callings of the archive
Politician Biographies
Every archived life recorded as politician, ordered by their place in the ledger.
Modern era
Aga Khan III
November 2, 1877 – July 11, 1957
48th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili community (1877-1957)
Early Modern era
Hyder Ali
1717 – December 7, 1782
Military commander, de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore (1720-1782)
Modern era
Mir Osman Ali Khan
April 6, 1886 – February 24, 1967
Last Monarch of the Kingdom of Hyderabad (1886-1967)
Modern era
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
July 23, 1856 – September 1, 1920
Indian nationalist leader, writer and journalist (1856–1920)
Modern era
Gopal Krishna Gokhale
May 9, 1866 – February 19, 1915
Indian political leader and social reformer (1866–1915)
Modern era
Lala Lajpat Rai
January 28, 1865 – November 17, 1928
Indian author and politician (1865-1928)
Modern era
Bipin Chandra Pal
November 7, 1858 – May 20, 1932
British Indian Bengali academic and politician (1858–1932)
Modern era
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
November 11, 1888 – February 22, 1958
Indian politician and writer (1888–1958)
Modern era
Rajendra Prasad
December 3, 1884 – February 28, 1963
Indian statesman, lawyer and writer (1884–1963); first President of India
Modern era
Sarojini Naidu
February 13, 1879 – March 2, 1949
Indian poet, politician, governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh from1947 to 1949
Modern era
Sheikh Abdullah
December 5, 1905 – September 8, 1982
Kashmiri politician (1905-1982)
Modern era
Husain Ahmad Madani
October 6, 1879 – 1957
Indian freedom struggle leader and scholar
Modern era
Abul A'la Maududi
September 25, 1903 – September 22, 1979
South Asian Islamic scholar, Founder of Jamaat-e-Islami (1903–1979)
Modern era
Shah Ahmad Noorani
April 1, 1926 – December 11, 2003
Spiritual and political leader (1926–2003)
Early Modern era
Syed Ahmad Barelvi
November 28, 1786 – May 6, 1831
Muslim activist
Modern era
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
September 17, 1879 – December 24, 1973
Indian social reformer (1879-1973)
Modern era
Amrita Pritam
August 31, 1919 – October 31, 2005
Indian novelist, poet, and essayist (in Hindi and Punjabi languages) (1919–2005)
Modern era
Harivansh Rai Bachchan
November 27, 1907 – January 18, 2003
Indian Hindi poet, Father of Amitabh Bachchan (1907-2003)
Modern era
Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
September 23, 1908 – April 24, 1974
Indian Hindi poet, essayist (1908-1974)
Modern era
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan
August 16, 1904 – February 15, 1948
Indian Hindi poet, short-story writer and freedom fighter (1904–1948); wrote 'Jhansi Ki Rani'
Modern era
Nargis
June 1, 1929 – May 3, 1981
Indian actress (1929–1981)
Contemporary era
Rekha
b. October 10, 1954
Indian actress
Modern era
Rajesh Khanna
December 29, 1942 – July 18, 2012
Indian actor and film producer (1942–2012)
Contemporary era
Muhammad Mahfuz
b. May 7, 1975
Indonesian politician (born 1975 in Kotawaringin Timur)
Modern era
Dyal Singh Majithia
1848 – 1898
Indian banker and activist (1848-1898)
Modern era
Hakim Mohammed Said
January 20, 1920 – October 17, 1998
Pakistani medical researcher, scholar, philanthropist, and governor of Sindh Province (1920–1998)
Modern era
Adamjee Haji Dawood
June 30, 1880 – January 27, 1948
Renowned businessman and philanthropist of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh (1880–1948)
Modern era
Dina Wadia
August 15, 1919 – November 2, 2017
Daughter of the founding father of Pakistan (1919-2017)
