Biography of the first Muslim President of India

                          Zakir Hussain

Zakir Hussain is the third President of India. He was born on February 8, 1897. He was brought up in a Pashtu family in the then state of Hyderabad. His father Fida Hossain Khan and mother Nazneen Begum. After the birth of Zakir Hossain, his family left Hyderabad and settled in Kayemganj area of ​​Farukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh. The family had a good reputation. Zakir Hossain's elder brother Yusuf Hossain was a renowned educationist. His grandson Salman Khurshid is an influential Congress leader.

His nephew Anwar Hussain became the director of Pakistan Television. His father died when he was 10 and his mother when he was 14. He studied Arabic, Persian, Urdu, English etc. under strict religious discipline under the supervision of Maulana Bashiruddin at Etawah Islamia until the age of 14. At the age of 15, he was admitted to Aligarh Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental (MAQ) College.

At first he wanted to become a doctor but later graduated in English, philosophy and economics. He got a job as a part-time lecturer in Aligarh while pursuing his MA in Law with a good scholarship. In 1926, he went to Germany and received a doctorate in economics from the University of Berlin. Zakir Hossain founded the National Muslim University at Aligarh on 23 October 1920 with a few students and teachers at the age of 23.

Later it came to be known as Jamia Millia Islamia. He went on to do his PhD at the Friedrich Williams University in Germany. He received his PhD in Economics from there. Zakir Hussain returned to India from Germany in 1927. For the next 21 years, he led the educational institution he established from both educational and administrative aspects. It played a very important role in the Indian freedom struggle. The Muslim Anglo-Oriental College later came to be known as the Aligarh Muslim University.

After his tenure as Vice Chancellor from 1948 to 1956, he was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha of India in the same year. His post became vacant in 1957 when he was appointed as the Governor of Bihar. He was then the Governor of the state of Bihar for five years from 1957 to 1962. Appointed as the second Vice President of India from 1962 to 1967 for five years. After this term ended, he was elected as the third President of India on 13 May 1967.

The term of the presidency was also five years. From 1967 to 1972. The Vice President at that time was Barahgiri Venkat Giri. Prime Minister was Indira Gandhi. In his inaugural address as President, he said that the whole of India is his own country and every Indian is his family. Dr. Zakir Hesse died on May 3, 1969. He was 72 years old then.

He died before the end of his term as President of India. He and his wife a few years later are buried at the Jamia Millia Islamia campus in Delhi.

A college was established in Ilianguri in 1970 in his honour. Aligarh Muslim University's engineering college is also named after Dr. In the name of Zakir Hossain.

Zakir Hussain was honored with India's prestigious title 'Padma Vibhushan' in 1954 during his lifetime. Then in 1963 he was awarded the highest honor 'Bharat Rat'.