Firangi Mahal is a building complex located in
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and divis ...
,
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
. It is located in Lucknow at Victoria Road and Chowk. The word
Firang (originally referring to Franks) refers to Europeans and ''
Mahal'' means palace in
Persian. The name originated from the fact that original owners of this Mahal were
Europeans
Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common genetic ancestry, common language, or both. Pan and Pfeil (20 ...
. During the period of
Mughal Emperor
The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled ...
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
, some French businessmen used to stay at this Mahal when they visited. The first owner of this Mahal was a frenchman named Mr. Niel, and it was an architectural building of some repute. Later it was confiscated to the government.
It was later given over to the adviser of Emperor Aurangzeb known as Mullah Asad bin Qutub Shaheed and his brother Mulla Saeed bin Qutubuddin Shaheed. These two brothers made this Mahal a center of Islamic learning. It has been compared with
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
and
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
as a center of learning. Firangi Mahal is seen as a centre of learning as well as culture.
Khilafat Movement
The Khilafat Movement (1919–24), also known as the Caliphate movement or the Indian Muslim movement, was a pan-Islamist political protest campaign launched by Muslims of British India led by Shaukat Ali, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hakim ...
During the period of the Khilafat Movement,
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
once stayed for some time in Firangi Mahal and brought his goat with him. The Muslims in and around Firangi Mahal stopped consuming meat during his stay, as a token of respect.
Maulvi Abdul Bari claimed that Gandhi as a leader of both Hindus and Muslims. Maulvi Abdul Bari was a strong advocate of
Hindu-Muslim unity in the nation. Leaders like
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian Anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India du ...
and
Sarojini Naidu were among those who visited Firangi Mahal to bring all the communities in the fold of freedom struggle. Firangi Mahal
ulema
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
were in favour of the
Khilafat Movement
The Khilafat Movement (1919–24), also known as the Caliphate movement or the Indian Muslim movement, was a pan-Islamist political protest campaign launched by Muslims of British India led by Shaukat Ali, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hakim ...
. The ulema of Firangi Mahal were sentenced to death by the British for issuing of jihad
fatwa
A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist ...
against them.
Notable personalities
*
Nizamuddin Sihalivi
Nizamuddin Sihalivi Qadari Ansari (Urdu: نظام الدین سہالوی) was the founder and designer of the Dars-i Nizami curriculum used in many Asian madrassas. He was born in Sihali a Village in Fatehpur Block in Barabanki District of Uttar ...
, Indian Islamic scholar who compiled the syllabus of
Dars-i Nizami
Dars-i Nizami is a study curriculum or system used in many Islamic institutions (madrassas) and Dar Ul Ulooms, which originated in the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century and can now also be found in parts of South Africa, Canada, the Unite ...
*
Abdul Bari Firangi Mahali, Muslim scholar, he issued a fatwa for
jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with G ...
against the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
.
*
Abdul Hayy Lucknawi Firangi Mahali, Indian Islamic scholar
References
{{coord missing, Uttar Pradesh
Palaces in Uttar Pradesh
Buildings and structures in Lucknow