The Three Indian Surgeon of the Nineteenth Century

Sulaiman Khan was born in the year 1864. His ancestors came to India during in the sixteenth century along with the Mughal emperor Nasir-ud-Din, better known by his regional name, Humayun.

The forefather of Khan Saheb settled in the Amritsar district and held an extremely responsible position under the Mughals where they were allotted the responsibility of several villages.

When the Sikhs arose to power, all the villages they owned, except one were lost by the entire family. The only village that remained was the one that was under Dr Sulaiman Khan’s father.

Khan Saheb’s father had won a medal in recognition for his service. Khan’s father served in the first Afghan campaign. He was with Lord Roberts in his march from Kabul to Kandahar.

Dr Khan earned a degree in medicine from Lahore Medical School and later entered the Government services in 1873 and served for a period of nine tears in the military department.

‪Hakim Ajmal Khan, one who had defeated British surgeons in the surgical duel.‬

Later in the year 1882 he was transferred to the Civil Medical Department of the United Province where after he served in Atrauli, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. He lived in Meerut.

Just like Sulaiman Khan, Mohammad Yasin was also a senior sub-assistant surgeon from Calcutta (currently known as Kolkata). He was born in December 1858 and attained his alma mater from Bankipur Medical School. He belonged to a reputed zamindar family.

His father was Maulvi Mir Hassan Ali, a military personnel who was responsible for taking care of the British families in India during the mutiny when the British were engaged in the fight. In 1877 – 78, Mohammad Yasin performed a special famine duty in Mysore.

In 1883 he was sent for a medical duty to Egypt. His distinguished efforts in serving the ailing humanity was recognized and later he was elected as a medical officer in charge. Yasin also remained in control of the Balrampur Branch dispensary in Lucknow.

Later he lived in Ganeshganj, Lucknow. Due to the long and meritorious services, both Sulaiman Khan and Mohammad Yasin earned the title of “Khan Saheb” during the coronation ceremony by the British.

For generations, his ancestors were in the British service. For thirty years both his grandfather and his father served in the British army in India. Just as his forefathers, Dr Naimullah too was in the government service for over thirty years.