For decades, a persistent perception has circulated in public discourse that Muslims have contributed little to the field of education in India. Such claims often ignore the long and complex history of Muslim engagement with learning – from medieval madrasas and scholarly networks to modern universities and professional institutions that serve students of all communities.
From the 15th-century Mahmud Gawan Madrasa in Bidar to institutions such as Osmania University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and numerous colleges and universities established across India in the 20th and 21st centuries, Muslim initiatives have played a significant role in shaping the country’s educational landscape.
Even more striking is the fact that many of these institutions, though founded by Muslims and often classified as minority institutions, have always opened their doors to all communities. In several cases, non-Muslim students form the majority of their enrolment.
One of the earliest and most celebrated examples of this educational tradition was the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa in Bidar, built in 1472 by Khwaja Mahmud Gawan, the Persian-born prime minister of the Bahmani Sultanate.Scholars from Persia, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent gathered there, making it one of the greatest intellectual centres of medieval India.
Arriving in India from Gilan in present-day Iran, Gawan envisioned creating a great centre of learning in the Deccan inspired by the universities of Persia and Central Asia. The madrasa functioned like a full-fledged university, with lecture halls, residential quarters for teachers and students, and a vast library of over 3,000 manuscripts covering astronomy, mathematics, literature, theology, and philosophy, attracting scholars from Arabia, Persia, and across the Indian subcontinent.
At the heart of this long educational legacy stands Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan near Ajmeri Gate in Old Delhi – an institution whose transformation from a traditional madrasa to a modern college reflects the broader evolution of education in India. Founded in the early 18th century by Ghazi-ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I, a Mughal noble who served under Aurangzeb, the madrasa was established as a centre of higher learning where students studied Arabic, Persian, theology, philosophy, logic and law.
During the Mughal period it was an important seat of scholarship in Delhi. Although financial difficulties caused a temporary closure, the institution was revived in 1792 through donations from Delhi’s citizens. After the British captured the city in 1803, the building was briefly used for military purposes. In 1825, however, the British established Delhi College within the same complex.
Delhi College combined classical Islamic learning with modern Western subjects such as English, mathematics and natural sciences. Teachers from different communities worked together, fostering a vibrant intellectual culture. The college also gained fame through the Delhi Vernacular Translation Society, which translated modern scientific works into Urdu. Today it houses Zakir Husain Delhi College and the historic Anglo-Arabic School.
The Deeper Roots of Muslim Education
The tradition of Muslim educational institutions in India predates the Mughal period. During the Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526), madrasas emerged as major centres of scholarship. They taught not only religious subjects such as the Qur’an, Hadith and jurisprudence but also mathematics, astronomy, medicine, philosophy and literature.
These institutions helped cultivate a scholarly culture and trained administrators, judges and intellectuals who served the state and society.
The 19th century was a period of profound upheaval for Indian Muslims. The collapse of Mughal authority, the rise of British rule, and the repression following the 1857 Revolt created deep social and economic challenges.
Muslim intellectuals responded by launching several educational reform movements aimed at rebuilding the community’s intellectual life and preparing future generations for the modern world.
Aligarh Movement
The Aligarh Movement led by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan marked a turning point in modern Muslim education in India. In 1875, he founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which later became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. The institution aimed to combine modern Western sciences with Islamic intellectual traditions and produced generations of scholars, administrators and leaders. Its inclusive spirit was evident from the beginning – the first graduate was Raja Mahinder Singh. Another landmark initiative was Jamia Millia Islamia, founded in 1920 during the freedom struggle. Conceived as a nationalist institution, Jamia promoted secular, inclusive education and attracted students and teachers from diverse communities.
Osmania University in Hyderabad was established in 1917 through a royal firman issued by Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan, after whom the university is named. It is the 7th oldest university in India and the third oldest in South India. The initiative for its creation was strongly supported by the visionary civil servant Akbar Hydari, who emphasised the need for a university rooted in national consciousness and accessible to the people of the Hyderabad State. He advocated the use of Urdu as the medium of instruction, as it was widely understood in the region, while English was made a compulsory language for all students.
