Interview with Mohammad Amin, November 5, 2009

Partial Transcript: I am here on the fifth of November with Doctor Mohammad Amin at his home in I.P. extension, east of the Jamuna in New Delhi.

Segment Synopsis: Amin talks about how he obtained employment at the University of Delhi. He also talks about Pakistani historian Ishtiaq Qureshi.

Keywords: Columbia University; Cornell University; Habib, Mohammad; Hindustan; Karachi (Pakistan); Mission colleges; Persian language; Proctors; Provosts; Qureshi, Ishtiaq Husain; St. Stephen’s College; University of Delhi

Subjects: Columbia University; Cornell University; Habib, Mohammad; India--History; Karachi (Pakistan); Pakistan--History; Persian language; Qureshi, Ishtiaq Husain; St. Stephen's College (Delhi, India); University of Delhi.

Partial Transcript: Well, tell me first, um, when and where were you born?

Segment Synopsis: Amin discusses the town in which he was born, as well as his education background. He then talks about the religious education he received.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Arabic language; Colonialism; Education; Fathers; India; Islam; Madras (India); Missionary schools; Mosques; Police; Qasbahs; Qassabahs; Queens College; Qur’an, the (Book); Railway schools; Religious education; University of Allahabad; Urdu language; Uttar Pradesh (India)

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Arabic language; Education; Fathers; India; India--History; Islam; Madras (India); Mosques; Pakistan--History; Police; Qur’an; Religious education; University of Allahabad; Urdu language; Uttar Pradesh (India)

Partial Transcript: Tell me more about this--(coughs)--hobby for hunting and shooting.

Segment Synopsis: Amin talks about his extracurricular activities at Aligarh Muslim University, such as hunting, music, and sports. He then talks about the importance of the Mongolian and Turkish invasions to Islamic history, as well as some of his studies on medieval India.

Keywords: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Babur; British; Circumcision; Dancing; Great Britain; Habib, Irfan; Hindus; Hindustan; Historians; History; Horses; Hunting; India; Islam; Jihad; Lahore (Pakistan); Liberalist school; Medieval India; Minault, Gail; Mongolian invasion; Music; Muslims; Pakistan; Qur’an, the (Book); Shooting; Sports; Sultans; Turks; Zahir-ud-Din, Muhammad; da Gama, Vasco

Subjects: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Babur, Emperor of Hindustan, 1483-1530.; British; Circumcision.; Dance; Explorers; Great Britain; Habib, Irfan, 1931-; Hindus; Historians; History; Horses; Hunting; India; India--History; Islam; Jihad; Lahore (Pakistan); Minault, Gail, 1939-; Mongolia--History.; Music; Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Qur'an; Shooting; Sports; Sultans; Turkey; Turks

Partial Transcript: Well, tell me, when you were a student in Aligarh in the nineteen forties, do you remember the--were there leftist students at that time?

Segment Synopsis: Amin discusses left-leaning student organizations at Aligarh Muslim University. He then talks about the main political groups on campus. Amin talks about his family members who also attended Aligarh Muslim University, such as his wife and brother. He then gives more details about his brother’s life, such as his decision to migrate to Pakistan. Next, Amin talks about the political leaders who visited Aligarh Muslim University.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Aligarh Students’ Union; All-India Muslim League; Bangladesh; Battagram (Pakistan); Bombay (India); Brothers; Colonialism; Communalism; Communism; Cricket; East Pakistan; Education; Elections; Feudalism; Foreign affairs; Hyderabad (India); Islamic fundamentalism; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali; Karachi (Pakistan); Khan, Iftar; Khan, Ishtar; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan); Kolkata (India); Lahore (Pakistan); Leftists; Migration; Military action; Mumbai (India); Mustafa, A.T.M.; Nehru, Jawaharlal; North-west Frontier Province (Pakistan); Pakistan; Pakistan Army; Partition of India; Police action; Purdah; Rangpur City (Bangladesh); Refugees; Sectarianism; Students; Supreme Court of Pakistan; University of Allahabad; Wives

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; All-India Muslim League; Bangladesh; Brothers; Communalism; Communism; Cricket; Education; Elections; Feudalism; Hyderabad (India); India--History; India--History--Partition, 1947; Islamic fundamentalism; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, 1876-1948.; Karachi (Pakistan); Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan); Kolkata (India); Lahore (Pakistan); Mumbai (India); Nehru, Jawaharlal, 1889-1964.; Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Pakistan. Army.; Purdah; Rangpur (Bangladesh); Rangpur District (Bangladesh); Refugees; Students; University of Allahabad; Wives

Partial Transcript: In nineteen forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven, the university had a very great, uh, a absolutely wonderful thing: a collection drive for putting in a medical college in, uh, Aligarh.

Segment Synopsis: Amin talks about vice-chancellor Ziauddin Ahmad’s effort to start a medical college at Aligarh Muslim University in 1946.

