Abul Kalam Azad
Politician
1888 – 1958
Who was Abul Kalam Azad?
Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed Azad was an Indian scholar and a senior political leader of the Indian independence movement. Following India's independence, he became the first Minister of Education in the Indian government. In 1992 he was posthumously awarded India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. There is also a theory which suggests that earlier when he was offered Bharat Ratna he promptly declined it saying that it should not be given to those who have been on the selection committee. Later he was awarded posthumously in 1992. He is commonly remembered as Maulana Azad; the word Maulana is an honorific meaning 'learned man', and he had adopted Azad as his pen name. His contribution to establishing the education foundation in India is recognised by celebrating his birthday as "National Education Day" across India.
As a young man, Azad composed poetry in Urdu language, as well as treatises on religion and philosophy. He rose to prominence through his work as a journalist, publishing works critical of the British Raj and espousing the causes of Indian nationalism.
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- Born
- Nov 11, 1888
Mecca - Also known as
- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- Abūlkalām Āzād
- Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed Azad
- Maulana Azad
- Azad
- Spouses
- Religion
- Islam
- Ethnicity
- Afghans in India
- Nationality
- India
- Profession
- Lived in
- Kolkata
- Died
- Feb 22, 1958
Delhi
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"Abul Kalam Azad." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/maulana_abul_kalam_azad>.
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