The founding vision of the university sought to synthesise ancient and modern knowledge, as well as Eastern and Western traditions of learning. The establishment of Osmania University symbolises a renaissance in the Indian educational system. The use of a regional language in higher education was seen as a pioneering step in colonial India. Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore praised the initiative, viewing it as a progressive move toward making education accessible to the masses free from the dominance of foreign languages.
Over more than a century, Osmania University has grown into one of India’s leading academic institutions. Its sprawling campus, marked by distinctive architectural styles and modern facilities, hosts thousands of students. The university’s alumni have distinguished themselves in diverse fields including politics, administration, science, literature, diplomacy, and the arts, contributing significantly both nationally and internationally. Notable among them are former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, former Home Minister SB Chavan, former speaker Shivraj Patil and many others.
Post-Independence
When India became independent in 1947, Muslims faced enormous challenges. Partition had disrupted educational networks and caused largescale migration of teachers and scholars.At the time of India’s independence in 1947, only 22 Muslim higher-education institutions existed in the country.Today, that number has grown to over 1,178 institutions, including 23 universities and more than 1,100 colleges.
Among India’s 1,113 universities, 23 are recognised as Muslim minority institutions. Uttar Pradesh, with the largest Muslim population in the country at around 38 million, has the highest number of Muslim universities (6), followed by Karnataka with three. These findings are based on the CSR survey which was the first attempt of its kind to map the higher education institutes managed by the Muslim minority community across India.
According to the survey, these institutions are spread across states such as Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Kerala leads in terms of highest number of colleges at 211, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 209. The survey notes that 10 states – Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir account for over 90% of all Muslim colleges in the country. However, the majority of these colleges (57.8%) are in rural areas. Despite comprising 73.4% of all minority groups, Muslim minorities hold a mere 16.6% share in
Despite their minority status, they serve students from all communities. Studies show that over half of the students in Muslim-run institutions are Hindus, while Muslims constitute about 42%.This reality challenges the stereotype that minority institutions cater only to their own community.
Modern Universities and Educational Initiatives
After the decline of Muslim rule in India, several visionary individuals played a crucial role in establishing educational institutions to uplift the community. Among the most notable were Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Sabu Siddique, Dr. Rafiq Zakaria, Dr.MahboobulHaq, Dr. Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, and many others who dedicated themselves to advancing education.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan devoted his entire life to fostering an interest in modern education among Muslims. Aligarh Muslim University has played a pivotal role in advancing modern education among the Indians and made a lasting contribution to intellectual, social, and political life in India, significantly influencing the course of modern Indian history.
Anjuman-i-Islam, based in Mumbai, has long worked to develop a modern and inclusive educational system aligned with national priorities, fostering excellence and empowering Muslims and other citizens to contribute to national progress. Its founders were pioneers of modern education in India. As early as 1880, the organisation submitted a memorandum to the Indian Education Commission advocating vocational, industrial, commercial, and agricultural education, along with physical education and education for girls – ideas that influenced British-era education policy.
Continuing this progressive vision, Anjuman established its first technical school for artisans in 1936. Today, technical education is offered through major centres such as M.H. SabooSiddik College of Engineering campus in Mumbai and Haji A.R. Kalsekar Integrated Technical Campus in New Panvel, offering programmes in engineering, technology, pharmacy, and architecture.
Committed to women’s education, Anjuman opened its first girls’ school in 1939, later expanding into the SabooBaug Girls’ Education Campus. Today, its network of institutions serves over one lakh students across Maharashtra through education, scholarships, technical training, healthcare, and social welfare initiatives.
The vision of renowned educationist and former parliamentarian Rafiq Zakaria led to the establishment of major centres of higher learning in Mumbai and Aurangabad. Through initiatives such as educational activities at Khilafat House in Byculla, he established Maharashtra College near Nagpada in Mumbai. He established Maulana Azad College of Arts Science and Commerce at Rauza Bagh in June 1963, in Aurangabad with just 144 students. Set amid spacious grounds marked by Mughal-style architecture and landscaped gardens, the campus has since expanded significantly.
