Mushirul Hasan, 69, noted historian, dies
New Delhi, December 10
Noted historian and former Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Mushirul Hasan passed away here early Monday after prolonged illness, the university said.
Hasan, who was taken to a private hospital post midnight, breathed his last at 4 am. He was 69. “He met with a road accident a few years ago and was mostly bed-ridden after that. He was also undergoing dialysis for kidney problems,” the former secretary to the Jamia Vice-Chancellor, Zafar Nawaz Hashmi, said.
In the evening, he was laid to rest at the burial ground for V-Cs on the university campus. A condolence meet was also held at the university.
Expressing grief, Jamia’s officiating Vice-Chancellor Shahid Ashraf said: “Prof Hasan was a very inspiring V-C and focussed on building the infrastructure of the university as well as improving the research abilities of the faculty members.” Hasan, a Padma Shri awardee, was the V-C of the university between 2004 and 2009. He has also held the position of Director General of the National Archives of India. He also served as vice-chairman of Indian Institute of Advanced Study and as president of Indian History Congress. Hasan is known for his work on Partition and history of Islam in South Asia. He has penned a number of books on Indian history.
He is survived by his wife Zoya Hasan, a noted political scientist and academician.
Noted historian S Irfan Habib described Hasan as a quintessential liberal historian. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury remembered Hasan as a blend of syncretic culture and scholarship. — PTI
