Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khan (1884–1958) was an Indian Muslim politician and leading activist of the All-India Muslim League (Urdu: آل انڈیا مسلم لیگ). Mohammad Ismail Khan was born in August 1884, in Meerut then located in the British India province known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. He was the son of Nawab Ishaq Khan, and the grandson of the famous poet Nawab Mustafa Khan Shaifta. Upon completing his early schooling in India, he proceeded to England, at the age of twelve to continue his studies as a full time boarder at Tonbridge School in Tonbridge, Kent. He went on from there to graduate from Cambridge University. In those days travel to the United Kingdom was by ship from Bombay and around the Cape of Good Hope, taking more than a month to reach. He returned to India at the age of twenty-four and opted for a career in Law. His father, as a career ICS officer had become a Judge and was also a founding member of the Muslim League and a close friend of Motilal Nehru's. Therefore, on Ismail Khan's return he was sent to live with the Nehru family and joined their law practice in Allahbad. While practicing law in India, he befriended Muhammad Ali Jinnah, with whom he entered politics.
In 1910, Ismail Khan became a member of the All-India Muslim League and its working committee as well as a member of the United Provinces Legislative Assembly. He would also contest and win election to the Central Legislative Assembly and presided over the All India Khilafat Committee. Khan was a member of the foundation committee of the Jamia Millia Islamia, but was opposed to the Indian National Congress's campaign for Swaraj through civil disobedience. In the 1930s, Khan would lead the U. P. Muslim League and served as the chairman of the All-India Muslim Civil Defense Association. In 1934 and again in 1947, he served as vice-chancellor of Aligarh University.
Although a close supporter of Jinnah and the Pakistan movement, Khan opted not to migrate to the newly created state of Pakistan. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly of India and was a signatory to the Constitution of India. Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khan died on June 28, 1958 in Meerut.
In 1937, the 25th Annual Conference of All India Muslim League was held in Lucknow under the chairmanship of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Before attending this historic session, Quaid-i-Azam wore a spotless sherwani in which he looked very elegant. At this occasion, Nawab Ismail Khan offered his cap to the Quaid saying that it will suit him well with the achkan on. The Quaid graciously accepted this offer and the wearing of Nawab Sahib's cap greatly added to his personality. With the achkan and the cap on, as the Quaid appeared on the dais, the huge crowd of 50,000 persons burst into loud cheers and the slogans of Allah-o-Akbar, after seeing their Quaid in this dress. The clapping continued for a long time. Since that day the Ismail cap became to be known as Jinnah cap all over the subcontinent.
[I am thankful to Muhammad Musa Khan, grandson of Nawab Muhammad Ismail, for his help and support]
