Early Life
Khwaja Khurshid Anwar (Urdu: خواجہ خورشید انور) was born on 21 March 1912 in Mianwali (now in Pakistan) where his maternal grandfather Khan Bahadur Dr.Sheikh Atta Mohammad held the post of civil surgeon. His father Khawaja Ferozuddin Ahmad was a well-known Barrister in Lahore. The ace jurist had a love for music so much so that he had a huge collection of gramophone records of Indian classical and neo-classical music and his precocious son had an unhindered access to them all. Moreover, in the weekly soirees of music which were held in the lawyer's house, renowned masters used to perform, and it was here that the young Khurshid Anwar developed a taste for classical music. Viewing Khrshid Anwar's keen interest Khansahib Tawakkal Hussain took him under his tutleage in 1934.
Khurshid Anwar was also a brilliant student at Government College, Lahore, the renowned seat of learning. Having topped in the Masters in Philosophy (1935), he appeared in the examination for Indian Civil Service (ICS) but due to his political and anti-Raj activities, the colonial masters would not let him share power. Interestingly, he had also absented himself from the prize-distribution ceremony of the Punjab University held to honour the students with distinctions. When his name was called to receive the Gold Medal in Philosophy, nobody turned up. The British Chancellor of the University who was awarding medals remarked that the student having forgotten to receive the medal is a true philosopher.
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