Assignment (PST)

Services of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

BSCS – 313 ( Pakistan Studies)

Submitted by :
ZEESHAN ALI SYED
SEAT NO : EB23210006156
BSCS – SECTION A

DCS – UBIT,
University of Karachi.
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INTRODUCTION

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan flourished from 1817 to 1898. As the founder of Aligarh
movement, he is ranked among the greatest Muslim reformers of the 19th
century. He came to the rescue of his co-religionists after the War of
Independence (1857) when the British unleashed a wave of vengeance against
the Muslims. As a result of the atrocities of the British, the Muslims were cut of
the mainstream of political, social, economic and educational development. At
this critical juncture Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was the first Muslim to realize that if
the Muslims continued to keep themselves aloof then they would be completely
absorbed by the Hindu community.

Conditions Of Muslims After The War Of

Independence (1857):
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The British considered Muslims to be responsible for the War of Independence.

Thus, they subjected them to all sorts of cruelties. Leading Muslim leaders
were hanged or sentenced to jail and their properties were confiscated.
Moreover, they were denied important government jobs. Resultantly, the ratio
of Muslim representation went on dwindling till 1871 when the number of
Muslim government servants almost came to a naught. According to William
Hunter’s disclosure in his book “The Indian Mussalmans” published in 1871.

and two Englishmen and not one Mussalman. Among the Sub-Engineers there
were 24 Hindus to one Mussalman. In the office of Accounts there were 50
names of Hindus and not one Mussalman and in the upper subordinate
department there were 22 Hindus and again not one Mussalman.”
Ashok Mehta, an Indian Socialist Leader, thrown light on the misery of the
Muslims after the war in his book entitled “The communal Triangle” in these
words, “Not only were the Muslims economically crushed, educationally and
socially also their position was deliberately depressed by the government. In
1870, the
Muhammadan pleaders presented two memorials to the High Court pointing
out that while closed holidays allowed to the Christians were sixty and those to
Hindus were fifty-two, only eleven were granted to the Muhammadans.”

ii) Political Service:

Sir Syed Ahmed khan rendered meritorious political services in order to defend the
rights of the Muslims. His services were as under:

• After the War of Independence 1857, sir Syed compiled a pamphlet entitled
Rasala-i-Asbab-e-Baghawat-i-Hind, in which he explained to the British that the
Muslims were not the only force behind the catastrophe of 1857. He enlisted
the following factors which led to the uprising.
a) Misunderstanding of the people about the rulers.
b) Maladministration by the army.
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c) Government’s unawareness of the conditions and grievance of the people.

d) Promulgation of regulations which were contrary to the wishes of the people.
• Sir Syed Ahmed khan wrote a commentary on William hunter’s book.
• He is regarded as one of the greatest exponents of Two-Nation theory
because after the Hindu-Urdu controversy he was convinced that Hindus 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 whole-heartedly in 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 founded a Patriotic Association in order to counter the anti-Muslim
propaganda by the Hindus.
• Soon after the establishment of Indian National Congress, he came to realise
that it was a purely Hindu organization. Consequently, he asked the Muslims
to desist taking part in its activities.
• He proposed the system of separate electorate for the Muslims in order to
protect the political rights of the Muslim Community. He highlighted 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”.
In brief, major contribution by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

1. The Causes of Indian Revolt:

Syed Ahmad Khan was so overwhelmed by the trouble of the Muslims in

the sub-continent that he decided to make efforts to save the Muslim
Nation from total ruin. To remove suspicions of the British officers and bring
them closer to the Muslims, he wrote his well-known pamphlet, The Causes
of Indian Revolt, which Graham describes as 'true and manly words'.

2. Pamphlet "The Loyal Muhammandans of India":

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In this pamphlet, he drew their attention of the critics to the services of

Muslims families who had saved the lives of many Englishmen, women, and
children at the risk of their own lives. He also pointed out that Muslims are
not opposed to Christians.

3. Indian National Congress:

Sir Syed had known about the intention of the Hindus and advised the
Muslims not to join it. He thought that Congress was mainly a Hindu body
which worked for the protection of the rights of the Hindus. He requested
the Muslims to get modern education first then come in the field of politics
in order to protect their rights. He believed that the political activity would

divert the attention of the Muslims from the constructive task and revive British
mistrust.

Congress and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan:

In 1883, Lord A.O.Hume formed an organization called Indian National Congress.
The aim of this party was to provide a political platform for the Indians. Many
Indians joined this party. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was an open minded and large
hearted person. He was a great patriot, At first he considered all who lived in
India as one nation and was a great advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity. He looked
both
Hindus and Muslims with the same eyes. He said,
“By the word “Nation”, I mean only Hindus and Muslims and nothing else. Our
interests and problems are common and therefore, I consider the two factions
as one nation.”
But unfortunately the attitude of Hindus and Congress compelled him to
reconsider his ideas about one nation. He felt sorry to see that both Congress
and Hindus looking against the interests of the Muslims. Congress ignored the
Muslims totally. He failed to bring Hundus and Muslims closer a one single
platform He saw that the Hindus never come forward with open mind and
always adopted a policy to damage the Muslim cause, so Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
advised the Muslims to keep themselves away from it. On 1st October 1906 Sir
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Agha Khan led a Muslim delegation and met the Viceroy Lord Minto at Simla to
demand a separate electorate for Muslims in the coming reforms. The viceroy
save a good response to them. There being no political party for Muslims at that
time a strong need for it was felt. God Almightly enabled them to form Muslim
League.

