Majduddin Baḥr al-ʿUlūm | |
|---|---|
ملّا مجد الدین | |
| Head Preceptor of theCalcutta Mohammedan College | |
| In office 1781–1791 | |
| Preceded by | Post established |
| Succeeded by | Muhammad Ismail |
| Personal life | |
| Born | |
| Died | 1813 (1814) |
| Flourished | 18th-century |
| Known for | First Alia Madrasa principal |
| Other names | Madan Shahjahanpuri |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Muslim leader | |
| Teacher | Wahhaj ad-Din Gupamawi Qazi Mubarak Shah Waliullah |
| Based in | Bareilly Calcutta |
Students | |
Majd ad-Dīn al-Madanī (Arabic:مجد الدین المدنی; d. 1813),[1] also known asMadan Shāhjahānpūrī (Arabic:مدن شاہجہانپوری),[2] was an 18th-centuryIndian Muslim theologian. He served as the first principal of theCalcutta Madrasa, the firstAlia Madrasa ofBengal.[3]
Majduddin was born in the 18th century to Tahir al-Husayni inShahjahanpur,greater Bareilly,North India.[1] He studied under ShaykhWahhaj ad-Din inGopamau,Hardoi, who was also the teacher of Muhammad Salih Bengali, It ialso said that Majduddin was a student of Qazi Mubarak,[4] as well as being a senior student ofShah Waliullah Dehlawi, the erstwhileImam al-Hind.[5] In addition toIslamic jurisprudence, Majduddin was trained inrhetoric and logic.[6]
In the last quarter of the 18th century, British administrators realised that it was essential to learn the various religious, social, and legal customs and precedents ofthe subcontinent in order to better manage its administration. As part of this initiative,Warren Hastings, the inauguralGovernor-General of the Presidency of Fort William, founded theCalcutta Mohammedan College in October 1780. Mullah Majduddin visitedCalcutta in September, where he had a large following. On 21 September,[7] several Muslims requested Hastings to use his influence to employ Majduddin as a teacher at the madrasa.[8] Thus, Majduddin became the madrasa's first head preceptor, serving that role for roughly a decade. He is often credited for introducing theDars-i Nizami, a popular Islamic curriculum of North India, toBengal and neighbouring lands,[5] although students ofNizamuddin Sihalivi had reached Bengal, such asAbdul Ali Bahrul Ulum (teacher of Ghulam Mustafa Burdwani). He formulated the syllabus of themadrasa. Alongside fundamental Islamic teachings and jurisprudence, he also included the teaching of mathematics, logic and philosophy. The activities of the Madrasa-i-Alia were undertaken in his own home for the first seven months. During this time, he received a monthly wage of 300takas as the madrasa's principal.[6][9]
In 1791, Majduddin was removed following an investigation conspired by the British Collector of24 Parganas accusing him of alleged mismanagement.[10] Following hisdismissal from Calcutta, Majduddin found employment as theQadi ofLucknow, under theNawab of AwadhSaadat Ali Khan II. However, under political circumstances, he left this career and returned toBareilly, where he began teachingIslamic jurisprudence at theDargah of Hafizul Mulk.[11] One of his notable students of Bareilly wasSalamat Ullah Kashfi.[12] Majduddin died in 1813.