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{{Short description|Bangladeshi author and scholar (1904–1974)}}
{{Short description|Bengali author and scholar (1904–1974)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox academic
| name             = Syed Mujtaba Ali
| name               = Syed Mujtaba Ali
| native_name     = সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী
| image              = Mujtaba_Ali.jpg
| native_name_lang = bn
| native_name       = {{Lang|bn|সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী}}
| image            = Mujtaba_Ali.jpg
| native_name_lang   = bn
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|df=yes|1904|09|13}}<ref name=bpedia>{{cite Banglapedia|author=Khan, Nurur Rahman|article=Ali, Syed Muztaba}}</ref>
| pronunciation      = {{IPA|bn|ˈsoi̯̯ɔd̪ ˈmud͡ʒt̪ɔbaˑ‿ˈaliˑ||LL-Q9610 (ben)-Titodutta-সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী.wav}}
| birth_place     = [[Karimganj]], [[Assam Province]], [[British India]]
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|df=yes|1904|09|13}}<ref name="bpedia" />
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1974|02|11|1904|09|13}}<ref name=star>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/a-man-of-many-hues-10754|title=A man of many hues|publisher=The Daily Star|date=11 February 2022}}</ref>
| birth_place       = [[Karimganj]], [[North-East Frontier]], [[British Raj|British India]]  
| death_place     = [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]]
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1974|02|11|1904|09|13}}<ref name=star>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/a-man-of-many-hues-10754|title=A man of many hues|publisher=The Daily Star|date=11 February 2014}}</ref>
| nationality      = [[British India]]n (1904–1947)<br /> [[Pakistan]]i(1947–1949)<br /> [[India]]n (1949–1972)<br />[[Bangladesh]]i (1972–1974)
| death_place       = [[Dacca]], Bangladesh
| education        = [[PhD]] (Comparative Religious Studies)
| burial_place      = [[Azimpur, Dhaka|Azimpur]], [[Dhaka Division|Dhaka]], Bangladesh
| alma_mater      = {{unbulleted list|[[Sylhet Government Pilot High School]] | [[Murari Chand College]] | [[Visva-Bharati University]] | [[Aligarh Muslim University]] | [[University of Bonn]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Writer|journalist|teacher|travel enthusiast|academic|linguist}}
| occupation      = Writer, journalist, travel enthusiast, academician, linguist
| years_active      = 1949–1974
| spouse          = Rabeya Khatun
| works      = [[#Bibliography|Bibliography]]
| parents          = Khan Bahadur Syed Sikandar Ali (father)<br />Amtul Mannan Khatun (mother)
| spouse            = {{marriage|Rabia Khatun|1951|1974|end=died}}
| relatives        = [[Syed Murtaza Ali]] (Brother)<br />[[Syed Mohammad Ali]] (Nephew)<br />[[Syed Muazzem Ali]] (Nephew)<br />
| mother            = Amtul Mannan Khatun
[[Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri]] (Nephew)
| father            = Khan Bahadur Syed Sikandar Ali
| relatives          = {{unbulleted list|[[Syed Murtaza Ali]] (brother)|[[Syed Mohammad Ali]] (nephew)|[[Syed Muazzem Ali]] (nephew)|[[Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri]] (nephew)}}
| awards            = [[#Awards|Full list]]
| honours = [[File:Ekushey Padak Ribbon.svg|30px]] [[Ekushey Padak]] (posthumous, 2005)<ref>{{cite news |last=<!--not stated--> |first=<!--not stated--> |date=18 February 2005 |title=14 to get Ekushey Padak |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/2005/02/18/d50218011817.htm |url-status=<!--not stated--> |work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]] |location=<!--not stated--> |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402104029/http://archive.thedailystar.net/2005/02/18/d50218011817.htm |archive-date=2 April 2015 |access-date=3 February 2024}}</ref>
| module            = {{Infobox writer
| embed            = yes
| pseudonym        =
| language        = {{hlist|[[Bengali language|Bengali]]|[[English language|English]]}}
| period          = [[Contemporary literature|Contemporary]]
| genre            = [[Travel literature|Travelogue]]
| notable_works    = ''[[Deshe Bideshe]]'', ''Panchatantra'', ''Chacha Kahini''}}
| alma_mater = {{ubl|[[Visva-Bharati University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])|[[Aligarh Muslim University]]|[[University of Bonn]] ([[PhD]])|[[Al-Azhar University]]}}
| thesis_title = The Origin of the K͟hojāhs and Their Religious Life Today
| thesis_url = http://heritage.ismaili.net/node/29256
| thesis_year = 1936
| influences = {{hlist|[[Rabindranath Tagore]]|[[Bidhushekhar Shastri]]|Formici|Bogdanov|[[Moriz Winternitz]]|Mark Collins|[[Giuseppe Tucci]]}}
| discipline = {{hlist|[[Multilingualism|Multilingual studies]]|[[philosophy]]|[[comparative religion]]|[[Islamic studies]]}}
| sub_discipline =  
| workplaces = {{ubl|Kabul Agricultural College (1927–1929)|[[Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda]] (1936–1944)|[[Government Azizul Haque College]] (1949)|[[University of Calcutta]] (1950)|[[Visva-Bharati University]] (1956–1964)}}
}}
}}
'''Syed Mujtaba Ali''' ({{lang-bn|সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী}}; 13 September 1904 – 11 February 1974) was a [[Bengalis|Bengali]] writer, journalist, travel enthusiast, academic, scholar and linguist. He lived in [[Bangladesh]], [[India]], [[Germany]], [[Afghanistan]] and [[Egypt]].
