Sheikh Abdullah

Sheikh Abdullah Biography

Sheikh Abdullah was an Indian politician and the leader of the Kashmir’s largest political party, National Conference. He served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. He was born on 5^th December 1905 in Soura in Kashmir. He married Akbar Jahan in1933. He protested the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir and urged self-rule.

His father died eleven days before he was born. His childhood days were filled with poverty. He was admitted in Maktab where he learnt to recite Koran and Persian. He was admitted to the primary school in 1911 and after great struggle he passed his matriculation examination in 1922 from Punjab University. He studied at Sri Partap College and had to walk fifteen miles from Soura to reach the college every day. He suffered with Cardiomegaly and underwent treatment for this. Later he stayed in hostel and finished his intermediate examination. He completed his B.Sc from Islamia College at Lahore and did his M.Sc. in chemistry from Aligarh Muslim University.

He was inspired by the lawyer and polymath Molvi Abdullah of Kashmir and took part in Indian freedom struggle. He started the first political party of Kashmir Muslim Conference on 16^th October 1932. Later the name was changed to National Conference in 1939. Praja Sabha was formed with 33 elected and 42 nominated members in 1932.

He launched Quit Kashmir movement against Maharajah Hari Singh in May 1946 and was imprisoned. He took an oath as Prime Minister of Kashmir on 17^th March 1948. However Pakistan government saw him as the agent of Nehru and did not recognize his leadership. When he visited Pakistan in 1964, he was welcomed by the people.

He was dismissed on 8^th August 1953 by Karan Singh, son of the Maharaja Hari Singh. He was arrested and jailed for eleven years. He assumed the position of Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 1975. With a short break in the middle he served in this position till his death on 8^th September 1982. His eldest son Farooq Abdullah was elected as the Chief Minister of the State after his death. 

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Updated: August 28, 2011