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In the year 1875 a school,
called Madrisat ul-'Ulum, was founded by Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan at Aligarh
to raise the standard of Muslims in the field of education. This school
expanded and in the year 1877 it extended its educational activities
under the name "Anglo Mohammadan Oriental College". The gradual development
of this college prepared the ground to lay the foundation of the Muslim
University at Aligarh.In 1920 this college started to function under
the name Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.Though
there has always been great controversy among Muslims about the religious
thoughts and political views of Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan, in spite of this
University is today considered one of the most renowned centres of Islamic
Studies, and a big support for Indian Muslims in scientific and cultural
fields.In addition to the different
departments of modern sciences in Muslim University, Aligarh, there
is its great library consisting of unique, valuable and rare treasures
of scientific and cultural value, and a number of valuable rare articles
of Islamic art were preserved by the efforts of this greatman. Sir Sayyed
Ahmad Khan at the time of the foundation of this university also donated
his big personal collection to this library. This library with the other
different donated collections was called Lytten Library, after the British
Viceroy in India. From 1924 to 1926 Sahibzada Aftab Ahmad Khan was the
chancellor of the university. He paid particular attention to the expansion
of the library. He also donated his personal collection of rare law
books that he had made while studying at Cambridge University. He allocated
a budget for the purchase of useful books for the students. The purchase
of these books on different subjects added much to the importance of
this library as well as the university. In the same manner, the donation
of the valuable personal collections of its professors, nobles and distinguished
persons strengthened the scientific work and value of this library .
In the year
1948 Dr. Zakir Hussain was appointed the vice-chancellor of this university.
He paid much attention to this library and felt it necessary to expand
the area. and create a more suitable place for keeping the books and better
facilities for the students and scholars. For this purpose he prepared
the ground so that the chancellor of the university might exchange views
with the central goverment and University Grants Commission authorities.
He succeeded in obtaining a grant of one million and thirty thousand rupees
from central government for the new buildings of the library. Its foundation
stone was laid in 1955 by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first prime minister
of India after the independence of the country. The plan of the new library
building, which is considered one of the best specimens of Indo-lslamic
architecture, was prepared and carried out by Engineer Fayyaz ud-Din.
The new building was inaugurated in
1960. Taking in view the services rendered by Maulana Azad, the great
thinker and literacy figure, it was named "Maulana
Azad Library". This library is now situated in the central part
of the university. Its double storied building has three big halls for
study with a capacity of 1800 persons. Every hall is divided into three
sections. The study section has 280 chairs. the reference section has
150 chairs, and the new hall has 130 chairs. The capicity of the library
is more than one million books. At present it has 884703 volumes of books
on various subjects. The number of manuscripts in 1996 was more than 14560
volumes, most of them in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit and Urdu languages.Maulana
Azad Library has valuable collections of fine paintings, miniature
work. coins and rare manuscripts that have been donated by many learned
scholars, nobles and great thinkers, which are still preserved under their
names and are used by many scholars. Among the donated manuscripts there
are collections called: Habib Ganj Collection, Ahsan Collection, Shaifta
Collection. Abd us-Salam Collection, Aftab Collection. Jawahar Museum,
Munir Alam Collection, Outb ud-Din Collection, Subhanallah Collection
and Sulaiman Collection. The catalogues of the following donated collections
have been published.
1.
Habib Ganj Collection: This is the largest collection of donated
manuscripts, preserved in the manuscript section of the university. It
consist of 2000 volumes on various subjects in Arabic, Persian and Urdu
languages. This collection was donated by Ubaidur Rahman Khan Sherwani
son of Nawwab Sadr Yar Jang Habibur Rahman Sherwani (1867-1950 A.D.) to
the university in the year 1960. The catalogue of 813 manuscripts in Arabic,
Persian and Urdu has been published in three volumes so far.
2.
Ahsan Marehravi Collection (1876-1940 A.D.):
Maulana Ahsan Marehravi was one of the professors of Urdu at Aligarh University.
He taught this language from 1922 to 1940. He compiled his political works
in two volumes, namely Faiz-e Dagh and Mohavarat. His collection consists
of fine and rare printed and unpublished books in Arabic, Hindi, Persian
and Urdu. It consists of 447 volumes of manuscripts. He presented all
his collection to the university and it is preserved in the library under
the name of "Ahsan Collection". Its catalogue was prepared by Sayyed Mahmud
Hasan Qaisar Amrohvi and published by the university.
3.
Shaifta Collection: The collection was donated by Nawwab Mohammad
Mustafa Khan, pen name Shaifta (1802-1869 A;D.). He was one of the great
scholars of his age. After acquiring knowledge in Islamic Studies at Delhi,
he went to Mecca on pilgrimage. There he studied Saha-i-Sitta under the
guidance of Shaikh Abdullah Siraj Hanafi and learnt principles of Hadith
from Shaikh Mohammad Abid Sindhi. When he returned to his home after perfoming
the pilgrimage at Mecca, he collected rare and fine books in Arabic, Persian
and Urdu. In 1857, when the Indians revolted against the Britishers in
Delhi, his collection was partly ruined by a fire, in which many fine
and rare manuscripts were destroyed. After sometime his grandson Nawwab
Mohammad Ismail, the chancellor of the university, donated it to the university.
In 1932 measures were taken to prepare a catalogue of Shaifta's published
and unpublished books. In 1982 the catalogue of Shaiftah Collection manuscripts
was prepared and printed by Sayyed Mahmud Hasan Qaisar Amrohavi. This
catalogue includes the description of 224 volumes of the Shaifta Collection.
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