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{{Use Indian English|date=November 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{short description|Indian educationalist, social reformer, lawyer (1874–1965)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sheikh Abdullah
| image = Sheikh_Abdullah_educationist.jpeg
| caption = Sheikh Abdullah and his wife Waheed Jahan (left){{sfn | Fareed | 2021}}
| birth_name = Thakur Das
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1874|06|21}}
| birth_place = [[Poonch (town)|Poonch]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[British Raj|British India]] 
| death_date = March 1965 (aged 90)
| citizenship =
| known_for = {{plainlist|
*Member of [[Aligarh Movement]]
*Founder of [[Women's College, Aligarh]]
*His contribution to the [[Women in Islam#Female education|Muslim women education]]}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Educationalist|Social reformer|Lawyer}}
| education = [[Bachelor's of Arts|BA]]<br />[[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B.]]
| alma_mater = [[Aligarh Muslim University]]
| father = Mehta Gurmukh Singh
| relatives = Mehta Mastram (paternal grandfather)
| spouse = Waheed Jahan Begum
| children = [[Begum Khurshid Mirza]],<ref name="Mirza2005">{{cite book|author=Begum Khurshid Mirza|title=A Woman of Substance: The Memoirs of Begum Khurshid Mirza, 1918-1989|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NOVkAAAAMAAJ|year=2005|publisher=Kali for Women|isbn=978-81-89013-31-8}}</ref> Mumtaz Jahan
| awards = [[Sheikh Abdullah (educationalist)#Awards and accolades|Full list]]
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
{{Aligarh Movement}}

'''Sheikh Abdullah''' (born '''Thakur Das'''; June 21, 1874 – March 1965), also known as '''Papa Mian''', was an Indian educationalist, social reformer, lawyer, founder of [[Women's College, Aligarh]] and a member of the Executive Council of the [[Aligarh Muslim University]] who served to the post from 1920 to 1928. Later in 1902, he was appointed to the [[All India Muhammadan Educational Conference]] as a secretary for women's section.<ref name="greaterkashmir.com"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=As Shaheen Bagh Fights, Where Are the Women of Aligarh?|url=https://thewire.in/women/jamia-aligarh-muslim-university-women|access-date=2020-12-01|website=thewire.in}}</ref> He is primarily known for his contribution to the [[Women in Islam#Female education|Muslim women education]] during [[British Raj|British India]] period.<ref name="aligarhmovement.com">{{Cite web| url=http://www.aligarhmovement.com/Institutions/womens_college/founders |title=Shaikh Abdullah (Papa Mian) & Begum Waheed Jahan |website=aligarhmovement.com}}</ref><ref name="amu.ac.in"/>

The recipient of [[Sheikh Abdullah (educationalist)#Awards and accolades|numerous accolades]], including a [[Padma Bhushan]], he also served a member of United Province Legislative Council, a legislature of [[United Provinces of British India]].<ref name="kashmirlife.net"/> During his time at AMU, he was associated with the [[Aligarh Movement]]. He worked at several posts at AMU such as Honorary Treasurer and University's court member from 1920 until he died in 1965.<ref name="amu.ac.in">{{Cite web|url=https://www.amu.ac.in/amuhalls.jsp?did=10078|title=Aligarh Muslim University || Halls|website=www.amu.ac.in}}</ref>

