Yakub Hasan Sait

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Maulana
Yakub Hasan Sait
Minister of Public Works (Madras Presidency)
In office
14 July 1937 – 9 October 1939
PremierC. Rajagopalachari
GovernorJohn Erskine, Lord Erskine
Personal details
Born1875
Aligarh University
OccupationBusinessman, politician
ProfessionBusinessman

Maulana Yakub Hasan Sait or simply Yakub Hasan Sait (1875–1940) was an Indian businessman, freedom-fighter and politician who served as the Minister for Public Works in the

Madras presidency
from 1937 to 1939.

Yakub Hasan Sait was born in

Rajaji
government.

Yakub Hasan Sait was a member of the Muslim League and later, the Indian National Congress. He was the only Muslim minister in Rajaji's 1937 cabinet.

Early life

Yakub Hasan Sait was born in

Aligarh University.[1] Soon after completion of his degree in 1893, Sait moved to Bangalore and started his career as a businessman.[1]

Sait moved to Madras in 1901 and gradually settled in the city. For a particular period of time, he worked as an international business agent under Nawab C. Abdul Hakim.[2][3] Due to his immense knowledge of the Quran and other Muslim religious scriptures, Sait was often called "Maulana".[4]

Early politics and formation of the All-India Muslim League

Soon after his arrival in Madras, Sait entered public life and was elected member of the Madras Corporation. Sait was one of founders of the All India Muslim League.[1] He was an active party worker and visited England as a delegate of the League. He was also the only Muslim politician from the Madras Presidency involved in the drafting of the Lucknow Pact.[5]

In the Indian Independence Movement

In 1916, Sait was elected to the

Madras Legislative Council by the South Indian Chamber of Commerce. He joined the Indian National Congress and participated in the Khilafat agitations[1][5] in 1919 and was imprisoned for six months. He was arrested and imprisoned once again in 1921 for his participation in the Non-Cooperation Movement.[5] On his return from jail in 1923, he resigned from the Congress and founded the Madras Province Muslim League.[1] This move was prompted by Sait's preference for Dominion Status when the Congress declaration of independence as its primary goal.[6] As a result, no Muslim leader from the Presidency participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement.[6] Sait stood for the elections and was elected to the Assembly. In 1927, Sait allied with the United Nationalist party of N. G. Ranga.[7][8]

A little before the 1937 elections, Sait, left the Madras Provincial Muslim League and joined the Indian National Congress.

Mohammad Iqbal's two-nation theory and supported a united India.[9] However, he still supported most of the other policies of the Muslim League.[9]

In Rajaji's cabinet

Sait won the 1937 elections to the Madras assembly.[1] He was made a minister in the Madras cabinet and was given in charge of the Public Works Department.[1] Sait resigned along with other ministers when Britain declared war on Germany.

Death

In March 1940, a few months after resigning as Minister, Sait suffered chest pains and had to be hospitalized.[10] He died soon afterwards.[10]

Controversy

In the 1930s, most Tamil Muslim politicians were concentrated in the Madras Provincial Muslim League.[11] These Muslim Leaguers were against the atheist policies of the Self-Respect Movement.[11] At the same time, there was also not much support for the Indian National Congress amongst the Muslims in the Presidency.[11]

During his campaigning for the Indian National Congress, Sait was accused of disrespecting Islam at a meeting in Coimbatore by not standing while verses from the Quran were read.[11] Throughout the remainder of the campaign, he was shown black flags at rallies.[11]

See also

  • The Saits

Notes

  1. ^
    ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .
  2. ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .
  3. ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .
  4. ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .
  7. ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .
  8. ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .
  10. ^ a b The Indian Review. G. A. Natesan & Co. 1940. p. 227.
  11. ^
    ISBN 81-250-1192-7
    .

References
Preceded by
 Member of the Madras Legislative Council
1916–1919
1923–1939 		Succeeded by
{{{after}}}
Preceded by
 President of the Madras Provincial Muslim League
1927 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
 Minister of Public Works (Madras Presidency)
1937–1939 		Succeeded by
Governor rule
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