Correct Answer:
B. Maulana M. Yaqub Nanautwi
The correct answer is Maulana M. Yaqub Nanautwi because he was officially appointed as the foundational principal and head lecturer (Sadr Mudarris) when the seminary was established in 1866.
- Maulana M. Yaqub Nanautwi: This is the correct choice. When Darul Uloom Deoband began its historical educational operations on May 31, 1866, at the Chatta Mosque, Maulana Muhammad Yaqub Nanautwi served as its very first principal and executive academic head, managing classroom affairs until 1883.
- Incorrect Options:
- Maulana Shah Wali Ullah: This is incorrect. The prominent Islamic reformer passed away nearly a century earlier in 1762, though his ideological thoughts heavily inspired the founders of Deoband.
- Maulana Mahmood ul Hassan: This is incorrect. He holds the distinct historical honor of being the very first student enrolled at the Deoband Academy rather than its first head.
- Shabbir Ahmad Usmani: This is incorrect. He was a prominent later scholar and leader of the Pakistan Movement who studied and taught at the seminary long after its foundational phase.