmani Empire, Madurai, Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Mysore Sultanates’, ‘Ulema’s Role in India’s Freedom Movement’, and ‘Biographical Encyclopaedia of Indian Muslim Freedom Fighters’. His objective is to systematically preserve Indian Muslim history. In this interview, we discuss his work and the obstacles he has encountered. Following is an excerpt from his interview.
MM: Why you are trying to preserve Indian Muslim history?
SUR-This is a bitter truth that as a community Muslims are good in forgetting their heroes. If I ask you to name a couple of heroes here from south India, there may not be many people who would be able to name more than a couple of names. And certainly not about the Bahmanis or the Adil Shahis or Nizam Shahis. This is a tragedy of Himalayan proportions and we are paying the price for our ignorance when our own history is being threatened with completely being erased not by other people or other organizations or the government, but by ourselves.
Books on Indian Muslims history penned by Syed Ubaidur Rahman
MM: Muslim history was usually written in Urdu language. Why did you find the need to write in English
SUR: That assumption might not be true. Books have been written on the history of South India, including Bahmani Empire, Adil Shahi, Nizam Shahi, Qutb Shahi and Mysore Sultanates, though in very small numbers. However, most of them are out of print. Haroon Khan Sherwani, a renowned historian from Hyderabad had written an excellent book on the history of Bahmani Empire, besides also writing in detail on the history of the Qutb Shahis of Golconda Sultanate, however, unfortunately these books are out of print and nowhere available. I don’t find any meaningful book written either on the Bahmani Empire or the subsequent Deccani sultanates in Urdu. There are many good books written on the Mysore Sultanate, especially on the life of Tipu Sultan and the best of them are in English. Muhibbul Hasan’s biography of Tipu Sultan is English and it is among the best.
MM: Why you wrote on the history of South Indian Muslims?
SUR: There is no denying the fact that there is a huge population of Muslims down south. However, unfortunately, unlike Muslims in North India, the history of South Indian Muslims, their ruling dynasties and the Muslim empires hasn’t been documented in as much detail as it was needed. Even in the case of north India, the focus has always remained on the history of Mughals who ruled the country for close to three hundred years. The history of the Delhi Sultanates and its different dynasties has been rather very well documented. But other than the Mughals and the Delhi sultanates, not much has been written on different dynasties that have ruled different regions in the North including the ruling dynasties of the Sharqi Sultanate that was based in Jaunpur or the Muslim sultanates of Bengal, that were very powerful and existed for centuries. Similarly the history of ruling Muslim dynasties of sultanates of Gujarat, Malwa and Khandesh hasn’t been given much attention.
I am trying to document the history of Muslims in medieval India and my book ‘Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India’ is the first volume of the series. This book documented Bahmani Empire, Adil Shahi Sultanate of Bijapur, Nizam Shahi Sultanate of Ahmadnagar, Qutb Shahi Sultanate of Golconda and Mysore Sultanate that was founded by Hyder Ali.
The next volume will cover the history of Sultanate of Gujarat, Sultanate of Malwa and also the sultanate of Khandesh, besides a detailed chapter on the Nizams of Hyderabad, inshaAllah.
I must add here that the history of the Muslims in South India is as dazzling as the Delhi Sultanate or the Mughal Sultanate. At one point in early fifteenth century, the Bidar based Bahmani Empire was the most powerful empire not just in South India but across the Indian Subcontinent.
MM: What do you feel about the rewriting of history project in India
SUR: There is no denying that among the many serious challenges facing the Indian Muslim community at the moment, the foremost is preserving their history and heritage. Without any iota of doubt, this has become all the more important given the fact that there are efforts to rewrite Indian history now. And the most important period they intend to rewrite is the medieval period. This project, spearheaded by the Indian Council of Historical Research titled ‘Comprehensive History of India’, is expected to have at least twelve volumes. They have emphasized that while writing these volumes they will not be depending on ‘Euro-centric’ resources and would go by vernacular resources. However there isn’t much literature available on history in vernacular languages even regarding important political events of the medieval period. It may sound completely bewildering to many, but there is no reference at all in any medieval Indian texts regarding the numerous raids conducted by Mahmud of Ghazni deep inside India. Abraham Eraly believes the Indian chroniclers of the time didn’t consider those events worth recording as they were more interested in penning ‘inane romances’.
MM: What is the impact of your work till now?
SUR: It is a rather very short period of time to make any impact felt. It will take time to reach a wider audience and create awareness about our own history and heritage. However, my books on the freedom movements including ‘Biographical Encyclopaedia of Indian Muslim Freedom Fighters’ and ‘Ulema’s Role in India’s Freedom Movements’ have helped create awareness about the Muslim community’s major contributions in India’s different phases of the freedom movement. Without the involvement of the Muslim community, especially the clergy or ulema, the dream for an independent India would have remained a mere pipedream.
Similarly, my latest book ‘Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India’ has brought the history of Muslim kingdoms, sultanates and empires in South India in focus. Many people, who call themselves well-read, have admitted to me personally that they never had any idea that there was a Muslim sultanate in Madurai. Not many thought that a powerful empire ruled a huge swath of land in South India, an empire that stretched from coast to coast. Bijapur’s Adil Shahi sultanates, in the 17th century had taken over the remnants of the Vijayanagar Empire and had become a huge empire in itself. Besides, the beauty and splendour of the Bahmani courts or the courts of the subsequent sultanates was dazzling. The rich history of the Muslims in south India is mesmerising and a revelation of sorts for not just people in the north, but in South India itself.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Interview / by Syed Ubaidur Rahman / May 28th, 2023
