Delhi College was a unique educational institution in many respects. It imparted the traditional oriental education as well as the modern western learning under the same roof. It was jointly funded from the Muslim religious endowment created by Ghazi-ud-din and the revenues allocated by the British East India Company. Its governing body comprised both the British officials and the local notables. Its teaching faculty consisted of both Europeans and Indians and the students were a judicious mixture of the Hindus and the Muslims with a sprinkling of the Christians. Delhi College thus became a meeting point of several disparate elements. Of no less significance is the fact that western as well as oriental learning was imparted through the medium of Urdu language. It was the first experiment of its kind. It proved immensely successful and had very far-reaching positive effects.
Delhi College produced a galaxy of epoch making personalities such as Maulana Mohammed Husain Azad, Deputy Nazir Ahmed, Master Ram Chander, Zakaullah, Maulvi Karim-ud-din, Rai Saheb Kedar Nath, Master Pyarelal 'Ashob' and Dr. Zia-ud-din. Sadly enough, Delhi College came to an abrupt and violent end in 1857.
Delhi College remained closed for about seven years. It was restarted in May 1864 in the building of Delhi Institute in Chandni Chowk, the present day Town Hall. Started as an inter- mediate college, it had become a post-graduate college by 1870. But it was only a shadow of its former self. What is more, English had replaced Urdu as the medium of instruction. However, the College was doing fairly well as an educational institution when it was suddenly wound up and merged with Lahore College in April, 1877.
The seeds of the second rebirth of Delhi College had already been sown by 1877 when Arabic Middle School was started with the funds of the religious endowment established by Nawab Etimad-ud-daula. It was upgraded to Arabic High School and had become Anglo Arabic High School by 1887. It shifted to the building of Madrasa Ghazi-ud-din at Ajmeri Gate in 1892 from the Haveli about a kilometre away where it was started.
In 1924, intermediate classes were introduced and Anglo Arabic High School became Anglo Arabic College. This college also produced a number of prominent personalities who made their mark in various fields of life, especially in Urdu literature. They included Ali Sardar Jafri, Akhtar-ul-Iman, Moin Ehsan Jazbi, Jamil-ud-din Aali, Sadiq-ul-Khairi, Ansar Nasiri, Muzaffar Shikoh and Muslim Ahmed Nizami.
Like its predecessor, Anglo Arabic College also came to a sad and abrupt end. It had to be closed in September, 1947 due to communal disturbances in the wake of the partition of India.
The College was renamed Delhi College soon after it opened in 1948. In 1975, Delhi College ceased to exist on paper when it was renamed as Zakir Husain College. Later, it was shifted to its present building at Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, New Delhi and the old heritage building was restored to Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School. Delhi College is dead. Long live Delhi College! The College continues to live in the hearts of its alumni and will continue to live for ever in the pages of history.