The end of the eighteenth century marked a general decadence in Muslim India and the forces of decay, and retrogression were all pervading. Both, politically and religiously muslims lay hopelessly prostrate This unfortunate state of affairs constrained the contemporay Muslim thinkers to feel the need for serious efforts to bring about a thorough rejuvenation in every sphere of life especially in the sphere of education.

Then a delegation of respectable Muslims of Calcutta met Lord Warren Hastings, the Governor General of India with an appeal to start an educational institution with a view to imparting religious education to the Muslims of Bengal. Accordingly, the Madrasah-|E-Alia was founded in October, 1780. (Sha’ban 1194), It was started with 40 students in a rented building at Baitakkhana near Sealdah. Molla Majduddin a renowened scholar in Arabic, was appointed the first preceptor (Professor). At the end of 1781 the Madrasah was named as Muhammadan College.

To Carry on the necessary expenses of madrasah the revenues due to the Government from a number of villages in the 24 Parganas, later called the Madrasah Mahal, were earmarked and the Collector of the district was entrusted with the collection of the said revenues on behalf of the Madrasah.

On the eve of the departure of lord Warren Hastings from India in 1785, he made a statement regarding the objectives of establisting the madrasah. He says “It had been deemed expedient on maxim of sound policy to continue the administration of the criminal courts judicature and many of the most important branches of police in the hands of the Muhammdan officers. But for the due fulfillment of the duties attached to them, not only natural talent but also considerable attainments in the Parsian and Arabic languages and extensive knowledge of the complicated system of laws founded in the tenets of Muhammadan religion,were required and the species of learning had for sometime past been on decline. Since the management of the revenue has been taken in to our own hands, it has chiefly been carried on by the English servants of the company, and by the Hindus, who from their education and habits of diligence and .frugality posses great advantages over the Muhammadan in all affairs of finance and accounts. With the decay of the wealth and importance of Muhammadan families in the province became diminished year by year their means of giving their sons the education which fitted them for responsible and lucrative offices in the state. Hence the madrasah was established with a view to give them once again their due shares of governmental job.”

Consequent to a suggestion of Hastings, the Board of Directors of the Company instructed the collector to hand over revenue administration of the Madrasah Mahal to Mollah Sahib, The arrangement continued up to 1790. Then again the administration passed into the hands of the collector and in lien of the said revenue, a sum of Rs. 30,000/- annually was granted to the Madrasah from the Government Treasury.

Later on Molla Sahib was removed from his position and a new preceptor named Maulana Md. Israil was appointed in his place, The management of the institution was entrusted to a strong Advisory Committee of three European members and a regular staffs of seven teachers was appointed. From (1780-1850) the Europian Secretareis had been acting as the administrator (principal)

Upto 1820 there was no examination system in the Pak Indo subcontinent. In 1821 The executive committee of the Madrasah introduced general annual ecamination system.

In 1826 English subject was introduced in the madrasah. Until then only the Arabic and the Islamic Subjects, Sarhe Bekaya, Hedaya, Nurul Anwar, Musalam Molla Hasans, Hikmat, Aqaid, Tasrik, Siraji, Muhairah, zalalain, Baizabi, Bukhari, Muslim, Muatta, Tirmizi, Abu Daud, Nasai, Ibn Maza were in the syllabus. In 1907 all the existing classes of the Madrasah were standardized and full fledged Hadith classes were opened. Kamil hadith was then made a three years course. later on, Fiqh department was opened and in 1970 Kamil Tafsir and kamil Adab were opened.

When the Muslims demand for a separate homeland was conceded to Pakistan came into being as an independent soverign state, it was decided that the Arabic Department of the Madrasah would be transferred to Dhaka, the new capital of East Pakistan, now the capital of Bangladesh. It goes to the credit to the then principal Khan Bahadur, M.Ziaul Huq and a number of members of his staff, that the madrasah with its rich library, furniture and office records could be shifted to Dhaka and deposited at the premises of the Islamic Intermediate College.

A new spacious site for the madrasah and its hostel was selected at Bakshibazar, Dhaka for construction of a suitable buildings at an estimated cost of Rs. 3300,000/- The Government of the then East pakistan sanctioned the necessary expenditure.

The foundation stone of the new Madrasah buildings and its Hostel were laid down by the then Chief Minister of East Pakistan Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan on the 11th March, 1958 in the presence of a large gathering of officials and non-officials of the town. The building of the Madrasah and its Hostel were completed in 1960 and the madrasah was shifted to its own buildings in 1961.

The three storied Madrasah Building were enlarged by an addition of 4th floor for accommodation of science classess and science Laboratory where science Groups in Alim and Fazil sections were introduced in 1978.

There is a large auditorium on the ground floor and a large mosque on the second floor in the same Madrasah building.

The Madrasah also has a library with the richest and rare collections of books in the country. The Calctta Madrasah Library was started in 1820. When the Fort William College was disolved, a large number of books belonging to college was transferred to the possession of the Madrasah Library. The library was further enriched by 244 manuscripts and 460 printed books donated by the heirs of Maulana Mir Mohammad of Mangalkot Burdwan which are still preserved in a separate section called “Mangalkot section” The number of books now existing in the Library is approximately 30,000 of which a pretty large number is really rare and most valuable.

The Madrasah Hostel is a magnificent three storied building to the eastern side of the Madrasah with an accommodation of 283 resident students. There is one superintendent and one Asstt. Superintendent appointed from among the teaching staffs of the Madrasah for overall supervision of the Hostel affairs.In the ground floor of Hostel building there is an office of the Hostel Superintendent, a reception room, a store room and a wide dining hall with an open flower garden in the middle part, in the 1st floor there is a mosque, and office room of the asst. Superintendent, a spacious common room of the student and a room for the Imam and Muazzin of the Hall Mosque are there in addition to those of the boarders. To the southern side of the Madrasah Hostel, there is a two storeied academic building. Again to the southern side of this building there is a wide play ground for the Madrasah students.

Govt. Madrasah-E-Alia is undoubtedly a unique educational institution in this subcontinent. .It is considered the breeding ground of many Islamic scholars and thinkers of national and international reputation. Since its birth the madrasah has been playing a significant role in imparting and spreading Islamic education and ideology that is conservative, methodical, modern and progressive breaking the false notion of the west and some local ignorant regarding madrasah and madrasah education.

Stage and Duration of Studies

There is a Mujawwide cours of studies for teaching Qirat in this Madrasah and there is a depertment for Hifzul Quran in the madrasah.

There are Research and Publications department and also a provision in this Madrasah for awarding research Scholarships per annum.