MAULANA ZAFAR ALI KHAN

Maulana Zafar Ali Khan was born in 1873 at Kot Mehrath, District Sialkot; He received his early education in Mission High School, Wazirabad and Mahindra Singh College, Patiala. Mter ~ brief job in Post and Telegraph Department he joined M.A.O. College Aligarh and graduated in 1895. After graduation he was appointed Secretary to Nawab Mohsin-u1-Mulk who was then in Bombay. Later he worked for sometime as a Translator in Hyderabad Deccan, rising to the post of Secretary Home Department

He returned home on his father's death in 1909 and took over as Editor Urdu Newspaper 'Zamindar'.

This newspaper was started by his father Maulvi Sirajuddin Ahmad in 1903 and later under his editorship became one of the most influential newspapers of the sub-continent. The paper was banned and the press was confiscated because of its revolutionary policies.

He participated many a times in the annual sessions of the All India Muslim League. He supported the resolution, which resulted in the setting up the All India Muslim League (Inaugural Session, Dhaka Dec. 1906). He was member of the Reforms Committee (8th Session All India Muslim League Bombay, December 1915-January 1916). He was also Member of the Committee to formulate Muslim Representation in Legislative and other Elective bodies (16th Session, Bombay, December 1924).

He remained an active member of the Khilafat Movement as well and was a close associate of Maulana Mohamed Ali Jauhar and visited Turkey In 1913 and collected money for the victims of the Balkan Wars.

Maulana Zafar Ali Khan remained Member of the Central Legislative Assembly from 1937 to 1945 and was re-elected to it as a Muslim League Member in 1946.

He died on November 26, 1956.

Most of Maulana's life was spent in politics. He was a great poet, an orator, an essayist of exceptional merit and a Journalist. His interest in poetry began in his childhood and his poems were full of religious and political ,sentiments. His poetical output has been published in 'Baharistan', 'Nigaristan' and 'Chamanistai1'. His other works are 'Ma'arka-e-Mazhab-o-Science', 'Ghalba-e-Rumi', 'Sayr-e-Zulmat' and an opera 'Jang-e-Roos-o-Japan'. He was a devotee of Islam. He is buried in Karamabad (Wazirabad).