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 o the Muslims, Sir Syed felt sorry and he was now
convinced that the Hindus would never be friend with the Muslims.

Two-Nation Theory: Urdu was the national language for many years. But
Hindus opposed it in Urdu Controversy. This provoked Sir Syed to make his Two

Nation Theory to tell that Urdu had place in hearts of Muslims and was
supported by them and can’t be replaced by Hindu which was the language of
the Hindus. It was important because Sir Syed had realized that Muslims and
Hindu couldn’t work together as the Hindus were not with the Muslims.
Another reason was that the parliamentary system was not supported by Sir
Syed was Hindus were in more number so they always outnumbered the
Muslims and due to this Sir Syed opposed it. Sir Syed realised that separate
electorate was the possible solution to this so in view of his Two Nations
Theory. He made this decision of separate electorate demand for elections for
the good of the Muslims. Another reason it was important was that congress
spoke of competitive examinations for jobs and good posts while Muslims were
always not given good education so they were also not able to take good posts
as Hindu won all the seats and passed the examinations always. According to
Two Nation Theory Sir Syed suggested it as two separate groups of Muslims and
Hindus were not working for the Muslims at that time so Two Nation Theory
was important here as well.

Importance:
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He worked tirelessly to improve the relation of British and Muslims and wrote
several books and pamphlets so that British might be convinced and trust
Muslims once again. He played a major role in educating Muslims so that they
can take up good jobs and their condition was improved. He is known as “Father
of the Pakistan Movement” As he was the first one to express the Idea of
treating Muslims and Hindus separately.

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES OF SIR SYED AHMED KHAN:

Sir Syed Ahmed khan worked day and night to upsize the Muslims of the
subcontinent. He realized that the Muslims are not feeling comfort and even
they can’t live with the Hindus and the British. He also realized the need for
education for the Muslims. Sir Syed Ahmed khan wrote many magazines and
also established modern schools, madrasas and the world famous Aligarh
Muslim University to educate the Muslims of South Asia on modern lines.

Farsi madrasa muradabad:

He established a farsi madrasa at muradabad in 1859. It was the starting point
towars the educational acitivites of sir syed Ahmed Khan. In this madrasa,
English was also taught.

Establishment of scientific Society:

The more ambitious undertaking was the establishment of a society in 1863. In
this society, the modern educational texts were translated into Urdu and English
and students were provided bilingual journals in Urdu and English languages.

VICTORIA SCHOOL (GHAZIPUR):

Sir Syed also established a modern school at Ghazipur in 1864. Besides
education, the students also taught five languages ( Urdu, English, Ararbic,
Persian and Sanskrit) at this school.
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ALIGARH INSTITUTE GAZZETE:

During his stay at Aligarh, he also issued a weekly gazette named Aligarh
institute gazette, this imparted information on history, ancient and modern
science of agriculture, natural and physical sciences and advanced mathematics.

TEHZIB-UL-IKHLAQ:
On December 24, 1876. He issued his most famous magazine or risala named
TEHZIB-UL-IKHLAQ from Banaras to apprise the Muslims of their social evils
And moral short cornings.This journal contained articles from influential
Muslims who agreed with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan that there was a need for a
new approach to education.

MUHAMMADAN ANGLO ORIENTAL COLLEGE, ALIGARH:

For the educational and social uplift if the Muslims, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
decided to open educational institutions for the Muslims. Therefore, he went to
England where he studied about the University system. He dreamed to open a
university

but he could not start straight away. So he decided to open a madrasa and he
established that madrasa on 24th of May1875.
Two years later, This madrasa (MUHAMMADAN ANGLO ARIENTAL COLLEGE)
was turned into a university on 8th January 1987 by LORD LYTTON the viceroy of
India. Moulvi Abdul Haq said:

“People said Sir Syed Ahmed Khan set up a college, nay he made a Nation”.

ALIGHARH UNIVERSITY:
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Several years after Sir Syed’s death, Sir Agha Khan took up the cause of
converting the college into a university, and through efforts made under his
leadership sufficient funds were collected for the purpose and at last, the
college grew up into a big university called The Aligarh Muslim University in
1921.

SCOPE OF STUDY:
The following topic is not like other topics and it’s not a low level topic. This
topic is the main part of our history. This topic tells us about our history that
how we achieved education and got awareness about political situations before
the creation of Pakistan. Although this topic tells us about the bilingual efforts
of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan for the Muslims of the sub-continent. By studying this
topic we will also get aware about the Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s love and
sympathy towards the Muslims.

