Interview with A. K. Mathur, September 30, 2009

Partial Transcript: You know there were a lot of people in those departments from Iran, and Saudi Arabia, and African countries and so on.

Segment Synopsis: Mathur gives his biographical information and information regarding his childhood. He then gives an overview of his educational experiences, including his association with Aligarh Muslim University. Mathur also discusses his father’s relationship with the university.

Keywords: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Barahscna College; Civil engineering; Delhi (India); Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra; Economics; Education; Expeditions, Antarctic; Fathers; Government schools; Habib, Irfan; Jodhpur (India); Kumar, Satish; Lucknow (India); Marriage; National Council of Historical Research; Professors; Public schools; Qasim, Syed Zahur; Uttar Pradesh Electricity Board; Wife; Wives; Zoology

Subjects: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Childhood; Education; Families.; Jodhpur (India); Lucknow (India)

Partial Transcript: So when you became a student in nineteen fifty-seven, were you a, a residential student or a day scholar?

Segment Synopsis: Mathur discusses his time as a day scholar at Aligarh Muslim University. Abbas then talks about studying the Hindi language in Jodhpur (India). He also talks about a vice-chancellor being physically beaten on campus in the mid-1960s, as well as other vice-chancellors.

Keywords: Aleem, Abdul; Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Ambassadors; Assaults; Beatings; Day scholars; Deans; Hindi language; Hyderabad (India); Jodhpur (India); Jung, Nawab Ali Yavar; Khusro, Ali Mohammed; Krishna; Lucknow (India); Non-resident students’ union; Rajasthan (India); Residence halls; Tayyabji, Badruddin; University of Delhi; Urdu language; Violence

Subjects: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Ambassadors; Hindi language; Hyderabad (India); India--History.; Jodhpur (India); Khusro, Ali Mohammed; Lucknow (India); Rajasthan (India); University of Delhi; Urdu language; Violence

Partial Transcript: What was it like for you--I mean, one of the things that really interests me is how the, the demographics or the make up of the student body changed after Partition.

Segment Synopsis: Mathur talks about the demographic changes that occurred at Aligarh Muslim University after the partition of India in 1947. He then talks about the myriad of languages spoken in India. Mathur then talks about his ancestors.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Engineering; Farsi language; Hindi language; Hindus; Partition of India; Urdu language

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Engineering; Hindi language; Hindus; India--History--Partition, 1947; India--History.; Urdu language

Partial Transcript: And Aligarh connection and family background.

Segment Synopsis: Mathur discusses his ancestors, who are descended from individuals in the Mogul Empire. He also talks about his family’s recipe for mutton.

Keywords: Ancestry; Brahmins; Castes; Divons; Hindu; Kshatriyas; Mathurs; Moguls; Mutton; Religion; Vaishya

Subjects: Castes and tribes of India; Hindu; India--History.; Mogul Empire--History.; Mogul Empire.; Mutton; Religion

Partial Transcript: Tell me--I, I want to know more about when you started at Aligarh.

Segment Synopsis: Mathur talks about starting at Aligarh Muslim University in the 1951. He also talks about Hindu-Muslim riots that occurred in the 1950s. Mathur discusses the differences in attitude towards communalism in Lucknow (India) versus Aligarh (India).

Keywords: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Communalism; Fathers; Hindus; Lucknow (India); Meerut (India); Muslims; Rajasthan (India); Riots, Hindu-Muslim; Stabbings; Uttar Pradesh Electricity Board; Violence

Subjects: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Communalism; Fathers; Hindus; India--History.; Lucknow (India); Meerut (India); Muslims; Rajasthan (India); Riots; Violence

Partial Transcript: You see, there used to be great, uh, community participation--Aligarh Unions used to be...

Segment Synopsis: Mathur talks about conflict between Progressives and Islamic fundamentalist students and faculty members at Aligarh Muslim University.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Aligarh Students’ Union; Communists; Conflict; Faculty; Film industry; Islamic fundamentalism; Khusro, A.M.; Mullahs; Professors; Progressives; Sherwanis; Students; Tayyabji, Badruddin; Vice-chancellors

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Communists; India--History.; Islamic clothing and dress; Islamic fundamentalism.; Khusro, Ali Muhammad; Professors; Students

Partial Transcript: So were there any, when you were a student there, any other political groups who were active that were--

Segment Synopsis: Mathur talks about the network of powerful people at Aligarh Muslim University, and his access to it as a non-Muslim student. He illustrates this with the story of a low-achieving Bengali student whose father managed to get him into the engineering college at Aligarh Muslim University.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Bengalis; Discipline; Electrical engineering; Faculty; Fathers; Germany; Gill, P.S.; Hindus; Husain, Yusuf; Husain, Zakir; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College; Muslims; Networking; Political parties; Power; Professors; Students; Uttar Pradesh (India)

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Discipline; Electrical engineering; Fathers; Germany; Gill, P. S.; Hindus; Husain, Zakir; India--History.; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum; Muslims; Professors; Students; Uttar Pradesh (India)

Partial Transcript: So, in addition to that, I mean, the, there's sort of a major fracture between--in India between the, the Muslim communities and the Hindu communities.

