Key People
Rokeya, Begum - Born December 9, 1880, in Pairaband, Bengal Presidency (present-day Bangladesh), and died on December 9, 1932, in Calcutta, India (present-day Kolkata, India).
Rokeya was a feminist and writer that supported women's liberation in South Asia. She advocated for gender equality and increased educational support for women. She founded organizations and conferences for women's education and employment such as the Muslim Women's Association, Bengal Women's Education Conference, and Indian Women's Conference. December 9 is known as Rokeya Day in Bangladesh to celebrate her writings and achievements.
Ambedkar, B.R. - Born April 14, 1891, in Mhow, British India (present-day Madhya Pradesh, India), and died on December 6, 1956, in New Delhi, India.
Ambedkar was a political leader who helped draft the Constitution of India and fought for the rights of untouchables. He worked alongside Jawaharlal Nehru in the first Cabinet of India as the Minister of Law and Justice. Posthumously, he was awarded the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
Bandaranaike, Sirimavo - Born April 17, 1916, in Ratnapura, British Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and died on October 10, 2000, in Kadawatha, Sri Lanka.
Bandaranaike was a politician and the world's first female prime minister as she was inaugurated as prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1960. She also assisted in the drafting the new constitution for Sri Lanka after it gained independence from Britain.
Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali - Born January 5, 1928, in Ratodero Taluka, British India (present-day Ratodero Tehsil, Pakistan), and died on April 4, 1979, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Bhutto was a politician who served as Pakistani president and prime minister in the 1970s, following Bangladesh's independence. During his terms, he drafted the Constitution for Pakistan and founded the Pakistan People's Party. Bhutto was executed after being found guilty of murder, of which he claimed innocence. He was the father of future leader Benazir Bhutto.
Salam, Abdus - Born January 29, 1926, in Jhan, British India (present-day Pakistan), and died on November 21, 1996, in Oxford, England.
Salam was a theoretical physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979 for work on electroweak unification theory. He began the space program and nuclear programs in Pakistan. His scientific work led to many developments and an increase in Pakistani physics. He advocated for increasing science education in developing countries even after he left Pakistan after a new Pakistani law declared him non-Muslim in 1974.
Tata, J.R.D. Born July 29, 1904, in Paris, France, and died on November 29, 1993, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Tata was an aviator and industrial entrepreneur who expanded the Tata Group to new industries. He helped launch the first Indian flight in 1932. He was awarded India's highest civilian awards, and his legacy extends through the industries he brought into the Tata Group.
Khan, Sayyid Ahmad - Born October 17, 1817, in Delhi, Mughal Empire (present-day India), and died on March 27, 1898, in Aligarh, British India (present-day India).
Khan was a reformer and philosopher in British India. He began the Pakistan movement for a separate Muslim nation. He wrote a booklet following the mutiny in 1857 that criticized British policies. His religious reforms, philosophies, and interpretations have continued to influence Islamic reformation today.
Khan, Abdul Qadeer - Born April 1, 1936, Bhopal, British India, and died on October 10, 2021, in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Khan was instrumental in Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. He used his knowledge of nuclear engineering and access to classified materials while working in the Netherlands to become the architect of Pakistan's nuclear program when he returned in the mid-1970s. After leading the creation of a bomb for his country, he used his knowledge to sell nuclear secrets to countries such as North Korea and Iran.
Khan, Ayub - Born May 14, 1907, in Rehana, British India (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), and died on April 19, 1974, in Islamabad, Pakistan
Khan was the second president of Pakistan from 1958 to 1969. During his terms, he improved Pakistan's infrastructure with dams and reservoirs while also privatizing industries. He also allowed the U.S. to begin using bases in Pakistan to spy during the Cold War. He also led Pakistan in the unsuccessful Second Kashmir War in 1965 which led to his loss of power.
Koirala, B.P. - Born September 8, 1914, in Benares, British India (present-day India), and died on July 21, 1982, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Koirala was a leader for the revolution movement of Nepal in 1951. After adjusting the political system in Nepal, he was the first democratically elected prime minister until King Mahendra dissolved the constitution and parliament. Koirala was imprisoned until 1968 then continued to be politically active while fighting cancer until his death in 1982.
Modi, Narendra Damodardas was born September 17, 1950, in Vadnagar, India (present-day Gujarat, India).
Modi is the current prime minister of India and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He began his term in May 2014 and won reelection in 2019. He is the first prime minister born after India's independence and the only non-Congress leader to serve for so long. He is extremely popular in India and his world-wide prestige as the continued leader of the globe's largest democracy has grown. In the summer of 2023, he was honored with a formal state visit to the White House and given the privilege of addressing a joint session of Congress. Despite his clout, he also has a reputation of Hindu-nationalism at the expense of Indian minorities. His leadership has been fostered by the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since his youth and he continues to espouse many of its ideals. Modi was born in Gujarat only a few years after Indian independence. He had an uneventful upbringing until he entered into an arranged marriage at age 18 in 1968. The marriage would not end in divorce, but Mo
Naoroji, Dadabhai - Born Sept. 4, 1825, in Bombay (present-day Mumbai), British India, and died June 30, 1917, Bombay, British India.
Naoroji was known as the "grand old man" of the INC and served as its president three times. He became the first MP in the UK of Indian descent when he was elected in 1892. His writings helped show the profound negative impact of the economic exploitation of India happening through colonization.
Narayanaswami, Rasipuram Krishnaswami lyer - Born October 10, 1906, in Madras, British Raj (present- day India), and died on May 13, 2001, in Chennai, India.
Narayan was a writer and novelist of stories that describe everyday life in a town called Malgudi in southern India. Many of his works have been adapted for films and received awards for the stories. He received the second- and third-highest Indian civilian awards.
Nasheed, Mohamed - Born May 17, 1967, in Malé, the Maldives.
Nasheed is a politician and the current 19th speaker of the People's Majlis. He helped found the Maldivian Democratic Party and served as the president of the Maldives from 2008 to 2012. He was the first democratically elected president, only to resign in 2012. He was found guilty of the Anti-Terrorism Act of Maldives in 2015 but was granted asylum. He returned to the Maldives in 2018 to be named the speaker of the People's Majlis in 2019.
Nasir, Ibrahim - Born on September 2, 1926, in Fuvahmulah, the Maldives, and died on November 22, 2008, in Singapore.
Nasir served as prime minister, minister of finance, and president of the Republic of the Maldives. During his term, he led the depopulation and destruction of the island, Thinadhoo. He brought in television and radio broadcasting, a new curriculum for the education system, and changed the tax system for the atolls. He helped the Maldives gain independence and modernized the entire island nation with greater opportunity.
Pandey, Mangal - Born in the early 1800s in Nagwa, Company India (present-day India), and died on April 8, 1857, in Calcutta, Company India (present-day Kolkata, India).
Pandey was a soldier in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry. The Rebellion of 1857 was inspired in some ways by his actions as he rallied the sepoys to rebel against the British East India Company (EIC). Pandey was executed for his actions.
Patel, Vallabhbhai - Born October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, British India, and died on December 15, 1950, in Bombay (now Mumbai), India.
Patel was an activist in the Indian independence movement, advisor to Nehru and Gandhi, and was the first deputy prime minister of India from 1947 to 1950. He was able to cajole and convince all princely states to eventually join India. Patel is known as the patron saint of India's civil servants.
Patil, Pratibha - Born December 19, 1934, in Nandgaon Village, British India (present-day Maharashtra, India).
Patil is a politician who served as the 12th president of India from 2007 to 2012. She is the first woman to be president of India and also served as the first woman to be governor of Rajasthan. During her term as president, she built educational institutions and established colleges and hostels for women. She expanded foreign connections through many trips abroad to meet with delegates from around the world.
Ponnambalam, G.G. - Born November 8, 1901, in Alvai, British Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), and died on February 9, 1977, in Malaysia.
