Sir Syed Ahmed Khan & Aligarh Movement

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Submitted by:
NOMAN SIDDIQUI
1st
Semester (BSCS)
Section : A
Roll No. : 42
Submitted To:
PROF. DR. NUSRAT IDREES
Subject:
PAKISTAN STUDIES (313)
Department of Computer Science - (UBIT)
UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI

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“SIR SYED AHMED KHAN”
&
“ALIGARH MOVEMENT”
Early Life & Education:
He was born as Syed Ahmad Taqvi on 17 October 1817 in Delhi. His father, Mir Muttaqi was
highly regarded by the Mughal dynasty, and many members of his family had held positions in the
Mughal court. He was raised in a large house in a wealthy area, in accordance with Mughal
traditions. His mother Azis-un-Nisa was a strong-willed religious woman who ensured that Syed
and his brother received a disciplined upbringing. He was trained in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and
orthodox religious subjects, and was also taught mathematics and astronomy. He was an active
boy and participated in a number of sports like swimming and wrestling. He began his study of
medicine but did not complete the course. His father died when Syed was still young and thus he
had to abandon his formal education due to financial difficulties. He was offered positions in the
Mughal court which he declined and entered the English civil service. Later on he attended the
East India Company College from where he graduated with a degree in law and judicial services.

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Personal Life & Legacy:
He married Parsa Begum in 1836, and the couple went on to have three children: Syed Hamid,
Syed Mahmood and Amina.
He was a tireless worker who devoted his entire life to the promotion of education for the masses.
A highly knowledgeable man and a prolific writer, he wrote on a number of subjects including
history, politics, archaeology, journalism, literature, religion and science.
He lived the last two decades of his life in Aligarh and died on 27 March 1898, at the age of 80.
His funeral was attended by thousands of people, including British officials, Muslim leaders, and
his students.
About Sir Syed Ahmad Khan:
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was a Muslim philosopher, social activist and educator who founded of the
Anglo-Mohammedan Oriental College at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. He was deeply devoted to
the cause of education and believed that widespread education was the only way to enlighten the
masses. A distinguished scholar, he was a progressive thinker who played a major role in
promoting social, scientific, and economic development of Indian Muslims. Even though he
religiously followed Islam, he was troubled by the rigidity of the orthodox outlook of the Muslims.
His life-long interest in religion manifested itself in the form of several volumes of a modernist
commentary on the Quran. In addition he also began a sympathetic interpretation of the Bible. But
above everything else, it was his dedication towards the cause of education that defined him as a
person. He believed in promoting Western–style scientific education and was instrumental in
setting up several schools for implementing this purpose. He was a British loyalist and formed the
Muslim League to promote pro-British attitudes and activities, thus raising suspicion in the minds
of Indian politicians. Nonetheless, he commanded great respect from both Hindus and Muslims
for his progressive views and dedication towards the cause of education.(1)
VISION:
He wanted to make the community and country progressive and take them forward on modern
lines. His supreme interest was intellectual development of the people through modern education.
He was the first Indian Muslim to contribute to the intellectual and institutional foundation of
Muslim modernization in Southern Asia. Interest of community and country was dearer to him
rather than anything else. He was successful in making the Muslims understand the importance of
modern education and endeavor their best to achieve it in order to stand on their own legs and live
a dignified life in accordance with Islamic thoughts. He wanted to create a scientific temperament
among the Muslims of India and to make the modern knowledge of Science available to them. He
championed the cause of modern education at a time when all the Indians in general and Indian
Muslims in particular considered it a sin to get modern education and that too through English
language. He also highly Emphasis on Girls Education of Muslims in India.

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Sir Syed Ahmed khan’ Writing:
 Asar-us-Sanadid
 Risal-I-Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind
 Indian Musalmans
 Essay on the life of Muhammad (PBUH)
What Is Aligarh Movement:
Background:
• The unsuccessful 1857 War, that was fought for Independence from the British rule made the
British believed that Muslims were responsible for the uprising.
• After 1857, the War of Independence the British started treating Muslims brutally with
vengeful and merciless punishments.
Consequences of the War of Independence:
• The Mughal Empire liquidated, and Religious Education, Persian, and Arabic were banned from
schools.
• English became the official language and medium of instructions in institutions.
• The brutality of British, and new school system made Muslims furious. They started despising
everything western and modern as a result missing the opportunities too.
Goals of the Aligarh Movement:
• At that time Sir Syed Ahmed realized that the acceptance of modern knowledge is the only thing
that can pretend Muslims from further worsening their situations.
• Therefore, modern education and changing the mind of Indian Muslims became the central point
of his movement.
• With an idea to bring social reforms and education reforms, he launched the Aligarh Movement
with the following goals:
- To build a relationship of understanding between Muslims and the British.
- To persuade Muslims to learn English.
- To motivate Muslims to get scientific knowledge.
- To produce educated Muslims that can work side by side with British.
- To persuade Muslims to refrain from agitating politics.(3)

