Great Personalities - A

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Abdul Gaffar Khan : Popularly known as Frontier Gandhi, was leader of the Red Shirts (Khudai-Khidmatgars) of the North-West Frontier Province during prepartition period. He took part in the 1930 civil disobedience movement started by Mahatma Gandhi.

Abul Kalam, Dr. A.P.J. : Indian scientist who is credited with advancement of missile technology in India. He is known as ‘father of India’s Missile Technology’. Elected President of India in 2002.

Abul Fazal : was the celebrated Mughal court poet and councillor of Akbar. Works : Akbar-nama; Ain-i-Akbari.

Agha Khan : He is known to have led the deputation of Muslim leaders to the Viceroy, Lord Minto-II, in 1906, seeking separate electorates for Muslims in any representative system which might be introduced.

Ahalyabai : was the famous Holkar queen. She was widowed daughter-in-law of Malhar Rao Holkar, the virtual ruler of Malwa. After the death of Malhar Rao, Ahalyabai ruled the State with great skill and understanding.

Ahmad Shah Abdali : His invasion in the third battle of Panipat in 1761, gave a death blow to the political fortunes of the Marathas.

Ahmed, Sayyid : Sayyid Ahmed Khan is known for promoting Western education among Muslims in India during the 19th century. Sayyid Ahmed of Rai Bareilly is known for launching Wahabi movement in 1819.

Akbar (1556-1605) : Born at Amarkot (Rajasthan) in 1542, he was crowned at Kalanaur (Punjab) in 1556 at the age of 13 years and four months, as a successor of Humayun. He was the greatest of the Mughal Emperors in India. He founded a new religion Din-i-Elahi. He is known for reforms in land revenue administration, religious toleration, abolition of pilgrim tax and Jazia. He built Humayun’s mausoleum in Delhi.

Ala-ud-din Khilji : He introduced price control covering almost the entire market. Grain was rationed and the price was fixed. Iqta, a land-grab system was also introduced by him. He started copper coins. Jazia was collected from non-Muslims during his reign. The maximum number of Mughal invasions took place during his reign.

Alberuni : was a celebrated historian who visited India with the armies of Mahmud of Ghazni. He was also a Sanskrit scholar.

Albuquerque : was the real founder of the Portuguese Empire in the East. He conquered Goa in 1510 and made it his capital. He died in 1515.

Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) : was king of Macedon (Greece) who set out for military exploits and invaded India in 327 B.C. He reached up to he Beas from where he retreated as his home-sick army refused to proceed further Alexander died on his way to Babylon in 323 B.C. at the age of 33.

Ali, Aruna Asif : A veteran freedom fighter. Played important role in Quit India Movement.

Amar Nath, Lala : famous Indian cricketer who became the first Indian to score a century, and that also against Douglas Jardine’s England team at Bombay Gymkhana in 1933-34.

Ambedkar, Dr. B.R. : Head of the Drafting Committee which drafted the Indian Constitution. Leader of Scheduled Castes; he was law minister of India from 1947 to 1951. He organised (1) Samaj Samata Sangh (2) All-India Scheduled Castes Federation and (3) The Independent Labour Party. died in 1956.

Amir Khusrau (1255-1325) : Surnamed as the ‘Parrot of India’ wrote prose and poetic works in Persian, Hindi and Arabic. He lived in the court of Alauddin Khalji.

Anand, Mulk Raj : Eminent Indian writer in English. His works include Untouchable and Coolie.

Andrew, C.F. : was a British missionary who came to India in 1904. After having lived here for some time, he devoted heart and soul to India’s freedom struggle and worked shoulder to shoulder with the Indian leaders. He was known as Deenabandhu. He died in Calcutta in 1940.

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) : was a Greek philosopher, artist, poet, and thinker. He was the founder of a famous school of philosophy.

Arjun Dev, Guru : was the fifth Guru of the Sikhs. He was put to death by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1605. He is associated with Adi Granth.

Aryabhatta (A.D. 476-520) : after whom India’s first scientific satellite has been named, was a great Indian astronomer and mathematician. He laid the foundations of algebra and was responsible for pointing out the importance of ‘zero’. He was the first Indian to suggest that the earth rotates on its own axis.

Ashoka, the Great (264-228 B.C.) : Indian Emperor, grandson of Chandragupta. He denounced war, embraced and preached Buddhism after the battle of Kalinga.

Ashvaghosha : was the spiritual adviser of Kanishka (the Kushan emperor) who took a leading part in the Fourth Buddhist Council at Srinagar which was presided by Vasumitra. He wrote Buddha Charitam.

Attlee, Clement : was the Prime Minister of England at the time of grant of independence to India in 1947.

Aurangzeb : was the third son of Shah Jahan, who ruled as Mughal Emperor (1658-1707). He levied higher trade duties on Hindu traders in 1679. He also imposed Jazia. He is known for his ruinous Deccan policy. In 1681, Aurangzeb proceeded to Deccan for (1) crushing the Marathas, (2) annexing Golconda and Bijapur and (3) Subduing the revolts of Mughal nobility.