Muhammad Hidayatullah

Period-20-Jul-1969 to 24-Aug-1969

Political party-Independent

Muhammad Hidayatullah, the first Muslim Chief Justice of India, the second Muslim to hold the post of the President of India (July 20,1969-August 24,1969) was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in 1905.

His father was Mirza Samiullah Beg, former Chief Justice of Hyderabad State.After completing his education in India at St. Georges Summer School, Hyderabad, he graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, England with Honors in Archaeological and Anthropological and Historical Triposes in 1934 followed by a M.A. Degree from Cambridge University.

Then he pursued further education at the London School of Economics in Public Finance, political theory and organization, constitutional law and international law. At the Bar Examinations held by the Council of Legal Education in England, he came first class first in Hindu and Mohameddan laws.

In 1941 he was called to the Bar. He began his career as an Advocate of the Allahabad High Court in 1942. In 1971 he was appointed as the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh . In January 1968 he became the first Muslim Chief Justice of India.

He became the acting President of India in 1969 after President Varahagiri Venkata Giri. He was the second Muslim to hold the post after Zakir Hussain. He served as the Vice-President of India from August 1979 to August 1984. In Jodhpur a national law university has been set up in his name.