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ALIGARH MOVEMENT:
During the second half of the 19th century Muslim history of the Sub-continent, Aligarh
Movement is very famous. It was primarily just an educational movement but its other
contributions for the Muslims of India cannot be denied. It started with the efforts of Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan who was not only its founder but its heart and soul. And the contributions of Aligarh
Movement were closely linked with the activities of Sir Syed.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan being the member of the British government in India was aware that the
Muslims were termed the prime instigator of the War of Independence 1857. In that situation it
would be unwise for the Muslims to play politics. He believed that only with the gaining of the
modern western education could the Muslims of India survive the wrath of their English masters.
Thus in order to help his fellow Muslims he tried to put their concentration on modern education
and for that reason in 1875 at Aligarh he laid the foundations of Mohammadan Anglo-Oriental
School that later became a college in 1877. But since the formation of a college was not enough
for the Muslims of the whole of the Sub-continent, Sir Syed founded Mohammadan Educational
Conference in 1886. Meetings of this conference were held in different cities but in these meetings
different issues regarding Muslims were also discussed along with the educational ones.
At the start of its career the Aligarh Movement was inclined towards the British government
because its intentions were to keep good relations between the Muslims and the White men for
according to Sir Syed it was beneficial for the Muslims. For the same reason he appointed the
English on significant positions. But with the passage of time this influence started to decrease. As
a result of this movement and with the policy of Sir Syed a group of people appeared, educated at
Aligarh, who seemed faithful to the English government in India and thus the English in return
started adopting positive attitude towards the Indian Muslims and supported their efforts,
educational in particular.
Being the protagonist Muslim school of modern education, Aligarh inspired many other
institutions in India. The connection with the modern world and modern learning led to many
benefits for the Muslims of India. The modern educated Muslims now had the eligibility to apply
to all sorts of governmental jobs even ICS and being educated and well aware of their social and
political rights now the Muslims started demanding for due share in employment along with other
communities of India. The resulting inclusion in jobs led to their financial improvement and now
the Muslim trading companies started emerging and developing along with their Hindu
counterparts.
One of the major contributions of Aligarh Movement was the defense of Urdu language. Urdu
emerged as a full-fledged language during the rule of the Muslims in India and it had all the effects
of Islam and Islamic history. Thus it was the representative of Muslims and Hindus tried to replace
it with their own Hindi language. During the lifetime of Sir Syed and even after his death his
successors from the Aligarh platform tried to counter the anti-Urdu aggression and they remained
successful in keeping Urdu alive.
It is said that Aligarh Movement also promoted and spread the Two-Nation Theory. During the
course of the Urdu-Hindi controversy, Sir Syed had realized that it would no longer be possible

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for the Muslims to keep themselves united with their Hindu Indians and thus he changed his policy
and primarily focused on Muslim Indians. His successors followed this attitude. The credit goes
to the formation of Simla Deputation in 1906 and the foundation of All India Muslim League later
in the same year also rests with the Aligarh Movement. As we all know that the AIML was the
cause of the formation of Pakistan and the division of India, we can say that Pakistan owes its
freedom to Aligarh Movement. Similarly leading freedom fighters like Mohammad Ali Johar,
Maulana Zafar Ali Khan and Maulana Shaukat Ali etc. were old students of Aligarh. The then
students of Aligarh formed All Indian Muslim Students Federation to unite Muslims under the
AIML’s flag. Aligarh also played the major role in organizing Pakistan conferences in India. The
Aligarh Old Boys Association spread the Muslim League message of independence in the
provinces of North-West and Baluchistan. So the little high school founded in 1875 at Aligarh by
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan became a full-fledged movement and led to the formation of an independent
state on the map of the world.(2)
The Outcome:
• Sir Syed's Aligarh Movement became a success, he did receive criticism by some Muslims due
to his modern opinions but some people shared his view including Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk and
Chiragh Ali.
• Some English professors also helped him with their services in setting up the Aligarh College
including Arnold, Bech, and Raleigh.(3)
TWO NATION THEORY:
INTRODUCTION:
WHAT IS TWO NATION THEORY- AN INTRODUCTIONARY PHASE:
Two Nation Theory’s phenomenon basically sprigged up with the advent of Islam in the Sub-
Continent. The sense was very unique about Pakistan’s creation that it was generally based on
ideological commitments in the light of Islam. The basic concept behind Two Nation Theory was
Muslims and Hindus was two separate nations from every expects, So It was the right of Muslim
to had their own homeland in the Muslims majority areas of Sub-Continent, where they can live
their life according the majestic teachings of Islam. And this concept was merely adequate in
giving rise to two different political thinking which were responsible in partition of Sub-Continent.
Quaid said:
“We should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which we could
develop according to our own lights and culture and where principles of Islamic social justice
could find free play.”
The concept of Two Nation Theory was given by Islam because Islam has different characters and
temperament. According to Islam, there are only two nations in the world: Believers and Non-
Believers.

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HISTORY OF TWO NATION THEORY:
The history of Two Nation was as old as the Muslims in India. Although the Muslims and Hindus
had been living together for centuries in the sub-continent, but they never tried to progress a
working relationship between each other and they always lived as two separate nations, two
discrete social systems, two separate cultures and two different civilizations. There was always a
concept of two nations (Hindus and Muslim) after the advent of Islam in the Subcontinent. But it
was converted in to a theory after the war of Independence 1857. Sir Syed Ahmed khan is
considered as a Father of Two Nation Theory. First time Syed Ahmed Khan realized that Muslim
and Hindus cannot live together and considered Muslims as a separate nation and demanded a
distinct homeland where the Muslims can practices their way of living according to Islam.
Ideology of Pakistan took form through an evolutionary process. Historical experience provided
the base, with Sir Syed Ahmad Khan began the period of Muslim self-awakening and started to
aware the Muslims for modern education after Muslim downfall in South Asia under the Hindus
majority, Allama Iqbal provided the philosophical explanation to Sir Syed’s idea and Quaid-e-
Azam supported and converted the theory in to a practical work and transformed it into a political
reality.
COMPARISON BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND HINDUS IN THE EYES OF
TWO NATION THEORY:
There was such a huge difference between Hindus and Muslim society. The major difference was
of religion. Muslims were believed on the oneness of God and Hindus worshiped many gods. Their
way of living, their religious festivals was totally changed. Muslims believed on the equality of
men while on the other hand Hindus were divided in to different cast. In spite of living together
for a long time, the Muslims and Hindus were incapable to coexist and cooperate with each other.
This comparison played a great role for the Two Nation Theory to be existed in sub-continent.
TWO NATION THEORY BEFORE THE MUSLIM DOWNFALL:
Muslims were governing the India for many of the years. It is true that there was no such theory
when Muslims were ruling over India. There were no such concept of majority and minority when
Mughal Emperors had a power. When British influence was increased there, so that was the time
of Muslim downfall in India. As the Muslim downfall occurred, then there was a time of Two
Nation Theory. This possibly could be for the independence from the British rule but, it is very
clear that Two Nation Theory came just after the Muslim downfall in India.
WAR OF INDEPENDENCE-1857:
It is very clear that after the Muslims downfall in South Asia, British were ruled over it. So, the
war of Independence was considering an attempt by the people of Sub-Continent to remove the
British rule from their homeland. But that try was failed. And this affected all the communities
living there in Sub-Continent. Both the Nations; Hindus and Muslims took a part in war of
Independence. Some provinces like Punjab and Deccan were not in favor to support this war but

