September 11 marks the death of a personality whose courage, passion and intelligence laid out some of the most important events in Subcontinent’s history.

He is none other than the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who was given the title of “Quaid-e-Azam” meaning ‘great leader’. He did what other’s thought was impossible, he brought into reality Allama Iqbal’s dream of a separate homeland for the Muslims.

Quaid-e-Azam was a man of great valour and had the personality and outlook that of an intellectual. He was a lawyer by profession.

He worked day and night not even caring about his own deteriorating health. He was diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) but still he neglected his health and thus died on September 11, 1948, only one year after the creation of Pakistan.

Early life

He was born to Jinnahbhai Poonja and Mithibai. His father was a merchant. He was the second of his seven siblings, including Fatima Jinnah. Jinnah’s family was from a Gujarati Ismaili background. Before heading off to London his mother got him married to Emibai Jinnah, but during his stay in England both Emibai and his mother died. He pursued law and became a barrister. He again married in 1918 to Rattanbai with whom he had a daughter named Dina Wadia.

Political career

He was a lawyer by profession and started practicing law in Bombay as a barrister at the age of 20. In 1906 he joined the Congress. In the start he was in favor of a unified nation but with time his opinion changed and he supported separate electorate for the Muslims. He joined the Muslim League in 1913 and in 1916 he became president of the league but had good working relations with the Congress. In 1926, things between Congress and Jinnah took a wrong turn as he was in favour of separate electorates for the Muslims. In 1940 he presented the proposal of the partition of the Muslims. He demanded a separate nation for the Muslims. After years of working and fighting tirelessly for a separate nation for the Muslims, in 1947 Pakistan came into being and Quaid-e-Azam was appointed as the first governor general of Pakistan.

Only after one year of Pakistan’s creation Quaid-e-Azam died, as he had Tuberculosis and he did not care for his falling health because all his attention and focus was on the creation of a new state.

The depth of time is real and Quaid-e-Azam was not just some second but a whole dynasty.