Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell Khan Bahadur Sir Mohammad Usman KCSI KCIE (1884 – 1 February 1960) was an Indian politician, hakim and socialite who served as the Minister of Home for the Madras Presidency in the Justice Party government of the Raja of Bobbili and as the first Indian acting Governor of Madras from 16 May 1934 to 16 August 1934.

[1] Usman was born to Mohammad Yakub who belonged to an aristocratic family of Tanjore,[2] Madras Presidency in 1884.

[3] Usman graduated from the Madras Christian College[4][5] and joined the South Indian Liberal Federation.

Usman practised Unani medicine and acquired a reputation as an efficient physician.

[9] In October 1921,[7] the Raja of Panagal, the Chief Minister of Madras, established a committee on Indigenous Systems of Medicine.

[7][10] In 1922, this Committee concluded that Ayurveda was based on genuine scientific theories and noted that its practice has been waning over the years.

[14] Though the riots were eventually quelled, the incidents radicalized public opinion, both Muslim and Christian, against the Justice Party.

[17] He served as a member of the Indian Defence Council in 1941–42 and as the Vice-Chancellor of Madras University from 1940 to 1942.