Hindu College

1899 — 1908 Late Shri Krishna Dassji Gurwale founds the College in the historic Kinari Bazar (Chandni Chowk), with prominent Delhi citizens as trustees. A boarding house serves as student residence since 1899. In 1908 the College shifts to a building donated by Rai Bahadur Sultan Singh in Kashmiri Gate, and a Hostel is added. 1910s From inception, the College is deeply connected to the national movement for independence: some Governing Body members and trustees are directly involved in the Swadeshi and Boycott movements. Board member Master Ameer Chand, associated with Lala Hardyal and Ras Behari Bose, is hanged by the colonial government in 1915. 1922 Earlier affiliated to Panjab University, the College now becomes affiliated to Delhi University, and sanctioned to teach M.A. classes. 1920s Democratic student governance: College Parliament is instituted with a PM and LO. Honorary Members- Annie Besant, M.A. Jinnah, Babu Rajendra Prasad, Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali. College Hostel gives refuge to revolutionaries like Chandrashekhar Azad. Students, both boys and girls, join Non-cooperation Movement and “Simon Go Back” processions in Chandni Chowk area. 25th January 1930 Mahatma Gandhi visits the College. 1930s College students found the Harijan Service League. The Hostel Warden N.K. Nigam is tried for supporting “terrorist” activities. As national resistance grows, College Parliament continues to host addresses by national leaders—Pt. Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, C.F. Andrews, Motilal Nehru. Sarojini Naidu attends Tarun Samaj (Social Reform Society) meetings. Surya Sen and Anant of the famous Chittagong Armoury Raid visit the Hostel. The Hindi Sahitya Sabha hosts Munshi Premchand. Two College students excel in the Indian Civil Services Examinations. K.K. Birla takes his Intermediate Science degree from College in 1937. 1940 The College remains a site of anti-colonial agitation. Students and teachers join the “Quit India!” movement. Students, in particular, participate in “unlawful” picketing, processions and other civil resistance. 1941 Ghanshyam Das Birla, the famous industrialist, joins the College Board. Rabindranath Tagore visits the College. 1947 'Double shifts’ are organized to help Partition refugees in Delhi. 1950s Dr. Raj Narayan Mathur, alumnus, becomes Principal. The first lady lecturer, Satya M. Rai, is appointed. Debaters produced by the College Parliament—Inder Sharma, Giri Lal Jain, Lalit Bhasin—impress many; BBC documentary on grassroots democracy records Parliament proceedings.