Allama Mashriqi: A Founder of Islamia College (Peshawar, Pakistan)

In 2013, Islamia College, one of the iconic learning institutions of Pakistan, marked its Platinum Jubilee. Islamia College first opened its doors to students in 1913 in Peshawar, a Muslim dominated province, where most men were illiterate and female education was considered a sin. The College, planted at the gate of the famous Khyber Pass (connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan), had successes and influence that extended well beyond the old-fashioned city and into the entire North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in British India. The founders of the College, Nawab Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum, Sir George Roos-Keppel, L. Tipping, and Allama Mashriqi, deserve tremendous credit for these successes.

In honor of the College's 100-year anniversary, this booklet provides a background on one of its founding fathers, Allama Mashriqi (who was the first Vice Principal and later Principal of the College). Mashriqi is best known today as the Founder of the Khaksar Tehrik and for his instrumental role in liberating India from British rule. Mashriqi believed that a nation could not rise without education, and demonstrated a lifelong commitment to advancing this cause - from breaking academic records at the University of Cambridge to promoting education among females (including within his own family). At Islamia College, Mashriqi introduced a number of revolutionary reforms and practices, and his progressive thought process helped the institution transform education by bringing an awakening among the males and females in the North West Frontier Province. As a result of his efforts, Mashriqi was promoted to Under Secretary of Education in India and inducted as a member of the prestigious Indian Educational Service (I.E.S.). This booklet provides an overview of the early days of Islamia College as well as Mashriqi's background and many contributions to the institution as he progressed through his career as an educationist. Indeed, the College's legacy is a testament to the pivotal role played by Allama Mashriqi and the other founding fathers in establishing a strong foundation and ensuring the success of the institution.