Yasin Khan

Chaudhary Yasin Khan
Member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly
In office 1952–1962
Constituency	Ferozepur Jhirka
Member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly
In office 1926–1946
Constituency	North-Western Gurgaon
Personal details
Born	(1896-11-01)November 1, 1896 Village Rehna, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Nuh, Haryana, India)
Political party	Indian National Congress
Other political affiliations	Unionist Party (until 1947)
Children	Tayyab Husain (son), Hamid Hussain (son), Asgar Hussain (son)
Alma mater	Aligarh Muslim University
Profession	Politician, advocate

Chaudhary Mohammad Yasin Khan Meo was an Indian politician, social reformer and a prominent leader in the Mewat region of India.

Early life and education

Yasin Khan was born in 1896 in the village of Rehna in modern-day Nuh, Haryana. After experiencing the loss of his father at a young age, he was raised by an uncle who was revered as a spiritual Sufi leader. Yasin Khan excelled in academics and later pursued higher education at Aligarh Muslim University, becoming the first ever lawyer from the Mewat region.

Political activism

Yasin Khan played a pivotal role as a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly and the Punjab Provincial Assembly from the Ferozepur Jhirka constituency before 1946. He spearheaded initiatives to build infrastructure, including roads, schools, and hospitals, throughout Mewat.

Yasin Khan had met the freedom fighter, Sir Chhotu Ram, where he said the following quote to Khan:

What is Hindu for the Jat and Muslim for the Meo? We are all one.

— Sir Chhotu Ram

Role in Meo Uprising and Leadership

See also: Mewat § The Alwar Movement and Yasin Khan

Yasin Khan emerged as a central figure during the Meo uprising of 1932 against the high agricultural taxes imposed by the Maharaja of Alwar, Jai Singh Prabhakar. He led efforts to negotiate with the authorities, eventually leading to a reduction in taxes and the exile of the Raja. This event elevated Yasin Khan's stature, earning him the title "Chaudhriyon ka Chaudhary," (lit. 'the Social Head of Social Heads') the leader of the Meo community.

Stance on Partition and Legacy

See also: Mewat § Communal tensions during the Partition of India

During the tumultuous period of Partition, Yasin Khan opposed the mass migration of Meos to Pakistan, fearing the loss of their land rights.

He was also responsible for bringing Mahatma Gandhi to Ghasera village in 1947 where allied with Gandhi, advocating for Meos to remain in India and emphasizing their crucial role in the nation's backbone. After his death, approximately one hundred thousand people assembled in Nuh to pay homage.

Legacy

Yasin Khan's granddaughter, Anisa Rahim, wrote the book "An American Meo: A Tale of Remembering and Forgetting" in tribute and reference to her grandfather.