T. B. Jayah
| T.B. Jayah | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Labour and Social Services | |
|
In office 26 September 1947 – 1950 |
|
| Member of Legislative Council | |
|
In office 1924–1931 |
|
| Member of State Council | |
|
In office 1936–1947 |
|
| High Commissioner for Ceylon in Pakistan | |
|
In office 1950–1957 |
|
| President of All Ceylon Muslim League | |
|
In office 1924–1950 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1890 Galagedara, Ceylon |
| Died | 1 June 1960 (aged 70) Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| Nationality |
 Sri Lankan
|
| Political party | United National Party |
| Alma mater |
University of London St. Thomas College, Modera St. Paul's College, Modera |
| Profession | Educationalist |
| Religion | Islam |
T.B. Jayah (1 January 1890 – 31 May 1960), full name Tuan Burhanuddin Jayah, was a Sri Lankan educationalist, politician, diplomat and Muslim community leader. He started his career as a school teacher and retired after serving 27 years as the principal of Zahira College, Colombo. Under his stewardship, Zahira College became one of the leading schools in the country.
Jayah emerged as a leader of the Muslim community of the country. He entered the politics and became a prominent figure in pre-independence politics of Sri Lanka. He was elected to the legislative council, state council and parliament. He was also a founding member of the United National Party. He became the minister of Labour and Social Service of the first independent government of Sri Lanka. After retiring form politics, Jayah was appointed as the first high commissioner for Ceylon in Pakistan. He died in 1960, falling ill on pilgrimage to Mecca.
T.B. Jayah was born in Galagedara on 1 January 1890, as the son of Nona and Cassim Jayah. Jayah family belonged to Malay ethnic minority group in Sri Lanka. Cassim Jayah was employed in the police department as a sergeant.
When Jayah was little, his family moved to Kurunegala owing to his father's transfer. He attended his first schooling at Anglo-Vernacular School in Kurunegala. During this period, he also received his Quranic Education under the tutelage of Noordeen Alim and Omarlebbe. Cassim once again transferred, this time to Colombo. Young Jayah attended to St. Paul’s College, Kandy, where he received most of his primary education. It is interesting to note that he had to be enrolled to Grade 1 at the age of ten. However, the young student was found to be so brilliant that he was awarded a treble promotion from Grade 1 to Grade 4 and once again a double promotion to Grade 6 in the following year. In 1904, he obtained a scholarship to St. Thomas College, Modera for his secondary education. He passed Cambridge Junior and Cambridge Senior examinations with merits.
Jayah passed London Matriculation and Inter Arts Examinations which helped him to become a school teacher. He obtained his first appointment for Dharmaraja College, Kandy in January 1910. His first monthly salary was Rs. 40. After a short term at Dharmaraja College, he shifted to Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa in May 1910.
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