Mohammad Ali Jauhar was born on December 10, 1878, at Najibabad in District Bijnor of Uttar Pradesh. He was educated at the M.A.O. College, Aligarh, and Lincoln College, Oxford, where he studied Modern History.

Early in his career, Mohammad Ali established his reputation as an eminent Journalist and a fearless critic of the British Government. In January, 1911, he founded and edited Comrade, a weekly which secured him recognition of his outstanding merit as a journalist in English. The following year he founded Hamdard, an Urdu daily. Mohammad Ali's articles in Comrade and Hamdard had such a great impact that the British Government had to intern him and his elder brother and close associate, Shaukat Ali, from May, 1915 to December, 1919.

During his eventful political career Mohammad Ali brought to bear upon the Indian Independence Movement his tremendous capacities as organiser, journalist, orator and fighter. Under  the joint  leadership of Mahatma   Gandhi and Mohammad Ali the Indian Independence Movement and Khilafat Movement were fused together and the country witnessed unprecedented scenes of Hindu­ Muslim unity and a great national upsurge against British rule.

In 1923, Mohammad Ali was elected as the Congress President, and he presided over the session held in Kakinada. His intimate associate was the General Secretary of the Indian National Congress, Jawahar Lal Nehru. With his characteristic vigour and force he championed the cause of Swaraj.

He founded a new National Muslim University in 1920, known as Jamia Millia Islamia first at Aligarh, now at Delhi. He was appointed the first "Shaikhul-Jamia", the Vice-Chancellor.

At the Round Table Conference  held in London in November, 1930, he said: "I would even prefer to die in a foreign country so long as it is a free country, and if you do not give us freedom in India you will have to give me a grave here."

Mohammad  Ali remained  true to his words. He died in London on January 4, 1931, and was buried in Jerusalem.

The Posts & Telegraphs Department feels privileged to issue a commemorative stamp on the birth centenary  of Mohammad Ali Jauhar, who did yeoman service to cement the bonds of Hindu­-Muslim Unity.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India