Abdullah Sahib was the Governor of Gilgit Agency during Dogra rule and was one of the earliest graduates of Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College.
After losing his father's property in loan servicing, he dedicated his life to education—something that could not be taken away from him—and became the first Muslim student to top the matriculation examination in Ambala District, Punjab province during the early period of the Aligarh Movement, led by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.
Abdullah Sahib soon joined Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College where he excelled in English, Arabic, Persian, Philosophy and Mathematics.
Sir Syed arranged a scholarship for Sahib to take the Indian Civil Service exam in England, which he refused following his mother's request.
He was a close associate of Maharaja Pratap Singh of Kashmir, and was an expert on international relations, especially with Russia and China.