IN OFFICE
by the age of twenty-one, Mr. Nizamuddin
Ahmed's formal education had been completed,
and from his 22nd year till the 25th he remained
in London to keep his terms to qualify for the Bar,
and continued as he says to read "at random but
ceaselessly/'
At the age of 26—a year after his last return
from England—he was enrolled at the Madras
High Court. He joined the State service in 1897
and officiated in some judicial posts till he was
appointed undersecretary in the Legislative
Department in 1901 at the age of 30. This takes
us to the end of the third decade of his life, and
another 10 years bring us to the period of his
Home Secretaryship in 1909 before which he had
served as High Court Judge for two years. After
1910 he reverted to 'the "High Court and remained
there till he was made Political Secretary in 1918
and Member of the Executive Council towards
the end of 1919. He continued as Political
Member till the end of 1929 when he retired.
I shall follow these outlines in giving a more
detailed account of his official career. After his
return from England in February 1896 he waited
for orders for eight or nine months before deciding
to go to Madras to be enrolled at the High Court.
During the Christmas Recess when he returned