Ponnambalam was a politician and leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress which rivaled the United National Party. He advocated for minority rights and equality in government with his 50-50 speech in 1939. He was elected many times to a position in parliament and continually fought for the Tamil population's equality.
Prabhakaran, Velupillai - Born November 26, 1954, in Valvettithurai, Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), and died on May 18, 2009, in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka.
Prabhakaran was the founder of the LTTE, the military organization that sought an independent Tamil state. During an offensive attack by the Sri Lankan Army, it is believed that he was killed when they opened fire on the LTTE fighters, killing all.
Radcliffe, Cyril - Born March 30, 1899, in Llanychan, England, and died on April 1, 1977, in Warwick, England.
Radcliffe was the chairman of the committee to draw and negotiate the border between India and Pakistan in 1947. His map split the regions of Punjab, Kashmir, and Bengal between India and Pakistan on August 9, 1947. The map led to over 14 million people migrating across the new boundaries and widespread violence between the various religious and ethnic groups.
Rahman, Ziaur - Born January 19, 1936, in Bagbari, British India (present-day Bangladesh), and died on May 30, 1981, in Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Rahman was a military officer and politician who was the seventh president of Bangladesh from 1977 until his assassination in 1981. He assisted the Bangladesh Army during the independence war from Pakistan. During his presidency, he established free press, free speech, a free market economy, and many government programs to improve the standard of living in Bangladesh. He survived over 20 coups to remove him from power but was eventually assassinated by a group of army officers.
Rajapaksa, Mahinda - Born November 18, 1945, in Weeraketiya, British Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka)
Rajapaksa is a politician who has served as president, prime minister, opposition leader, minister of finance, and a member of parliament in the Sri Lankan government. During his political tenure, he led the fight against the LTTE, often using violent military tactics that were investigated by the United Nations as war crimes. He also developed many infrastructure projects which led to investigations by the International Monetary Fund. Following his loss in the election of 2015, he attempted a coup to reinstate himself as leader, but the coup failed. In 2019, his family's political party, the Sri Lankan People's Front, won the majority, and he was named prime minister. In 2022, protests against the Rajapaksa family erupted which led to his removal from office.
Bhutto, Benazir was born June 21, 1953, in Karachi, Pakistan, and died on December 27, 2007, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Bhutto was a politician who served as prime minister for Pakistan for two terms between 1988 and 1996. She was the first woman elected to lead a democratic government in a Muslim country. She was assassinated in 2007, prior to her run in the 2008 elections. She was the linchpin connecting one of the most significant political families in Pakistani history with her father, brothers, husband, and son all having political impacts some of which continue today. Benazir was born in Karachi within a few years of the creation of her home country. Her family was wealthy and her father, Zulfikar, was the leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). She traveled to the. West to be educated at Harvard and Oxford. This education would serve her well as a future leader with the ability to act as a conduit between the East and West, but her ties to the West and her liberal views would ultimately mark her for repeated assassination attempts by militant Islamists within and beyond Pakistan. After being
Chawla, Kalpana - Born March 17, 1962, in Karnal, India (present-day Haryana, India), and died on February 1, 2003, over Texas.
Chawla was an astronaut and aerospace engineer who was the first Indian woman to fly to space. Her first flight into space was aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. She was aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia again in 2003 when it disintegrated during reentry.
Curzon, Lord - Born January 11, 1859, in Kedleston, England, and died on March 20, 1925, in London, England.
Curzon was a British politician and the viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. Under his leadership, he proposed the disastrous partition of Bengal in 1905 to subvert political movements and divide communities and expanded the Indian Army to recruit Indian aristocrats as officers.
Didi, Muhammad Fareed - Born January 11, 1902, in Male, the Maldives, and died on March 27, 1969, in Malé, the Maldives.
Didi was the last sultan or king of the Maldives from 1954 to 1968. In 1968, the Maldives voted in favor of becoming a republic, and he was dethroned.
Ershad, Hussain Muhammad - Born February 1, 1930, in Dinhata, British India (present-day West Bengal, India), and died on July 14, 2019, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Ershad was the president of Bangladesh from 1983 to 1990. To gain the presidency, he led a coup against the former president, Adus Sattar, then suspended the constitution to declare himself the leader. He resigned in 1990 following a pro- democracy protest.
Tagore, Rabindranath was born May 7, 1861, in Calcutta, British India, and died on August 7, 1941, in Calcutta, British India (present-day Kolkata, India).
Few figures are revered in so many countries as Rabindranath Tagore. He is a seminal figure in the culture of South Asia. His unique and moving lyrical poems have been an inspiration for individuals, movements, and entire nations. A fact evidenced by the use of his songs as the national anthems of Bangladesh, India, and the basis for the Sri Lankan anthem. He was not just an inspiring artist, but also an impactful leader and his legacy is still called upon to invoke feelings of pride and strength in numerous communities. Tagore is admired by a vast number of people, but he is most identified with Bengali culture. He was born in what was then Calcutta in British West Bengal. His family was well-to-do and was quite versed in Western music and art. His brother was the first Indian to gain entry into the Indian Civil Service. He eschewed formal academics and instead became a self-driven learner that was producing sophisticated poetry by the time he became a teenager. He was sent to school
Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand was born October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, British India, and died on January 30, 1948, in New Delhi, India.
Gandhi, or the Great Spirit (Mahatma) as he is often called, was the leader and icon of the Indian independence movement against the British Empire. He advocated non-violent resistance, peaceful civil disobedience, and a traditional village-centric way of life. He was essential in the mass mobilization that helped pressure the British to end their control of the subcontinent. His methods inspired countless movements and leaders including Martin Luther King and others that were part of the U.S. Civil Rights movement. Amongst his contemporaries and his adversaries, he was also known as a cunning politician who knew how to create a base of power as well as how to wield it. Despite his widespread appeal, his calls for ecumenical unity across India's vast terrain of diverse religions and cultures led to push back and his eventual assassination. Gandhi began a journey of inspiration as a child where he was inspired repeatedly by what he saw as the guiding truths evident in the writings of se
Zardari, Asif Ali - Born July 26, 1955, in Karachi, Pakistan. Zardari was the president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013.
He was a strong ally of the U.S. in the War on Terror in Afghanistan. His term saw floods, terrorism, bombings, and protests. His political party, the Pakistan People's Party, lost in the 2013 elections, but he was the first president to complete his constitutional term. He is still active within the PPP today but has been arrested for money laundering and corruption charges.
Bandaranaike, Solomon (SWRD) - Born January 8, 1899, in Ceylon, British Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and died on September 26, 1959, in Ceylon
He was known as the "Silver Bell of Asia" and served as the prime minister beginning in 1956 until he was assassinated by a Buddhist monk in 1959. He was the founder of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party which was pro-Sinhalese.
Didi, Muhammad Amin - Born July 20, 1910, in Athireege, Maldivesx, and died January 19, 1954, on Vihamanafushi Island, the Maldives.
He was the first president of the island nation and served for eight months in 1953. When he left for medical treatment, he was deposed and was beaten by a crowd upon his return, and the country went back to being a sultanate.
Jinnah, Mohammed Ali (originally Mahomedali Jinnabhai) was born December 25, 1876, in Karachi, British India, and died on September 11, 1948, in Karachi, Pakistan.
Jinnah was a lawyer, politician, leader, and the founder of Pakistan. He was a leader of the All-India Muslim League and fought for sovereignty, independence, and eventually to create a Muslim-led nation. Jinnah is often seen as several contradictions embodied in a single person. He is called Quaid-e-Azam or the Great Leader of Pakistan and created a Muslim-dominated nation despite living a life that did not follow many of the prescriptions of orthodox Islam. He is considered the father of a fully independent nation, the very concept of which he had dismissed several times, referred to as a moth-eaten nation, and fought against. He made a push to unify his new nation under a shared language that he personally rarely used. Regardless of the unique aspects of his approach, he is still revered as the undisputed father of Pakistan. Jinnah was born to a well-off family near Karachi that had Gujarati roots. He traveled to England at the age of 16 for an apprenticeship in a trading company. J
Jones, Williams - Born September 28, 1746, in Westminster, England, and died on April 27, 1794, in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency (present-day India).