His legacy is a complicated one — he was a “loyal servant” of the British

administration before the revolt of 1857. He even penned a pamphlet titled The
Causes of the Indian Revolt to explain the reasons of the revolt from a “native
perspective”. However, witnessing the near annihilation of the Muslim elites
prompted Sir Syed Ahmad Khan to take up the case of Muslims and his life-long
journey as an Islamic reformer and educationist is a testament to his dedication.
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“Post-ghadar (revolt), I was not disappointed by looting of my house and loss of

belongings. I was disturbed due to the ruination of my qaum,” Khan said. He
initially thought to leave the country but decided against it later. “I gave up the
idea of migration and decided to struggle for the rebuid.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is best known for the Aligarh Movement — a systemic
movement aimed at reforming the social, political and educational aspects of
the Muslim community. He founded the Scientific Society in 1863 to translate
major works in the sciences and modern arts into Urdu. He released two
journals to this end — The Aligarh Institute Gazette, which was an organ of the
Scientific Society, and the Tehzibul Akhlaq, known as the Mohammedan Social
Reformer in English. Khan’s most notable contribution to the field of education
is establishing the Madarsatul Uloom in Aligarh in 1875, now known as the
Aligarh Muslim University, a premier educational institution of the country. He
attempted to model the college on universities such as Oxford and Cambridge.
His work on Muslim education was not limited to this alone — he wanted to
create a network of educational institutions managed by Muslims and founded
the All India Muslim Educational Conference.

In 1886, he set up the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental Education Congress, later

renamed the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental Educational Conference, to bring
together education and culture. He emphasised the need for an autonomous
Muslim institution free of any government funding
.
On this issue he said, “As long as we depend on Government for wants which
are essentially of a domestic nature as education necessarily is, we really expect
to get what is simply impossible to obtain. The best educational institutions in
Europe are either entirely or next to entirely free from any control of the
government.”
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An avid historian, he was the first person to publish an archaeological study in

an Indian language. As a result, he was also named as an honorary member of
the Royal Asiatic Society. He also collected sculptures and rare artefacts,
including those of Hindu deities.

In 1888, three years after the Indian National Congress was founded, Khan
delivered a lecture in Meerut on the invitation of the Muslims residing in the
area. He was critical of the Congress and talked about how it was essentially a
party of Bengali Hindus who could not best represent the viewpoint of a Muslim
population. He called for greater representation of Muslims.

“The unfair interference of these people is this — that they have tried to
produce a false impression that the Mahomedans of these Provinces agree with
their opinions. But we also are inhabitants of this country, and we cannot be
ignorant of the real nature of the events that are taking place in our own North-
West Provinces and Oudh,” he said.
He further iterated that some Hindus were misled by the party and given false
assurances that joining Congress would result in them becoming the dominant
group in the nation; he expressed regret at the discord this was sowing between
the two communities.

“These proposals of the Congress are extremely inexpedient for the country,
which is inhabited by two different nations — who drink from the same well,
breathe the air of the same city, and depend on each other for its life. To create
animosity between them is good neither for peace, nor for the country, nor for
the town.
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THIS is with reference to the letter ‘A case of biasness’ (March 24). It would be a
folly to think that Sir Syed Ahmad Khan had no role in the formation of Pakistan.
Though it is undeniable that Sir Syed had worked for the British and the East
India Company, his contribution to the Muslim community is immeasurable and
cannot be ignored on account of his association with the British.

Sir Syed’s book, Asbab-i-Baghawat-i-Hind, was the first of its kind, and served to
clarify that Muslims were not responsible for the war of independence in 1857.
His Aligarh movement is widely regarded as the foundation of the Pakistan
movement, as it instilled political maturity in the larger Muslim community
which had previously been unable to communicate their sentiments owing to
their inability to read, write or speak in English.

Sir Syed’s other reforms, such as the Aligarh Institute Gazette and the Scientific
Society, played a prominent role in awakening Muslims from the darkness of
ignorance. His most significant contribution, however, was the establishment of
Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which is famously known as the Aligarh
College and which eventually became a university. It produced many prominent
Muslim League members, like Enamel Haque Khan, Habibullah Khan, and most
importantly, Liaquat Ali Khan. Sir S.A. Qayum and Sir Hassan Ali Effendi,
following the pattern of Aligarh College, founded Islamia College in Peshawar
and Sindh Madressatul Islam in Karachi.

After they spearheaded the First War of Independence (1857), the condition of
the Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent was pathetic and abject. The Muslims
were subjected to a concerted campaign of persecution by the British, who
identified them as the only potential threat to their new Indian Empire. The
decimation of the Muslim population and the destruction of their political
institutions and power were accompanied by a spiritual and intellectual crisis
unprecedented in the history of Islam in South Asia until the emergence of Syed
Ahmad Khan. At that critical juncture he came forward as a savior of the Muslim
community and a defender of the integrity of indigenous Indian intellectual life.
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He adopted a cautious, pragmatic and long-term approach; abandoning the

romantic illusions and unfounded sense of superiority of the pre-‘Mutiny’ days,
he acknowledged the material weakness of the native civilization compared to
the colonial authorities, thus he advised the Muslims to be loyal to the British
pro tem and to devote themselves and gain modern education for the socio-
economic upliftment of the community. This paper highlights the contributions
of Syed Ahmad Khan and his pragmatic approach towards the problems and
wellbeing of Muslims for their future, which changed the fate of the Indian
Subcontinent.

