Syed Mohammad Zamin Ali occupies a distinguished position in the realm of Urdu language and literature. He blazed a trial in the Urdu academic world by introducing graduate, post-graduate and research courses in Allahabad University. A founder-head of the Urdu Department of Allahabad University, he designed the basic structure of Urdu studies from the primary to the highest level in India. Born on 25 June 1880 at Mustafabad village in the Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh, Zamin Ali was the youngest son of late Syed Wajid Ali. His grand-father, Nauroz Ali was a good poet of his time. Prof. Ali was a poet and also a writer with facile pen. But it was as an educationist that he excelled. He was educated at Agra and Allahabad. After a brilliant academic career, he joined the faculty of the Persian and Arabic Department of Allahabad University. His proposal to create separate Departments of Urdu and Hindi studies, which were then under the Oriental Department of Allahabad University, was accepted in 1922 by Sir Ganganath Jha, a noted Sanskrit scholar and Vice Chancellor of the University. Associated with the Board of studies of several universities, he formulated the curriculum of Urdu language and literature.

His compilations and books on various poets and marsiya writers found a place of prominence in the syllabus of studies at various stages. His monumental work is 'Urdu Zaban-e-Adab'. This is the only book of Urdu linguistics and is more comprehensive than Sir George Greison's 'Linguistic Survey of India'. Prof. Ali was in the lineage of Munir Shikohabadi and followed the traditions of Lucknow School of Poetry. He started composing nazms and ghazals at an early age under the guidance of Mir Ali Obaid 'Naisa'. His ghazals and marsiyas reflected the elegance and clarity of thought. He was a founder-member of the Hindustani Academy, which was founded in 1926 on the lines suggested by Mahatma Gandhi and was the editor of the Urdu Section of the Academy's bilingual magazine 'Hindustani'. He also edited a magazine called 'Naisa'. He passed away on 25 April 1955. Paying tribute to Prof. Ali, Pandit Nehru described him as "the most brilliant crusader for the cause of Urdu of my time".