In the late 19th century, Justice Syed Mahmood, son of the great social reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, and the first Indian judge of the Allahabad High Court, became an icon of judicial resistance to British colonialism at the apex of British power across the world. Appointed to the High Court at the remarkably young age of 32, he displayed during a tenure of just six years that law without a conscience was merely a facade for the perpetration of injustice. A number of his dissenting judgments became a template for reference by future generations. Outside of law, his largely invisible but wide ranging intellectual corpus engages with questions related to colonial transformation of education and its reconciliation with Muslim identity, national integration and religious tolerance. His role in the making of Aligarh Muslim University, presently celebrating its centenary, was notable, but survives only as a footnote in history. This book chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of Syed Mahmood's life, and his contribution to shaping the consciousness of modern India. It succeeds in exhuming a seminal figure from the dust of history, and demonstrates how the past continues to speak in the present. Review A major achievement of this critical biography is to re-animate "the values of religious tolerance, composite culture, inter-faith understanding and mutual respect" which Justice Mahmood embodied. In these virtues lie the present and the futures of Indian constitutionalism. ?Professor (Dr) Upendra Baxi, Emeritus Professor of Law, Universities of Warwick and DelhiAn excellent biography of a towering legal luminary of 19th-century India who had the courage and conviction to differ from the powers of the day for the sake of justice. ?Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed, Former Chief Justice, Jammu and Kashmir High CourtThis marvellous book must be read by all the judges and jurists of India to appreciate the courage and hard work required to deliver true justice. In the quest for justice, a judge has to learn to face adversities and many a time swim against the strongest of tides. ?Justice Sunil Ambwani, Former Chief Justice, Rajasthan High CourtThis book is an extraordinary tour de force on the inspiring life and phenomenal contribution of an outstanding jurist, independent thinker, engaging scholar, transformative institution builder and a truly remarkable leader-Justice Syed Mahmood. ?Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global UniversityIncisively written, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the judicial process and legal history. ?Professor (Dr) Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor, NALSAR University of Law, and President, Consortium of National Law UniversitiesA commendable step towards providing inspiration to the present generation of lawyers and history enthusiasts. ?Sanjiv Saraf, Founder RekhtaThis brilliant biography of an icon is also a fine depiction of the liberation of the Indian mind from foreign fetters. ?M.J. Akbar, author and Member of Parliament, Rajya SabhaA welcome addition to the writings on the Aligarh movement and the Indian judiciary. ?Dr Farhan Nizami, Director, The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, and The Prince of Wales Fellow, Magdalen College, University of Oxford About the Author MOHAMMAD NASIR is Assistant Professor in the Department of Law, Aligarh Muslim University. He has written on legal and socio-political issues for the Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Wire and OPEN. He co-edited the Special Centenary Issue of the Aligarh Institute Gazette, a periodical started by AMU founder Sir Syed in 1866.SAMREEN AHMED is a legal researcher and writer based at the Aligarh Muslim University. Her academic writings have been published in the Economic & Political Weekly.