Within a year of its founding, the Faculty of Commerce was introduced, followed by career-oriented courses such as Geology, Industrial Chemistry, Computer Applications, Electronics, and Microbiology. The college also pioneered vocational courses at the junior college level in the region. Today, the institution offers diverse undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and hosts a recognised research centre with Ph.D. facilities across disciplines including sciences, humanities, and management.
Although many of these institutions were founded to support minorities, Zakaria ensured that their doors remained open to people of all communities.
Established in 2022 in Pune, Dr. P.A. Inamdar University is supported by Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Education Society (MCES) and offers value-based, high-quality higher education across multiple disciplines. The private self-financed university is approved by All India Council for Technical Education, University Grants Commission, and recognised by Directorate of Technical Education Maharashtra.
Founded in 1948 by Abdul Kadir Khan, MCES began with four schools to educate socially and economically weaker sections. Today it runs 32 institutes serving over 30,000 students across fields such as arts, science, law, pharmacy, management, architecture, and IT.
In recent decades, several universities and educational networks established by Muslims have emerged across India.
Yenepoya University, anNAAC A+ accredited deemed-to-be university and a prominent centre for healthcare and technology educationin Mangalore, features a 1080-bed teaching hospital and academic collaborations with IBM and Microsoft, offering popular programmes such as MBBS, BDS, and industry-integrated BCA and B.Tech courses.
The institution traces its origin to the Islamic Academy of Education Mangalore, founded in 1991 by entrepreneur and educationist Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi to promote professional education, particularly for minority communities. In pursuit of academic excellence, the academy later sponsored the creation of Yenepoya University in 2007. The university has earned national recognition, including ranking among Karnataka’s top young universities by K-SURF and securing a place among the top 100 universities in the National Institutional Ranking Framework rankings.
University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), the first state private university dedicated to science and technology in Northeast India, was established in 2011 by the Education Research and Development Foundation (ERDF). The university has emerged as a leading centre of higher learning with a student population of over 9,000. Over the years, USTM has developed into a hub for academic excellence and research in the region. The ERDF chairman Dr MahbobulHaq said its network also manages several educational institutions across Northeast India, promoting quality education and fostering learning opportunities at multiple levels.
The Shaheen Group of Institutions has revived the rich educational legacy of the historic Mahmud Gawan Madrasa in the city of Bidar. Founded in 1989 by educationist Abdul Qadeer, the initiative began modestly in a one-room tenement with just 18 students. Over the decades, it has grown into a major centre of academic excellence, nurturing more than 20,000 students with the support of over 500 dedicated teachers. Today, the institution offers comprehensive education from kindergarten to graduation, contributing significantly to knowledge creation and academic empowerment in the region.
In Karnataka, the Al-Ameen Educational Society was established in 1966 in Bangalore. The society was founded by noted educationist Dr Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, whose vision was to promote modern and inclusive education. Today, the Al-Ameen network includes around 20 major branches and nearly 200 educational institutions across India, offering a wide range of academic and professional programmes and contributing significantly to educational advancement and social empowerment.
Mohammed Vizarat Rasool Khan was a prominent educationist and politician from Hyderabad, often referred to as the Sir Syed of Deccan for his contributions to education. He was a two- time MLA. As founder-chairman of the Shadan Group of Educational Institutions, he established a vast network of 56 minority institutions, including engineering, pharmacy, and medical colleges. Under his leadership, the first Shadan B.Ed. College was founded in 1988 and the first engineering college in 1995. Notably, he also established the first Muslim medical college and hospital for girls in the region after Independence, significantly advancing professional education among minority communities.
In Rajasthan, Maulana Azad University in Jodhpur provides professional education in multiple disciplines under the Marwar Muslim Educational and Welfare Society.
Other universities such as Glocal University in Saharanpur and Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur further demonstrate the expanding landscape of Muslim-led higher education.
Wrapping-up
The history of Muslim educational institutions in India spans centuries and forms an integral part of the nation’s intellectual heritage. This tradition has continually shaped India’s educational landscape.
Far from being exclusive, many of these institutions embraced a plural ethos, welcoming students from all communities and enriching the country’s academic life. At a time when minority contributions are often overlooked, their story reflects a legacy of learning, reform and public service, demonstrating that Muslim-led educational initiatives remain enduring pillars of India’s shared educational journey.