Letters and Documents Related to M.A. Jinnah

Sub title : Personal Appeals, Petitions, and Social Correspondence

Subject: Social welfare appeals | Labor rights | Religious harmony in colonial India | Personal petitions

Date of publication: 1937

Language: English

Page: 178 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 28184

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah -- Petitions -- Mercy appeal -- Jainism -- Ahinsa | Labor union -- Railway strike -- Land grant -- Colonial bureaucracy | Social justice -- Interfaith -- Personal appeals

Abstract: This volume comprises a diverse collection of personal letters, petitions, and official documents, many addressed to M.A. Jinnah, reflecting the broad societal and individual appeals made to him as a national leader. It includes a mercy petition for a convicted father, an invitation to a Jain religious event promoting Ahinsa (non-violence), a railway worker’s plea for justice after being injured during a strike, requests for land grants, and invitations from labor unions. The documents highlight Jinnah’s perceived role as an arbiter of justice, a symbol of communal harmony, and a last resort for citizens and groups seeking redressal, intervention, or patronage within the late-colonial system.

Description: This collection presents a compelling cross-section of societal interactions with political leadership in late 1930s India. It features deeply personal narratives—such as a son pleading for his imprisoned father's release and a worker detailing his unjust dismissal—alongside formal invitations from religious and labor organizations. The documents underscore M.A. Jinnah’s multifaceted public image: as a legal authority, a communal leader, a potential patron, and a unifying figure sought after by diverse religious and social groups. The inclusion of associated official papers (certificates, endorsements, colonial memoranda) provides crucial context, illustrating the complex administrative landscape within which these personal and communal struggles occurred. This volume is essential for understanding the grassroots expectations placed upon emerging national leaders during the final decade of British rule. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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