Lieutenant Colonel George Farquhar Irving Graham





Lieutenant Colonel George Farquhar Irving Graham


“Until Indian Muslims will remember my father, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, they will also pay a rich tribute to Lieutenant Colonel G.F.I. Graham.”

These are the words of Syed Mahmud, which he said at a dinner party in 1885 to pay a rich tribute to Lieutenant Colonel G.F.I. Graham, his father’s, friend. Charles Alfred Elliott, Auckland Collin and G.F.I. Graham were very close friends of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and have a very long association with Sir Syed and Aligarh Movement.

Lieutenant Colonel G.F.I. Graham was first person to write the biography of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan “The Life and Work of Syed Ahmad Khan” which was published in 1885 from London. In this book Lt.Col. Graham had describe the life sketch of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan from 1863-1884 and had paid a rich tribute to his friend and reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Aligarh Movement. He had briefly described his interaction and meetings with Sir Syed which took place at different places in an outside of India including England when Sir Syed went England to receive the insignia of C.S.I, on August 6, 1869.

Lt.Col. Graham was posted in Ghazipur (UP) in 1964, when Sir Syed started Scientific Society and held its first convention in Ghazipur. He helped Sir Syed to formulate the by-laws of the Scientific Society. He also helped Sir Syed in writing commentary on The Holy Bible, Tabayyan-ul-Kalam, which was published from Ghazipur in 1865. Lt. Col. Graham praised Sir Syed’s work and courage and emphasized the importance of the book, Tabayyan-ul-Kalam which provides some new information about birth and family of Jesus Christ (Isaa Alaihis Salat-o-Wassalam).

Lt. Col. Graham and his friend Auckland Collin translated “Asbaab Baghawat-e-Hind” in English which was published from Banaras Medical Press in 1873. Col. Graham made regular visits to Aligarh to see Sir Syed and his work. He spends a lot of time with MAO College staff and students eat with students in Dining Hall. He was also one of the attendee of Rasme-Bismillah of Sir Ross Masood, grandson of Sir Syed.

Lt.Col. Graham and his wife Mrs L. J. Graham moved back to England after his retirement. He had four daughters and 2 sons. One of his sons, Major George Humphrey Irving Graham, was in 44th Battalion, Merwara Infantry, Indian Army. Major George Humphrey Irving Graham was commissioned in 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment in 1897. He served in the Tirah and South Africa Killed in action on 7 February 1916 at the age of 42 years in Mesopotamia. He was commemorated on The Basra Memorial, Iraq.