About Barkatullah University, Bhopal Barkatullah University 

With a view to perpetuate the name of a learned scholar and the revolutionary son of the soil amongst the youth of future generations. Bhopal university was rechristened as Barkatullah University in 1988, after the Name of Prof.Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali.

Prof.Barkatullah was born on 7th July 1854n at Itwra Mohalla Bhopal. He was educated from primary to college level at Bhopal . Later he went to Bombay and London for higher studies. In 1884, he joined the Muslim institute of Liverpool .He was a meritorious scholar and mastered seven languages-Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, English, German ,and Japanese. Born of parents in rather indifferent circumstances he had nothing but his own brilliance and firmness of purpose to help him at school and colleges. Even so, he topped the list of successful candidates in most of the examinations for which he appeared, both in India and England. He became Professor of Urdu at the Tokyo University Japan.

                While in England he came in close contact with Lala Hardayal and Kunwar Mahendra Pratap, son of the Raja of Hathras. He became a friend of Afgani Emir and the editor of the Kabul newspaper Sirejul-ul-Akber'. He founded the “Ghadar” Party (Rebellion party ) in 1873 at san Francisco, Later he become the first prime minister of the provisional government of India established on December 1,1875 in Kabul with Raja Mahendra Pratap as its President. Prof.Barkatullah went to several countries of the world with a mission to politically active the Indian community and to seek support for the freedom of India from the famous leaders of the time in those countries. Prominent amongst those were Lenin, Hitler, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Amir Habibullah khan, Mohammed Resched, and Ghazi Pasha.

                Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru met Prof. Barkatullah in Berlin and later at the Brussels Conference in 1927 and was highly impressed with his revolutionary thoughts and deeds. After the Brussels Congress, he and Raja Mahendra Pratap went to USA to carry on their mission. A rousing reception was given to them .Prof. Barkatullah addressed a big gathering which was held in his honor at Maryvile, California. Barkatullah stood up, uttered a few words, got choked with emotion. The great orator stood motionless, hundreds of people; men and women burst into tears and shouted "Maulana Zindabad". When Prof. Barkatullah came to his   senses, he asked Raja Manendra pratap to address the meeting and dropped into his seat. Prof. Barkatullah died on the night of September 27, 1927.his body was taken from San Francisco to Sacramento. Then his Coffin was taken to Maryville where he was buried in the Muslim Cemetery with the promise that after the freedom of his country, his body will be transferred to his own motherland and to Bhopal.

                Prof.Barkatullah fought from outside India with his fiery speeches and revolutionary writing in leading newspaper for the freedom of his mother country .Even in the face of adversity and discouragement, Prof.Barkatullah rose to a position of pre-eminence in more than one sphere of life by sheer forces of merits and hard work. He did not live to see India free but his contribution did bring freedom much nearer .The life of such a man has -its lessons for all of us, and particularly for the rising generations of the country.

Information compiled from: Barkatullah University, Bhopal Barkatullah University Website