Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya

Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya was born on 25th December, 1861, at Allahabad (now Prayagraj) in the Indian state Uttar Pradesh. He was an Indian scholar, educational and social reformer and a leader of the Indian independence movement. Malaviya was born to Pandit Brijnath and Moona Devi on December 25, 1861, in Prayagraj, India, into a Hindu brahmin household. Pt. Malaviya was elected as the president of the Indian National Congress four times. He was addressed as Pandit, a title of respect. Malaviya is known for co-founding one of the prestigious universities of India named Banaras Hindu University.

Pt. Malaviya's education began at the age of five in Mahajani Pathsala. He completed his primary education from Hardeva's Dharma Gyanopadesh Pathshala, and joined a school run by Vidha Vardini Sabha. Later he joined Allahabad Zilla School (Allahabad District School), where he started writing poems under the pen name Makarand which were published in journals and magazines. Malaviya completed his matriculation in 1879 from the Muir Central College, which is now known as the Allahabad University. As his family’s financial condition was not good, Principal of Harrison College provided a monthly scholarship to Malaviya, and he was able to complete his B.A. from the Calcutta University. Even though Malaviya wanted to pursue masters in Sanskrit, financial condition of his family forced him to do some job. In July 1884, Madan Mohan Malaviya started his professional career as an assistant master at the Government High School in Allahabad.

In 1886, Malaviya started his political career by addressing a session in the Indian National Congress in Calcutta. Malaviya resigned from the school in 1887 and joined a nationalist weekly as its editor. He worked there for thirty months or 2.5 years, and left for Allahabad to study law. After completing that course, he started practicing law at Allahabad District Court in 1891. After two years, he moved to Allahabad High Court by December 1893. In 1909, Malaviya was selected as the Congress President. Malaviya was selected as the Congress president for the second time in 1918. He served as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1912 until 1919, which was later renamed as Central Legislative Assembly, of which he remained a member until 1926. Pt. Malaviya was appointed as the Congress President for the third time when Sarojani Naidu was arrested. In a meeting held at Calcutta (currently Kolkotta) in 1933, Malaviya was appointed as the Congress President for the fourth time. In British India, Malaviya was the only leader who held the post of Congress President, for four terms. Pt. Malaviya along with Annie Besant established Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916, through a parliamentary legislation act, the 'Banaras Hindu University Act of 1915'. Pandit Madam Mohan Malaviya passed away on 12th November 1946, at the age of 84, leaving behind a legacy in the fields of education, social reforms and national politics.