|
Haji Muhammad Mohsin Isfahani Imambarah, Hooghly, West Bengal
Committee of management is in charge of the management and complete control of all the properties whether Wakq properties or Kharij Tawliyat properties which have been vested with the Hooghly Imambarah. The committee is within control of the Wakf Haji Mohammed Mohsin and the Tauzi 92 properties vested by The British Government to the committee of management for financing the shortage in religious functions as per directions of Haji Mohammed Mohsin in his wakf deed 1806.
In control and overall supervision of day to day affairs of Hooghly Imambarah collection of rent, maintenance of the properties, the graveyard - two third of the properties of Haji Mohammed Mohsin was taken by the British Government under his control for education and secular purposes. The educational purposes were the School, the College and the Madrasah and other establishments were made which is still running. And other secular, the Imambarah Sadar Hospital was built and that is also run by the Government.The other purposes which was another one third of the religious purpose is only under the control of the committee of management.
This institution has its own history. One of the noblest sons of Bengal, Haji Mohammed Mohsin, who has left his golden imprint on the socio-cultural and economic history of Bengal, executed a deed in 1806 which later on came to be termed as Towleatnama. He appointed two Mutwallis to run his Endowment and died in 1812. After his death, the Endowment being thoroughly mismanaged, the Government of that time took over the entire Endowment under Regulation-XIX of 1810. Litigation ensued and then highest Court (Sadar Dewani Adalat) in 1834 upheld the action of the Government vide its judgment report in 6 S.D.A. page 130.
Hooghly Imambarah Hospital
The Imambarah Hospital is maintained almost wholly from the Mohsin Fund with the help of private subscription from mills on the other side of the river. This Hospital was established through the exertion of the Civil Surgeon Dr Thomas Alexander Wise. It was first located in a hired house in the Chawkbazar, and then in a house in Mogaltuli Lane, formerly occupied by the Madrasas, and was under the charge of Civil Surgeon. In 1839 Dr Wise was succeeded by Dr Esdaile and enthusiast for medical mesmerism, through whose exertion some professional mesmerism were added to the staff. At that time Bunder Chunder Chowdhury, the first Bengali Surgeon was appointed from the Mohsin Fund at Imambarah Hospital and he used to get Salary of Rs.100/- and Rs.30/- for the palanquin from 1853 to 1863. It has also a Mussalman department for yunani medicine and a dai class from 1872 to 1878, this class started again in 1902. In 1894, the hospital was removed to its present site in one of the smaller Barracks. An operation room was added in 1898, and out patient block in May 1906, at a cost of about 11,000/- by Mohsin Fund, in 1908 new and up to date operation room was built at cost of Rs.4730/- raised by Public subscription, The Building mentioned below:-
Name of Building No of Beds
Two Surgical Ward 16
Medical Ward 8
Dysentery Wards 8
Cholera Ward 2
Pauper Wards 6
Total 40
Lt Col. Crowford listed 85 commodities which were in use as indigenous drugs in the Imambarah Hospital and prepared a classified list of as many as 240 items of organic and inorganic materials in medicinal use and available in the Hooghly market.
Lt. Col. Crowford made a list of Civil Surgeon of Hooghly from 1813 to 1900 ( See Hooghly Medical Gazetteer Page520)
Hooghly Imambarah Unani Medicine Hospital
Like Ayourvedic, the Unani system of medicine also went by the three fundamental , air Bile, and phlegm (ruh,safe, and bulgum) and collected its durg from the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdom. Orgination in Central Asia, its naturally picked up those plants to choose its medicine from which are common in that region. Basically , thissystem also depended on outer physical symptoms for the diagnosis. In Arabic ancient Greece was konwn as Unan and Hippocrates (460-357 B.C) who practiced and taught medicine in Athens, by early originator of this system, it came to be associates with thename of his country as the Unani system. Writing about its popularity in HooghlyDistrict. LT. Col. Crawford remarked in 1903/ The Yunani or Musalaman system of medicine is now little practiced in this district. There is a large well equipped yunanidispensary in the Imambarah building at Hooghly under the charge of a skill parctitioner of the system of LUcknow, which is resorted to by the Musalaman of Hugli Town (LtCol. Crowford - op cit p 372). It is pertinent to point out in this connexion that as early as i april 1837, some 61 years id Crowford published his well known work a letter was published in one of the journal of time "Samaj" which praised the efforts of Dr. T.A.Wise in staring a hospital for better Hindus, Muslim out of the Imambarah Trust created by Haji Mohammad Mohsin and gave a list of the medical practitioner serving there which was belong.
