Ali Khan Mahmudabad: Royal scion's deep-rooted connection with ‘City of Nawabs'
LUCKNOW: Ali Khan Mahmudabad, Associate Professor at Ashoka University, and an acclaimed historian and political scientist, carries a royal legacy rooted in Lucknow, the city of Nawabs.
The professor, recently in the news for his social media post on women officers holding a media briefing during Operation Sindoor, was born in Lucknow on December 2, 1982.
Known for his scholarly work on nationalism, political Islam, and South Asian history, Ali Khan Mahmudabad sparked controversy with a Facebook post questioning the 'optics' of women officers leading a media briefing.
The post reportedly challenged the 'representational intent' behind showcasing women officers during the military operation, asking whether their presence signified a genuine shift or was merely symbolic.
It led to his arrest on 18 May and subsequent 14-day judicial custody, prior to an interim bail granted by the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday.
However, the apex court did not halt the investigation against the professor and instructed him to refrain from posting on social media regarding the case, commenting on Operation Sindoor, or the Pahalgam attack. He was also ordered to surrender his passport.
Hailing from the historic royal family of Mahmudabad in Uttar Pradesh, Ali Khan's father, Mohammad Amir Mohammad Khan – popularly known as Raja Sahib Mahmudabad – was a two-time Congress MLA and had fought a decades-long legal battle to reclaim family properties seized under the Enemy Properties Act.
Having completed his schooling at the prestigious La Martiniere in Lucknow, Ali Khan Mahmudabad went on to study at King's College School and Winchester College in the UK. He holds an MPhil and PhD in Historical Studies from the University of Cambridge.
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