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they did partially try to join this war of Independence. Some sepoys at Noshera and Mardan tried
to revolt.
The failure in this war causes a lot like political causes, economical causes, and religious causes,
social and military causes. The Political causes including doctrine of lapse, Annoyance of rules
and states, Confiscation of states and many more. Political causes like New Agrarian policy,
Destruction of local industry, Permanent settlement, Unemployment. There are Religious causes
too like Propagation of Christianity, Jihad Movement and Anti-Islamic laws.
British thought that Muslim was responsible for the War of Independence and therefore Muslims
were accepted as insiders. On 11 May 1857, Bahadur Shah Zafar was declared publicly as the
Emperor of India. Then the Delhi was ruled by the rebels and the Europeans, who took refuge
there, were massacred there. The killing of European soldiers continued and the number of people
of east provinces joined the rebels. In July 1857, the tide turned and Nana Sahab was defeated at
Fatahpur and later at Bithur. The British captured Bahadur Shah in September of 1857 and two
sons of Bahadur Shah were killed by the British by the reason that the British residency at Lucknow
was recaptured two days later.
The Sikhs and the Marhattas was sided the British and this act of Sikhs and Marhattas was possibly
the main reason of failure. The East India Company was exterminated and the British Crown was
continued to govern Sub-Continent. Then by the effect of this War of Independence, an Imperial
Legislative Council was formed in British India. After this War of Independence, Both Muslims
and Hindus were fought together and the time of Two Nation Theory started.
HINDI URDU CONTROVERSY:
India was the birth place of India. But there were not only Muslims that used Urdu language but
all the communities in India joined hands for the proliferation and progress of that new language.
Then some of the prominent Hindu leaders started the movement against the Urdu and their
demand was to replace the Urdu from Hindi. This situation made the Muslims to come out in order
to protect the importance of Urdu language. This language controversy had a great impact on the
life of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan because this, he was great supporter to Hindu-Muslim Unity. Hindi
Urdu Controversy was the starting of the space of separation between Hindus and Muslims which
will gradually increase and that was a day when both the Nations felt that they were separate from
each other.
TWO NATION THEORY AND SIR SYED AHMED KHAN:
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, a great Muslim leader and a great philosopher. Every time, Muslims was
forced by Sir Syed to get modern education. Sir Syed was a first man in Sub-Continent history to
introduce a word “TWO NATION” for Muslims and Hindus and introduced an idea to become a
pioneer of Two Nation Theory. Syed Ahmed Khan tried his level best for the Muslims comprehend
their differences with the Hindus with many expects including religion, social, language, and
international
identity and for this reason he diverted attention of the Muslims towards Two Nation Theory.

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The possibly main reason for which Sir Syed introduced this theory is the downfall of Muslims,
Muslims Hindus controversy, language problem, and the hatred by Hindus and British upon
Muslims of South Asia. Due to Hindu Muslims non acceptance behavior, Syed Ahmed Khan
realize that both Nations cannot live together any more. During the Hindu Urdu Controversy, he
came forward with Two Nation Concept and declared that Muslims were a separate Nation. He
said:
“I am convinced now that Hindus and Muslims could never become one nation as their religion
and way of life was quite distinct from each other.”
CONCEPT OF TWO NATION THEORY FROM HINDUS:
Actually, the concept of Two Nation Theory was originated by the Hindus. It is a historical fact
that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations. But the Hindus had given the foundation to the
Two Nation Theory, years ago. There is some narrow mindedness of Hindus. They considered
themselves more superior from the other races living there in Sub-Continent. There was also a cast
system by Hindus itself. Some of the Hindu leaders hated Muslim a lot, and there dream was of
rebuilding a great Hindu empire. One of them said:
“There was no place for them (Muslims) in the Hindu society he envisioned”.
So the hate campaign was well in place against Muslims. This factor and many others forced
Muslim leader to demand a separate homeland for the Muslims of South Asia, where they could
practices their way of living and implement their own cultural and religious values.
TWO NATION THEORY AND ROLE OF ALLAMA IQBAL:
Allama Iqbal was born in Sialkot on 9 November 1877. He was well educated, philosopher and
called as a Poet of East. Following many of the peoples, Iqbal did his work by the way of his poetry
and philosophy. Iqbal was one of the people, who for the first time gave the concept of Two Nation
Theory. Iqbal made it clear that the Muslim of Sub-Continent had their own recognition from
Hindus on the bases of their culture and religion. He said:
“India is not a country. It is a Sub-Continent of human beings belonging to different languages and
practicing different religions. Muslim nation has its own religious and cultural identity”.
Allama Iqbal presidential address to the 1930 Allahabad session of the All-India Muslim League
spoke of the Punjab, North West Frontier Province, Sindh and Baluchistan united in a single state.
He thought that the final fortune of the India was a separate state without the British rule. He
presented some long terms and short terms solution for the independence and his struggle from
words was first promoted from the platform of Muslim League.
According to Iqbal:
“I remained the supporter of this idea but now I am of the view that preservation of separate
Nationhood is useful for Hindus and Muslims birth. To have the concept of single nation In
India is no doubt poetic and beautiful but impractical regarding present circumstances”.

