Dr.Mazhar Naqvi
Haji Muhammad Mohsin is well-known as
builder of Hooghly Imambara in Bengal province of India.Much is however not
known about an Imambara erected by him in Jessore city of Bangladesh.Popular as
Haji Mohsin Imambara among the locals, Jessore Imambara matches with its
hooghly counterpart only in reverence.It is a small eddifice and comes alive
only during the first 10 days of Muharram mourning(Ashra). It also does not
have any vaulted clock tower like hooghly Imambara nor intricate designs
and texts from Quran engraved
on the wall.Jessore imambara isroughly 15 x 18 meter in measurement
and not well maintained as well.It is quite surprising as Haji Mohsin had
donated a large part of his property for charitable purposes in cities like
Chitagong and Jessore that are now part of Bangladesh.Certain educational
institutions in his names are also being run in Bangladesh. What ails the
proper upkeep of Jessore Imambara in such circumstances is quite perplexing and
certainly a disgrace to the sacred memory of magnanimous philanthropist
and munificent person of undivided India.
Haji Mohsin was born to Haji
Faizullah and Zainab Khanam in 1732 AD. He was home-schooled and gained
knowledge in the study of the Quran, Hadith and
the Fiqh. Later, he went on a voyage to other countries of Asia,
including the regions in modern -day Iran, Iraq, Turkey and
the Arab peninsula. He also made the pilgrimage
to Mecca, and visited Medina, Kufa, Karbala and
other holy places. After performing the Hajj,
he came to be known as Haji. After his return, Haji took over the
management of the estate of his half-sister, Munnujan. She was the widow of
Mirza Salahuddin, the Naib-faujdar or deputy military governor
of Hughli working for the Nawab of Bengal. She inherited a fortune from
her mother Zainab, whose first husband Agha Motahar had much land and
properties in different cities.
After her death in 1803, Haji Mohsin
inherited all of her fortune. He bequeathed this fortune for charity and
created a trust or trust in 1806, with his entire wealth. He is also remembered
for his great contribution during the great famine of Bengal 1769-70.He did to
the victims of femine a great service, setting an example for Nawab Asaf- ud-
Daula who built Bara Iimambara in Lucknow during a femine to offer employment
opprtunities to femine hit people.
History records that .Haji Mohsin
built Jessore imambara in 1802,followed by his world famous imambara and mosque
in Hooghly.haji deserves to be considered as a great Azadar of his time and
Bangladesh government should pay attention towards Imambara named after him in
Jessore.(References available on request.photo Courtesy google images)
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