Madina (Bijnor) Explained

Madina
Type:Bi-weekly
Founder:Maulvi Majeed Hasan
Editor:Hamid al-Ansari Ghazi
Language:Urdu
Ceased Publication:1975
Headquarters:Bijnor
Circulation:12,500 (1922)

Akhbar-e-Madina (Urdu: اخبار مدینه), or Madina for short, was an Urdu-language biweekly newspaper published in Bijnor, India[1] between 1912 and 1975.

The newspaper first appeared in 1912.[1] [2] It was founded by Maulvi Majeed Hasan,[3] and its first editor was Hamid al-Ansari Ghazi.[4] It had its own printing press, Madina Press.[2]

It was one of the most prominent Muslim newspapers in the United Provinces.[5] It won acceptance from the readers through its systematic arrangement of news items and high-quality calligraphy.[6] Read across the Indian subcontinent, it played a significant role in shaping Muslim public opinion.[4] [3] Politically it was supportive of the Indian National Congress.[7] It opposed the continuation of princely states, particularly the Bhopal State.[8]

Madina's circulation in 1922 was 12,500. By 1927, it had dropped to 6,500; and by 1931, it was 6,000.[9] The newspaper was published on the 1st, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, 21st, 25th and 28th of each month.

In the fall of 1942 Madina asked its readers to send letters on the Pakistan movement, and published these community views.[5]

In the early 1960s, Saeed Akhtar became Madina's editor.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Rama Rao, T. V., and G. D. Binani. India at a Glance; A Comprehensive Reference Book on India. Calcutta: Orient Longmans, 1954. p. 797
  2. Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers: Bijnor. Government of Uttar Pradesh. p. 266
  3. Indian Book Chronicle, Vol. 18–21. Vivek Trust, 1993. p. 12
  4. India (Republic), and Jagadish Nataranjan. Report. Delhi: Manager of Publications
  5. Dhulipala, Venkat. Rallying Around the Qaum: The Muslims of the United Provinces and the Movement for Pakistan. [S.l.]: Proquest, Umi Dissertatio, 2011. pp. 226-227
  6. Communicator, Vol. 32. Shri Anjan Kumar Banerji at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, 1997. p. 17
  7. Sayeed, Khalid B. Pakistan, the Formative Phase, 1857-1948. London: Oxford University Press, 1968. p. 201
  8. Jinnah, Mahomed Ali, and Waheed Ahmad. The Nation's Voice, Towards Consolidation: Speeches and Statements. Karachi, Pakistan: Quaid-i-Azam Academy, 1992. p. 790
  9. Pandey, Gyanendra. The Ascendancy of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh: Class, Community and Nation in Northern India, 1920-1940. London: Anthem Press, 2002. p. 64
  10. India News and Feature Alliance. Press and Advertisers Year Book. New Delhi: Infa Publications, 1963. p. 154