Fazl-i-Hussain facts for kids

Sir Mian Fazl-i-Husain (born June 14, 1877 – died July 9, 1936) was a very important politician during the time when Britain ruled India. He also helped start the Unionist Party in a region called Punjab.

Biography

Early Life and Education

Fazl-i-Husain was born in Peshawar in 1877. His family were Punjabi Muslims from Gurdaspur. His father, Mian Husain Bakhsh, worked as an officer in Peshawar.

When he was sixteen, Fazl-i-Husain went to Government College in Lahore. He earned his first degree in 1897. In 1896, he married Muhammad Nisa, whose great-grandfather was Ilahi Bakhsh, a famous general.

In 1898, Fazl-i-Husain traveled to Britain to study more. He joined Christ's College, Cambridge in 1899 and got another degree in 1901. He wanted to join the Indian Civil Service, which was a top government job, but he didn't pass the exams. Instead, he studied languages and law at Cambridge. He became a lawyer in 1901. He was even chosen to be the President of the Cambridge Majlis, a student group, in 1901. He helped write a message of sympathy to Edward VII when Queen Victoria died.

Fazl-i-Husain came back to Punjab in 1901 and started working as a lawyer in Sialkot. From 1905 to 1920, he practiced law at the Punjab High Court in Lahore.

Becoming a Politician

In 1905, Fazl-i-Husain joined the Indian National Congress, a big political party. In 1916, he was elected to the Punjab Legislative Council. This council helped make laws for Punjab. He felt that people in Punjab weren't very involved in politics. He wanted to encourage them to care about government and connect their interests with the wider goals of the Congress party.

However, he left the Congress party in 1920. This was because they supported the Non-cooperation movement, which encouraged people to stop working with the British government. Fazl-i-Husain worried that this movement would harm schools and colleges. He believed education was very important for Punjab, which was behind in schooling. He felt that Mahatma Gandhi's idea of setting up new national schools was not practical.

Leading the Unionist Party

After some changes in government called the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms, Fazl-i-Husain was re-elected to the Punjab Legislative Council in 1920. He became one of the most important politicians in the region. In 1921, he was chosen as one of two ministers by the Governor of Punjab. He was in charge of education, health, and local government.

During this time, he brought together a group of politicians from rural areas. This group included Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. In 1923, they officially formed the Unionist Party. This party aimed to represent farmers and landowners in Punjab. While it gained support from rural Hindus and Sikhs, it also attracted many Muslims from cities.

In 1923, Fazl-i-Husain worked to increase the number of Muslims in local government and educational institutions. He wanted their representation to match the number of Muslims in the population. This caused some disagreements between Muslims and Hindus. As education minister, he also helped create a plan to set aside jobs for Muslims in the Indian civil service.

In January 1924, he was re-elected and stayed a minister until January 1926. Then, he became a Revenue Member, dealing with taxes and land. Chhotu Ram, a Hindu leader, took over as president of the Unionist Party. In 1926, Fazl-i-Husain was honored with the title of Knight Commander.

Role in National Politics

In 1930, he was promoted to the Viceroy's Executive Council in Delhi, which was a very powerful position. He stayed there until 1935. He became a key advisor to the Viceroy, who was the highest British official in India. He used his position to challenge Muhammad Ali Jinnah's claim that only he represented the interests of all Muslims.

Fazl-i-Husain played a big part in organizing the Round Table Conferences. These were meetings in London where Indian leaders discussed India's future with British officials. He influenced the views of the Muslim leaders present. The ideas he put forward for the "Muslim interest" from Punjab were successful.

Because of the Communal Award and the Government of India Act 1935, Muslims in Punjab and Bengal (where they were the majority) kept their separate elections. They also got more seats than other groups in their local assemblies. This gave Muslim politicians in Punjab more power. However, it also created tension with Muslims in other provinces, who then looked to Jinnah and the Muslim League for support.

In 1932, he led the Indian group to a conference with South Africa. He was again honored with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India in 1932.

When he returned to Lahore from Delhi in 1935, Fazl-i-Husain worked to get the Unionist Party ready for upcoming elections. He reorganized the party, helped with funding, and chose candidates. He also warned Jinnah not to interfere with the politics of Punjab. In January 1936, Jinnah offered him the presidency of the Muslim League. However, before Fazl-i-Husain could respond, Jinnah took the position himself.

Death

Sir Mian Fazl-i-Husain became ill on July 1, 1936, and passed away nine days later in Lahore. He was buried in his family graveyard in Batala.

Family

One of his daughters, Asghari, married Manzur Qadir. His half-brother, Mian Muhammad Afzal Husain, served as the Vice Chancellor of the University of the Punjab in Lahore for two terms.