Hooghly Imambarah Mohsin College
Further is the Hooghly College, a fine doubled storied building within a large compound which is walled in on three sides and has the river on the east, the garden contain the plants which have been culotivated from the time when Dr Watt was professor of Botany here. The building as several large rooms, is one of which then is a valuable library, and a broad flight of steps down to the river. The College was established from the accumulated surplusf the Mohsin Fund, and according to a stone tablet in the Entrance hall was opened on 1st August 1836. The present building was occupied in 1837, having been bought with three bighas of land between March & July of that year. It was built by M.Perron, the French General of Scindia *(The Calcutta gazette of 10th October 1805contains and advertisement offering for sale "the house at Chinsurah now nearly finished built by the order of General Perron, leaving for Europe) who reside at Chandanangore for a year and ahallf (1803 - 1805) was purchased fr the Jogmohan Seal, who had brought it in execution of a decree against Babu Pran Kissen Halder. At last Pran Kissen Halder, the Zamindar came into the presence of that property. babu Pran Kissen Halder used to give nautches and entertainment, in it, and who in 1828 countributed Rs. 13000/- for the masonary bridge over the Saraswati Bridge at Tribeni. He was ultimately convicted of forgery and sentenced to transportation for 14 years. The Seal family of Chinsurah ( now represented by Babu Barajendra Kumar Seal. a retired District Judge has lent him money on mortgage of the house, and when it was sold at an auction sale of the Civil Court in 1834 bought it up. The Seals sold it in 1837 to government for Rs.20,000/-
The endowment left by Haji Mohammad Mohsin (A.D.1732 - 1812 ) also played an important role in the spread of Education in the Hooghly District. During his life time he had founded a madrasa which after his death,was amalgamated with the Imambarah School started and maintain from the proceeds of the trust properties. Following mismanagement of the trust properties, Government took over the administration of the fund in 1832 and established the Hooghly Mohsin College in August 1836. It started with two Department English and Arabic, the formenr admitted students who had to passed the Entrance examination and the latter any Muslim for advance studies in Arabic, Persian and Islamic Theology and Law.Under the first regulation of the Calcutta University the college was affiliated upto the M.A and Law examination until 1916 when under the second regulation, allt eh post graduate classes were discountinued. ( See page 523 of Hooghly gazeteer October 1972).
The Mohammedan have a hostel in a large block south of the College, while the Hindu students live in a hostel, erected in 1903, on the extreme south of the maiden and in several hired houses near the courts.
The College ranked next in important to the Presidency College and among its alumni are men like that the late Mr Justice Dwarkanath Mitra and Mr Amir Ali. The Finance Committee of 1886 advocated its abolition, and in 1891, it was decide that, if possible the college should be handed over to local contract. This steps was not taken, last it was agreed tat in future the ftaff should consist entirely of men recruited in India. This decision was carried into effect 1896. In 1899 the memorial signed by large number of Zamindar, retired Government servents, the High Court Pleader and formern pupils,was submitted to Government requesting that some at least of the staff of the college might br member of he Indian Educational services. As result of this memorial, Sir John Wood burn, the then Lieutenant General order that arrangement should, if possible, be made by which the services of a member of the Indian educational services is a European officer with the degree of a English University should be made available for the post of the Proncipal. The Administration of the College is entrusted to a governing body with the Commissioner as the President and the Principal as Secretary. The fees are Rs.6/- a month, but a Mohammedan pay only half that sum, the balance being met from the Mohsin Fund.The College has a valuable library of old book. The number of Student of its rol on 31.03.1909 was 117
Hooghly Imambarah Library
Calcutta, the Hooghly district has been the cradle of the library movement in West Bengal as some of the earliest library in the state was started here. Haji Mohammad Mohsin built up a rich collection of Arabic, Persian, and the other book and manuscripts which are now at National Library, Calcutta.
From the letter of C.T. Buckland, Commissioner of Burdwan addressed to the Secretary to the Government of Bengal, Revenue Department dated 13th March 1875. See page 459 Blue book of Hooghly Imambarah "Sir, I have the Honour to submit copy of a letter No 36 dated 23th April, from the Local Agent, Hooghly and a letter in original from the Mutwalli of the Hooghly Enmambarah addressed to the Government of India with four copies of the manuscripts catalogue of the books of which the Mutwalli has made a gift to the Emambarah.
2. I recommend that the offer of the Mutwalli may be accepted and duly acknowkedge by the Government."
Hooghly Imambarah Madrasa
he Board of Revenue in 1817 founded a Madrasa at an amount of Rs.6000/- payable out of the Trust fund left by Haji Mohammad Mohsin, the madrasa at Hooghly become, in course of time , the most important centre of Islamic learning in the District. From August 1818 it came under Govenment management, But the leading feature in the first 20 years of the Government management, was the growth of a considerable securities. On 1821 the property was settled in patni tenures, that is to say tenures subject to a government rent fixed in perpetuity, and about 6,00,000 ( Six Lac ) of rupees were received on this account. As however the suit questioning the validity of this title was then pending in the Privy Council, it was made a condition that of that suit were lost, and the new owner fefused to confirm the patni, the purchase money should be included with interest. To meet this possible change the proceed of the patni sale were invested in Government Security, and the interest being added as it amount to the original principal, a capital sum of about ten lac were accomulated.
