My Grandfather did not go back to the village, my Grandmother died still young, so he decided to get married locally in Sagar (spelled as Saugor), so that is why my father decided to go to Saugor to be with his father after he had taken his diplomas (of Maulvi) from Deoband and (Hikmat) from Tibbia College Dehli.
How did my father study after he left the village at such a tender age, how he supported himself through schooling in Lahore and then institutions like Tibbia College, and Deoband, we have no information. I dont remember him ever talking about that subject or my mother or any of my older siblings. All I remember during my childhood he was the chairman of local municipal committee, was chairman of the provincial congress committee and was active as a Muslim looking after the interests of local Muslims. He was therefore held in great regard amongst the Hindus and Muslims alike in that city.
Hakim Ajmal Khan is known for his contributions to Tibb as well as in the movements of freedom of India (from the English) and he was one of the teachers of my father who influenced him and so was Maulana Mahmood-ul-Hasan the most well-known teacher of Deoband School who had palpable influence on the life and activities of my father and it may be the resemblance of father's name had some bias attached. I have attended some of the speeches of my father as a leader, like one in 1941-2 during Gandhiji's agitation of 'quit-India' when one day his speech excited the crowds so much it got out of control and damaged telephone wires and burnt the post office things like that. I also have heard some lesser speeches like on Eid days in our village or such occasions when people would ask him to speak. The Urdu terminology and manner of speech, that I heard was, clearly dominated by the type of words M. Mahmood-ul-Hasan uses in his writings (I did not hear his speeches but he was , if you recall, arrested by the British also and sentenced to "Kala Pani"--i.e. in Malta) I have his introductory remarks for Translation/Tafsir of Qur'an-el-Karim where you can see his style and type of language he spoke/wrote).
I remember some afternoons some chhabriwalas would be outside of his clinic (Matab) to get either pardoned or fined according to their 'crime' of selling eatable stuff without proper cover (from insects specially flies). I remember receiving my prize from him (the chief Guest) when I won a race as a child in my school. I remember seeing signs of 'yellow ballot box' (pilee pati) with captions "Put your vote in the yellow box" which was my father's.
He was a man of strict principles. His 'clinic' called Matab was a large room in which he would be seated against the wall with a large oval cushion (Gaow Takiya) supporting his back and a small desket-like thing in front of him. Small papers, inkpot and a pen placed on top of it for him to write prescriptions and on his right side adjoining large room controlled by his compounder who would dispense the "medicines".
The patients as well as his visitors all sit in front of him on the ground covered by a large mat and another cottonmade covering. There was one chair and a fixed bench placed outside of the mat area.. We had no special 'drawing room'. That chair and bench served that purpose of more distinguished guests' seating arrangement.
He would finish his morning clinic and retire for lunch+fiesta at midday and anyone coming at that time must wait till he finished his fiesta and went back to clinic 2 oclock or thereabout. he would never entertain any guests during lunch which he must have with his family (all of us) sitting with him and the same for supper.
I always saw him in the same clothing--shalwar and Kurta made of Khaddar (Cloth, made from cotton yarn spun from regular local cotton). A coat longer than a jacket made from local thick cotton or during winter the one made from local wool, with shoe, a type of moccasin (but with heels) prepared by a local shoemaker
were his unchanging outfit. His turban wore on a 'kulaah' (cap) was always green which I found out from my elder sister (Apa Shakeela) was given to Deoband Graduates on completion of their courses (Dastaar-bandi- kind of convocation of the renowned school). Yes he was burried in white Khaddar kaffan too, upon his death in 1958
Islamically he was also provincial chairman of "Jamiat-ul-Ulama-e-Hind", was follower of Hussain Ahmed Madani group and M. Abul-Kakam Azad. He never joined Muslim League, but resigned from Congress with harsh words that, "Congress principles are fast being replaced by 'maha-sabha' elements" (which was the precursor of modern days extremist Hindus)
My grandfather died early in 1905 with Cholera. His (second) wife never married again and I have a vague memory of her walking around in her daughter's home, or reciting Qur'an, a large copy). They (My grandparents) had only one daughter, my father's half sister whose love I remember as a child teaching us namaz etc., but my mother always taught Qur'an, not only to us but also all other children who would come after Fajr in our home for that purpose.
Rest of his life history in my next blog inshallah.