'''Syed Mujtaba Ali'''{{efn|{{langx|bn|সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী|Sôiẏôd Mujtôba Ali}}, {{IPA|bn|ˈsoi̯̯ɔd̪ ˈmud͡ʒt̪ɔbaˑ‿ˈaliˑ|pron|LL-Q9610 (ben)-Titodutta-সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী.wav}}}} ({{Langx|bn|সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী}}, {{IPA|bn|ˈsoi̯̯ɔd̪ ˈmud͡ʒt̪ɔbaˑ‿ˈaliˑ|pron|LL-Q9610 (ben)-Titodutta-সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী.wav}}; 13 September 1904 – 11 February 1974) was a Bengali writer, journalist, travel enthusiast, academic, scholar and linguist. He lived in [[Bangladesh]], [[India]], [[Germany]], [[Afghanistan]] and [[Egypt]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alim-uz-Zaman |first=Kazi |date=2024-02-12 |script-title=bn:সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলীর যে কষ্টের কথা আমরা অনেকেই জানি না |url=https://www.prothomalo.com/onnoalo/prose/ro2xx6m70n |access-date=2024-02-12 |work=Prothom Alo |language=bn}}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Ali was born on 13 September 1904 to a [[Bengali Muslim]] family in [[Karimganj district|Karimganj]], [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet district]], [[British Raj]]. His father, [[Khan Bahadur]] Syed Sikander Ali, was a sub-registrar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://moulvibazar.gov.bd/site/page/350ceefb-0757-11e7-a6c5-286ed488c766/%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%8C%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95%20%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF|title=Prakhyata Byaktitva|website=Moulvibazar Zila|access-date=24 September 2022}}</ref><ref name=rebel>{{cite news |author=Abdulla Shibli |date=13 March 2015 |title=Syed Mujtaba Ali as a Rebel |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/literature/syed-mujtaba-ali-rebel-5464 |newspaper=The Daily Star}}</ref> He traced his paternal descent to Shah Ahmed Mutawakkil, a local holy man and a [[Syed]] of Taraf, though apparently unrelated to Taraf's ruling [[Taraf Kingdom#Syed rule|Syed dynasty]].<ref>{{citation|first=Nurur Rahman|last=Khan|editor=Sharif Uddin Ahmed|title=Syed Mujtaba Ali|journal=Sylhet: History and Heritage|pages=824–25|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_BtAAAAMAAJ|date=1999|publisher=Bangladesh Itihas Samiti|location=[[Sylhet]]|isbn=978-984-31-0478-6}}</ref> Ali's mother, Amtul Mannan Khatun, was a Chowdhury of Bahadurpur, an Islamised branch of the [[Pal family]] of [[Panchakhanda]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Ali|first=Syed Murtaza|author-link=Syed Murtaza Ali|title=Amadera kalera katha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ExFXAAAAMAAJ|year=1968|publisher=Baighara|page=27|language=bn}}</ref> Mujtaba was the youngest of three brothers, one of whom being the writer [[Syed Murtaza Ali]].<ref name=rebel/>
Syed Mujtaba Ali Khandakar was born on 13 September 1904 to a [[Bengali Muslim]] ''[[Sayyid|Syed]]'' family of [[Khondakar|''Khandakars'']] in [[Karimganj district|Karimganj]], [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet district]], British Raj. His father, ''[[Khan Bahadur]]'' Syed Sikander Ali, was a sub-registrar.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://moulvibazar.gov.bd/site/page/350ceefb-0757-11e7-a6c5-286ed488c766/%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%8C%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95%20%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF |title=Prakhyata Byaktitva |website=Moulvibazar Zila |access-date=24 September 2018 |archive-date=16 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016201752/http://www.moulvibazar.gov.bd/site/page/350ceefb-0757-11e7-a6c5-286ed488c766/%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%8C%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%95%20%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=rebel>{{cite news |author=Abdulla Shibli |date=13 March 2015 |title=Syed Mujtaba Ali as a Rebel |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/literature/syed-mujtaba-ali-rebel-5464 |newspaper=The Daily Star}}</ref> He traced his paternal descent to Shah Syed Ahmed Mutawakkil, a [[Pir (Sufism)|''Sufi Pir'']] and a ''Syed'' of Taraf, though apparently unrelated to Taraf's ruling [[Taraf Kingdom#Syed rule|Syed dynasty]].<ref>{{citation |first=Nurur Rahman |last=Khan |editor=Sharif Uddin Ahmed |title=Syed Mujtaba Ali |journal=Sylhet: History and Heritage |pages=824–25 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_BtAAAAMAAJ |date=1999 |publisher=Bangladesh Itihas Samiti |location=[[Sylhet]] |isbn=978-984-31-0478-6}}</ref> Ali's mother, Amatul Mannan Khatun, belonged to the Chowdhuries of [[Baghprachanda Khan|Kala and Bahadurpur]], an Islamised branch of the [[Pal family]] of [[Panchakhanda]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Ali |first=Syed Murtaza |author-link=Syed Murtaza Ali |title=Amadera kalera katha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ExFXAAAAMAAJ |year=1968 |publisher=Baighara |page=27 |language=bn}}</ref> His paternal family's ancestral home is Khandakar Bari in Uttarsur Village of [[Bahubal Upazila]] of [[Habiganj District]]. Mujtaba was the youngest of three brothers, one of whom being the writer [[Syed Murtaza Ali]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-30 |title=Syed Moazzem Ali passes away |url=https://en.barta24.com/details/national-en/70139/syed-moazzem-ali-passes-away |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Barta24 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=rebel/>


Mujtaba Ali passed the matriculation exam from [[Sylhet Government Pilot High School]] though was said to have not passed his intermediate exam from [[Murari Chand College|MC College]].{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} In 1919 when [[Rabindranath Tagore]] was visiting Sylhet, Mujtaba Ali met Tagore who had great influence on Mujtaba Ali's writings. Later, in 1921 Mujtaba joined the Indian freedom struggle and left his school in Sylhet. In the same year 1921, he went to [[Visva-Bharati University]] in [[Santiniketan]] and graduated in 1926 with B.A. degree. He was among the first graduates of the Visva-Bharati. He studied for a brief period in [[Aligarh Muslim University]]. Later, he moved to [[Kabul]] to work in the education department (1927–1929) as a professor. From 1929 to 1932 he went to Germany with Wilhelm Humboldt scholarship and studied at the universities in [[Berlin]] and later in [[Bonn]]. He earned his PhD from the [[University of Bonn]] with a dissertation on comparative religious studies on [[Khojas]] in 1932.<ref name=star/>
Ali completed his matriculation at [[Sylhet Government Pilot High School]] but reportedly did not pass his intermediate examination from [[Murari Chand College|MC College]].{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} In 1919 when [[Rabindranath Tagore]] was visiting Sylhet, Mujtaba Ali met Tagore who had great influence on Mujtaba Ali's writings. Later, in 1921 Mujtaba joined the Indian freedom struggle and left his school in Sylhet after some Hindu students were punished from taking flowers from the District Commissioners house for [[Puja (Hinduism)|Puja]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shibli |first=Abdullah |date=2015-03-07 |title=Syed Mujtaba Ali as a Rebel |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/literature/syed-mujtaba-ali-rebel-5464 |access-date=2024-02-12 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> In the same year 1921, he went to [[Visva-Bharati University]] in [[Santiniketan]] and graduated in 1926 with B.A. degree. He was among the first graduates of the Visva-Bharati. He studied for a brief period in [[Aligarh Muslim University]]. Later, he moved to [[Kabul]] to work in the Education Department (1927–1929) as a professor.<ref name=bpedia>{{cite Banglapedia |author=Khan, Nurur Rahman |article=Ali, Syed Muztaba}}</ref><ref name="star" /> He left Afghanistan following [[Habibullāh Kalakāni]] taking control of Kabul during the [[Afghan Civil War (1928–1929)]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Banerjee |first=Mou |date=2023-09-11 |title=Syed Mujtaba Ali between Bengal and Afghanistan |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/focus/news/syed-mujtaba-ali-between-bengal-and-afghanistan-3415916 |access-date=2024-02-12 |work=The Daily Star |type=Opinion |language=en}}</ref> His name was struck off the evacuation list by [[Francis Humphrys]], first British [[Minister (diplomacy)|Minister]] to the [[Amir of Afghanistan]], [[Amānullāh Khān]], after he criticized the airlifting of Europeans before British Indian citizens.<ref name=":0" />
 
