Muhammad Ali Jinnah - The Great Leader

1876 Born in Karachi on Monday, December 25.

1883 Admitted in School, Passed IV in early 1887

1887 Admitted in Standard I English, Sindh Madrasatul Islam, Karachi, July 4.

1892 Married Emibai at the age of 16 - Left Karachi for Europe

1893 Joined Lincoln's Inn - Emibai died at home.

1894 His mother’s death, whom he loved very much, was a great shock for him and he returned to Karachi for few weeks.

1895 On return to London he started living at 35 Russel Road, Kensington, London. His father Jinnah Poonjah shifted to Bombay with his children leaving Karachi for good.

1896 Called to the Bar on April 29, he sailed for Bombay, India from England in July. He was enrolled as an advocate on the original side of the High Court of Bombay on August 24. Started his legal career living in Apollo Hotel in Bombay with an initial hard struggle.

1900 Appointed Presidency Magistrate, Bombay for three months. He left the job in November though a permanent assignment was offered to him by the Law Department Bombay. The refusal of the offer was a turning point in his life. He celebrated his 24th birthday and restarted his legal career with the same zeal and perseverance.

1902 His father Jinnah Poonjah died on April 17. The responsibility of Miss Fatima Jinnah and Master Ahmed Ali Jinnah fell on his shoulder.

1903 He started living in a bigger house in Band Stand area of Bombay.

1906 Purchased his own bungalow in Malabar Hills in Bombay, one of the best areas in Bombay. Started his public career with his maiden speech on “Mussalman Waqf Alal-aulad” at Congress session Calcutta in December.

1907 Congress delegates were divided into two factions, extremists and moderates at Allahabad session on December 26. Jinnah sided with the latter.

1909 Elected from Bombay Muslim Constituency to the Imperial Legislative Council. Jinnah contested against Molvi Rafiuddin, one of the founders of All India Muslim League and defeated him in the election.

1910 Took oath as a member of the Imperial Legislature on January 25. Attended Congress session at Allahabad on December 26 and spoke on separate electorate for Muslims.

1911 Attended Hindu-Muslim Leaders Conference at Allahabad on January 1 to discuss Muslim representation in Legislature and in services and also to solve Hindi-Urdu problems. Introduced and spoke on “Mussalman Waqf (Trust) Validating Bill”.

1912 Spoke on Elementary Education bill in the Imperial Legislative Council and pleaded for inclusion and amendments in the interest of Muslims otherwise warned to oppose it. Attended on special invitation, the Council meeting of the Muslim League at Bankipur on December 31 and proposed “Self Government suitable to India” for the in Indian Politics and that too from the Muslim League platform of which he was not yet a regular member.

1913 Spoke on Report of the Select Committee on the “Mussalman Waqf Validating Bill” in the Imperial Legislative Council. The Bill received the Viceroy’s assent on March 7 and became a law of critical importance to the Muslims in India. Attended All India Muslim League Annual Session at the Lucknow on March 22-23. The new motto of the Muslim League’s struggle for “Self Government Suitable to India” was endorsed in the session. He was enrolled as member of the All India Muslim League by Moulana Mohammed Ali and Syed Wazir Hassan.

1914 Joined a delegation to England in May. His statement published in The Times, London June 3 read: “India is perhaps the only member of the British Empire without any real representation and the only civilized country in the world that has no real system of representative government”.

1915 Spoke at Bombay Muslim Students Union as a Chief Guest, February 3. Due to his efforts, All India Muslim League and All India Congress Committee annual sessions were held in Bombay at the same time.

1916 Presided over the All India Muslim League held on December 30-31. Famous Lucknow Pact was signed between Muslim League and Congress as an accord between Hindu and Muslims due to his efforts as the Champion of the accord.

1917 Spent the summer at Darjeeling Hill Station with Sir Dinshaw Petit. Protested against the internment of Mrs. Anne Besant and her coworkers. Spoke at Allahabad Home Rule League in October.

1918 Married to Begum Rutty, April 19, the Parsi lady who embraced Islam day before her marriage. Jinnah Pacific Hall was built to commemorate his services to the people of India.

1919 Resigned from the Imperial Legislative Council as protest against the Rowlatt Act, which he termed a “Black Law”. His daughter Dina was born on August 15. Attended the All India Muslim League session at Amritsar and was elected its President.

1920 Presided over Extra-Ordinary Session of All India Muslim League Calcutta, September 7. The banners at his side read: Be true to your religion and Liberty is man’s birthright. He departed from the All India Congress Committee for good.

1924 Reelected the President of Muslim League for another three years.

1926 At Delhi session of the Muslim League in December, he proposed for speedy attainment of a full responsible Government.

1928 Addresses the Calcutta session of the Muslim League and declared, “A constitutional war has been declared on Great Britain. We are denied equal partnership and we will resist the new doctrine to the best of our power. Jalianwala Bagh was a physical butchery, the Simon Commission is a butchery of our soul”.

