Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi

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Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi
Born 20 November 1903
Patiali, Uttar Pradesh, British India
Died 22 January 1981
Karachi, Pakistan
Nationality Pakistani
Fields History, Education
Institutions Karachi University
Alma mater Cambridge University
Known for History of Pakistan
Notable awards Sitara-e-Pakistan
Religious stance Islam

Prof. Dr. Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi (1903-1981) was a noted litterateur, historian, educationist and scholar of Pakistan as well as a prolific writer. He is widely acclaimed and regarded as the founding member of Muqtadra Qaumi Zaban and the first education minister of Pakistan. He is also credited for editing a four-volume series on history of Pakistan[1]

Contents

[edit] Life

Ishtiaq Hussain was born on November 20, 1903 in a noble family of Patiali, District Etah, a town in Uttar Pradesh, British India. He did matriculation in 1916, and joined MAO College Aligarh. At this time, he took active part in Khilafat movement. He did graduation and M.A. in History from St. Stephen's College, Delhi with distinction. In 1927, he got M.A. in Persian. Between 1937-40, he studied at Cambridge University for a PhD degree. The topic of his thesis was Administration of Sultanate of Delhi. During this period, he also briefly joined the Pakistan National Movement founded by Choudhary Rahmat Ali.[2]

After returning from England, he joined Delhi University where he was appointed Professor of History, and subsequently, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts. He also served as Acting Vice Chancellor of the Delhi University. In 1947, during the Partition riots, when the Muslim students of the St Stephen's College had to be evacuated to the Purana Qila, Dr Qureshi's library was completely burnt down by the mobs.[3]

[edit] Career in Pakistan

After suffering from riots, he migrated to Pakistan in 1948 and continued his academic and political career, and also remained a member of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. In 1949, he was appointed Professor of History at the University of the Punjab, Lahore. He also joined the Government of Pakistan as Minister of Refugee Rehabilitation, and later as Minister of Education. Later on he joined the Columbia University, New York where he wrote his famous book, the Muslim Community of the Subcontinent, as a story of the trials and tribulations of the Muslims in the subcontinent.[4] On his return, he played a pivotal role in the establishment of the University of Karachi. He died on January 22, 1981 in Karachi.

[edit] Memberships

He was:

  • Member of the Indian as well as Pakistan Historical Records Commissions,
  • Member of the Councils of the Indian and the Pakistan Institutes of International Affairs,
  • Member of the Executive Committees of the Indian History Conference and Pakistan History Society.
  • Vice-President of the Pakistan History Society
  • President of Pakistan Political Science Association.
  • General President of Pakistan History conference as well as Pakistan Political Science conference.
  • Director of the Central Institute of Islamic Research,
  • Founding member of Urdu Language Authority Muqtadra Quami Zaban, and
  • Vice-Chancellor of the University of Karachi (1961).

[edit] Political activities

[edit] Honours

  • In recognition of his services he was decorated with the order of Sitara-e-Pakistan (Star of Pakistan).
  • On November 20, 2001, Pakistan Post issued a commemorative postage in his name[5]

[edit] Work

Dr. I. H. Qureshi was a man of myriad faculties. His books on the history of Muslim community in the subcontinent as well as other publications on the Pakistan Movement, Administration of the Mughul Empire, role of religious scholars in politics, brought him into the category of the distinguished historians of subcontinent. After retirment he associated with writing and research.

[edit] English titles

  • Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli (1942)
  • Ulema in Politics
  • Akbar, the Architect of Mughal Empire
  • Education in Pakistan
  • The Administration of Mughal Empire
  • Struggle for Pakistan
  • The Muslim community of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, 610-1947: a brief historical analysis. Gravenhage, Mouton. 1962
  • A Short History of Pakistan (General Editor)

[edit] Urdu titles

  • But Tarash
  • Band Lifafa
  • Katt Putlian
  • Gunha ki Diwar
  • Mitthai ki Tokri
  • Moalim Aswad
  • Mullah Aala
  • Nafrat ka Beej
  • Hamzaad
  • Neem Shab
  • Naqsh-e-Akhir

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Qureshi, I.H. (ed), A Short History of Pakistan. University of Karachi Press, 1967 (First edition)
  2. ^ Ghaffar, H. (2006). Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi and the two-nation theory. Dawn Newspaper. 30 December. Retrieved on 16 May 2008
  3. ^ St Stephen's College, Alumni page. Retrieved on 25 April 2007
  4. ^ Qureshi, I.H. (1962). The Muslim community of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, 610-1947; a brief historical analysis. Gravenhage, Mouton
  5. ^ [http://www.pakpost.gov.pk/philately/stamps2001/dr_ishtiaq_husain_qureshi.html Pakistan Post Website. Retrieved on 26 February, 2008

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishtiaq_Hussain_Qureshi"
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