Mohammed Hanif Khan Shastri

Mohammed Hanif Khan Shastri Biography

Mohammed Hanif Khan Shastri is a Sanskrit scholar and writer who has been awarded with fourth highest civilian honour, Padma Shri in 2019 by government of India. He is also an academician and professor, who has taught at Sanskrit at Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan and many other educational institutions. He has been earlier honoured with National Communal Harmony Award ten years earlier in 2009. Khan Shastri is best known for his efforts to promote Hindi-Muslim harmony through his works.

Fondly addressed as Khan Shastri, he was born in Sonbhadra-Varanasi area of Uttar Pradesh. In his family, education was not given importance and he was the first one from his family to pass class 5. But he failed in high school. To improve his studies, his teacher Pundit Ratanlal Shastri asked him to study one chapter of the Bhagavad Gita every day. His teacher believed that religious beliefs would bring him out of all troubles. He got drawn towards the holy book of Bhagavad Gita and the unfolded truths behind it. Later he started sharing its stories with others.

With the prime intension to learn Bhagavat Gita in deep, he decided to pursue education in Sanskrit, and later took graduation and post-graduation in this subject. He later studied Puranas under Sampoorna Anand in Varanasi, followed by Acharya and Shastri degrees and also a doctorate in Comparative Religion. He also continued with his research works and published them as books. He has written eight books and 700 poems on ancient Indian shlokas.

This Delhi-based Sanskrit scholar who has been promoting Hindu-Muslim harmony through his works based on ancient Indian Shlokas. He has authored around 10 books and his major published books include - Mahamantra gayatree ka baudhik upyog, Vedon men Manav Adhikar, Mohangita, Meljol, Vishwabandhutva ka pratyachh pramad, Shreemadbhagwadgeeta aur quran, Geeta Aur Quran men Samanjasya and Ved aur Quran se Mahamantra Gayatri aur Surah Fatiha.

Published: February 19, 2019

Updated: February 19, 2019