The conditions of the Muslims of Indian Sub-continent were very pathetic

especially after the war of Independence in 1857. The consequences were
disastrous for whole of the country but the Muslims were targeted particularly.
Britishers started persecuting Muslims in every field as they grabbed the power
from them and considered that the Muslims were the only threat to their
power. They blamed Muslims the sole force behind the rebellion. Indeed, the
darkest and awful period started for the Muslims of India. As recorded by
Garratt and Thompson:
“The Mohammedans were packed up by the British in pigskins
and pork's fat was applied on them. Their bodies were charred and the Hindus
were compelled to defile them”.1

Immediately after the defeat in first War of Independence in 1857 Muslims

found itself bow down and its decline reached at lowest ebb. In those days of
hopelessness and darkness, the man who took the responsibility of changing the
conditions of Muslims was none, but Syed Ahmad Khan. In that critical situation
for the Muslims it was he who came forward as rescuer of his fellow Muslims.
Syed Ahmad khan feared that the wrath of the British would cause much
distress among already troubled Muslims. He came forward at a critical time for
the services of Muslims and gave the right direction to them. Sir Syed Ahmad
khan had pragmatic approach and he deeply analyzed the ground realities of
that time and advised the Muslims to be loyal to the British authorities,
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devotion to the modern education and refrain from politics for the time being.
Had it not been for Sir Syed, Muslims of Subcontinent might have had a very
dark history but he gave them the right direction at the right time.2
Life History of Syed Ahmad Khan
The birth of Syed Ahmad Khan occurred in the well-known city of Delhi on 17th
October 1817. Born as the son of Muttaqi and the grandson of an emigrant from
Afghanistan, this renowned personage was a ‘Syed’, the word suggesting that
he was Prophet Mohamed’s descendant in the 36th generation. Syed Ahmad’s
family members migrated to India during the reign of Emperor Akbar (1556-
1605) and were patronized by the royal Mughal court.3 Mir Muttaqi, the father
of Syed Ahmad was a pious man highly devoted to the court of Akbar II (1806-
1837). As he believed in Sufism he had refused the offer of Emperor Akbar II to
become his prime minister. He was among the closest associates of Emperor
Akbar II and even permitted to sit in the royal presence.4 Syed Ahmad was
taught archery and swimming by his father. The patronage enjoyed by his family
enabled him with access to the Mughal Court. During the royal celebrations at
the court, he could even represent his father when he was not able to be
present.5 His father died when he was just twenty-one years old. After the
death of his father Syed Ahmad went under the care of his mother. As Dr.
Arshad Islam quoted:
“Sir Syed Ahmed Khan began his primary education
under the guidance of his mother Azizun Nisa Begum. She hailed from an elite
family of Delhi and was highly educated. She shared a revolutionary
temperament and questioned and opposed all kinds of superstitions shared by
the Muslim society of her times. In shaping the personality of Sir Syed Ahmad,
she played a predominant role”.6
Dr. Arshad Islam further stated:
“As Syed Ahmed was enjoying his schooling, he too
was being trained to recite Quran under the tutelage of Shah Ghulam Ali. Later
Syed Ahmed was admitted to a maktab to learn Arabic, Persian and
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mathematics. In addition, there were other tutors who taught him the other
regular subjects. His family physician Hakim Ghulam Haider khan gave him some
lessons in medicines too”.7

