Maulana Mazharul Haque (1866-1930) born in a privileged family was sent to England to study law.When he finished his law degree he came back to practice law in India.His profession gave him the opportunity to understand the overwhelming problem facing the public.This drew him closer to Mahatma Gandhi and he joined the freedom struggle to make India an independent nation.Mazharul Haque was a legal luminary,a statesman,an educationist,a journalist,a poet and a philosopher combined in one.A staunch nationalist and a firm believer in secular foundations of this country he believed that "whether we are Hindus or Mussalmans we are in the same boat.We must sail or sink together."A pillar of nation building he advocated free primary education to all.For developing higher education and strengthening freedom movement he founded Sadaquat Ashram and Bihar Vidyapeeth.His magnanimity of donating his properties and wealth to the national cause earned him the title of 'Deshbhushan' and 'Fakir' from the contemporary national leaders. He vigorously supported the Elementary Education Bill (1911) in pre-independent India as he believed that, it was "so far-reaching in its effects that it will effect a profound change in the destiny of our motherland."