From 1929 to 1932, Ali went to Germany with the Wilhelm Humboldt scholarship and studied at the universities in [[Berlin]] and later in [[Bonn]]. He earned his PhD from the [[University of Bonn]] with a dissertation on comparative religious studies on [[Khojas]] in 1932.


==Career==
==Career==
Ali then studied at the [[Al-Azhar]] University in [[Cairo]] during 1934–1935. He taught at colleges in [[Baroda]] (1936–1944) and [[Bogra]] (1949). He briefly lived in [[East Pakistan]] before moving back to India in 1949. After a brief stint at [[Calcutta University]] in 1950, he became Secretary of the [[Indian Council for Cultural Relations]] and editor of its Arabic journal ''Thaqafatul Hind''.<ref name=star/> From 1952 to 1956 he worked for [[All India Radio]] at New Delhi, [[Cuttack]] and [[Patna]]. He then joined the faculty of Visva-Bharati University (1956–1964) as professor of German language and later of Islamic Culture. He lived in [[Calcutta]] till early 1972. Following the [[Liberation of Bangladesh]], he moved with his family to Dhaka and lived there till his death in 1974.
Ali then studied at the [[Al-Azhar]] University in [[Cairo]] during 1934–1935. He taught at a college in [[Baroda]] from 1936 until 1944,<ref name=star/> and in 1949 was principal of [[Government Azizul Haque College]] in [[Bogra]], [[East Bengal]].


==Language activism==
After the [[Partition of India]] into India and Pakistan in 1947, Ali went from India to the then [[East Pakistan]]. He was one of the first to call for Bangla as East Pakistan's state language on 30 November 1947, at the Sylhet [[Kendriya Muslim Sahitya Samsad]].<ref name="The Daily Star">{{cite news |title=Syed Mujtaba Ali – a pioneer of our Language Movement |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=75281 |access-date=24 January 2013 |date=11 February 2009}}</ref> He was a prominent activist and supporter of [[Bengali language|Bengali]] as the national language of East Pakistan.<ref name="The Daily Star" /> In 1948, being the principal of Azizul Huq College, Bogra, he wrote an essay, 'The State Language of East Pakistan', which was printed in ''Chaturanga'' of [[Kolkata]]. During that time, the [[West Pakistan]] Rulers tried to impose [[Urdu]] as the only state language of East Pakistan while Bengali was spoken by most of the people. The government of Pakistan demanded an explanation. But Ali resigned and moved to India.
After the [[Partition of India]] into India and Pakistan in 1947, Ali went from India to the then [[East Pakistan]]. He was one of the first to call for Bangla as East Pakistan's state language on 30 November 1947, at the Sylhet [[Kendriya Muslim Sahitya Samsad]].<ref name="The Daily Star">{{cite news|title=Syed Mujtaba Ali – a pioneer of our Language Movement|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=75281|access-date=24 January 2013|date=11 February 2022}}</ref> He was a prominent activist and supporter of [[Bengali language|Bengali]] as the national language of East Pakistan.<ref name="The Daily Star"/> In 1948, being the principal of [[Azizul Huq College]], Bogra, he wrote an essay, 'The State Language of East Pakistan', which was printed in ''Chaturanga'' of [[Kolkata]]. During that time, the [[West Pakistan]] Rulers tried to impose [[Urdu]] as the only state language of East Pakistan while Bengali was spoken by most of the people. The government of Pakistan demanded an explanation. But Ali resigned and moved to India.
 