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TWO NATION THEORY IN THE EYES OF QUAID E AZAM:
Quaid e Azam did a long-lasting struggle for the independence of a separate Muslim state and
Jinnah also took dependence on Two Nation Theory.
Quaid e Azam was a solid defender of Two Nation Theory and he considered the Muslims a
separate nation from every aspect. He said:
“Pakistan came in to being the very day when first Non-Muslim became a Muslim.”
Mohammad Ali Jinnah had a great 14 points and these points issued by the All-India Muslim
League, which was reunited, under the leadership of Quaid e Azam as the basis for any Indian
future Indian constitution. These demands were taken to the round table conference, but were
overshadowed by Allama Iqbal’s demands.
IMPORTANCE OF TWO NATION THEORY IN WHOLE SCENARIO:
The entire freedom movement revolves around the Two Nation Theory which became the basis
for the demand of Pakistan. It means that the Muslims of the Sub-Continent were a separate nation
with their distinct culture, civilization, literature, history, religion and social values. Islam the
religion of Muslims was based on the concept of Tauheed and therefore could not be merged in
any other system of religion. It means Islam gives us a concept of Two Nation Theory. Muslims
of India would ultimately have a separate homeland, as they could not live with the Hindus in Sub-
Continent. The demanding and achieving of Pakistan was only based on the Two Nation Theory
and completely revolving around this theory.(4)
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES OF SIR SYED AHMED KHAN:
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS:
 Muradabad School 1959.
 Establishment of Scientific Society in 1863.
 Victoria School Ghazipur 1864.
 Aligarh Institute Gazette 1866.
 MAO High School in 1875 which was later become MAO College.
 Aligarh Muslim University AMU in 1920.
 Organized the Mohummden Educational Conference.
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES:
As we know that, after the war of independence the condition of the Muslims of India were very
miserable as the British fell more on the Muslims than on Hindus. They considered that Muslims
were responsible for all the wrongs and the war held just because of their harsh and rude behavior.
After 1857, the Muslims emerged as a backward nation; they were illiterate and hopelessly
ignorant in every walk of life. They were deprived of their basic rights and were neglected in every

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sphere of life. Nevertheless, they were economically, politically, socially and to be more exact
religiously made the subject of ruthless punishment. In such conditions, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
came forward and tried to help the Muslims come out from such deplorable and miserable
conditions. He guided the Muslims towards the right path and attempted to draw out the Muslims
from such helpless condition. He started a movement in order to give respectable position to
Muslims in society as they had in past, this movement is known as Aligarh Movement. The main
focus of the Aligarh movement was:
1. Loyalty to British Government.
2. Modern western education for the Muslims to compete with Hindus.
3. To keep away the Muslims from politics.
The most important movement for the spread of modern education and social reform among
Muslims was started by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Sir Syed realized that this miserable and deplorable
condition of Muslims was due to the lack of modern education. He believed that the cure of every
problem of Muslims was the modern education. Therefore, he commenced an educational program
in order to uplift the deprived and disappointed Muslims, who had lost their past glory. He took
concrete steps for his education plan.
Establishment Of First School In Muradabad (1859):
Thus, in 1859, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan set up a school for Muslims in Muradabad where English,
Persian, Islamiat, Arabic, Urdu were compulsory subjects.
School in Ghazipur (1862):
In 1862, Sir Syed was transferred from Muradabad to Ghazipur where he established another
school for Muslims, which was known as Madrass Ghazipur. Here, also the English, Arabic,
Persian, Urdu and Islamiat were compulsory subjects.
Scientific Society Ghazipur (1864):
In 1864, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan laid the foundation of a scientific society at Ghazipur. The purpose
of this society was to translate the English books into Urdu language. But, later on, in 1866, after
his transfer to Aligarh, the main office of the scientific society was also transferred to Aligarh.
Aligarh Institute Gazette (1866):
In 1866, the scientific society issued a journal named as Aligarh Institute Gazette. This journal was
published both in Urdu and English languages. The aim of this journal was to wash away the
misconception between Muslims and British government and brought them close to each other.
Committee Striving for Educational Progress of Muslims:
In order to closely watch the educational system of England, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan accompanied
his son Syed Mehmud, visited England in 1869 and stayed there for seventeen months studying
English educational institutions like Oxford and Cambridge University. Later, after his return to
India, he set up a committee known as “Committee Striving for Educational Progress of Muslims”.

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Under the Committee Striving for Educational Progress of Muslims” another committee was
established named as “Fund Committee for the establishment of a Muslim College”. For this
purpose, Sir Syed toured across the country and collected funds for the establishment of college.
The committee decided first for the forming of school as a model to the people and later to found
the college.
Mohammedan Anglo Oriental School (1875):
Hence, in 1875, Sir Syed established Mohammedan Anglo Oriental School at Aligarh. In 1877,
the school was upgraded to the level of college which was inaugurated by Lord Lytton. The main
characteristic of this college was that it offered both Western and Eastern educations. Later on,
this college was raised to the level of university, after the death of Sir Syed in 1920.
Mohammedan Educational Conference (1866):
In 1886, Sir Syed set up an organization which is known as Mohammedan Educational
Conference, which presented a twelve-point program in western and religious education in English
and other languages. It aims was to convey the message of education to the Muslim masses. The
Conference held its sessions at different towns of the country to know about the educational
problems and then tried to solve them. The conference in its meeting discussed the modern
techniques for the development and improvement of the standard of the education.(5)
POLITICAL SERVICES:
Advice To Students:
Sir Syed’s advice to Muslims in the political field is also important. He believed that under the
European system or democratic government the Muslims of India would always be at the mercy
of Hindu majority. He suggested separate electorate for Muslims. He advised the Muslims not to
join Congress.
Urdu-Hindi Controversy:
In 1867, Hindus demanded that Hindi should be made on official language of India in place of
Urdu. They started an agitation. The Hindus were against Urdu because it was the language of the
Muslims. Sir Syed convinced that the Hindus would never be friend with the Muslims. Due to this
reason Sir Syed started “Two Nation Theory” telling that Muslims and Hindus were two separate
kinds of people. Muslims opposed this and supported Urdu as it was the sign and united the
Muslims of the India under one language.(6)
Muslim & Hindus Cannot live Together:
Sir Syed Rendered meritorious political services in order to defend the rights of the Muslims his
services were as under.

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After the war of independence in 1857 Sir Syed compiled a pamphlet entitled Rasala-e-Asbab-e-
Baghawat-i-hind. In which he explained to the British that the Muslims were not only the force
behind the Catastrophe of 1857. He enlisted the following factors which led to the uprising.
 Misunderstanding of the pupil about the rulers.
 Maladministration by the Army.
 Government’s unawareness of the condition and grievance of the people.
 Promulgation of regulations that were contrary to the wishes of the people.
 Sir Syed Ahmed khan commentary on William hunter’s book.
He is regarded as one of the greatest as exponents of the two-nation theory because after the Hindu
controversy he was convinced that Hindu were not sincere towards the Muslims. Answering a
query of Mr. Shakespeare commissioner of Banaras he remarked now I am convinced that both
these communities will not join wholeheartedly anything though, at present there was no open
hostility between the two communities but on account of the so-called educated people it will
increase immensely in future.
Sir Syed attitude toward the Congress:
Soon after the establishment of the Indian national Congress he came to realize that it was a purely
Hindus organization. Consequently, he asked the Muslim to desist from taking part in its activities.
According to I.H Qureshi,
“Sir Syed Asked the Muslim not to join the Congress. This advice was followed by the vast
majority of the people he never wavered in his opposition to the Congress and declared that even
if he were told that the viceroy, the secretary of state and the whole House of Commons had openly
supported the Congress, he would still remain firmly opposed to it and earnestly begged all
Muslims to remain away from it”
He proposed the system of a separate electorate for a Muslim in order to protect the political right
of the Muslim community. He highlight his views in this regard in a speech in 1883 by saying,
“The system of representation by Election means the representation of the views and interests of
the majority of the population”
SIR SYED AND POLITICS:
In the political arena, Sir Syed carved numerous successes; he eradicated misunderstandings
between the Muslims and the British infused due to the past particular incidents. Awakening
among the Muslims about the political ups and downs and co-existence in the presence of other
nations in India was another contribution of Sir Syed. He motivated the Muslims to absorb the
modern education of the West because this was the very motive of the Western expansion in the
world. He visualized the bright future of the Muslims if they engaged themselves in Western
learning.
Sir Syed won the British confidence and cordial relationship by saving their lives during the War
of Independence. He utilized this relationship for the betterment of the Muslims. It was a subtle

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situation because the government had put the War crimes on the Muslim shoulders and assaulted
every aspect of life:
“These events were a trauma for the Muslims; …the methods used by them shocked the civilized
world. The detestation of Delhi as a center of Muslim culture was horrendous; Bahadur Shah
Zafar…was exiled to Rangoon; Lt. Hodson shot three Mughal princes and later 24 princes were
tried and executed; a vast ocean of blood there was Some Muslims were shot dead and their dead
bodies were thrown into the river Jamna…” (Ibid., p. 14).”
All Muslims were ousted from land, property, and employments that made them third-class
citizens of India. This created revengeful sentiments among the Muslims who detested the British,
their culture, and civilization. Sir Syed was of the view that the British were a civilized, educated,
wise and disciplined nation and occupied India with the new war strategy and munitions that could
not be matched by the locals and particularly by the Muslims. Therefore at the juncture, the
Muslims should mold themselves according to the pace of time to avoid more disaster.
Sir Syed published Loyal Mohammedans of India and Risala Asbab-i-Baghawat-i-Hind that
helped both the nations to redress their grievances. In 1885 the Indian National Congress was
founded but Sir Syed warned the Muslims from the sinister aspirations of the Hindus. Another
factor was that he intended the Muslims to abstain from the politics that could result in friction
with the ruling nation.(7)
SIR SYED SOCIAL SERVICES:
Sir Syed wanted that Muslims of the Sub-continent should get an honorable position in the Hindu
dominated society. For this purpose, he not only opened many schools but also established an
orphanage at Muradabad to provide refuge to the orphan Muslim children. In fact, his whole life
revolved around his desire for the betterment of his community.
He took several steps for the revival and betterment of the Muslims. He wrote the most influential
magazine Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq in which he outlined the ethical aspects of the Muslims’ life. In this
magazine, he criticized the conservative way of the Muslims and advised them to adopt new trends
in life.
He set himself to the task of protecting the Urdu from being faded away and replaced by English.
He worked laboriously for the promotion of Urdu and gave a new tone and color to Urdu literature.
He founded Anjuman-i-Tarki-i-Urdu which worked for the protection of Urdu.
He wrote another magazine as Ahkam-i-Ta’am-i-Ahle-Kitab in which the principles and etiquettes
of eating and dining in Islam were discussed. In this magazine, Sir Syed wrote that it was not
against Islam to eat with the Christians at the same table. He gave references from the Quran and
proved that it was not un-Islamic to eat with a nation that was the bearer of the Holy book.
In the views of V.A Smith,
”Sir Syed was not concerned with material things only. His Movement was one of the general
reforms. It was inspired by the thought that the Muslims of India were a separate people or

