The Life of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
The Life of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
1 Fiza
Irfan 2 Dr. Muhammad
Laureate
Folks International
ERC, PAKISTAN
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“Few individuals significantly alter
the course of history. Few still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can
be credited with creating a nation-state. Muhammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”
These are the words in which Stanley
Wolpert has defined Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The life of Quaid-e-Azam is full of awards and achievements, but his work as the creator
of Pakistan outshines everything. He was the youngest
Indian in England at the Bar, an eminent lawyer in
Bombay, an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, a great parliamentarian and constitutionalist,
a freedom fighter, and most importantly the father of a nation. For almost three decades he
guided, gave expression, direction, and a political platform to the Muslims of
the Indian subcontinent. During this period, he had fought inexorably and
relentlessly for the independence of Muslims.
On
the eve of December 25, 1876, a son was born to the Poonja family. The child was the eldest of his seven siblings and was named Muhammad Ali Jinnah. His father, Jinnahbhai Poonja
belongs to the Khoja caste of Gondal, in the
State of Kathiawar. He got married to Mithibai and migrated to Karachi. In
Karachi, he was a well-known merchant and owns a booming business. Mr. Poonja
had no political background, but little did he know that his son was destined
to become a great political leader.
EDUCATION
Muhammad
Ali Jinnah was sent to Sindh Madrasa Tul Islam, Karachi
in 1887, where he got his early education. Later in March 1892, he joined Christian Mission School from where he completed his
Matriculation. At that point in time, his father was working with Grahams
Shipping and Trading Company, which offered Jinnah to acquire training in
business in London. Thus, it was decided to send him to England to gain
business exposure.
In
London, he got enrolled in Lincoln's Inn
College. The reason to study there, according to Jinnah, was that the name
of Holy Prophet SAWS was mentioned there as the
greatest lawgiver of the world. While living there, Jinnah started to take
interest in politics. On his return to Karachi, he came to know about the
business loss of his father. After that, he started his practice as a lawyer.
MARRIED LIFE
At
the age of sixteen, Jinnah was married to Emibai
at the request of his mother. The marriage was short-lived, as Emibai died when
he was in London.
Later
on, Muhammad Ali married Rattanbai Petit in
1918. Rattanbai was a Parsi and converted to Islam. After one year in 1919, Dina Jinnah (daughter of Quaid e Azam) was born.
However, this marriage also ended after a short span of two years due to the busy
political life of Jinnah and the couple separated. After a few years of their
separation, Ratti Jinnah also died in 1929.
POLITICAL CAREER
While
living in London, he got inspired by Dadabhai Naoroji. It is said that the personality
of Dadabhai inspired Jinnah to get involved in politics and he joined the Indian National Congress in 1906. He was given the
title of “Ambassador of Peace”, by Ghokhlay,
due to his strong advocacy for Hindu-Muslim unity. Soon, the table turned and
at the beginning of the 20th century, he realized the hypocrisy of Hindus. He
came to know that the Indian National Congress is solely working for Hindus and
the rights of the Muslims were not secure under its banner. Ultimately, in 1913
he joined Muslim League and started working for
Muslims. Soon Jinnah went into a self-imposed exile in 1931. He left behind all
his political life and started practicing law in England.
Due
to the efforts of Allama Iqbal, he returned to
India in 1934. The Indian Act of 1935 made it clear that Muslims would be treated as
second-rate citizens in the subcontinent, where Hindus are in the majority.
Thus, Jinnah under the platform of his party started working for the Muslims of
the subcontinent. By 1939, the notion of a separate homeland for the Muslims become
imminent. In 1940, during Lahore Resolution (popularly
known as Pakistan Resolution), Jinnah proposed
the idea of the partition of India and the establishment of Pakistan. With the
arrival of the Cabinet Mission in India, the
creation of Pakistan was validated, and ultimately on August
14, 1947, an independent state of Pakistan was created and Muhammad Ali
Jinnah become the first governor-general of Pakistan.
DEATH
Almost
one year after the creation of Pakistan, Jinnah died on September 11, 1948. In working for the cause of Pakistan, he didn’t
care for his health and become seriously ill, which ultimately caused his
death.
Today,
Jinnah is remembered for shaping the future of the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent.
Richard Symons
believed that “Muhammad Ali Jinnah
contributed more than any other individual to Pakistan’s survival.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The
charismatic personality of Jinnah had a massive appeal in the Indian
subcontinent. He had lived and learned the colonist’s tactics of Britishers and
while being a part of the Indian National Congress understood the psyche of the
Hindu majority. His commitment to preserving the rights of the Muslims was
undeniable. He had a firm grip on the overall scenario of the Indian subcontinent and he knew that after the war, the Britishers had to leave
the subcontinent sooner or later. And after their departure, the Hindu majority
would ultimately dominate the Muslim minority. His strenuous struggle for the
cause of Pakistan gave him the title of Quaid e Azam, which means “supreme leader”.
What
truly differentiates Jinnah from others is that he always worked for the people
and their welfare. He never worked for selfish aspirations and gains. In
working for the creation of Pakistan, he even hid his deteriorating health
condition from everyone and worked day and night. The selflessness of Quaid is
evident from the event when the British Parliament had offered a knighthood for
his services, he simply refused by simply stating that he would prefer to be
known as “Mr.
Jinnah''.
References
Bean, Lee L., and Stanley Wolpert.
"Jinnah of Pakistan." Political Science Quarterly 100,
no. 2 (1985): 353. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2150690.
Khurshid, K. H. Memories of
Jinnah. Karachi: Oxford University Press, 1990.
"Jinnah between the wars." In The
Sole Spokesman, 7–34. Cambridge University Press, 1985. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511558856.006.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.biography.com/.amp/political-figure/muhammad-ali-jinnah
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