He slipped back to India in August 1949, tipped off by a friend, according to [[Abul Maal Abdul Muhith]], that Pakistani authorities intended to arrest him for his vocal support of the [[Bengali language movement]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Muhith |first1=Abul Maal Abdul |author1-link=Abul Maal Abdul Muhith |title=State language movement in East Bengal: 1947 - 1956 |year=2008 |publisher=University Press Limited |location=Dhaka |isbn=978-984-05-1795-4 |pages=36–37}}</ref>
 
After a brief stint at [[University of Calcutta]] in 1950, he became Secretary of the [[Indian Council for Cultural Relations]] and editor of its Arabic journal ''Thaqafatul Hind''.<ref name=star/> In 1951, he married Rabeya Khatun, the headmistress of [[Sylhet Government Girls High School]], a match arranged by his sisters.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Muhith |first1=Abul Maal Abdul |author1-link=Abul Maal Abdul Muhith |title=State language movement in East Bengal: 1947 - 1956 |year=2008 |publisher=University Press Limited |location=Dhaka |isbn=978-984-05-1795-4 |page=37}}</ref> From 1952 to 1956 he worked for [[All India Radio]] at New Delhi, [[Cuttack]] and [[Patna]]. He then joined [[Visva-Bharati University]] (1956–1964) as professor of German language and later of Islamic Culture. He lived in [[Kolkata]] till early 1972. Following the [[Liberation of Bangladesh]], he moved with his family to Dhaka and lived there till his death in 1974.


==Linguistic abilities and literary works==
==Linguistic abilities and literary works==
Ali's mother tongue Bengali, but he could speak 14 languages – English, [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Arabic]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Urdu language|Urdu]], [[Hindi]], [[Sanskrit]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Pashtu]] and [[Greek language|Greek]]. Alongside Natya Guru Nurul Momen and Jajabar (Binay Mukhopadhyay), Ali was one of the trail-blazers of a unique category of Bengali writing. 'Ramya Rachana' in the Bengali language, an anecdotal story-telling – often based on real-life experiences – became immensely popular, mostly because of the attractive writing style of Ali. ''[[Deshe Bideshe]]'', the story of his journey to and experiences in Kabul during his brief stint as professor in a college there is one of Ali's best works. ''Panchatantra'' is a collection of thoughts and short stories (some already published in 'Desh' magazine) of his days in Europe, Cairo and Baroda.
Ali's mother tongue was [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and [[Sylheti language|Sylheti]], but he also could speak English, Russian, French, German, Italian, [[Arabic]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Urdu language|Urdu]], [[Hindi]], [[Sanskrit]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], and [[Pashtu]].<ref name=star/> Alongside Natya Guru Nurul Momen and Jajabar (Binay Mukhopadhyay), Ali was one of the trail-blazers of a unique category of Bengali writing. 'Ramya Rachana' in the Bengali language, an anecdotal story-telling – often based on real-life experiences – became immensely popular, mostly because of the attractive writing style of Ali. ''[[Deshe Bideshe]]'', the story of his journey to and experiences in Kabul during his brief stint as professor in a college there is one of Ali's best works. ''Panchatantra'' is a collection of thoughts and short stories (some already published in 'Desh' magazine) of his days in Europe, Cairo and Baroda.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
# ''[[Deshe Bideshe]]'' (1949)
# ''[[Deshe Bideshe]]'' (1949)<ref name=":0" />
# ''Panchatantra'' (1952)
# ''Panchatantra'' (1952)
# ''Abishwasya'' (1955)
# ''Abishwasya'' (1955)
Line 44: Line 67:
# ''Jale Dangay'' (1957)
# ''Jale Dangay'' (1957)
# ''Dhupchhaya ''(1958)
# ''Dhupchhaya ''(1958)
# ''Shabnam'' (1960)
# ''[[Shabnam (Novel)|Shabnam]]'' (1960)
# ''Chaturanga'' (1960)
# ''Chaturanga'' (1960)
# ''Shreshtha Galpa'' (1962)
# ''Shreshtha Galpa'' (1962)
Line 65: Line 88:


==Death and legacy==
==Death and legacy==
In 1972, after the seperation of the country, Ali returned to Bangladesh. He died on 11 February 1974.<ref name="Embassy of Bangladesh">{{cite book|title=Bangladesh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OHAwAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA10|year=1974|publisher=Embassy of Bangladesh.|page=4}}</ref> Extracts from his literary works are included in the curriculum of school level, secondary, higher secondary and graduation level [[Bengali Literature]] in both Bangladesh and India, particularly in the states of [[West Bengal]] and [[Tripura]]. He was awarded [[Ekushey Padak]], the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh in 2005 by the Government of Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite news |title=14 to get Ekushey Padak |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2005/02/18/d50218011817.htm |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=18 February 2022}}</ref>
In 1972, after the [[Independence of Bangladesh]], Ali returned to Bangladesh. He died on 11 February 1974.<ref name="Embassy of Bangladesh">{{cite book |title=Bangladesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OHAwAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA10 |year=1974 |publisher=Embassy of Bangladesh |page=4}}</ref> Extracts from his literary works are included in the curriculum of school level, secondary, higher secondary and graduation level [[Bengali Literature]] in both Bangladesh and India, particularly in the states of [[West Bengal]] and [[Tripura]]. He was awarded [[Ekushey Padak]], the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh in 2005 by the [[Government of Bangladesh]].<ref>{{cite news |title=14 to get Ekushey Padak |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2005/02/18/d50218011817.htm |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=18 February 2005 |access-date=15 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402104029/http://archive.thedailystar.net/2005/02/18/d50218011817.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Awards==
==Awards==
*Narsinghadas Prize (1949)
* Narsinghadas Prize (1949)
*[[Ananda Puraskar]] (1961) awarded by Anandabazar Group
* [[Ananda Puraskar]] (1961) awarded by Anandabazar Group
*[[Ekushey Padak]] (2005) by the Government of Bangladesh
* [[Ekushey Padak]] (2005) by the Government of Bangladesh


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of Indian writers]]
* [[List of Indian writers]]
==Notes==
{{notelist}}


==References==
==References==
Line 84: Line 110:
* ''Prasanga: Mujtaba Ali'', edited by Bijanbihari Purakayastha, published by Nabapatra Prakashan (Kalikata) 1998 (first published as ''Mujtaba Prasanga ''in Sylhet in 1977).
* ''Prasanga: Mujtaba Ali'', edited by Bijanbihari Purakayastha, published by Nabapatra Prakashan (Kalikata) 1998 (first published as ''Mujtaba Prasanga ''in Sylhet in 1977).
* ''Syed Mujtaba Ali: Proshongo Oproshongo'' by Golam Mostakim, who was close with Syed Mujtaba Ali from 1971 to 1974, till Syed Mujtaba Ali's death. The book illustrates Syed Mujtaba Ali as a person rather than a personality. Published by Student Ways, Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1995.
* ''Syed Mujtaba Ali: Proshongo Oproshongo'' by Golam Mostakim, who was close with Syed Mujtaba Ali from 1971 to 1974, till Syed Mujtaba Ali's death. The book illustrates Syed Mujtaba Ali as a person rather than a personality. Published by Student Ways, Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1995.
* Vishwa Bharatis official page about Syed Mujtaba Ali <ref>{{Cite web |title=Syed Mujtaba Ali |url=https://www.visvabharati.ac.in/SyedMujtabaAli.html |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=www.visvabharati.ac.in}}</ref>


 
== External links==
{{Sister project links}}{{Portal bar|Biography|Literature|Education}}
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Latest revision as of 06:18, 28 February 2026


Syed Mujtaba Ali
সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী
File:Mujtaba Ali.jpg
Born(1904-09-13)13 September 1904[1]
Karimganj, North-East Frontier, British India
Died11 February 1974(1974-02-11) (aged 69)[2]
Dacca, Bangladesh
Occupation
  • Writer
  • journalist
  • teacher
  • travel enthusiast
  • academic
  • linguist
Spouse(s)
Rabia Khatun
​
(
m. 1951; died 1974)
Relatives
AwardsFull list
Academic background
Alma mater
ThesisThe Origin of the K͟hojāhs and Their Religious Life Today (1936)
Influences
Academic work
Discipline
Institutions
Writing career
Language
PeriodContemporary
GenreTravelogue
Notable worksDeshe Bideshe, Panchatantra, Chacha Kahini

Syed Mujtaba Ali[lower-alpha 1] (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., bn; 13 September 1904 – 11 February 1974) was a Bengali writer, journalist, travel enthusiast, academic, scholar and linguist. He lived in Bangladesh, India, Germany, Afghanistan and Egypt.[4]