15
nation who must not be absorbed within Hinduism and that the essence of Islam was
consistent with the best that the West had to offer. He was, in fact, a Muslim modernist
appealing to general principles outside the scope of the four recognized schools of theology.
He accepted the mission of the Holy Prophet and God’s revelation in the Quran. But he
claimed that reason was also an attribute of God and Nature His handiwork. The Quran and
Islam might therefore be interpreted on the basis of reason to meet modern needs and
problems. The achievements of the West so far as they rested on reason might thus be
welcomed and assimilated.”
K.K Aziz in his book “The Making Of Pakistan” pays tribute to the great leader in these words,
“Syed’s services to his community may be summarized in three terse phrases: loyalty to the
British, devotion to education, aloofness from politics. He preached and practiced loyalty to
the British rule. From his speeches, writings and letters it is not difficult to read his mind.
He based his pro-British attitude on three strong foundations. First, the only way of wiping
off the stigma of Muslim instigation of the mutiny was to make friends with the British and
thus to make them disabuse their minds of the idea that Muslim were their traditional
enemies. He was sagacious enough to realize that British control would not cease in nay
foreseeable future. It was ordinary common sense to be on good terms with the rulers.”(7)
SIR SYED RELIGIOUS REFORMS AND SERVICES:
Sir Syed—the chief organizer of the 19th century modernist Islamic movement in South Asia,
Islamic modernist writer, educational and political activist and reformer, and jurist/theologian—
was the product of post-Mughal India, ruled by Britain. Sir Syed was born on 17th October 1817
in Delhi, then the capital of the Mughal Empire. His family had migrated from Herat (now in
Afghanistan) in 17th century CE. Sir Syed was born at a time when rebellious governors, regional
insurrections and the British colonialism had diminished the extent and power of the Mughal state,
reducing its monarch to a figurehead status.
He received an education traditional to Muslim nobility in Delhi and later studied mathematics,
astronomy, medicine and Islamic jurisprudence. In a nutshell, Sir Syed had a formal education
(strictly traditional) which was never completed as he ceased his schooling at the age of 18, but he
reached out, through his personal study and independent investigation, to new horizons of
intellectual creativity and laid groundwork for a modern interpretation of Islam, especially after
the Mutiny of 1857. Under British rule, Indian Muslims` social, economic, and political positions
had been severely eroded. This reality had a profound impact on Sir Syed’s intellectual
development.
Sir Syed is the eldest of the five prominent Muslim modernists whose influence on Islamic thought
and polity was to shape and define Muslim responses to modernism in the latter half of the
nineteenth century. Like the other modernists of his time—like Syed Amir ‘Ali (1849-1928), Jamal
al-Din al-Afghani (1838-1897), Namik Kemel (1840-1888) and Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abduh

16
(1850-1905)—Sir Syed was deeply concerned with the state of Muslims in a world dominated by
European colonizing powers.
Sir Syed, a multi-dimensional personality, a creative thinker, a philosophical theologian, a
community leader, an educationist and a liberal modernist, was one of those dynamic and
revolutionary figures of history that have molded—patterned and shaped—the destinies of nations
and changed the course of time. He was a great savior of Indian Muslims and possessed
multi-faceted personality, whose real greatness lies in his stressing a scientific attitude of mind and
adopting a secular approach in all matters of human relationship. He believed in the supremacy of
the reason in all matters, spiritual or temporal.
A great champion against ignorance, Sir Syed advocated a system of education which laid equal
emphasis on training mind and morals of the pupils. He stood for liberty of conscience and freedom
of expression. Sir Syed had inaugurated, in the words of Tara Chand, “a revolution in Muslim
thought. His endeavor was to reform the Muslims individually and collectively.” And in the words
of Prof. K. A. Nizami, Sir Syed was “one of the most towering personalities in the galaxy of the
19th century Muslims reformers”, who occupies significant place in the modern history of the
Indian subcontinent. He zealously worked to bring about a “change in the Muslim thought and
behavior” and in fact, “he ushered in the dawn of an era of intellectual renaissance in India and
contributed many essential elements to the development of modern Indian society.”
Being an educational and political leader of Muslims, who were living under British colonial rule
in India, Sir Syed developed the concepts of religious modernism and community identity that
mark the transition from Mughal India to the rise of representative government and the quest for
self-determination. In other words, Sir Syed surveyed the abysmal and appalling state of Muslim
community in India after the Sepoy Uprising of 1857, which resulted in formal British colonial
rule and the end of Muslim dominance in the Indian Sub-Continent.
The Sepoy Uprising, or the first ‘war of Independence’ as Indians call it, was a crucial, critical,
decisive and significant event in the history of Indian Muslims and it deeply influenced the
development and progression of Sir Syed`s thinking. The 1857 Uprising was also “an ‘archaic’
attempt” of the Indian Muslims to recover their lost power in India; but its failure, due to the lack
of organization spelt the disintegration and collapse of the feudal structure of Muslim society. This
defeat was accepted as final by the Indian Muslims in the second half of the 19th century, and they
felt the need of a “new kind of leadership—a leadership of adjustment—to find a modus
Vivendi with the British rulers and their resurgent Hindu compatriots.” From 1858-98, this
leadership was provided by Sir Syed, thrust upon him by “historical circumstances within India.”
Sir Syed’s response to the challenge of the West, or in simpler words, to the British presence
(colonialism and imperialism) in India was, in Aziz Ahmad’s words, “a complete surrender to the
impact of modern ideas”, as he was concerned with “only a fraction of the Muslim world—the
Indian Muslims”. Most importantly, it convinced him that the best of western civilization could
and should be assimilated by the Muslims because the “pure” Islam taught by Qur’an and lived/
practiced by Prophet (pbuh) was not simply unopposed to Western civilization but was, in fact, its
ultimate source and inspiration. To put in other words, the first two decades after 1857 witnessed

