By Mohammad Sajjad,
The district gazetteer of Muzaffarpur, written by LSS’O’Mally, informs (rather reveals) to us that the college at Muzaffarpur, now named after Langat Singh, was founded by the Bihar Scientific Society, Muzaffarpur.
The Bhumihar Brahman Sabha (founded by the Raja of Banaras, at Patna, in 1889) had its annual conference at Muzaffarpur in 1899, where it was decided to open a college for higher education. Therefore, the Sabha deposited an amount of Rs.50 thousand to the Trust of the Bihar Scientific Society, Muzaffarpur. (p.134).
This amount was provided by the Jaintpur Zamindar, Mahanth Raghunath Das, which was deposited at the Syndicate/Senate of the Calcutta University, to obtain permission/recognition/affiliation for the college.
In July 1899, this college was founded and got the status of a “Second Grade College”(Pre-Graduate). In the subsequent year ie in 1900 A.D; it got the status of “First Grade” college i.e, Degree college.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BIHAR SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY, MUZAFFARPUR?
On 24th May 1868, the Society was set up in Muzaffarpur by the then Sadar Amin (subordinate Judge) of Muzaffarpur, Syed Imdad Ali, who was the founding Secretary as well.
The President of the Society was Nawab Syed Mohd. Taqi, the Raja of Jogiara(Darbhanga), who was the founder of Zilla School, Muzaffarpur in 1845.
The Life Honorary Secretary of the Society was the founder of the college at Aligarh, Syed Ahmad Khan(1817-98).
Most of the details of the activities and achievements of the Society are provided by a French Professor, named Garcien de Tussey, who had visited India during the period and has published all these details in his annual lectures delivered in a French University.
He was a great admirer of the Indian literature and culture. The Society had its fortnightly newspaper in Urdu called, Akhbar ul Akhyar, edited by Ajodhya Prasad, who was not only a scholar of Persian but also an author of a book,”Gulzar-e-Maaroof, Ba Yaaz-e-Tirhut”.
Garcien de Tussey was the subscriber of the newspaper. Another famous Urdu writer and a freedom fighter, Qazi Abdul Wadood, had read some 31 issues of the newspaper, in 1960, at Patna.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SOCIETY:
To set up schools and colleges and make available Urdu translations of the books of the modern European sciences, history and philosophy.
Syed Imdad Ali expressed that, to have an access to the modern sciences of Europe, it is necessary to make available those books in vernaculars, ie, in Hindustani(Urdu/Hindi).
This is what he explained in a letter to SW Fallon, the Inspector of Schools, Danapur, Patna. He further explained that European nations had made progress only because after, 1453 AD, they could get knowledge stored in Latin and Greek languages from Rome, translated into their own mother tongues.
This movement came to be known in History as Renaissance. With the efforts of Syed Imdad Ali and many others, on 31 July 1870, the Govt. of India and the Calcutta University on 12th May 1871 agreed to conduct Middle class examinations in the Indian vernaculars.
The Kutchehri… Manjhla Estate
By that time, the Society had established about 5 schools in and around the ‘city’ of Muzaffarpur. The Narhan Zamindar, Parmeshwari Pd. Narain Singh donated Rs. 5 thousand and the Jaintpur Zamindar, Mahanth Raja Ram Das donated Rs 2 thousand to the Society to set up schools in their respective villages. Hardi and other zamindars(Estates) also established schools in their villages.
In a letter written to the Vice chancellor of the Calcutta University, Syed Imdad Ali demanded to establish a college for the pass-outs of the Zilla Schools.
According to Garcien de Tussey, On 7th November 1871, the Society laid the foundation stone of “the Muzaffarpur Central College, in the centre of the city, amidst mango orchards. on the day right since the early morning, thousands of people gathered there. The Lt. Governor, G.Campbell, laid the foundation of the building.
Syed Imdad Ali delivered a stirring speech in Hindustani whereas Mr Campbell and Mr Fallon addressed in English. Campbell, however did emphasise that in order to pursue higher education, the Indians will have to learn English….”.
The Society of Syed Imdad Ali also established a department of translation (a Team of translators was paid Rs. 300 a month in total). Trigonometry, Materia Medica, Optics, Physiology, Algebra, Mechanics, Philosophy, History, Agricultural Sciences, Masonry etc were the subjects being translated.
Syed Imdad Ali sent Rs 1000 to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, during his stay in London, requesting him to hire a team of the scholars of Oxford, and Cambridge to prepare syllabi and recommended books to be sent to the Library of the Muzaffarpur’s Scientific Society.
Qazi Abdul Wadood informs us that the books were sent to Muzaffarpur (for details, see his essay, “Akhbar ul Akhyar, Muzaffarpur aur Sir Syed” published in the ‘Fikr o Nazar’, Aligarh, July 1960).
Garcien de Tussey also authenticates about the library having brought over 200 books from abroad. The Society published several translations in collaboration with the Scientific Society of Aligarh.
In 1869, the Society also established, “Anjuman-e-Tehzeeb”, to conduct seminars, conferences, researches, debates and social welfare efforts like setting up an orphanage.
In 1872, Syed Imdad Ali was transferred to Gaya where he established a branch of the Society and also a school.In August 1886, Syed Imdad Ali died of a paralytic stroke.(For details, see BK Sinha’s essay on Syed Imdad Ali, published in the journal of Historical Research, Ranchi, vol. 13, 1970)
THE BIGGEST IRONY:
The extremely sad irony is that while we do remember the Bhumihar Brahman Sabha and its members like Langat Singh, Ganesh Dutt Singh etc who did a lot for the educational uplift of their caste fellows, we forget the more significantly progressive, socially all inclusive contributions of the Bihar Scientific Society and its moving spirits like Syed Imdad Ali, Syed Mohd. Taqi etc.
The LS College got several names at different times. In 1899, it was called Bhumihar Brahman College, in 1915, Greer BB College and in 1951, LS college.
In 1920, it constructed two hostels, one named after Duke and another after Langat Singh but the Bihar Scientific Society and its founding Secretary, Syed Imdad Ali and the founding President, Mohd Taqi remains inexplicably un-acknowledged in the entire politics of the nomenclature of the college.
Does it not amount to historical injustice ? Will this injustice be undone ? If yes, how and when?
Mohammad Sajjad is Assistant Professor at Centre of Advanced Study in History, Aligarh Muslim University (India)