Contemporary era
Shahbaz Ahmed (hockey)
b. September 1, 1968
Pakistani field hockey player and politician
Contemporary era
Sarfraz Nawaz
b. December 1, 1966
Pakistani cricketer
Modern era
Abdul Qadir (cricketer)
March 15, 1872 – February 9, 1950
Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam Leader
Modern era
Ziaur Rahman
January 19, 1936 – May 30, 1981
Chief of Army Staff and President of Bangladesh (1936-1981)
Contemporary era
Khaleda Zia
August 15, 1946 – December 30, 2025
Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1991–1996, 2001–2006)
Modern era
Tajuddin Ahmad
July 23, 1925 – November 3, 1975
Bangladeshi politician and first Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1925-1975)
Modern era
M. A. G. Osmani
September 1, 1918 – February 16, 1984
Commander in Chief of Bangladesh Army (1918–1984)
Modern era
D. S. Senanayake
October 20, 1884 – March 22, 1952
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1884-1952)
Modern era
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
January 8, 1899 – September 26, 1959
4th Prime Minister of the Dominion of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 1956-59
Modern era
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
April 17, 1916 – October 10, 2000
Prime Minister of Ceylon (later Sri Lanka) from 1960–65, 1970–77, 1994–2000
Contemporary era
Sanath Jayasuriya
b. June 30, 1969
Cricketer
Contemporary era
Arjuna Ranatunga
b. December 1, 1963
Sri Lankan cricketer
Early Modern era
Mirwais Hotak
1673 – November 1, 1715
Afghan ruler and founder of the Hotak dynasty (1673–1715)
Contemporary era
Ahmad Shah Massoud
September 2, 1953 – September 9, 2001
Tajik military leader (1953–2001)
Medieval era
Wen Tianxiang
June 6, 1236 – January 9, 1283
Chinese politician of the Song Dynasty
Ancient era
Wang Xizhi
321 CE – 361 CE
Chinese calligrapher (c. 321 – c. 361)
Early Modern era
Lin Tse-hsu
August 30, 1785 – November 22, 1850
Chinese scholar and politician (1785-1850)
Early Modern era
Koxinga
August 28, 1624 – June 23, 1662
17th-century Chinese military leader and first King of Tungning
Medieval era
Prince Shotoku
February 7, 574 CE – April 8, 622 CE
Semi-legendary Japanese prince (574–622)
Modern era
Sakamoto Ryoma
January 3, 1836 – December 10, 1867
Japanese samurai and politician (1836–1867)
Modern era
Saigo Takamori
January 23, 1828 – September 24, 1877
Samurai of the Satsuma domain, supreme commander of Japanese army, one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration (1828-1877)
Modern era
Ito Hirobumi
October 16, 1841 – October 26, 1909
1st, 5th, 7th and 10th Prime Minister of Japan (1841–1909)
Early Modern era
Jeong Yak-yong
1762 – 1836
Korean scholar and philosopher (1762 - 1836)
Modern era
Kim Gu
August 29, 1876 – June 26, 1949
Korean politician (1876–1949)
Medieval era
Sorghaghtani Beki
February 2, 1190 – March 1, 1252
Mongol empress (1190-1252)
Modern era
Damdin Sukhbaatar
February 2, 1893 – February 20, 1923
Mongolian military leader (1893-1923)
Medieval era
Nguyen Trai
1380 – September 28, 1442
Vietnamese scholar and poet (1380–1442)
Modern era
Phan Boi Chau
December 26, 1867 – October 29, 1940
19/20th-century Vietnamese nationalist and revolutionary
Modern era
Vo Nguyen Giap
August 25, 1911 – October 4, 2013
Vietnamese general and communist politician (1911–2013)
Early Modern era
Naresuan
1555 – April 25, 1605
King of Ayutthaya
Modern era
Chulalongkorn
September 20, 1853 – October 23, 1910
King of Siam (1853-1910)
Modern era
U Thant
January 22, 1909 – November 25, 1974
UN Secretary-General from 1961 to 1971