1929 Fourteen Points of Jinnah were formulated in March. It was a proposal for the settlement with majority.

1930 During the Allahabad session of the Muslim League, Allama Iqbal presented his proposal of “Muslim India within India”. Jinnah, much despaired, with the affairs of India, left for England in a self imposed exile. He purchased a house at West Heath London and started legal practice in Privy Council as a barrister.

1933 A resolution was passed at Delhi Session of the Muslim League in November by one group to take advantage of Jinnah’s non-presence and the League was divided into two groups.

1934 The split in ranks of the All India Muslim League ended at a combined meeting of both the sections on March 4. A resolution was passed electing Mr. Jinnah the President of the United Body. Within a month Jinnah returned to India and started re-organization of the Muslim League.

1936 At the Bombay session of the All India Muslim League in April his services rendered in connection with the Shahidgunj Mosque (Lahore) question was lauded. At this session he proposed that Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan be elected Honorary Secretary of the Muslim League for a term of three years.

1937 At the Muslim League session in Lucknow, Mr. Jinnah advocated for the government of the people, by the people and for the people. He advised the people,”Think a hundred times before you take any decision but once a decision is taken, stand by it as one man. Be true and loyal and I fee confident that success is with you”.

1938 At the special session of the Muslim League at Calcutta, Mr. Jinnah said in the presidential address, “Don’t depend upon anybody. You must depend upon your own inherent strength. The Musalmans have not yet realized what power and strength they would possess if they were properly mobilized as one solid people”. Mr. Jinnah was now popularly known as Quaid-e-Azam. Two great leaders of the Muslim India, Dr. Mohammad Iqbal and Maulana Shaukat Ali passed away.

1940 Presided over the famous Lahore Session of Muslim League in March, which passed the Lahore Resolution, later known as the Pakistan Resolution. His 64th Birthday was celebrated officially by the Muslim League.

1941 Presided over the Special session of the Punjab Muslim Students Federation March 2. He said let our motto be: Money is lost, nothing is lost Courage is lost, much is lost Honor is lost, most is lost Soul is lost, all is lost.

1942 At Allahabad session in April, he said, “Now let us talk less and work more”. Cripps proposal was discussed at length. At this session a resolution giving full power to Mr. Jinnah was carried with a single dissenting vote of Maulana Hasrat Mohani.

1943 In a message to Frontier Muslim Student Federation April 4, he said, “You have asked me to give you a message. What message can I give you? We have got the greatest message in the Quran for our guidance and enlightenment”. He faced an assassin on July 26. The last annual session of the All India Muslim League was held in December at Karachi. Mr. Jinnah said in the presidential address, “Just as we have after seven years (since the 1936 revival of the Muslim League) established our unity of ideals and unity of thought, so we must in the next period of our program establish complete unity of action”.

1944 Gandhi-Jinnah talks were held. Gave an interview to the Associated Press of America on November 8 explaining the geographical, political and economic position of Pakistan.

1945 Elections to the Central and Provincial Legislatures were held. The elections were fought on the issue of Pakistan. The Muslim League won all the Muslim seats in the center and overwhelming majority in the provinces. Viceroy’s Executive Council was expanded. Talks failed as neither the Viceroy nor the Congress conceded the League’s claim to nominate all Muslim members.

1946 All India Muslim League Legislators Convention in Anglo-Arabic Hall, Delhi was held in the month of April. This historical convention was actually the meeting of the parliament of Muslim India.

1947 Quaid-e-Azam broadcast message of Partition Plan June 3. At the last (Pre-partition) council meeting o of the Muslim League the supporters shouted, Shahensha-e-Pakistan (Emperor of Pakistan). Mr. Jinnah strongly objected being called Emperor of Pakistan and said, “I am the soldier of Pakistan not its emperor.” Karachi was decided to be the Capital of Pakistan. Quaid-e-Azam along with Miss Fatima Jinnah arrived in Karachi August 7. Addressed Constituent assembly of Pakistan on August 11. Pakistan appeared on the Globe on August 14.

1948 As Governor General Addressed the establishment H.M.P.S. Dilawar January 23 saying,”While giving the fullest support to the principles of the United Nations Charter, we cannot afford to neglect our defenses. The primary responsibility for the defense of our country will rest with us.” At public meeting in Dacca, March 21 he said,”Having failed to prevent the establishment of Pakistan, thwarted and frustrated by their failure, the enemies of Pakistan have now turned their attention to disrupt the State by creating a split amongst the Muslims of Pakistan.” Message to the Muslims of the World, August 7, it was his last wish to put up a united front of the Muslim world. Last message was on the 1st Independence Day. Returned to Karachi, his birthplace, and within a year of the creation of Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam, greatest figure in Pakistan’s history, breathed his last on September 11. Inna-lillah-e-wa-inna-illaihe Rejeun.