What was the Cambridge Majlis?

Majlis, in the ancient Persian language, means ‘Assembly.’ Appropriately deemed as such, the ‘Cambridge Majlis’ was one of the elite university’s most prominent societies. Composed of a gathering of several of the university’s Indian students, it was a famous society that forged a legacy of anti-colonial struggle in the 17th Century.

The society was founded in 1891 and became a debating association in which members were free to practice their finely honed skills of oracy and sharp reasoning. In addition to this, other activities were practiced, such as avidly spewing over the current political climate and strategic socialising. The Majlis played a pivotal part in Indian politics at Cambridge: a fraternising hub, a debating society, and an activist group, all rolled into one.

The students who arrived in England and attended Oxbridge universities in the early twentieth century mostly belonged to the creme de la creme of the Indian classes. They often derived from families that had either assimilated deeply to the British Raj or had even been of the sparse few Indians that enjoyed the rich fruits the British rule bore instead of dealing with disastrous externalities. Many of these young men had studied in English public schools, such as Harrow and St Paul’s school. Being so profoundly integrated into British society, these men did not bear the burdens and hardships faced by the common man in India during the British Raj and were given little reason to question the status quo. Therefore, for them to actively take a stand against the British rule and assiduously partake in discussion and debate was quite revolutionary in itself. Despite their silver-spooned upbringing and (for some) elitist ideals, undertones of resistance and anti-colonialism flourished in this society's interactions within the Collegiate university. No matter how integrated the Indian students were with their English peers, it remained clear that they had a clear sense of their own identity and community. These young men were aware that the perfect place to air any anxieties were the Majlis, the Indian debating clubs. It was most definitely a debating club that accumulated visionary revolutionaries for a common purpose.

Furthermore, the Majlis consisted of names which would go on to achieve significant influence at some point in the South Asian political timeline. Past members include Jawaharlal Nehru - the first Prime minister of India- and President Emeritus Amartya Sen. In 1896, The society’s counterpart, the Oxford Majlis, was founded. The Cambridge Majlis had close links to the Oxford branch, holding an annual varsity debate and hosting many joint dinners. They even had eminent speakers visit the universities and discuss the south Asian political climate. From 1939 to the independence of Pakistan and India in 1947, the Majlis significantly advocated the anti-colonial cause.Throughout the the inter-war period, the Majlis hosted a vast quantity of notable speakers from both anti-colonial and imperial circles. This included future British Chancellor R.A. Butler. And India Secretary Lawrence Dundas as well as Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi. Due to underlying suspicion of rebellious ideals, the Majlis was subject to surveillance by the Special Branch. It was indeed the platform that linked various sparks of nationalism into one roaring flame of anti-colonialism within Britain.

Following the independence of India and Pakistan, the debates in the society became wider in the subjects covered and catered to a core audience from other countries and communities as well as across the Indian subcontinent. The society surprisingly held through the tumultuous period of two wars waged by India and Pakistan (in 1947 and 1965) with students from the two countries maintaining affable terms for the society to function. However, after the 1971 Bangladesh liberation the society slowly went into a decline.

The Cambridge Majlis was recently relaunched on 14th March 2019, by a group of students from the subcontinent. Representatives from the university stated that today they ‘host topical debates, invite prominent speakers and organise social events. Join us as we embark on our quest to revitalise the University’s oldest South Asian society.’ There is strenuous belief that this rejuvenation has marked the beginning of a fresh chapter to the journey of the Cambridge Majlis