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SIR SYED AHMAD KHAN:HIS MASTER’S REBELLIOUS VOICEby Syed Abu Ahmad Akif

The death centenary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is a very appropriate occasion to begin an earnest study - both at collective and personal levels - of this man whosestature is as great as has been a lack of his proper appreciation. This omission is moresignificant in view of the fact that an immense treasure of Sir Syed’s own writings aswell as works on him exist. Thus it is all the more unfortunate that few men of learning have been able to do justice with this towering figure of Muslim India. But, to be fair to our scholars, so extraordinary was Sir Syed’s personality that it requires menof no small calibre to fathom the depths of his intellect, vision, and revolutionary spirit.This perhaps is tribute enough to Sir Syed:In his own times, Sir Syed had the misfortune of having being doublymisunderstood both by the ultra-conservative religious Indian Muslims and the equallynarrow-minded British rulers. Those were days when middle of the road intellectualismwas virtually absent. More unfortunately, the intellectual response to Sir Syed’s lifeand works has been far less than adequate even in the century that has followed.Thus, Sir Syed was not only misunderstood in his own times, but continues to be a person, the full spectrum of whose life has not really been studied nor one whosegenius has been recognised in its entirety. A major reason for this has been theintellectual laziness of our scholars. As a people we can hardly be called good readersor honest writers. Living by clichés and false generalizations, even the best efforts of our self-proclaimed researchers often leave a lot to be desired. For the most part wework to prove previously held misconceptions rather than strive with open minds toaccept facts and opinions that may run contrary to our points of view..While Sir Syed finds honourable mention in every book of Indian Muslimhistory, this is more of a stereotypic and less than full-to-life portrayal. Even thoughthe large majority considers Sir Syed to be the first of the three greatest benefactors of modern Muslim India, there is nonetheless a significant group (consisting mostly of anti-Western die-hards) which labels him as an agent, if not co-conspirator - of theBritish and a loyal servant of Her Majesty’s Government. Indeed, Sir Syed wasaccused of many a crime against his religion and people, which even included that of being a heretic - the most cardinal amongst sins in the eyes of Muslims.The main reason for this is, of course, the fact that Sir Syed served the Britishestablishment for a long time and in the aftermath of the “Indian Mutiny” apparentlyseemed to be apologetic towards the alien rulers. To add to this was his vision of a newMuslim nation equipped with the best traditions of their faith and intellectual prowessof the ascendant Western civilization. This was more than his Muslim compatriots of the time, seething with limitless bitterness towards the infidel Europeans couldswallow.Fortunately, then as now, people with analytic capabilities and maturity of thought did not agree with such an extreme point of view. In view of Sir Syed’s family

traditions, learning and other qualities, they have always been sure about his love for his community, which Sir Syed changed into a nation. The aim of this article is showthat Sir Syed was far from being a toady of the British. He was certainly not a“realist” in the sense the word is used in our own times - a sycophant, a hypocrite, or aman of the world with few or no scruples - in fact he was quite the opposite: acourageous critic of his paymasters - A rebel within the ranks of the Britishofficialdom.Syed was a rebel with a cause. At no point in his life did his employment withthe colonial establishment bear upon his fierce independence of thought and action.Indeed, working for the establishment was part of his grand design - to serve as a rolemodel for drawing millions of his Muslim brethren towards the future state of affairswhich was becoming obvious with every passing day. Unlike many of his co-religionists of the time who were waiting helplessly for Messiah to bring forth a new birth of Muslim regal power, Sir Syed was not a dreamer of the romantic school. He brought together that rare combination of an idealist who had his feet firmly plantedon the ground.Political acumen and breadth of vision was a part of Sir Syed’s family legacy.When Ranjit Singh invited Sir Syed’s maternal grandfather, Khwaja Fareeduddin totake up the position of his prime minister, Sir Syed’s mother asked him to decline theoffer, in view of the Sikhs’ long ad traditional anti-Muslim stance. Sir Syed’s father was a member of the Mughal Court albeit one who seldom attended the very hollowceremonies of pomp and show. On important occasions - specially religious festivalslike Eid, Sir Syed also visited the Court with his father Very early on, Sir Syed hadrealized that the days of the Mughals were over. Indeed, even from before his birth in1817, a common saying of Shah Alam’s period (1759-1806)t was that the extent of Mughal Empire was from Delhi to Palam (then a suburb, now site of Delhi’s airport).

Sultanat-e-Shah Alam - