Muhammad Mohsin

Muhammad Mohsinil
Hero of Charity (দানবীর in Bengali)
Native name হাজী মহম্মদ মহসীন
Born 1733
Hooghly, Bengal, Mughal Empire (now in West Bengal, India)
Died 1812 (aged 79–80)
Hooghly, Bengal Presidency, British Raj
Religion Shia Islam[1][2]

Haji Muhammad Mohsin (Bengali: হাজী মহম্মদ মহসীন; 1732 – 29 February 1812) was a prominent philanthropist in Bengal. His most notable contribution was to establish the Hooghly Mohsin College and the Hooghly Imambara. He played a luminous role during the great famine of Bengal in 1776–77 by helping thousands of the victims.

Early life

Mohsin was born to Haji Faizullah and Zainab Khanam in Hooghly (now in West Bengal, India) in 1732. He was home-schooled and gained knowledge in the study of the Quran, Hadith and the Fiqh. Later, he went on a voyage to other countries of Asia, including the regions in current-day Iran, Iraq, Turkey and the Arab peninsula. He also made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and visited Medina, Kufa, Karbala and other holy places. After performing the Hajj, he was given the title Haji.[3]

Philanthropy

Hooghly Imambara founded by Haji Muhammad Mohsin at Hooghly

Following his return, Mohsin took over the management of the estate of his half-sister, Munnujan. She was the widow of Mirza Salahuddin, the Naib-faujdar or deputy military governor of Hooghly working for the Nawab of Bengal. She inherited a fortune from her mother Zainab, whose first husband Aga Motahar had much land and properties in Hooghly, Jessore, Murshidabad and Nadia.

After Munnujan's death in 1803, Mohsin inherited all of her fortune. He bequeathed this fortune for charity and created a Waqf or trust in 1806, with his entire wealth of 156,000 taka. One-third of his fortune was to be donated for education and religious programmes, four-ninths for pensions to the elderly and disabled, and the remaining two-ninths for the expenses of the two trustees. He also gave 40 acres of land out of 42 acres for establishing Govt. BL College, Khulna, Bangladesh. Which is the 10 th College of Bangladesh and the very first college of the southern part of Bangladesh.

Death and legacy

Mohsin died on 29 November 1812.

Due to his immense contributions in the field of education, Mohsin is the namesake of many educational institutions in India and Bangladesh. The New Hooghly College in Chinsurah, West Bengal, which now bears his name as the Hooghly Mohsin College was established by him.[4][5] He is the namesake of Government Hazi Mohammad Mohshin College, Chittagong, Bangladesh.[6] and the Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, University of Dhaka.[7]

He is also the namesake of a Bangladesh Navy base located in Dhaka.[8]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Hajia Mohammed Mohsin Waqf Estate
  2. ↑ Hooghly Imambargah
  3. ↑ Ali, Muhammad Ansar (2012). "Mohsin, Haji Muhammad". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-19. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  5. ↑ See Dey (1893: 96/192) pp.286-287, and (1893: 97/194), pp.354-366.
  6. ↑ http://www.mohsincollege.gov.bd/%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  7. ↑ "University of Dhaka". Archived from the original on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  8. ↑ "Bangladesh Navy". Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2014.

References

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