Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri, Indian freedom fighter and social reformer
Indian freedom fighter and social reformer

Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri

· verify — Died 30 December 2015

Accompanied Gandhi in the 1930 Salt March and co-founded Calcutta Unani Medical College and Hospital.

Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri was an Indian independence activist, Gandhian and a physician of the Unani system of medicine. He accompanied Gandhiji in the Salt March of 1930 and was a prison mate of the Indian leader when they were incarcerated by the British regime at Cuttack jail. He was the founder of a medical magazine, Hikmat-e-Bangala and was among the group of people who founded the Calcutta Unani Medical College and Hospital. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 2007, for his contributions to Indian medicine.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri reportedly lived to the age of 114, claiming a birth date in 1901 when birth registrations were uncommon in rural Bihar.

The Story

1
🌍 In 1930, Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri marched alongside Mahatma Gandhi during the Salt March, later sharing a prison cell with him in Cuttack jail under British captivity.
2
Born in 1901 in Kumrava village, Nawada district, Bihar, Quadri learned Unani medicine from his father and helped treat India’s first President Rajendra Prasad during respiratory illness in 1942-43.
3🏥 In 1994, Quadri co-founded the Calcutta Unani Medical College and Hospital, a key institution preserving and advancing the traditional Unani system of medicine in Kolkata.
4He established the medical magazine Hikmat-e-Bangala, aiming to promote Unani medicine, though it ceased publication due to financial challenges.

🏅 Awards & Honours

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Padma Bhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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Quadri shared a prison cell with Mahatma Gandhi at Cuttack jail during the 1930 Salt March imprisonment, a rare historical convergence of freedom fighters and physicians.

📸 Through the Years

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🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth
Birth in Kumrava, Nawada district
Quadri was born in the village of Kumrava in Bihar, though exact records are unavailable, he claimed this date later in life.
c.1901
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Career
Participation in Salt March
He joined Mahatma Gandhi in the Salt March, a pivotal protest against British salt taxes, marking his active role in the independence movement.
1930
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Other
Imprisonment in Cuttack Jail
Quadri was incarcerated by British authorities alongside Gandhi, enduring hardship while imprisoned for civil disobedience.
1930
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Career
Treats Rajendra Prasad’s respiratory illness
Assisted by his father, he helped treat the future first president of India’s respiratory condition in Gaya.
1942
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Career
Co-founds Calcutta Unani Medical College
Helped establish the Calcutta Unani Medical College and Hospital, a key institution for Unani medicine education and treatment.
1994
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Award
Awarded Padma Bhushan
Received the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India for his contributions to Indian medicine.
2007
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Death
Death in Kolkata
Passed away at his residence in Ripon Street, Kolkata, survived by seven children.
2015
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Despite founding the magazine Hikmat-e-Bangala to promote Unani medicine, financial difficulties forced its closure, reflecting the challenges traditional medicine faced in colonial India.

02 / 04
💡SURPRISING

He treated Rajendra Prasad, India’s first president, for respiratory illness in Gaya during 1942-43, blending medical expertise with political history.

03 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

At the age claimed, he was among the oldest recipients of the Padma Bhushan in 2007, highlighting a lifespan that spanned colonial and independent India.

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🌱 What changed because of them

Quadri helped institutionalize the Unani medical tradition through founding the Calcutta Unani Medical College and Hospital, ensuring its survival post-independence. His medical magazine Hikmat-e-Bangala, though short-lived, fostered scholarly discourse on Unani medicine. His close association with key independence figures illustrates the overlap between medical practice and political activism in colonial India.

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💭 Memories & Tributes

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