From protest tents to world rankings – born in struggle, built with sacrifice, and shining with national excellence.
– Mohammed Talha Siddi Bapa
The foundation of this remarkable university was laid not with ordinary bricks, but with the unyielding national spirit of a people fighting for freedom. When colonial rule sought to control minds as well as land, a new movement in education emerged in 1920. Jamia Millia Islamia rose not merely as a school, but as an intellectual revolt – the Indian Muslim community’s bold declaration that education would serve the nation, not the Empire.
A hundred years later, the story of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) remains one of extraordinary determination, dignity, and achievement. Born in a protest-camp environment, the university evolved into a powerhouse of learning, now holding the prestigious NAAC A++ grade and earning its place among the top universities in India, while rising in global rankings.
Two Educational Pillars in the Freedom Movement
The contribution of India’s Muslim community to nation-building is often spoken of in spiritual and social terms, but one of its most enduring gifts is educational reconstruction. When colonial policy deliberately shaped an elite loyal to the Crown, Indian Muslims pioneered an independent model of modern learning through two institutions:
- Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) – The Pioneer: Conceived by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan to introduce modern sciences and liberal thought alongside Islamic learning, creating an enlightened middle class capable of engaging with a changing world.
- Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) – The Freedom University: Established in 1920 as a rejection of colonial influence in education, fusing modern learning with ethical nation-building and anti-imperial resolve.
If AMU was the dawn of modern Muslim education, Jamia was the battle-standard – a courageous experiment in creating citizens who would build a free India, not serve a foreign Crown.
An Institution Born in Defiance
Jamia was born at the height of the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movements, when Mahatma Gandhi called for a boycott of British-controlled institutions. A group of visionary scholars and patriots, including Sheikh-ul-Hind Maulana Mehmood Hasan Deobandi, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hakim Ajmal Khan, and a young Dr. Zakir Husain, laid Jamia’s foundation on 29 October 1920 at Jama Masjid, Aligarh.
They envisioned a university that would mould conscientious, self-respecting, socially responsible nation-builders, not passive clerks for an empire.
Struggle and Sacrifice: The Formative Years
The early years were a severe test. As political winds shifted and financial support dwindled, Jamia stood on the brink of collapse. Its fate changed through a historic pledge:
Dr. Zakir Husain and his colleagues vowed to serve for minimal and often uncertain salaries for twenty years to keep the institution going. His unforgettable declaration captured Jamia’s soul: “We built Jamia not brick by brick, but sacrifice by sacrifice.”
Forced to leave Aligarh, Jamia moved to Delhi in 1925, operating from humble premises in Karol Bagh before finally settling in Okhla in 1935. Mahatma Gandhi, who admired Jamia’s principles of self-reliance and human fraternity, stood by it during its most difficult moments.
Post-Independence Growth and National Role
After Independence, Jamia flourished. Guided by leaders like Dr. Zakir Husain, who later became the President of India, it expanded into a multidisciplinary institution of national stature. In 1988, Parliament granted it Central University status, recognising it as a national asset.
In 2011, the university was formally recognised as a Minority Educational Institution under Article 30(1), an acknowledgment of its historic role in advancing the educational aspirations of Indian Muslims while remaining inclusive and national in its character.
Academic Pinnacle: A Modern Powerhouse
- Today, Jamia stands among India’s finest centres of learning:
- NAAC A++ Accreditation – highest possible grade
- Top-ranked in Central Universities in NIRF rankings
Globally recognised in Times Higher Education and other world rankings: Its flagship departments, including A.J.K. Mass Communication Research Centre, Faculty of Architecture & Ekistics, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Engineering & Technology, produce some of India’s brightest professionals and thinkers.
The campus is a vibrant, diverse ecosystem where students from across India and beyond come together, embodying the founders’ dream of pluralism, dignity, and intellectual freedom.
A Living Legacy
Jamia Millia Islamia is not merely an institution; it is an enduring flame of national self-respect, intellectual courage, and community effort. Its journey, from tents of protest to halls of global learning, proves that education rooted in sacrifice and moral purpose can outlast empires and shape nations.
Jamia stands today as a beacon of knowledge, character, and inclusive patriotism – a university born in rebellion, nurtured by sacrifice, and crowned by excellence.
