Who is Zohran Mamdani’s father? All about Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani amid son’s historic New York mayoral race win

Zohran Mamdani, 33, stunned the world by standing ahead of the former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Reuters reported.

He holds a lead in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary by winning about 43.5% of the first-choice ballots to Cuomo's 36.4%.

Amid news of his historical achievement, many are keen to know about Zohran Mamdani's personal life, particularly his father, Mahmood Mamdani. Mahmood, 79, is a renowned professor at Columbia University.

A look at Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York mayoral race

Zohran Mamdani gave a speech to his supporters and admirers following the significant lead. As the ABC7 New York TV channel broadcast his speech, he announced,

"Today... with the vision of the city that every New Yorker can afford, we have won."

As The Economic Times cited, Mamdani proudly quoted Nelson Mandela and noted,

"Tonight, we made history."

He further continued,

"It always seems impossible until it is done. My friends, we have done it."

While addressing his statement to his backers, Zohran Mamdani emphasized refusing to accept U.S. President Donald Trump's guidelines. He spoke about governing New York City

"as a model for the Democratic Party."

As per the Reuters report, Andrew Cuomo opened up about having a conversation with the self-described democratic socialist. Talking about congratulating his opponent, he shared,

"Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won"

According to The Economic Times, Zohran Mamdani is expected to become the first Indian-American and Muslim mayor of New York City.

The ultimate result will only be revealed after the vote tallying process. However, Zohran Mamdani is presently on the track to the final triumph.

Everything we know about Zohran Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani

A look at his childhood

Born on April 23, 1946, in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, he grew up in Kampala, Uganda. His Gujarati Muslim parents raised him. In the initial few years of his life, he shifted to several locations across East Africa.

In a March 2022 conversation with University World News, Mahmood Mamdani opened up about his childhood.

Reflecting on the significance of his "family or background" in his illustrious professional career, he spoke about his father, a "small-time poet" who also edited a Gujarati magazine.

After relocating to Uganda, his father also worked to earn a living because he made no money from editing the magazine.

A look at his education

Zohran Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, attended Shimoni Demonstration School. Recalling studying at his school, he further continued,

"The school I went to in colonial times was called Government Indian Secondary School. It was only for Indian children. I graduated in 1962. Most of the kids with me wanted to go into trade or business."

He was "one of the 23 Ugandans who got fellowships to go to" the U.S., as a "part of the American gift to Uganda for her independence."

According to The Times of India, Mahmood received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Later, he attended Tufts University for his master's. He also completed his PhD in Government from Harvard.

While pursuing this integral degree, his dissertation on Uganda's class and politics served as the intellectual groundwork for his next academic contributions.

He faced several ups and downs in his career

Political unrest in different parts of the world affected Mahmood Mamdani’s academic and private life. One such example is his return to Uganda for his doctoral research.

Unfortunately, Idi Amin’s regime abruptly cut short his plans and expelled him solely because of his ethnicity. With no other option, he was compelled to leave the country.

Later, he joined the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. It was a key vibrant hub for radical and postcolonial thinking.

Speaking out against Milton Obote’s government cost him severely. Even after the challenges, he remained truly passionate and committed to his work and justice.

After some time, Mamdani returned to Uganda when Obote fell from power. After the transition, he worked to establish the Centre for Basic Research as its founding director.

Over the next years and decades, he travelled the world and visited renowned institutions on different continents for his exemplary academic journey. Some of the world-famous institutions where his experience took him are the University of Cape Town, Princeton University, and Columbia University.

A look at his present academic career

The academician is currently teaching at Columbia University. As per The Times of India report, his focus is on sharing knowledge and guidance on several necessary fields, including Government, Anthropology, and African Studies.

While speaking with University World News, he shared his thoughts on building "a research culture in an institution."

He explained the process, answering,

"You build it by doing it. We built that culture, not just by teaching students in classrooms, but also through extracurricular activities: seminars, workshops, conferences, and so on. We built it by constantly encouraging students to read and write."

Explaining the "key elements" to strengthen this culture and mindset, Mamdani also added that doctoral students usually conduct "the most innovative research" and not the professors.

He elaborated,

"Professors usually end up fine-tuning the subject on which they did their PhD. Very few professors move out of their field into something new. So, the onus is on the doctoral student to study the field, and keep up with both the latest writings in the field, and the latest debates. Where you have a healthy crop of doctorate students, there you have dynamic frontiers of research."

From 2010 to February 2022, Mahmood served as the executive director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research at Uganda's Makerere University. While working here, he prioritized setting up a spectacular PhD program.

Thinking about his contributions and revamping his vision into reality, he responded,

"I would want to rededicate MISR as a research institute, but also to modify that mission, to focus on creating a generation of researchers — Ugandan and African. That has been my main contribution."

The professor set the facts straight, conveying that the university introduced "a master of philosophy (MPhil) programme in 2012."

He also stated,

"The first doctoral students began in 2015. We have graduated more than 50 masters and 11 PhDs. A total of 15 [students] are doing fieldwork and writing their doctoral dissertations. That is 26 PhDs when they finish."

Every student with their PhD degree successfully received prestigious job opportunities. During the time of the interview, Mamdani also shared,

"They are teaching at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, Addis Ababa University [Ethiopia], and the University of Gulu in Uganda. They are working at international organisations like the World Wide Fund for Nature in the Netherlands."

Mahmood Mamdani is a writer

In his impressive career spanning decades, he authored multiple influential books and spread his wisdom and approach through his writings.

One of his most famous and impactful books is the 1996-released Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism. It delves into colonial rule using different systems and ways to shape modern African governance.

Some of his other books, reflecting provocative takes and showcasing the lesser-known critical insights of how politics shaping countries are When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda; Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror; Define and Rule: Native as Political Identity, and Neither Settler Nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities.

His creations and works are often widely praised for bringing out intricate details and insightful pictures for readers.

Mahmood Mamdani's perspectives on power, authoritarianism, colonialism, and politics structured Zohran Mamdani's political voice and shaped his everyday life.

Zohran Mamdani's mother is Mira Nair. She is a talented Indian-American filmmaker creating famous films such as The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding, and Salaam Bombay!, among others.