Prof. Md Badiur Rahman: Jalaliya Madrasah of Buhar

Jalaliya Madrasah of Buhar

Prof. Md Badiur Rahman

Munshi Syed Sadruddin al Musuvi al – Alawi[1] Zamindar of Buhar, established a large Madrasah at Buhar, in the district of Burdwan in 1775 AD[2].He was Mir Munshi of Mirjafar, Nawab of Murshidabad, and tutor to his son and successor, Najmudr Dawlah. Hsubsequently served as Munshi to Warre Hastings. Emperor Shah Alam had appointed him Mutawalli of the Bais Hazari parganas of Bengal. The tenure of which was earlier granted to the eminent saint, syed shah jalal Tabrlier[3] (d.1244 AD) at Pandua, Malda. Therefore Munshi Sadruddin named the Madrasah after the saint as Jalalia Madrasah.

Munshi Sadruddin was a patron of art and literature and he had a good collection of Arabic, Persian and Urdu books in the name of Kutubkhana Jalalia, Buhar[4]. Naturally after the foundation of Jalalia Madrasah he attached his magnificent library to the Jalalia Madrasah. The whole expenditures of the Madrasah were bourne from the income of Bais Hazari parganas[5].

On the invitation of Munshi Sadruddin, the renowned scholar and writer, Maulana Abdul Ali of Lucknow (d. 1810 A.D) popularly know as ‘Bahrul Ulum’ i.e. the sea of knowledge, shouldered the burden of Mudarris Awal i.e. Head Maulana at an extremely lucrative salary of Rs. 400 p.m.[6] Along with Bahrul Ulum not less than 100 students also came to Jalalia Madrasah, Buhar for higher Islamic studies and Munshi Sadruddin had arranged for their stipends[7].

However during his four years stay at Buhar Maulana Abdul Ali. Besides the duty of teaching, wrote Hidayatus sarf[8] and then he left for Madras.

Munshi Sadruddin died in 1796. But the fate of the Jalalia Madrasah only left tobe conjectured as no Chronological history of it is available with us. However, during the time of Maulana Syed Sadruddin Ahmed al-Alawi al-Gadri (1843-1905 AD.), a great-grandson of Munshi Sadruddin, Mudarris Awwal i.e. Head Maulana of Jalalia was one Hasibuddin Ahmad[9]; Mudarris Thani Maulvi Khadim Musain and Syed Zillur Rahaman was Amine Madrasah. But it is understood that much of the glory of Jalalia Madrasah of the time of Munshi Sadruddin might have lost by the time of Maulana Sadruddin Ahmed. The number of the Library collection diminished to 100 manuscripts and  some print books. But At the Personal endeavour of Maulana Sadruddin Ahmad, who himself was a distinguished scholar, the condition of the Madrasah was revived once again during some time in the latter half of the 19^th century AD. Consequently the collection grew upon 953 MSS. And 940 printed volumes on various subjects of Islamic Studies.

Hearing the past glory of Jalalia Madrawah Lord Curzon paid a visit to Buhar in the early years of 20^th century and persuaded Maulana Syed Sadruddin Ahmad to donate his collection of the Madrasah to the Imerial Library. Therefore Sadruddin Ahmad presented the magnificent collection to the Govt. Of India under an agreement on 22^nd Aug. 1904; which was shifted to Metcalfe Hall, Imperial Library, Calcutta[10] excepting two illuminated MSS. one being the Quran,written in a beautiful minute Naskh by the Emperor Aurangzib, the other being a copy of punj Surah written in a learned maskh in gold by the prince Dara Shikuh, which are kept in the custody of Victoria Memorial Hall, Calcutta.

Nothing can be said definitely about the course of study and Syllabus of Jalalia Madrasa Buhar which may well be [11]Cnnjectured like the early syllabus of Madrasahe Alia[12]. As we have seen earlier that the Jalalia Madrasah was headed by sahrul Ulum Abdul Hai who was the able son and disciple of distinguished Mulla Nizamuddin Sihalvi[13]  (d 1748 or 1754), he must have introduced the popular Darse Nizami system education there. Besides Arabic and Persian the sciences of Al- Quran, Hadith, Fiqh and other branches of Islamic studies were taught. Among other celebrated scholars Syed Ghulam Mustafa was a product pf Jalalia Madrasah who later rose to the post of Mufti of Otawa and then of Birbhum[14].Therefore, the services of Buhar Madrasah in the spread of Islamic studied cannot be questioned.

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[1] His great grandson Maulana Syed Sadruddin (d 1905)  claimed their ancestral Genealogy to the family of  Hazrat Ali. Vide his Rawaih ul-Mustafa Min Azharil  Murtaza,Patna, 1307 AH, P-405.                

[2] Cf. M.Hidayat Hussain, (art, The Founders of Buhar Library) Islamic culture,vol 7, 1933. PP-125-147.

[3] Cf. Syed sadruddin Ahmad’s Rawaihul Mustafa ( Persian, anpur, 1307 AH, PP-405-410. 

[4] Cf. J.A. Chapman’s Preface to the Catalogue (Raisonne), 1921.

[5] Cf. J.A. Chapman’s Preface to the Catalogue of the Persian MSS. In the Buhar Library, 1921

[6] Manazir Ahsan Gilani, Hindustan Mein Musalmanuka Nizam –e- Talim We Tarbiyat (P II) Hyderabad, 1943, PP-22-23, DM  MD. Abdullah, Bangla Desher Kheyatonama Arabibid, Dhaka 1986 P8 &P-34.

[7] Shibli Numani, Maqolati Shibi ,iii, P-1222.

[8] Maarif, Vol. XXX III ; 1934. (art. Bengal Mein Time Hadith, Hakim Habibur Rahman of Dhaka).

[9] Vide Sadruddin Ahmad’s Rawaihul Mustafa Min Azahiril Murtaza.

[10] The Collection is presently housed in the Arabic, Persia & Urdu Division of National Library,

Calcutta under the  heading  Buhar Collection. Vide National Library in this chapter.

[12] As stated below

[13] Founder of Darse Nizami system of Islamic studies

[14] As mentioned by Dr. Mujibur Rahman in his History of Madrasah Education, Calcutta, 1977. P-63, with a  passing reference of Tazkira –e- Subhe Gulshan