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Syed Mujtaba Ali Khandakar was born on 13 September 1904 to a Bengali Muslim Syed family of Khandakars in Karimganj, Sylhet district, British Raj. His father, Khan Bahadur Syed Sikander Ali, was a sub-registrar.[5][6] He traced his paternal descent to Shah Syed Ahmed Mutawakkil, a Sufi Pir and a Syed of Taraf, though apparently unrelated to Taraf's ruling Syed dynasty.[7] Ali's mother, Amatul Mannan Khatun, belonged to the Chowdhuries of Kala and Bahadurpur, an Islamised branch of the Pal family of Panchakhanda.[8] His paternal family's ancestral home is Khandakar Bari in Uttarsur Village of Bahubal Upazila of Habiganj District. Mujtaba was the youngest of three brothers, one of whom being the writer Syed Murtaza Ali.[9][6]

Ali completed his matriculation at Sylhet Government Pilot High School but reportedly did not pass his intermediate examination from MC College.[citation needed] In 1919 when Rabindranath Tagore was visiting Sylhet, Mujtaba Ali met Tagore who had great influence on Mujtaba Ali's writings. Later, in 1921 Mujtaba joined the Indian freedom struggle and left his school in Sylhet after some Hindu students were punished from taking flowers from the District Commissioners house for Puja.[10] In the same year 1921, he went to Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan and graduated in 1926 with B.A. degree. He was among the first graduates of the Visva-Bharati. He studied for a brief period in Aligarh Muslim University. Later, he moved to Kabul to work in the Education Department (1927–1929) as a professor.[1][2] He left Afghanistan following Habibullāh Kalakāni taking control of Kabul during the Afghan Civil War (1928–1929).[11] His name was struck off the evacuation list by Francis Humphrys, first British Minister to the Amir of Afghanistan, Amānullāh Khān, after he criticized the airlifting of Europeans before British Indian citizens.[11]

From 1929 to 1932, Ali went to Germany with the Wilhelm Humboldt scholarship and studied at the universities in Berlin and later in Bonn. He earned his PhD from the University of Bonn with a dissertation on comparative religious studies on Khojas in 1932.

Career[edit | edit source]

Ali then studied at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo during 1934–1935. He taught at a college in Baroda from 1936 until 1944,[2] and in 1949 was principal of Government Azizul Haque College in Bogra, East Bengal.

After the Partition of India into India and Pakistan in 1947, Ali went from India to the then East Pakistan. He was one of the first to call for Bangla as East Pakistan's state language on 30 November 1947, at the Sylhet Kendriya Muslim Sahitya Samsad.[12] He was a prominent activist and supporter of Bengali as the national language of East Pakistan.[12] In 1948, being the principal of Azizul Huq College, Bogra, he wrote an essay, 'The State Language of East Pakistan', which was printed in Chaturanga of Kolkata. During that time, the West Pakistan Rulers tried to impose Urdu as the only state language of East Pakistan while Bengali was spoken by most of the people. The government of Pakistan demanded an explanation. But Ali resigned and moved to India.

He slipped back to India in August 1949, tipped off by a friend, according to Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, that Pakistani authorities intended to arrest him for his vocal support of the Bengali language movement.[13]

After a brief stint at University of Calcutta in 1950, he became Secretary of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and editor of its Arabic journal Thaqafatul Hind.[2] In 1951, he married Rabeya Khatun, the headmistress of Sylhet Government Girls High School, a match arranged by his sisters.[14] From 1952 to 1956 he worked for All India Radio at New Delhi, Cuttack and Patna. He then joined Visva-Bharati University (1956–1964) as professor of German language and later of Islamic Culture. He lived in Kolkata till early 1972. Following the Liberation of Bangladesh, he moved with his family to Dhaka and lived there till his death in 1974.

Linguistic abilities and literary works[edit | edit source]

Ali's mother tongue was Bengali and Sylheti, but he also could speak English, Russian, French, German, Italian, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi, Gujarati, and Pashtu.[2] Alongside Natya Guru Nurul Momen and Jajabar (Binay Mukhopadhyay), Ali was one of the trail-blazers of a unique category of Bengali writing. 'Ramya Rachana' in the Bengali language, an anecdotal story-telling – often based on real-life experiences – became immensely popular, mostly because of the attractive writing style of Ali. Deshe Bideshe, the story of his journey to and experiences in Kabul during his brief stint as professor in a college there is one of Ali's best works. Panchatantra is a collection of thoughts and short stories (some already published in 'Desh' magazine) of his days in Europe, Cairo and Baroda.[citation needed]