The death of his father struck him like a thunderbolt and brought about a
completely new turn in his life. Earlier his father had entered some differences
of opinion with a court person called Raja Sohan Lal, which resulted in the
dwindling of pensions given to his family by the royal court. Even this had
completely stopped after his father’s death. To support his family, Syed Ahmad
Khan decided to join the services of East India Company. Though Syed Ahmad
was closely associated with the Mughal Court, he did not like the idea of
approaching the Red Fort and seek its support. From this it was evident that he
approached life with a realistic attitude being skeptic about the stability of the
government under the decadent power. Syed Ahmad shared the liberal views
towards the West encouraged by the predominant trends characteristic of the
European dominated regions like Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. At such a
young age, how Syed Ahmad could have farsightedness and a firm grasp of the
international trend is a matter of wonder and appreciation.8
During his early life, access to knowledge was denied to Syed Ahmad. Therefore,
he pursued it with great fervor as he grew up. Especially, he was drawn towards
science. The advancement of science is what attracted him more towards the
West as he felt the development of scientific temperament was highly essential
to bring about the future that he visualized. The depraved nature of the Mughal
Court had dragged it farther from the days of peace and enlightenment that it
enjoyed once. The Mughal Emperor had become a puppet in the hands of the
perpetrators. He was only enjoying a royal life of pomp and show and doing
nothing more that is due to a responsible ruler. Observing all these signs of a
weakening empire, Syed Ahmad decided it was not his place and took up jobs
with the English. He got his first appointment in the court of justice through the
reference given by his maternal uncle Khalillullah khan, who was then a
subJudge.9 According to Dr. Arshad Islam:
“Following the demise of Sir Syed's father in 1837, all the
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sources of steady income to the family were closed. For its survival and daily
bread, his family had to totally depend on the small stipend given by the Mughal
Court. Forced by the grave financial crunch, in 1837 he decided to join the
services of the East India Company in Delhi. At the same time, he continued his
association with the Mughal court too and received several honors. In February
1839, he was deputed as the na’ib munshi (administrative assistant) of Agra. In
December 1841, he passed the judicial service examination and was therefore
made as the Munsif (sub-judge) at Mainpuri (Dist. Etah, U.P). In the year 1842
he was deputed to Fatehpur Sikri (Dist. Agra). During this year, the Mughal
Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar conferred on him the title of Jawwad alDawala
‘Arif Jang’. Upon his transfer to Delhi in 1846 he resided there for about eight
years and then went to Rohtak. Upon being posted as the Sadar Amin (chief
revenue collector) of Bijnor in 1855, he stayed there till 1857”.10
An overview of Syed Ahmad’s life till this point adequately reveals the
inclination he shared with many others towards favoring the British
administration. To a large extent, this fact had dissuaded him from resisting the
British rule in the country as his own occupation was very well tied up with the
British in India. However, earlier he had a great appreciation for the native
system of administration especially during the glorious period when the
Mughals ruled over the subcontinent. In fact he had always wanted to draw the
attention of the public and the British rulers to the laudable merits of the
Mughal administration so that it could help refine the contemporary approach
to the statecraft.11
Talking of the influences that shaped Syed Ahmad, we cannot miss out
mentioning how the death of his dear brother impacted him. His brother was
more than a companion for him and when he lost him, he underwent an
excruciating agony for quite some time. He was totally engrossed in the anguish
it caused him that he did not even care much about his appearance and
clothing. He had totally renounced all fun and sport in his life and got
succumbed to wailing the loss inside the depths of his heart. In 1857, what is
called as the mutiny or the great revolt broke out in India. The lead given by
some chieftains that triggered mass participation attracted Syed Ahmad’s
attention. The British wanted to belittle the event and thus called it Sepoy
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Mutiny. But the people of India, especially Muslims heralded it was known as
the First War of India’s Independence.12
Discussing the factors that steered the break of the revolt and the effects it
caused will let us understand the stand that Syed Ahmad took regarding the
situation. Down the history, the British entered India and got permission from
the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1569-1627) to trade in India. Eventually, they
established their presence in the coastal towns of Bengal. What started as a
trade organization in the subcontinent slowly started tactfully intruding into the
internal administrative matters? In the 18th Century, the Mughal Empire was
weakening under Shah Alam who started losing his hold over his territories. The
British obtained his permission to rule over Bengal and Bihar. They did not stop
with this. They rapidly expanded their territories by extending their sphere of
influence over the adjacent regions. They started ruthlessly intruding into the
administration of the different chieftains in the neighborhoods and even farther
away in the distant provinces of India. By this time, the British had built strong
forts and had developed strong bastions, armor and army. They motivated
clashes between the local chiefs and participated in the foul game of playing
against each other by supplying them military support to attack each other.13
The mid nineteenth century was thus a chaotic period in the history of India
when those who denied the involvement of the British suffered and started
losing their territories while those that wanted to cheaply benefit from their
support seemingly entered into an era of developments and expansions, which
could not of course last for long. Zobairi observed:
“The first phase of Syed Ahmad’s life and activities ended with
the coming of the mutiny in 1857. The catastrophe and its after-effects suddenly
brought him face to face with the harsh realities of his age and brought a
consequent change in his entire outlook. After having witnessed large-scale
suffering and misery among his fellow countrymen and, particularly, on a much
large scale, among his co-religionists, Syed Ahmad was forced to abandon his
dreamy visions of the past and narrow sectarian controversies. “The Mutiny
showed him, as by a flash of lightening, the frightful danger in which his
community stood.”14
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Thus, rest of his life Syed Ahmad lived with a mission to restore the honor and
dignity of his co-religionists and tried his level best to guide them to live
according to the changing needs of the world.
Endeavoring to Reinstate the Honor of Muslims
The entire political and social scenario in India during the mid-nineteenth
century was unstable, chaotic and turbulent. The Indians could not decide on
the proper stand they must take and the approach that will do those really
good. They were quite confused whether to accept the supremacy of the British
or continue to hang on to the falling umbrella of the Mughal Empire. The British
in fact exploited the situation and wanted to turn the events in their favor by
encouraging ill will and bad temperaments between the Muslims and Hindus in
India. However, Muslims and Hindus together started feeling that they were
slowly losing out their hold over the homeland as it was being snatched away by
the British. When they stood united for the purpose of resisting the British
occupation of India, the British act of greasing the guns and cartridges with the
cow’s and pig’s fat received their stiff opposition.15
Muslim and Hindu Sepoys serving in the British army’s together rose
against the British in Bengal. The insurgence soon caught up like wild fire
permeating the whole of India. With great difficulty, the British suppressed the
rebellion and brought the situation under their control. Since the widespread
belief projected Muslims as the prime cause for the rebellion, Muslims entered
the bad books of the British. Stating the mass killing, loot and plunder followed
by British occupation of Delhi, Albiruni describes:
“Not a house was safe; not a human being was secure. For
several days after the British occupation of Delhi, civilians were shot at sight and
when this was over, trials under the Martial Law started and any wretch, who
had a grievance against another, or who wanted to win the favor of the victors,
would come forward with accusation of complicity against the best and the
noblest, and was readily believed. All the celebrities in Delhi, whom Syed Ahmad
had described in Asarul Sanadid, were dead or were hiding to save their lives.
The vast quarter of the city between the fort and Grand Mosque, which housed
the Mughal
 P a g e | 18

