Chapter 4: Nawab Sir Salimullah of East Bengal

The Muslim majority of East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) experienced a sense of loss with the end of Mughal rule and the emergence of British colonial rule in India. The Muslim community eschewed Western education because they believed it would erase their Islamic values and traditions. During this challenging period, the Muslims in East Bengal needed a leader to raise their morale. Sir Salimullah, the Nawab of Dhaka in East Bengal, emerged as a visionary, reformer, and educationist. In 1905, the British colonial government decided to partition Bengal for its administrative convenience and to deter the rising nationalism among the “Bengalee Babus” (Hindus of West Bengal). In this chapter, I first discuss why Nawab Salimullah felt the need to support the partition of Bengal despite opposition from the Bengalee Babus. Second, I show how he reformed the heavily class-based Muslim society through his inclusive education policy. Third, I examine how he provided a Muslim identity in India through the establishment of the All-India Muslim League. Fourth, I suggest that Sir Salimullah’s philosophy of pragmatism and integration should be endorsed by modern-day Muslim leaders. Finally, because Muslim youth face cultural restrictions at home and Islamophobia in the wider society, I argue that non-Muslim educators should take a leadership role and wider non-Muslim mainstream society adopt an inclusive approach so that Muslim students are not singled out in their education systems.