17
Sir Syed`s increasing preoccupation with the prevailing conditions of Muslims in India. Like the
Muslim modernists in Central Asia and Ottoman empire, Sir Syed espoused the causes of: (i)
rationalism in Islam, which established a new orientation—that religion existed as an aid to man’s
progress, and man did not exist just for religion; (ii) social reforms patterned after western culture;
(iii) modern education through English, and (iv) Muslim nationalism. His thesis also emphasized
that (v) civilization do not belong to nations, but to man. Consequently, progress and prejudice,
advancement and narrow-mindedness, could not blend and mix together. To achieve and
accomplish the goals of his normative values, Sir Syed endeavored to establish Muslim-British
rapprochement in India.
He perceived Muslims as backward and in need of education. This period also saw an increasing
degree of public involvement in educational and social arenas and Sir Syed undertook three major
projects:
1) To “initiate an ecumenical movement in order to create understanding between Muslims and
Christians;” that is, he spearheaded a modernist movement that saw no genuine conflict between
Islam and Christianity because of their common moral message.
2) To “establish scientific organizations that would help Muslims to understand the secret of west’s
success;” that is, the establishment of Aligarh Scientific Society in1865—a translation society to
make western thought more accessible, and.
3) To “analyze objectively the causes for the 1857 revolt.”
For Sir Syed, Muslims needed to change the way they saw and responded to the modern world; he
devoted his life to religious, educational, and social reform. Like Afghani and ‘Abduh, he called
for a bold new theology or reinterpretation of Islam and acceptance, not rejection, of best in the
western thought. In Esposito’s words, he called for a new theology to respond to the modern
change.
He wanted to show that he was reclaiming the original religion of Islam, which God and His
Messenger have disclosed, not that religion which the Ulama and the preachers have fashioned.
His interpretation of Islam was guided by his belief that Islam was compatible with reason and the
laws of nature and, therefore, in perfect harmony with modern scientific thought. He argued that
Islam’s teachings concerning God, the Prophet, and the Qur`an are compatible with modern
science, which involves discovery of the work of God in natural laws; in other words, Sir Syed
argued that Islam is “in full correspondence with reason”. Furthermore, he equated reason with
understanding and considered it an acquired quality that enables human beings to distinguish
between good and bad, right and wrong, proper and improper. According to Sir Syed, who used
terms like understanding, reason, and intellect interchangeably, the only criterion for a person
having reason intellect, or understanding is behavioral rather than substantive.
It was during the decade of 1860s, that Sir Syed developed his ideas of a “modern Islam” and a
Muslim polity living under the British rule. During this time, he wrote, in 1858, Asbab Baghawat-
i-Hind (“The Causes of the Indian Revolt”) and in 1860-1861, he published another tract, Risalah

18
Khair Khawahan Musalmanan (“An Account of the Loyal Muhammadans of India”) in which he
claimed that the Indian Muslims were the most loyal subjects of the British Raj because of their
kindred disposition and because of the principles of their religion. He was the only Muslim who
ventured to write a commentary on the Old and the New Testament, The Mahomedan Commentary
on the Holy Bible (1862), which was “strategically designed to bridge the gulf between the two
communities and to develop a common understanding and rapprochement”. In London, he also
wrote, in response to William Muir’s Life of Mahomet, ‘A Series of Essays on the Life of
Muhammad’ (1870) and was later published in Urdu as Khutbat-i-Ahmadiyya.
Sir Syed’s Contribution and Reforms: An Evaluation
In this section, a brief summary of the views—praise and appreciation—of some of the scholars
and writers (both Muslims and non-Muslims equally), is provided, which shows both the
importance as well as relevance of the educational reforms of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. For instance,
John L. Esposito (Georgetown University, USA), is of the opinion that Sir Syed combined theory
with practice, seeking to implement his idea and train a new generation of Muslim leaders. His
prolific writing was accompanied by his leadership in many educational reforms: a translation
society to make western thought more accessible, the introduction of their own journals, and the
formation of Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (later named as Aligarh Muslim University),
which was modeled after Cambridge university.
Sir Syed helped the Muslims in India to emerge again. Various writings have emphasized different
areas of Sir Syed’s thought and activity—social and political, educational and cultural—in which
he made reforms. But almost all agree that his prime achievement was a revival of Muslim morale
and prestige in British India, and that to him goes the credit for having re-established the dynamism
of the Muslims in India as a social and political force.
His efforts are regarded as a “dynamic and constructive achievement” that made a tremendous
impression on modern Islam. In the words of A. H. Albiruni (the pseudonym of Pakistani historian,
S. M. Ikram), Sir Syed not only filled the big void created in the life of Muslim community by the
disappearance of the Muslim rule, but he did more. He bridged the gap between medieval and
modern India and gave the Indian Muslims “a new cohesion, a new policy, new educational ideals,
a new prose, a new approach to their individual and national problems, and built up an organization
which could carry on his work”.
Altaf Hussain Hali (in Hayat-i-Jawid) after presenting Sir Syed’s overall view sets out to describe
his various “services to country, community and religion”; and denotes his work by the term
“Reformation”, calling him a reformer while as, for Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed’s “real greatness” lies
in the fact that he catches a glimpse of the “positive character of the age which was coming”, and
he felt the need for a “fresh orientation of Islam and worked for it”; and there is no denying in the
fact that this sensitive soul was, in the Indian Subcontinent, the “first to react the modern age.”
Some European writers (like John Strachey and Sidney Low) during his lifetime characterized Sir
Syed’s thinking as “liberal”, “progressive”, or “enlightened” (that is, the one who tried to prove
Islam to be the liberal, rational and progressive religion), and these labels have continued even
after his death. This European view was shared by many Indian writers—Hali and Justice Shah