Jones was a mathematician, linguistics scholar, and judge on the Supreme Court of Judicature. He established the Asiatic Society of Bengal and helped influence the widespread study of South Asian culture.
Kalam, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul - Born October 15, 1931, in Rameswaram, British India (present- day India), and died on July 27, 2015, in Shillong, India.
Kalam was a scientist and engineer who became a politician and eventually the president of India from 2002 to 2007. He is known as the "Missile Man of India" for developing ballistic missiles and launching nuclear tests. He was also known as the "People's President" and was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
Khan, Imran - Born October 5, 1952, in Lahore, Pakistan.
Khan was a cricket player who became the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022. He was the first prime minister to be removed by a no- confidence motion and was charged under anti-terror laws. In May 2023, he was arrested on corruption charges which led to widespread protests and has been accused by the government of supporting anti- government forces.
Khan, Liaquat Ali - Born October 1, 1895, in Karnal, British India (present-day India), and died on October 16, 1951, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Khan was a member of the All-India Muslim League alongside Jinnah during the Indian independence movement. He became the first prime minister of Pakistan from 1947 to 1951. During his term, he helped establish Pakistan as an Islamic democracy. He was assassinated during a speech for unknown reasons.
Vivekananda, Swami (originally Narendranath Datta) was born January 12, 1863, in Calcutta, British India (present-day Kolkata, India), and died on July 4, 1902, in Belur Math, British India (present-day West Bengal, India).
Vivekananda was a Hindu monk and philosopher who spread Hindu teachings, Vedanta, and yoga across the world. He was a philosopher and social reformer who helped contribute to the nationalist movement in colonial India by focusing on the power of Indian culture, with a focus on Hinduism, and its use in a modern world. He left an indelible mark not just on the subcontinent, but on the greater world spreading "Eastern" concepts of philosophy, self-improvement, and empowerment. As a child in what was then Calcutta in West Bengal, Vivekananda was a precocious student drawn to religion and mysticism. He did not confine his interests to Hindu or even Asian religious texts and topics. He branched out into philosophy and social sciences and even wrote to Herbert Spencer. He was known not just for his interest in disparate topics, but an astounding ability to consume them and regurgitate and interpret the facts and themes of what he read down to the smallest details. He began to study under nume
Yousafzai, Malala - Born July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan.
Yousafzai is a famous Pakistani female leader and activist. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 as the youngest laureate. She is known for her advocacy of human rights and education of women and children in Pakistan. She survived an assassination attempt in 2012 by the Taliban where she was shot in the head at close range.
Zafar, Bahadur Shah - Born October 24, 1775, in Shahjahanabad, Mughal Empire (present-day India), and died on November 7, 1862, in Rangoon, British India (present-day Myanmar).
Zafar was the last Mughal emperor in India. He hesitantly agreed to assist or at least lend his title to revolutionaries during the Rebellion of 1857, and he took ownership of the actions of the mutineers. He was arrested, put on trial, and exiled to Rangoon.
Zia, Khaleda - Born in 1945 in Jalpaiguri, British India (present-day India).
Zia was the prime minister of Bangladesh in the 1990s and 2000s. She is also the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party that was founded by her late husband and former president of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman. She led economic and educational reforms, improved relations with neighboring countries, and traveled abroad to meet with other political leaders many times. Since her terms, she has been investigated for corruption, misusing funds, and graft. She was sentenced to jail for over 10 years but was released in 2020 under house arrest.
Zia-ul-Haq, Muhammad - Born August 12, 1924, in Jullundur, British India (present-day India), and died on August 17, 1988, in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Zia, was a military officer who became the president of Pakistan in 1978 until his death in 1988. He organized Operation Fair Play to remove the current prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, which allowed him to become the leader then be elected the following year. He industrialized Pakistan, increased its atomic projects, and helped Afghanistan fight against the Soviet Union. He died in a plane crash in 1988.