== Biography ==
He was born as Thakur Das to Mehta Gurmukh Singh on June 21, 1874 in [[Poonch district, India|Poonch district]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. He originally belonged to [[Brahmin]] community of Kashmir. Das reverted to Brahmin and adopted [[Islam]] in 1891 after he went to [[Lahore]] for [[higher education]]. He married to Waheed Jahan Begum (also known as Ala Bi), daughter of Mirza Mohammad Ibrahim in 1902, with which he had six children, including five daughters and a son. His daughter Mumtaz Jahan was appointed to the Aligarh Muslim University's principal for Women's College where he served for about thirty years.<ref name="aligarhmovement.com"/> Mehta Mastram, a [[lambardar]] of Bhantani village was his paternal grandfather. He was trained in [[Unani medicine]] by Hakim Numddin, a court physician to [[maharaja]] of Kashmir. The physician was a leading [[Qadiani]] and under his influence, he converted to the [[Ahmadiya]] sect.<ref name="kashmirlife.net">{{Cite web|url=https://kashmirlife.net/another-sheikh-abdullah-issue-34-vol-12-252530/|title=Another Sheikh Abdullah|date=November 25, 2020|website=Kashmir Life}}</ref> Later when he went to [[United Province]], he met with [[Syed Ahmad Khan|Sir Syed Ahmad Khan]] and adopted [[Sunni Islam]], a largest branch of the Islam.<ref name="kashmirlife.net"/>

=== Education ===
He originally started his basic education with [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Sanskrit language]] from a [[Maktab (education)|Maktab]] in Poonch.<ref name="kashmirlife.net"/> He did his [[Primary education|early schooling]] from an uncertain school in his village, and later he went to [[Jammu]] where he received further education. In 1891, Abdullah did [[matriculation]] in Lahore and then obtained [[Bachelor's of Arts]] and [[Bachelor of Laws]] from the Aligarh university.<ref name="aligarhmovement.com"/>

== Awards and accolades ==
In 1935, British India awarded him with an honorary title of "[[Khan Bahadur]]". After completing his education from the Aligarh, the university awarded him [[Doctor of Law]], an honorary degree in 1950. In 1964, eighteen years later of the [[Partition of India|partition of the Indian subcontinent]], the [[government of India]] awarded him [[Padma Bhushan]], the third-highest Indian civilian award, in recognition of his contribution to the female education.<ref name="greaterkashmir.com">{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924023550/http://www.greaterkashmir.com/mobi/news/187013-story.html|title=The Other Sheikh Abdullah|date=September 24, 2015|website=web.archive.org}}</ref> The university women's college, Abdullah College is named after him.<ref name="amu.ac.in"/>

== Death and Legacy ==
He died in [[Uttar Pradesh]], India in March 1965. His life is covered in a book titled ''Muslim Leadership and Women’s Education Uttar Pradesh, 1886–1947'' written by Dr. Nasreen Ahmad.<ref name="kashmirlife.net"/>

The Abdullah School and Abdullah Hall, which comprises nine hostels for girls, in AMU are named after him.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Abdullah School|url=https://amu.ac.in/schools/abdullah-school|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-12-18|website=Aligarh Muslim University|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Abdullah Hall|url=https://amu.ac.in/halls/abdullah-hall|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-12-18|website=Aligarh Muslim University|language=en}}</ref>

In 1975, a documentary titled ''Papa Miya of Aligarh'' based on his life and directed by [[Khwaja Ahmad Abbas]] was released.<ref>{{Cite web|title=K.A. Abbas's Writings and Films|url=https://www.sahapedia.org/ka-abbass-writings-and-films|access-date=2020-12-18|website=Sahapedia|language=en}}</ref>

== Books ==
* {{cite book | last=Ahmed | first=N. | title=Muslim Leadership and Women's Education: Uttar Pradesh, 1886-1947 | publisher=Three Essays Collective | year=2012 | isbn=978-81-88789-91-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ef0QlQEACAAJ | access-date=2020-11-30}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further readings ==
* {{cite web | last=Fareed | first=Faisal | title=Remembering Sheikh Abdullah, the founder of Women’s College in AMU | website=The Indian Express | date=2021-02-02 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/sheikh-abdullah-muslim-women-education-womens-college-aligarh-7170159/ | access-date=2021-02-22}}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1960–69}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdullah, Sheikh}}
[[Category:1874 births]]
[[Category:1965 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education]]
[[Category:Faculty of Law, Aligarh Muslim University alumni]]
[[Category:Educators from Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:People from Poonch district, India]]
[[Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges]]

Sheikh Abdullah (educationalist) - Revision history

>Indianite: added Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges using HotCat