The Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University is a state public university located in Patna, the capital of Bihar, India. The university is dedicated principally to the teaching, study and promotion of Arabic and Persian languages and literature, along with allied disciplines in Islamic studies, Urdu and related humanities. It is named after Maulana Mazharul Haque, a freedom fighter, lawyer and educationist from Bihar associated with the Indian independence movement.
| Name | Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University |
|---|---|
| Type | State public university |
| Location | Patna, Bihar, India |
| Named after | Maulana Mazharul Haque |
| Primary focus | Arabic, Persian and allied languages and studies |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Bihar |
The university was established by the Government of Bihar through a state legislative act to consolidate the teaching of Arabic and Persian in the state. Bihar has a long tradition of Persian and Arabic scholarship dating back to the medieval period, when Persian served as a court and administrative language across much of north India, and these languages continued to be taught in madrasas, oriental colleges and universities through the colonial and post-independence periods. The creation of a dedicated university was intended to give institutional continuity to this tradition and to coordinate affiliated institutions teaching these subjects.
The university is named in memory of Maulana Mazharul Haque (1866–1930), a barrister, member of the Imperial Legislative Council and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi during the Champaran movement. He was known for his contributions to education and to Hindu-Muslim unity, and the naming of the university reflects his association with cultural and educational reform in Bihar.
The university focuses on:
It functions as both a teaching and an affiliating university, with various madrasas, oriental colleges and institutions offering courses in oriental languages coming under its academic ambit. Programmes are offered at the undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels.
As a state public university, it is governed under the relevant Bihar state university legislation. Its statutory officers typically include a Chancellor (the Governor of Bihar, ex officio for state universities in Bihar), a Vice-Chancellor, a Registrar and a Finance Officer, supported by academic and executive councils.
The university is one of the few in India devoted specifically to Arabic and Persian, languages that have shaped a substantial portion of South Asian literary, administrative and religious heritage. By focusing on these languages alongside Urdu and Islamic studies, it serves both academic researchers and students from madrasa and oriental-college backgrounds, providing a pathway for traditional learning to be linked with formal university degrees.