Hakim Ajmal Khan and Nationalist Politics
Hakim Ajmal Khan was a prominent freedom fighter, physician, and educationist who played a central role in India’s freedom struggle during the early 20th century. As a pioneer of Unani medicine and a advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity, he bridges the worlds of traditional medicine, social reform, and nationalist politics. He served as the President of both the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League, marking a rare convergence of leadership in pre-independence Indian politics. His contributions to the Khilafat Movement, the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the establishment of institutions like Jamia Millia Islamia and the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College reflect his multi-dimensional impact on Indian nationalism.
Early Life and Medical Legacy
Heritage and Training
Hakim Ajmal Khan was born on February 11, 1868, in Delhi into a distinguished family of Unani physicians who had served the Mughal court since the reign of Emperor Babur. He studied traditional Islamic sciences, Arabic, Persian, and Unani medicine under his family elders and leading scholars of the era.
Revival of Unani Medicine
He modernized the Unani system of medicine by integrating western diagnostic techniques and research principles without compromising traditional fundamentals. In 1916, he established the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College in Karol Bagh, Delhi, which was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1921. He founded the Anjuman-i-Tibb, an organization dedicated to the research, standardization, and protection of indigenous medical practices against colonial regulatory pressures.
Entry into Politics and Khilafat Movement
Early Political Associations
Hakim Ajmal Khan was one of the founding members of the All India Muslim League in Dhaka in 1906. However, his political outlook remained firmly anti-colonial and pan-Indian, leading him to advocate for joint Hindu-Muslim action against British rule.
Leadership in the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movements
He emerged as a central figure during the Khilafat Movement (1919–1924), working alongside the Ali Brothers (Maulana Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali), Mahatma Gandhi, and Swami Shraddhanand. He viewed the Khilafat cause as an opportunity to forge lasting communal unity against colonial rule. When Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, Ajmal Khan was among the first national leaders to endorse the call. He surrendered his British-conferred titles, including Kaiser-i-Hind and Haziq-ul-Mulk, returning them to the colonial government in protest against the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Presidential Roles and Institutional Building
President of the Indian National Congress (1921)
At the Ahmedabad session of the Indian National Congress in December 1921, Hakim Ajmal Khan was elected President in place of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, who was in prison at the time. His presidential address emphasized non-violent non-cooperation, Hindu-Muslim unity, and boycott of foreign goods.
Co-founder of Jamia Millia Islamia
During the Non-Cooperation Movement, students and faculty walked out of the British-supported Aligarh Muslim University in pursuit of national education. In October 1920, Ajmal Khan, along with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Maulana Mohammad Ali, and Zakir Husain, founded Jamia Millia Islamia at Aligarh. The institution later shifted to Delhi, and Ajmal Khan served as its first Chancellor (Amir-i-Jamia) from 1920 until his death in 1927.
Co-founder of the Swaraj Party (1923)
Following the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922, the Congress split into two factions: the “No-Changers” who opposed entering legislative councils, and the “Pro-Changers” who wanted to enter councils to disrupt colonial administration from within. Ajmal Khan aligned with C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru to form the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party (Swaraj Party) in January 1923, serving as one of its key organizers.
Key Positions and Leadership Timeline
| Year / Period | Office / Role | Key Political or Educational Contribution |
| 1906 | Founding Member, All India Muslim League | Participated in the inaugural session in Dhaka |
| 1908 | Granted Title Haziq-ul-Mulk | Received title from the British administration, which he surrendered in 1920 |
| 1916 | Founded Tibbia College | Laid the foundation of Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College, Delhi |
| 1919 | President, All India Muslim League | Presided over the Amritsar session of the Muslim League |
| 1920–1927 | First Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia | Provided financial and administrative guidance to the national institution |
| 1921 | President, Indian National Congress | Presided over the Ahmedabad session during C.R. Das’s imprisonment |
| 1923 | Co-founder, Swaraj Party | Joined C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru to advocate legislative entry |
Key Exam Facts
- Hakim Ajmal Khan was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind medal in 1915 and the title Haziq-ul-Mulk in 1908 by the British government, both of which he renounced during the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920.
- He remains the only person to have served as President of the Indian National Congress, President of the All India Muslim League, and Chairman of the All India Khilafat Committee.
- He presided over the 1921 Ahmedabad session of the Indian National Congress as acting President because the elected President, C.R. Das, was imprisoned.
- He served as the first Chancellor (Amir-i-Jamia) of Jamia Millia Islamia from its foundation in 1920 until his death on December 29, 1927.
- He established the Hindustani Tibbi Front in Delhi to conduct scientific research on herbs and indigenous systems of medicine.
- His efforts led to the establishment of the Unani Research Centre in New Delhi, which now functions under the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM).
- National Unani Day is celebrated in India every year on February 11 to mark the birth anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan.
