Mohsin-ul-Mulk was born on December 9, 1837 in Etawah. He took up-service under the British after qualifying a competitive examination for the selection of Deputy Collector. He stood first to become an Inspector of Revenue in 1871. He served for twenty years in the State of Hyderabad for some time as Financial Secretary to the Nizam.

Many people regard Mohsin-ul-Mulk as ‘the cause of Sir Syed’s Success’ but, perhaps, it will not be wrong to say that his contribution towards the Muslim University was as significant as that of its founder. In 1888, Mohsin-ul-Mulk visited England and five years later resigned his post to take up permanent residence in Aligarh and to serve and manage the affairs of the institution that Sir Syed had founded. He also contributed to Sir Syed’s Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq. He served in Nizam’s Government in Hyderabad Deccan, during 1874-93. He presided over Muslim Educational Conference annual sessions in 1893 and 1896. He was Secretary, M.A.O College, Aligarh during 1898-1907. Mohsin-ul-Mulk organized Urdu Defence Association in 1901. He also founded Anjuman-i-Taraq-i-Urdu in 1902. He was entrusted responsibility of drafting its Constitution along with Nawab Viaqar-ul-Mulk. He was elected Joint Secretary of the All-India Muslim League for the period 1906-07.

Mohsin-ul-Mulk led the Muslim Educational Movement and played a significant role against the anti-Urdu movement of the Hindus and their demand for the introduction of Hindi written in the Nagri Script as the official language. He resented against a ruling in 1900, when Lieutenant-Governor Sir Anthony MacDonnell government issued a resolution declaring that Hindi written in the Nagri script would enjoy equal status with Urdu as the language of law courts in the provinces and that in the future only such persons would be appointed, except in a purely English office, to Government job who knew Urdu as well as Hindi.The Hindus welcomed the resolution with gratitude. The Muslims, on the other hand, perceived in it the repetition of the situation that followed the change of official language and resulted in their general exclusion from government offices. Protest meetings were held against the resolution in almost all important Muslim centres in the country. However, an organized movement against it was started by the Aligarh leaders.

Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk, the Secretary of Aligarh College and, in all respects, a successor of Sir Syed, took upon himself the responsibility of representing the Muslim point of view. A protest meeting was held at Aligarh in May 1900, where he delivered a strong speech and a resolution was passed asking the Government to withdraw it’s order. Later, a representative meeting of the Urdu Defence Association was held at Lucknow on August 18, 1900 under the Presidentship of Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk in order to protest against the Government’s decision recognizing Hindi, and to demand its withdrawal. Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk’s action was resented by the Lieutenant Governor of U.P., who asked Mohsin-ul-Mulk to choose between the Secretaryship of the Aligarh College and the Presidentship of the Urdu Defence Association.

The Association embarked upon an active campaign for the withdrawal of the resolution. The Lieutenant-Governor, MacDonnell himself visited Aligarh and warned the trustees of the Institution as well as President of the Urdu Defence Association, saying that the Government would be compelled to discontinue financial aid to the College. In view of the importance of the College, Mohsin-ul-Mulk had to give up the Presidentship of the Association. As was anticipated, his withdrawal from the Association weakened the movement for the protection of Urdu and it could not be continued further with the vigour with which it had started.