Segment Synopsis: Mathur talks about the lack of regional tensions at Aligarh Muslim University. He then talks about the lack of women and girls in his classes; however, they attended other classes. Next, the two talk about the return of conservatism after the September 11 terrorist attacks occurred in 2001.

Keywords: Abayas; Africa; Aligarh Muslim University; Aligarh Women’s College; Burkas; China; Curtains; Engineering; Girls; Hindus; Iran; Islamic clothing and dress; Islamic fundamentalism; Kerala (India); Middle East; Muslims; Purdah; Regional tensions; September 11, 2001.; Southeast Asia; Thailand; Women

Subjects: Africa; Aligarh Muslim University; China; Engineering; Girls; Hindus; India--History.; Iran; Islamic clothing and dress; Islamic fundamentalism; Kerala (India); Muslims; Purdah; September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.; Southeast Asia; Thailand; Women

Partial Transcript: When you--

Segment Synopsis: Mathur and his wife talk about the establishment of Pakistan and the colleagues and family who migrated to the newly-created country. He then talks about the order established by Ayub Khan’s First Martial Law, as well as the present state of Hindu-Muslim relations. Mathur talks about his colleagues and associates who migrated to East Pakistan (later Bangladesh).

Keywords: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; First martial law; Gujaratindia (India); Hindus; Jodhpur (India); Khan, Ayub; Lahore (Pakistan); Lucknow (India); Migration; Muslims; Pakistan; Partition of India; Riots, Hindu-Muslims; Violence

Subjects: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Hindus; India--History--Partition, 1947; India--History.; Jodhpur (India); Khan, Ayub, 1969-; Lahore (Pakistan); Lucknow (India); Martial law; Muslims; Pakistan; Riots; Violence

Partial Transcript: What, um, what do you remember about the culture of the sports in Aligarh?

Segment Synopsis: Mathur talks about sports at Aligarh Muslim University. He also talks about Aligarh Muslim University students supporting Pakistan in India versus Pakistan cricket matches.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Badminton; Cricket; Hockey; India; Muslims; Pakistan; Punjab (India); Sports

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Cricket; Hindus; Hockey; India; India--History.; Muslims; Pakistan; Punjab (India); Sports.

Partial Transcript: Did you, did you ever know any students--I mean you mentioned this one fellow who married over there.

Segment Synopsis: Mathur talks about his friends and associates who decided to migrate to Pakistan. He also briefly discusses his children.

Keywords: Aligarh Muslim University; Bombay (India); Daughters; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College; Mumbai (India); Pakistan; Partition of India; Singapore; Sons

Subjects: Aligarh Muslim University; Daughters; India--History--Partition, 1947; India--History.; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum; Mumbai (India); Pakistan; Pakistan--History; Partition; Singapore; Sons

Partial Transcript: So I have one final question for you.

Segment Synopsis: Mathur talks about the benefits he has received from his education at Aligarh Muslim University. He then talks about convocations at Aligarh Muslim University, which are in Arabic. Abbas and Mathur then discuss the controversy over awarding A.R. Rahman an honorary degree, as well as Professor Irfan Habib, who was charged with violence, but later reinstated. The interview ends with a discussion of Mathur's upcoming trip to the United States.

Keywords: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Arabic language; Barbers; Butlers; California; Center for Advanced Studies in History; Convocations; Degrees, honorary; Education; English language; Executive council; Habib, Irfan; Hindus; Husain, Hadi; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College; Lucknow (India); Mullahs; Muslims; Rahman, A.R.; Speeches; Suidden, K.G.; United States of America; University of Oxford

Subjects: Aligarh (India); Aligarh Muslim University; Arabic language; Barbers; Butlers; California; Education; English language; Habib, Irfan, 1931-; Hindus; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum; Lucknow (India); Muslims; Rahman, A. R.; Speeches; United States; University of Oxford