Day: November 28, 2023

Abdul Kadir Khan was a student at Agra College, Allahabad University District, Uttar Pradesh, India. His ancestors served as Mansabdar under Mughal emperor’s and were endowed with the Khanpur Estate (Major Taluqdar) of Bulandshahr District, Uttar Pradesh.They also settled twelve villages of Pathans on the shores of the Ganga, better known as Barah Basti, in Bulandshahr District, Uttar Pradesh.

Abdul Kadir Khan’s father (Haji Munir Khan) his grandfather (Azim Khan) and granduncle (Abdul Latif Khan) played a significant role during the First War of Independence 1857 and fought against the British Empire under the overall command of Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh, whose niece was married to Prince Mirza Jawan Baqt, the only son of Bahadur Shah Zafar and Zeenat Mahal.

1-https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?23530 (Azim Khan)

2-https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?23532 (Haji Munir Khan)

3-https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?23534 (Abdul Latif Khan)

Abdul Kadir Khan (Bar at London) and the Liverpool Muslim Institute.
Abdul Kadir Khan moved to London to pursue his career in the field of law. He gained admission to the Honourable Society of Middle Temple and was called to the bar in 1897. The other distinguished Barrister with Abdul Kadir Khan’s in Honorable Society of Middle Temple were – Husain Badruddin Tyabji son Badruddin Tayabji the first muslim Judge of Bombay and the president of third session of Indian National congress and Devchandra Uttamchand Parekh who first addressed Bapu as ‘Shriman Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’ on January 21, 1915.


Abdul Kadir Khan (Bar at Law)
Abdul Kadir Khan taught Arabic, Urdu, and Persian at Liverpool Muslim College (LMI), succeeding the great freedom fighter of India, Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali. Other professors at the Liverpool Muslim Institute during Abdul Kadir Khan’s time included Nasrullah Warren and Haschem Wilde. Many articles in the LMI’s newspaper ‘The Crescent’ mention that Abdullah Quilliam used to call him Brother Abdul Kadir Khan.

The lectures of Abdul Kadir Khan published in the leading newspaper ‘The Crescent’ included topics such as ‘The Pilgrimage to Mecca’, ‘Theology of Namaz’, ‘Study of Arabic’, ‘Religious Forms and Ceremonies’, and many more. He also served on the committee that managed the Liverpool Moslem Institute school, and he proposed suggestions to the architect Mr. McGovern for the proposed designs for the Liverpool Moslem Institute (LMI’s ) purpose-built mosque.

Abdul Kadir Khan was an active member of the Liverpool Moslem Institute Debating Society and was present at the marriage of Muslim Prince Nawab Mohammad Ali Khan, the son of Nawab Yusuf Ali Khan, the independent ruler of Rampur State. He also participated in the resolution to celebrate the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire’s birthday, Sultan Gazi Abdul Hamid, and passed a resolution to congratulate the second child to graduate from the LMI’s school. Abdul Kadir Khan was specially appointed to lead the Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Liverpool mosque, as well as at the very first operating mosque in London, which was affiliated to the Liverpool one. He also served as an imam at Liverpool mosque for a long time and led Friday prayers several times. Additionally, he led the Funeral Prayer (Janaza Namaz) of a little child, Florence Zulikha Thompson, who had been a pupil at the LMI’s school.

There was an extraordinary incident that happened at LMI’s school In late September 1897, the Institute’s Literary and Debating Society held a discussion on “Is swine’s flesh suitable for human food?” Many opinions were expressed on both sides of the issue, much of which was humorous on the part of the defenders of porcine foodstuffs. One such defender generated quite a round of laughter when he referred to Quilliam stating, “I admire your chairman. He is a decent sort of chap, but see how thin he is…I think it is from not eating pork chops.” Near the end of the proceedings, Abdul Kadir Khan was making his summation when a man from the visitor’s gallery shouted “I love pig, I love pork,” and began throwing black-
pudding (sausage generally made from pig’s blood mixed with pork lard and oats) at the audience. Several of the projectiles hit Ghazi Essad Poulmear in the face and the back of the head as he stood to reply to Khan’s words. The man escaped, despite the efforts of some Muslim attendees to catch him. The crowd was riled, but Quilliam was able to calm emotions by using humor.


Fazl ur Rehman Khan (Deputy Collector)
After serving at the Liverpool Muslim Institute and mosque for years, Abdul Kadir Khan returned to India and took care of his village’s estate with his other brother Abdul Ghafur khan(Namberdar)at Haveli Bassi village in the Bulandshahr District, Uttar Pradesh, India. He mostly lived at Kothi, Meerut district, and practised his advocacy career at the Honourable Court of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Later, Fazl ur Rehman Khan, his son, was elevated to the position of deputy collector in various districts.