In 1897 it had 166 students and government expenditure in it was Rs.2375/-. Writing in 1951, about the Sate Education in West Bengal for the period of 1942-1947, Snemoi Datta nad subodh Chandra Sengupta wrote" Madresa education was imparted through different channels. There was the reformed schemes in which the Junior Madrasa stage from Class v to Class vI was controlled by the Department of Education and the Higher Madrasa stages from class vII to class x was controlled by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dacca. At the end of this a student might join an intermediate College under the Calcutta University, but he would more naturally go the an Islamic Intermediate College of which West Bengal had only one.The Government Intermediate College at Chinsurah, Hooghly which had a lean existence with only 33 pupils as against 36 in 1942. The total expenditure here was 19,405/- of which Rs.18732/- came from provisional revenues.
History of Trustee Estate
In the beginning of 18th Century emperor Aurangzeb went to the Deccan for invading Ahmednagar when his Omrah Agha Motaher was awarded a Jagir in respect of Santganpargana. Aurangzeb died in 1707. In order to manage this Jagir Agha Motaher came with his wife to Hooghly and settled there. Santganpargana at that time consisted mostly of low and marshy land. Thus from the time the entire low land of Kidderpore was under the management of Hooghly Zamindary instead of 24-Parganas Authority.
Agha Motaher died leaving behind him his (1) widow and only (2) daughter Mannujan Khatoon. Agha Motaher made a will in favour of his daughter only and gave all his properties to her before his death. This agreeved the widow who then married Hazi Faizullah. Out of this wed-lock Hazi Mohammad Mohsin the great, was born in 1732.
Munnujan Khanum married one Mirza Alauddin Mohammad. After the marriage her Zamindari became known as Mirza-al Zamindary. Now speaking of Kidderpore it is found that the Zamindary in Kidderpore comprised of Taluk No.92 in which the properties amongst others are (1) (Munshigunge Area) (2) (Muchikhola Area) now known as Garden Reach (3) (Kapidanga Area) now known as King George Dock. (4) (Alip Nagar Area) now known as Taratala. (5) (Daulatpure) that is from bridge No.(1) of Dock No.(1), Dumayu Avenue and Sonai (6) Sonaibazar to Coalberth of C.P.C. (7) Soingarhati - Fatepure Area (8) Kalibagan. Bhukailash Area and lastly No. (9) Ramchandrapure renamed as Mominpore.
When Munnujan Khanum became a widow she made a gift of all properties belonging to her brother Haji Mohammad Mohasin who remained unmarried throughout his life. He made the entire property a Wakf and died in 1812. Subsequently due to mis-management by Mutawallis the entire property was transferred to the Board of Revenue for management.
Thereafter, the Government remained in undisputed possession of the properties of the Endowment till 1863 when the Religious Endowment Act (Act-XX of 1863) came into force. The Government’s Order no. 4036 of 30th October, 1863 directed, “a committee must be appointed to take the place and exercise the powers of the Board of Revenue and of the Local Agents and when appointed, will perform all the duties of the Board and the Agents except in respect of property especially provided for under Section 21 of the Act.” The income of the Endowment was divided into 9 shares.
Committee of Management, The Hooghly Imambarah was thereafter appointed once for all and then by its order no. 219 dated 26th January, 1876 the Government directed the Board of Revenue not to transfer to this committee the charge of Syedpore Estate but only to make over to it that portion of the proceeds of the Endowment of late Haji Mohammed Mohsin which was appropriated to religious uses. Thus a fund or call it a Local Fund was created as noted hereunder:-
1/9th Share for Salary of Mutwalli.
3/9th Share for Committee of Management, for religious purposes.
4/9th Share for Secular purposes.
1/9th Share for Education.
Details of 4/9th Share:-
1. Unani Charitable dispensary at Hooghly Imambarah.
2. Imambarah Sadar Hospital at Chinsurah, Hooghly.
3. Local Agent’s Office.
4. Imambarah Establishment for staff.
In addition to the aforesaid fund, the Government by its order vested Kharij Touleut estates in the religious manager of the Imambarah as a trust for the purposes of the Institution but directed the same to be placed under the control of the Imambarah Committee and further directed that their accounts should be kept separate from those of the original Endowment or Waqf.
Committee of Management is in charge of the overall management and is in control of all the properties whether Wakf properties or Kharij Tawliyat properties which were vested with the Committee of Management of Hooghly Imambarah. The committee is in control of the Wakf properties of Haji Mohammed Mohsin and Tauzi 92 properties which were vested by the British Government to the Committee of Management to overcome shortage of funds for religious functions.
Agha Ali Abbas Shirazi
President
Committee of Management,
HAJI MOHAMMAD MOHSIN WAKF ESTATE HOOGHLY IMAMBARAH
( E.C.NO.- 4649) Imambazar Road, Hooghly - 712 103, West Bengal
For more details visit the website: http://imambarahhooghlycommitteeofmanagement.com/
|