aristocracy, was completely razed to the ground and ploughed up”.16

Thomas R. a contemporary historian described the events of 1857 War as:
“In Delhi Summary executions and systematic spoliation continued for four
months…. Not content with the opportunities for
revenge afforded by this protracted reign of terror, many Englishmen wished
also to raze Delhi to the ground, or at least to destroy the Jama Masjid. Such an
act Out ram pointed out, would be “a beacon and warning to the whole of India
and heavy below to the Mahomedan
religion.”17
Not only was Delhi alone sacked and persecuted but in the other parts of India
like Lucknow, Kanpur, Moradabad, Patna, Jhansi, etc. the same story was
repeated and many innocent civilians were also killed and persecuted who had
no share in rebellions. During all this period the main target were Muslims as
British consider them the leaders of war.18 Graham admits, “.During that time
of terror, several innocent common people, I am so sorrowful to say, were
punished for the crimes of the guilty.”19
Consequently, Muslims were not given any honorable positions and they were
deprived of the benefits they enjoyed earlier. The situation also saw the end of
the glorious Mughal Empire and it seemed that there was no chance for any
revival for the once powerful Muslim rule in the subcontinent. Jawahar Lal
Nehru observed that:
“After 1857, the heavy hand of the British fell more heavily on
the Moslems than on the Hindus. They considered the Moslems more
aggressive and militant, possessing memories of recent rule in India and,
therefore, more dangerous. The Muslims had also kept away from the new
education and had few jobs under the government”.
Further in the words of Hafeez Malik:
“After 1857 the Moslems emerged as a backward nation—
illiterate, hopelessly ignorant and ate the same time steeped in prejudice and
suspicion. They trusted neither themselves nor the British, who spared no
 P a g e | 19

efforts in crushing them. Consequently, despondency, sometimes amounting to

sullen despair, took hold of the Muslims. They felt that as a nation they had no
future in India. In this mood they sat back and watched the Hindus pass them by
in the race of life”.21
By this time, Sir Syed had firmly settled with the British and had won their trust.
At the times of the rebellion, he enjoyed a respectable place in the British
regime as the sub-judge in Bijnore. Unfortunately, the turn of events played
against him. He could not stay free from the impact of the calamity. His home
was looted and his uncle and a cousin were murdered by the Sikhs. The
disastrous situation also had its adverse effect on the health of Syed Ahmad’s
mother who too soon succumbed to death. Syed Ahmad grew weary of the
situation and wanted to move to Egypt to keep away from the turbulent
conditions in India. However, his heart did not permit this idea. He thought it
would be a matter of selfishness to leave the country when it was facing a
severe crisis. He wanted to be bold and brave to share the plight of his brethren
in the nation deeming it as a national duty. It struck him that he needs to
represent Muslims to the British and fight for their welfare. He believed that
Muslims should be empowered both socially and politically and made to win the
favor of the ruling British so that they can stand on par with the Hindus in
India.22 Zobairi stated:
“After the upheaval subsided, Syed Ahmad was honored for
siding with the British and saving the lives of many British people. In recognition
of his services he was also offered the grant of property worth over a hundred
thousand rupees. This property belonged to a rich Muslim landlord and was
confiscated due to his complicity in the rebellion. Syed Ahmad politely declined
the offer. He could not bring himself to accept anything which was forcibly
taken away from a fellow country man as a punishment”.23
Syed Ahmad’s initial efforts were directed to raise and uplift the Muslims from
their state of despondency. R.C. Majumdar writes, “He (Syed Ahmad Khan)
utilized the opportunity thus offered, not for advancing his own material
interests, but for the uplift of his co-religionists.”24 He took steps to reconcile
them with the British and made the Muslims realize the importance of English
 P a g e | 20

