Against Europeans, Indians opened own club in Muzaffarpur

This is very unfortunate that today, there are no people in Muzaffarpur who know Khan Bahadur Maulvi Syed Ahmad Husain, and neither is the Muslim Club, which was a testament to his legacy, present in Muzaffarpur.

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European people established a European club in Muzaffarpur, Bihar in 1885, where entry of any Indian was prohibited. When Bihar emerged as a separate state in 1912, the foundation of the Muslim Club in Muzaffarpur on October 1912 was done due to the efforts of Khan Bahadur Maulvi Syed Ahmad Husain, a lawyer by profession.


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He donated a two-story house worth thousands of rupees, furniture, and thousands of rupees worth of books for this club, in addition to giving a monthly expense of 51 rupees. He was the secretary of this club. The members of this club were all Muslim lawyers, officials, and government employees in Muzaffarpur. However, there were no restrictions of any kind religiously. Therefore, Hindu officials from Muzaffarpur also came here and spent their time. Here Urdu, English newspapers, and journals used to come regularly. People used to donate books, newspapers, journals, etc., from their side to the club. There used to be a lively atmosphere here. Various social activities, meetings, and programs used to take place here. Even during India’s struggle for independence, many meetings were held here. However, with time, the vibrancy of this club gradually faded away.


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You can guess from this that this club once had many employees like peons, clerks, sweepers, and gatekeepers, but now not even the building of this club exists. Everything has been destroyed. Many programs were held here in different decades to make Urdu the official language of Bihar. But today, this club is nowhere to be seen. The legacy of Khan Bahadur Maulvi Syed Ahmad Husain has caught the eye of land mafia.


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Regarding Khan Bahadur Maulvi Syed Ahmad Husain, he was a resident of Bhikhanpur, which was once a part of Munger district. Khan Bahadur practiced law in Muzaffarpur and was a very famous lawyer. He was the most senior among Muslim lawyers. He was also involved in politics. Maulvi Syed Ahmad Husain became the Municipal Commissioner of Muzaffarpur and also served as the Vice-Chairman of Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation for some time. He was a member of the District Board for a long time. The government of that time awarded him the title of Khan Bahadur in 1916, recognizing his work. In 1921, he was elected as a member of the Bihar-Orissa Council from the Mohammadan seat of Tirhut Division. Although he was already a member of the Council as a District Board member, this election was a significant milestone in his career.


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He actively participated in the work of the Bihar-Orissa Council as a member from 1917 to 1924. He raised many questions on issues like health, education, and his efforts led to the opening of schools and dispensaries in many areas of Bihar. Maulvi Syed Ahmad Husain proposed the establishment of a separate examination board in the council, which would include Urdu, Persian, and Arabic languages, and received support from Hindu members of the house as well. He also initiated the establishment of a Sanskrit college in Bihar. Unfortunately, he passed away while still a member of the assembly.


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This is very unfortunate that today, there are no people in Muzaffarpur who know Khan Bahadur Maulvi Syed Ahmad Husain, and neither is the Muslim Club, which was a testament to his legacy, present in Muzaffarpur.


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Md Umar Ashraf

Md. Umar Ashraf is a Delhi based Researcher, who after pursuing a B.Tech (Civil Engineering) started heritagetimes.in to explore, and bring to the world, the less known historical accounts. Mr. Ashraf has been associated with the museums at Red Fort & National Library as a researcher. With a keen interest in Bihar and Muslim politics, Mr. Ashraf has brought out legacies of people like Hakim Kabeeruddin (in whose honour the government recently issued a stamp). Presently, he is pursuing a Masters from AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, JMI & manages heritagetimes.in.