911 1948

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Founder and leader of Pakistan

Birth December 25, 1876

Death September 11, 1948

Place of Birth Karachi, British India (now Pakistan)

Official Title Governor-general

Term 1947-1948

Known for Leading the fight to create Pakistan as an independent state for Indian Muslims

Milestones 1896 Was admitted to the bar in Bombay after completing legal studies in London

1906 Served as a private secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji, president of the Indian National Congress, the party which led the independence drive for India

1916 Became president of the Muslim League, and negotiated the Lucknow Pact with the Indian National Congress, providing safeguards for India's Muslim minority

1920 Resigned from the Indian National Congress after Mohandas Gandhi began his campaign of noncooperation, which Jinnah thought to be too radical

1931-1934 Practiced law in London and withdrew from Indian politics

1934 Returned to India to resume presidency of the Muslim League, fearing that Indian Muslims would be mistreated by a Hindu-dominated government after India became independent

1940 Adopted the goal of creating a separate nation of Pakistan for Indian Muslims as the official policy of the Muslim League

1947 Forced Hindu and British colonial leaders to agree to the creation of Pakistan by refusing to soften his demands as riots between Hindus and Muslims occurred throughout India

Did You Know Jinnah was gravely ill during the final negotiations for the creation of Pakistan; he died just over a year after it achieved independence.

Tensions between Hindus and Muslims and Jinnah's own disagreement with India's Hindu leaders led him to abandon his lifelong goal of Hindu-Muslim unity for India.

Jinnah spent much of his youth in Britain, and did not learn to speak Urdu, the language of most Indian Muslims.

Unlike the other leaders of the independence movement in India, Jinnah preferred tailored suits to traditional rough cotton attire.