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

  1. Deshe Bideshe (1949)[11]
  2. Panchatantra (1952)
  3. Abishwasya (1955)
  4. Chacha Kahini (1955)
  5. Mayurkanthi (1957)
  6. Jale Dangay (1957)
  7. Dhupchhaya (1958)
  8. Shabnam (1960)
  9. Chaturanga (1960)
  10. Shreshtha Galpa (1962)
  11. Parash Pathar (1962)
  12. Bahubichitra (1962)
  13. Bhabaghure O Anyanya (1962)
  14. Shreshtha Ramya Rachana (1962)
  15. Tunimem (1964)
  16. Duhara (1966)
  17. Pachandashai (1967)
  18. Shahriyar (1969)
  19. Hitler (1970)
  20. Kato Na Ashrujal (1971)
  21. Musafir (1971)
  22. Prem
  23. Dwandwa Madhur
  24. Tulanahina
  25. Raja Ujir
  26. Chalak Hobar Pahela Kitab

Death and legacy[edit | edit source]

In 1972, after the Independence of Bangladesh, Ali returned to Bangladesh. He died on 11 February 1974.[15] Extracts from his literary works are included in the curriculum of school level, secondary, higher secondary and graduation level Bengali Literature in both Bangladesh and India, particularly in the states of West Bengal and Tripura. He was awarded Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh in 2005 by the Government of Bangladesh.[16]

Awards[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., bn

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Khan, Nurur Rahman (2012). "Ali, Syed Muztaba". In Islam, Sirajul; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "A man of many hues". The Daily Star. 11 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "14 to get Ekushey Padak". The Daily Star. 18 February 2005. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  4. ↑ Alim-uz-Zaman, Kazi (12 February 2024). সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলীর যে কষ্টের কথা আমরা অনেকেই জানি না. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  5. ↑ "Prakhyata Byaktitva". Moulvibazar Zila. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Abdulla Shibli (13 March 2015). "Syed Mujtaba Ali as a Rebel". The Daily Star.
  7. ↑ Khan, Nurur Rahman (1999), Sharif Uddin Ahmed (ed.), "Syed Mujtaba Ali", Sylhet: History and Heritage, Sylhet: Bangladesh Itihas Samiti: 824–25, ISBN 978-984-31-0478-6{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  8. ↑ Ali, Syed Murtaza (1968). Amadera kalera katha (in Bengali). Baighara. p. 27.
  9. ↑ "Syed Moazzem Ali passes away". Barta24. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  10. ↑ Shibli, Abdullah (7 March 2015). "Syed Mujtaba Ali as a Rebel". The Daily Star. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Banerjee, Mou (11 September 2023). "Syed Mujtaba Ali between Bengal and Afghanistan". The Daily Star (Opinion). Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Syed Mujtaba Ali – a pioneer of our Language Movement". 11 February 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  13. ↑ Muhith, Abul Maal Abdul (2008). State language movement in East Bengal: 1947 - 1956. Dhaka: University Press Limited. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-984-05-1795-4.
  14. ↑ Muhith, Abul Maal Abdul (2008). State language movement in East Bengal: 1947 - 1956. Dhaka: University Press Limited. p. 37. ISBN 978-984-05-1795-4.
  15. ↑ Bangladesh. Embassy of Bangladesh. 1974. p. 4.
  16. ↑ "14 to get Ekushey Padak". The Daily Star. 18 February 2005. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.

Further reading[edit | edit source]

  • Saiyad Mujtaba Ali Rachanabali (complete works), edited by Gajendrakumar Mitra, Sumathanath Ghosh, Sabitendranath Ray and Manish Chakrabarty, eleven volumes published by Mitra O Ghosh (Kolkata) 1974–1983.
  • Saiyad Mujtaba Ali: Jibankatha, by Nurur Rahman Khan, published by Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Dhaka) 1990.
  • Mujtaba Sahityer Rupbaichitrya o Rachanashaili, by Nurur Rahman Khan, published by Bangla Academy (Dhaka) 1990.
  • Prasanga: Mujtaba Ali, edited by Bijanbihari Purakayastha, published by Nabapatra Prakashan (Kalikata) 1998 (first published as Mujtaba Prasanga in Sylhet in 1977).
  • Syed Mujtaba Ali: Proshongo Oproshongo by Golam Mostakim, who was close with Syed Mujtaba Ali from 1971 to 1974, till Syed Mujtaba Ali's death. The book illustrates Syed Mujtaba Ali as a person rather than a personality. Published by Student Ways, Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1995.
  • Vishwa Bharatis official page about Syed Mujtaba Ali [1]

External links[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Syed Mujtaba Ali". www.visvabharati.ac.in. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
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