Please visit my Urdu blog at http://saugoreebsc.blogspot.com/ and my Hindi blog at http://wahajuana.blogspot.com/
How did my father study after he left the village at such a tender age, how he supported himself through schooling in Lahore and then institutions like Tibbia College, and Deoband, we have no information. I dont remember him ever talking about that subject or my mother or any of my older siblings. All I remember during my childhood he was the chairman of local municipal committee, was chairman of the provincial congress committee and was active as a Muslim looking after the interests of local Muslims. He was therefore held in great regard amongst the Hindus and Muslims alike in that city.
Hakim Ajmal Khan is known for his contributions to Tibb as well as in the movements of freedom of India (from the English) and he was one of the teachers of my father who influenced him and so was Maulana Mahmood-ul-Hasan the most well-known teacher of Deoband School who had palpable influence on the life and activities of my father and it may be the resemblance of father's name had some bias attached. I have attended some of the speeches of my father as a leader, like one in 1941-2 during Gandhiji's agitation of 'quit-India' when one day his speech excited the crowds so much it got out of control and damaged telephone wires and burnt the post office things like that. I also have heard some lesser speeches like on Eid days in our village or such occasions when people would ask him to speak. The Urdu terminology and manner of speech, that I heard was, clearly dominated by the type of words M. Mahmood-ul-Hasan uses in his writings (I did not hear his speeches but he was , if you recall, arrested by the British also and sentenced to "Kala Pani"--i.e. in Malta) I have his introductory remarks for Translation/Tafsir of Qur'an-el-Karim where you can see his style and type of language he spoke/wrote).
I remember some afternoons some chhabriwalas would be outside of his clinic (Matab) to get either pardoned or fined according to their 'crime' of selling eatable stuff without proper cover (from insects specially flies). I remember receiving my prize from him (the chief Guest) when I won a race as a child in my school. I remember seeing signs of 'yellow ballot box' (pilee pati) with captions "Put your vote in the yellow box" which was my father's.
He was a man of strict principles. His 'clinic' called Matab was a large room in which he would be seated against the wall with a large oval cushion (Gaow Takiya) supporting his back and a small desket-like thing in front of him. Small papers, inkpot and a pen placed on top of it for him to write prescriptions and on his right side adjoining large room controlled by his compounder who would dispense the "medicines".
The patients as well as his visitors all sit in front of him on the ground covered by a large mat and another cottonmade covering. There was one chair and a fixed bench placed outside of the mat area.. We had no special 'drawing room'. That chair and bench served that purpose of more distinguished guests' seating arrangement.
He would finish his morning clinic and retire for lunch+fiesta at midday and anyone coming at that time must wait till he finished his fiesta and went back to clinic 2 oclock or thereabout. he would never entertain any guests during lunch which he must have with his family (all of us) sitting with him and the same for supper.
I always saw him in the same clothing--shalwar and Kurta made of Khaddar (Cloth, made from cotton yarn spun from regular local cotton). A coat longer than a jacket made from local thick cotton or during winter the one made from local wool, with shoe, a type of moccasin (but with heels) prepared by a local shoemaker
were his unchanging outfit. His turban wore on a 'kulaah' (cap) was always green which I found out from my elder sister (Apa Shakeela) was given to Deoband Graduates on completion of their courses (Dastaar-bandi- kind of convocation of the renowned school). Yes he was burried in white Khaddar kaffan too, upon his death in 1958
Islamically he was also provincial chairman of "Jamiat-ul-Ulama-e-Hind", was follower of Hussain Ahmed Madani group and M. Abul-Kakam Azad. He never joined Muslim League, but resigned from Congress with harsh words that, "Congress principles are fast being replaced by 'maha-sabha' elements" (which was the precursor of modern days extremist Hindus)
My grandfather died early in 1905 with Cholera. His (second) wife never married again and I have a vague memory of her walking around in her daughter's home, or reciting Qur'an, a large copy). They (My grandparents) had only one daughter, my father's half sister whose love I remember as a child teaching us namaz etc., but my mother always taught Qur'an, not only to us but also all other children who would come after Fajr in our home for that purpose.
Rest of his life history in my next blog inshallah.
Please visit my Urdu blog at http://saugoreebsc.blogspot.com/ and my Hindi blog at http://wahajuana.blogspot.com/