19
Din (1868-1918), for example. Shah Din, although did not consider Sir Syed a great scholar of
Arabic, or a well-versed theologian, nevertheless, he maintains that the fact remains that in his
power of grasping the fundamental principles of our Islamic system of faith, and in his keen insight
into such of his features have made it a great motive power in the world, he has been hardly
excelled by the most learned theologians of modern times.
B.A. Dar projected this image succinctly as: “He was the first man in modern India to realize the
necessity for a new interpretation of Islam that was liberal, modern, and progressive”. It clearly
reveals that Sir Syed’s entire intellectual energy was devoted to trying to resolve the conflict
between religion and science and to reconcile the best of both for the younger generation of the
Muslim elite whom he wished to attract. Thus, Sir Syed was the first representative of Islamic
modernism in South Asia who presented a new orientation of Islam and reacted to the modern age.
Sir Syed on Religion and Science Compatibility:
Sir Syed believed in the compatibility of religion and science, and considered natural law and
divine law to be the same, because according to him revelation cannot be opposed to scientific
actuality since an agreement between God’s word and work is essential. For him, between the
word of God (Scripture) and the work of God (nature) there can be no contradiction. Furthermore,
he believed that when there appeared a contradiction between a scientific fact and a religious rule
then the latter must be reinterpreted according to scientific evidence. Finally, Sir Syed concluded
that “if we keep in view the principles deducible from the Qur’an itself, we shall find that there is
no contradiction between the modern sciences, on the one hand, and the Qur’an and Islam, on the
other”.
Applying his naturalistic rationalism to his exegesis of the Qur’an, he arrived at fifty-two points
of divergence from traditionally accepted Sunni Islam. Moreover he advised that in secular matters
where Islam is silent, Muslims should emulate western practices. He believed in religious
pluralism and considered it absurd to believe that God’s Prophets appeared only in Arabia and
Palestine to reform a handful of Arabs and Jews, and that other peoples were denied of knowledge
of the divine. He added, whoever followed the prophets achieved salvation. In this regard, his
views are on a par with the more liberal contemporary reformist thinkers. He may be considered
as a pioneer in what is now called “Inter-faith Dialogue”, and he worked for “greater understanding
and goodwill” and harmony among Muslim sects, and between Muslims and non-Muslims.(8)
Conclusion:
In conclusion we can say that Sir Syed Ahmed khan carved numerous successes; he eradicated
misunderstandings between the Muslims and the British infused due to the past particular
incidents. Awakening among the Muslims about the political ups and downs and co-existence in
the presence of other nations in India was another contribution of Sir Syed. He motivated the
Muslims to absorb the modern education of the West because this was the very motive of the
Western expansion in the world. He visualized the bright future of the Muslims if they engaged
themselves in Western learning. Sir Syed Ahmed khan Aligarh movement played a significant role
in bringing about an intellectual revolution among the Indian Muslims, thus he succeeded in

20
achieving his objectives which were Educational Progress and Social Reforms. His efforts earned
the title “ Prophet of Education”, Education is an actual base of Pakistan.
“Do not show the face of Islam to others; instead show your face as the follower of true
Islam representing character, knowledge, tolerance and piety”
― Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
“Call me by whatever names you like. I will not ask you for my salvation. But please take
pity of your children. Do something for them (send them to the school), lest you should have
to repent (by not sending them)”
“Man himself is his own greatest teacher”
My Opinion:
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, was an Islamic pragmatist, Islamic reformer, philosopher, and
educationist in nineteenth-century British India. From my Opinion It would not be wrong for me
to say that if Sir Syed did not present the Two Nation Theory, we could not see Pakistan is the
separate Muslim state today which define the cultural, political, religious, economic and social
dissimilarities between the two major communities. Hindus and Muslims of the Sub Continent.
And he also contributed to religious Reforms and like that activities. He also wrote essay on life
of Muhammad (P.B.U.H). he was the principal national center of Indian Islam until the founding
of the Muslim League in 1906.
He work for the modern western education of Muslims. Sir Syed began feeling increasingly
concerned for the future of Muslim communities. He persuaded and encourage to get modern
western education for the Muslims to compete with Hindus He motivated the Muslims to absorb
the modern education of the West because this was the very motive of the Western expansion in
the world. He visualized the bright future of the Muslims he engaged themselves in Western
learning and this is very important for any nation to adopt the latest scientific education to Keep
pace with the world. It was through his efforts that English education found some traction within
the Muslim community in India. It must be underlined at the very outset that Sir Syed Ahmed was
not a thinker or philosopher of education as we understand it, but he definitely had some views on
education as he was embedded in its practice.

21
REFERENCES:
1. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/sir-syed-ahmad-
khan-5492.php
2. https://historypak.com/aligarh-movement/
3. https://www.olevelacademy.com/LessonDetails/olevel/2059/Sir
-Syed-Ahmed-Khan
4. https://www.ukessays.com/essays/history/the-two-nation-
theory-and-demand-of-pakistan.php
5. https://uom.edu.pk/wsubCampus/psychology/PakistanStudies.p
df
6. https://www.slideshare.net/SaadKhan70/sir-syed-ahmad-khan-
32894785
7. https://ssznotes.com/2019/01/19/sir-syed-ahmed-khan-1817-
1898-aligarh-movement%ef%bb%bf/
8. https://social-epistemology.com/2015/06/15/sir-sayyid-ahmad-
khan-1817-1898-on-taqlid-ijtihad-and-science-religion-
compatibility-tauseef-ahmad-parray/

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