Education. He said it was through education that they can once again prosper
and achieve an esteemed position. During those days, his ideas were received
with cynicism, which he endured for good. Tirelessly he wrote on political
questions and the issues of education. He strove hard to make the masses
understand, appreciate and accept his views and stands. In this mission, the
British too supported him. He endeavored to make the Muslims understand the
necessity to be faithful to the rulers and win their favor. In a publication entitled
‘Loyal Muslims of India’, he
highlighted the cases of all those faithful Muslims who served the British and
were in turn rewarded by them. This book played a great role in patching up the
differences between the two parties and putting them in good relationship with
each other. Through his writings he apologized to the British for what had
happened and repudiated all the allegations against the Muslims in India.25
Raising and Reforming the Muslims
The encouragement, support and incentives given by the British to the Hindus
gave a boost to their economic and social development. Down the history,
Hindus did not show much resistance to the British regime in India. As they had
accepted Persians inside the social and political framework of India eight
centuries back, they had readily accepted the British customs, western
education and their rule. Therefore, they had far more advanced than the
Muslims in every regard. A significant difference between the educational
systems of both these communities has also to be discussed here. A Muslim
child had to first take up Quran classes in the Masjid for a few years before
initiated into formal schooling. Whereas, this was not necessary for a Hindu
child who could directly join the schooling without any religious education.
While the Muslims in the middle and lower middle classes found it expensive to
send their children to the normal schools, the wealthy ones felt proud and
preferred to arrange for private tuitions for their kids by learned Muslims rather
than sending them to schools. These factors accounted for the poor educational
turnout in the Indian Muslims around those times. This had made Syed Ahmed
anxious about the whole issue.26 In the words of Syed Ahmad, “The reason why
we are so backward being that whilst we are learned in and have benefited by
 P a g e | 21

the philosophy, science and arts of the antiquity, we are almost entirely
ignorant of those of the modern times.”27
Once Syed Ahmad had been to England to stay with his son Syed Mahmud.
Upon his return to India, he realized the crucial need of reforming the Muslims
in India. As Zobairi Stated:
“He (Syed Ahmad) was impressed by the practical energy of the West. The
resourcefulness industry and thoroughness of the white men had mad Syed
Ahmad their great admirer. Gradually he became convinced that it must be the
western System of education which produced such promising results in Europe.
Looking at the conditions of his own people he concluded that the spread of
modern education was the only cure”.28
Further Graham stated: “Syed Ahmad’s motto was Educate, Educate,
Educate. ‘All the socio-political ills of India, ‘he once said to me, ‘may be cured
by this treatment. Cure the root and tree will flourish.”29
Launching a series of activities to reform the Muslims, he started a periodical
entitled “Tahzib-al-Akhlaq” predominantly dedicated to spreading reformist
views. Conceived in the same lines of the journals like ‘Tatler and the Spectator’,
this publication featured a good collection of brilliantly composed
essays, discussions on general question related to morality and some interesting
satires and comic pieces that ridiculed the outdated and corrupt ways of those
times. He thoroughly condemned the social evils like slavery, polygamy,
pretentious behavior and other derisible practices. When the Christians
criticized the practice of Purdah (veil) among the Muslim ladies and frowned at
it, Syed Ahmad was in its favor. Even some renowned novelists like Nazir Ahmad
and Muhammad Abdul Halim Sharar strove hard to redeem Muslims from this
yoke, Syed Ahmad deemed it a good traditional practice and good for them.30
While Syed Ahmad was working tirelessly to reform the Muslim community in
India, there were others too who joined hands with him including Maulvi
Chiragh Ali (1844-1895), Maulana Shibli Nomani(1857-1914), Nawab Mohsin-ul-
Mulk(1837-1907), Nawab Waqar-ul-Mulk (1841-1917), Maulvi Zafrullah and
Khawaja Maulvi Zainul A’bdin (d.1905). Among this group, there
 P a g e | 22

were two notable ones were Shibli Nomani and Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk. Shibli
Nomani was a multifarious personality combining in him a historic, didactical
patriotic and critical skills and temperaments. Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk was also a
highly renowned writer during those times that had an intimate relationship
with Syed Ahmad. Though Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk could not appreciate Syed
Ahmad interfering in religious matters, he was later ably convinced by Syed
Ahmad. Eventually, Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk started subscribing to the view of
Syed Ahmad that a progression in the social and political status for the Muslims
was not possible without winning the goodwill of the British rulers. The entire
team of the writers and debaters listed above worked together in unison with
Syed Ahmad towards reforming and uplifting Muslims in India around those
times. During his sojourn in England, Syed Ahmad gave a brave and stringent
opposition to the views expressed by William Muir in his book entitled ‘The Life
of Muhammad’.
In appreciation of his bold statements, Syed Ahmed was conferred the title of
C.S.I. During this period, several impacts and influences that he experienced
encouraged Syed Ahmad to conceive an idea of establishing a residential college
like the Oxford and Cambridge Universities. This thought was the seed that later
gave rise to one of the most valuable contributions of Syed Ahmad to the
Muslim community known as Aligarh Movement.31
Advancement of Education, Science and Technology
Syed Ahmad had a strong belief that any national or religious cause can be
promoted only on the strong foundation of education centered on a scientific
temperament. So far he had succeeded in making the slumbering people rise
with a resurgent spirit that they could now fearlessly face the situations of their
times and hope for a promising future. Syed Ahmad’s views were farsighted and
logical.
During the aftermath of the revolt, he was subscribing to the views of the British
that the language spoken by the masses is the best vehicle for educational
instruction. However, the practical problem was the volume of scientific
literature that had to be translated into Urdu. Even there was a dearth of
translators who could do this. Therefore, Syed Ahmad thought English
 P a g e | 23

