The School at Ajmeri Gate

Description

This book is the story of the Anglo-Arabic School situated at Ajmeri gate, Delhi just outside what was once known as Shahjahanabad. The book explores an educational journey that has its beginnings nearly three centuries ago. Prior to the existence of this school, the campus at Ajmeri Gate had housed the Ghaziuddin madrasa and its successor, the famed Delhi College. The book documents the journey of the school from its inception in the late 19th century, its progress in the first half of the 20th century and finally its shutting down at the time of Partition. The story then moves on to the school's subsequent regeneration in post-independent India and analyzes its journey ever since. It also explores the complex relationship between the school and the community it seeks to serve. In telling the story of the Anglo-Arabic School a number of stories are unpacked. The school at Ajmeri Gate is a reminder of a community's glory and grandeur, with many generations of noted Muslim families having studied there.

About the author:

Azra Razzack is Professor of Sociology, Centre for Dalit and Minorities Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Atyab Siddiqui is a lawyer by practice and an independent scholar.

Table of contents

Introduction

Section I: From the Pages of History
1. Founding of an Institution and its Journey
2. Partition Times: Conflicting Identities and a New Nation
Section II: Contemporary Times
3. Managing Affairs
4. Defining Identity
5. Celebrating a Legacy
6. Challenges: Conflicts and Drama
7. Changing Times
8. The Girls Arrive
9. Conclusion: Survival and Identity