Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, is an internationally celebrated historical figure. And why not? Every Pakistani owes Jinnah their freedom. It was his sacrifice, blood, and sweat that Jinnah turned the Two-Nation Theory into a reality on the 14th of August, 1947. While we celebrate him, there is more to Quaid-e-Azam than we may know.
Here are 8 facts you should know about the barrister, politician, and leader of the All-India Muslim League:
- In 1896, he became the youngest Indian to pass law examinations in England.
At just the young age of 20, Jinnah had not only passed the exam, but he also became the only Muslim Barrister in Bombay, now called Mumbai. From here on, he embarked on a highly successful journey as a commended lawyer.
- There is a road named after Jinnah in Turkiye.
In the heart of Ankara, the capital city of Turkiye exists a road named Cinnah Caddesi, as Jinnah spells Cinnah in the Turkish Language. It is a symbol of Pakistan-Turkiye friendship.
- Mohammad Ali Jinnah had a different birth name.
He was named Mahomedali Jinnahbhai. During his education, in 1894, he shortened it to Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Later, he achieved the title of Quaid-e-Azam, as in the Great Leader.
- Jinnah fixed his salary at Rs. 1/month.
As a man who earned a handsome amount of Rs. 1,500 per case as a lawyer, Jinnah fixed his salary to Rs. 1 when he became the Governor General of Pakistan, stating that he did not want to indebt the emerging state with a monetary burden. Jinnah showed rare qualities of thoughtfulness and selflessness as a leader.
- He never repeated a tie.
Jinnah is very well-known as a fashionista. Not only was he always dressed posh, he never wore a tie twice in a courtroom, and he even emphasized being well and formally dressed on his death bed.
- Jinnah had another short-lived career.
At one point in his life, being the charismatic personality that he was, Jinnah seriously contemplated shifting from his career in law to theatrics and acting. He even embarked on this journey with a London-based Shakespearean company for a short while.
- Jinnah’s first marriage only lasted a couple of weeks.
Reports say his mother insisted on it. Jinnah married Emibai, who belonged to his ancestral village, in 1892. However, this marriage only lasted a few weeks because she passed away while Jinnah was away completing his higher education in London in 1893.
- The Jinnah cap is not just a cap.
Another interesting fact attached to Jinnah was the cap he wore, famously known as the Jinnah cap. The significance of this cap was attached when he wore it at an All-India Muslim League session in Lucknow to honor and support Allama Iqbal’s ideology of establishing a separate nation for Muslims in the subcontinent under British rule.