Keywords: Ahmad, Ziauddin; Aligarh Muslim University; British; Collection drives; Doctors; Europe; Great Britain; Hindus; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College; Jinnah, Muhammed Ali; Khan, Liaquat Ali; Medical colleges; Medical equipment; Muslims; Nehru, Jawaharlal; Pakistan; Physicians; Quaid-e-Azam; Uttar Pradesh (India); World War II

Subjects: Ahmad, Ziauddin, 1930-; Aligarh Muslim University; British; British--India--History.; Europe; Great Britain; India--History; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum; Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, 1876-1948.; Khan, Liaquat Ali, 1895-1951.; Medical colleges.; Muslims; Nehru, Jawaharlal, 1889-1964.; Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Physicians; Uttar Pradesh (India); World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Do you--you must have remembered two of those major vice-chancellors, Ziauddin and Zakir Hussain.

Segment Synopsis: Amin talks about vice-chancellor Ziauddin Ahmad, who he felt was intelligent, but manipulative. He then talks about vice-chancellor Abu Bakr Ahmad Haleem, a pro vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, who was close friends with Ziauddin Ahmad.

Keywords: Ahmad, Ziauddin; Aligarh Muslim University; All-India Muslim League; Assam (India); Guwahati (India); Haleem, Abu Bakr Ahmad; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan); Nationalists; North-west Frontier Province (Pakistan); Pro vice-chancellors; Railway stations; Tangas; Vice-chancellors

Subjects: Ahmad, Ziauddin, 1930-; Aligarh Muslim University; All-India Muslim League; Assam (India); India--History; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan); Nationalists; Pakistan--History

Partial Transcript: So, that, that, that happened there and, uh, uh, you had, uh--was at that time Aligarh really was wrestling with the, uh, the movement for Pakistan.

Segment Synopsis: Amin talks about the atmosphere of Aligarh Muslim University during the height of the Pakistan movement. He then talks about Muslims’ attitudes towards Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement against the British. Next, he talks at length about the implications of the British occupation of India.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Gandhi, Mahatma; Hindus; Mogul Empire; Moguls; Muslims; Nobility; Non-cooperation movement; Pakistan movement; Partition of India; Racial categories; Royal families; Students; World War II

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; British; Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948.; Great Britain; Hindus; India; India--History; India--History--Partition, 1947; Madras (India); Mogul Empire.; Muslims; Nobility.; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Pakistan--History; Race.; Royal family; Sociology; Students; Turkey; Turks; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Okay, this is, uh, part two with Doctor Mohammad Amin.

Segment Synopsis: Amin begins by talking about agriculture in India, discussing such topics as taxation and how the worth of land depends on the type of crops it produces.

Keywords: Agriculture; Crops; India; Land; Rulers; Taxation; Taxes

Subjects: Agriculture; Crops; India; India--History; Pakistan--History; Rulers & elites; Taxation.

Partial Transcript: Anyway, we went towards what were talking about earlier.

Segment Synopsis: Amin talks about the fear that Aligarh (India) would be attacked after the partition of India. He then talks about the conflict between India and Pakistan and how alumni of Aligarh Muslim University are given a unique perspective about this conflict.

Keywords: Abbassi, Abdul; Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Aligarh Students’ Union; All-India Muslim League; Hindus; India; Indian National Congress; Kolkata (India); Land reforms; Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Partition of India; Rangpur (Pakistan); Sikhs; Wars

Subjects: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; All-India Muslim League; Hindus; India; India--History; India--History--Partition, 1947; Indian National Congress; Kolkata (India); Land reform; Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan movement; Pakistan--History; Pakistan--Military relations--India.; Rangpur (Bangladesh); Rangpur District (Bangladesh); Sikhs; War

Partial Transcript: So when, when all this moving and coming and going was happening in forty-seven, forty-eight, and your brother left in forty--

Segment Synopsis: Amin talks about his own decision not to migrate to Pakistan. He then talks about his colleagues who did decide to migrate.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Aligarh Riding Squad; Brothers; Government College University; Husain, Wajahat; Islamia College; Lahore (Pakistan); Migration; Muslims; Pakistan; Punjab (India); Uncles; Uttar Pradesh (India)

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Brothers; Government College University (Faiṣalābād, Pakistan); Husain, Wajahat; India--History; Islamia College, Peshawar (Pakistan); Muslims; Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Punjab (India); Uncles; Uttar Pradesh (India)

Partial Transcript: And which hall did you live in?

Segment Synopsis: Amin talks about his residence hall at Aligarh Muslim University. He then talks about the importance of Islam to his personal identity. Amin also talks about the history of Islam in Russia under Peter the Great.

Keywords: Alcohol; Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Fatwas; Islam; Islamic law; Lahore (Pakistan); Mosques; Mullahs; Muslims; Peter I, Emperor of Russia; Peter the Great; Qur’an, the (Book); Russia; Sir Syed Hall; Vice-chancellors

Subjects: Alcohol; Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Fatwas.; India--History; Islam; Islamic law; Lahore (Pakistan); Mosques; Muslims; Pakistan--History; Peter I, Emperor of Russia, 1672-1725; Qur’an; Russia