Education was a better and practicable option. Syed Ahmad had succeeded in
establishing several schools and colleges by then. Graham stated:
“Syed Ahmad’s first venture in the field of education can be
traced to a Persian madrasah he established in Moradabad in 1859. Though the
madrasah was founded on old classical lines, it had some important features
which distinguished it from other Persian schools. First it included the study of
English besides Urdu and Persian. Secondly, unlike other schools, the study of
modern History was a very important part of its curriculum. The emphasis in this
area was so great that it led Graham to observe that the school at Moradabad
was opened “especially for the study of modern history”.32
In the school founded by him in Gazipur, English was given importance on par
with other languages that were taught including Urdu, Persian, Arabic and
Sanskrit. Even Hindus came forward to contribute to this laudable mission of
Syed Ahmad. So, to say, the very first patron of the school in Gazipur was Raja
Herdev Narayan Singh. 33 For quite some time, Syed Ahmad wanted his
educational initiatives to address the interests of Hindus as well. According to
Begum Naz:
“But even at the school he founded at Ghazipur, English was
considered equally important and joined the other main languages like Urdu,
Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit. That was not long after war of Independence in
1857. Funds were raised from Hindus as well. In fact the first patron of this
school was Raja Herdev Narayen Singh. For a long time, Sir Syed in his
educational programs also included the interests of Hindus. He wished to found
a University at Benares, a manifesto had already been sent to government. His
attitude only changed when the Hindus of Benares started an agitation against
Persian and Urdu script in favor of Devanagari and Hindi. While having an
interview with Benares Commissioner Mr. Shakespeare, he surprised him by
discussing with him the language of instruction for Muslims. Hitherto he had
always spoken in terms of both Hindus and Muslims. Said Mr. Shakespeare:
“Today is the first time that I hear you speak of the progress of the Muslim only,
previously you appeared to think always of the welfare of the Indian people in
general”. It was at this stage that Syed Ahmad first expressed his fear about
 P a g e | 24

Hindu-Muslim Unity. He said, “I am now convinced that not in work could both
these communities co-operate. The opposition of those people who regard
themselves as educated is not yet fierce but in future it will increase”.34
The middle of the nineteenth century witnessed a series of movements around
the world. The main impetus too many such movements were given by the
Industrial revolution in England that had completely modernized the thinking of
people in all spheres of life. Most people realized that the old models and ways
of life were no more effective and a new paradigm and standards must be
evolved for life during the times ahead. Motivated to advance the cause of
educating the Muslims, Syed Ahmad visited the Cambridge and took up an
intensive study of the University and the educational system prevailing there.
Zobairi observed:
“During his stay in England Syed Ahmad visited Universities
and schools, studied the English educational system, saw museums and
libraries, engineering workshops, ship-building yards and ammunition factories
and was impressed by all that he saw. His numerous letters to his friends in
India reveal his unqualified admiration for western culture and civilization, and
his deep frustration over the backwardness of his own countrymen and
especially of the Muslims”.35
 P a g e | 25

The contributions of these institutions to the Pakistan movement cannot be

overstated. Although Sir Syed died eight years before the formation of the All-
India Muslim League (AIML), it is important to note that he founded the Muslim
Educational Conference in 1885, which ultimately became the AIML in 1906. It is
essential to remember that Pakistan was founded on the basis of two-nation
theory, and Sir Syed is the father of that theory, which he first proposed in 1867
in Banaras.

Founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah acknowledged the

position of the Aligarh movement as the arsenal for the Muslim League, and this
is a testament to Sir Syed’s invaluable contribution to the Pakistan movement. It
is clear that Sir Syed’s services to the Pakistan movement cannot be ignored or
underestimated.

Hussnain Ali
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2023

COCLUSION:
Sir Syed Ahmed khan worked day and night and really hard for the Muslims of
The sub-continent. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan played a vital role in the struggle for a
separate homeland for the Muslims which is now called as Pakistan. He worked
on social level for the Muslims. He also worked on political level and also
spread educational awareness in the Muslims. His most bilingual work as a
politician was his concept of the Two Nation Theory. This concept became the
most powerful base for the Muslims to demand a separate homeland for
themselves. He also wrote so many magazines for the Muslims to get them
aware about the political and social situation of the sub-continent. He also
wrote magazines in favor of Muslims after the war of independence 1857
because after this war, the Muslims were suffering from critical situations on
 P a g e | 26

religious, political and social situations. The British were of the thought that the
Muslims are behind the uprising of 1857, so he defended all the charges on the
Muslims and proved that there were so many other factors behind the war of
independence.

REFERENCES:
Teachers, family and friends, internet, You tube, books and some links below:

https://www.researchgate.net

https://www.britannica.com

https://historypak.com

www.dawn.com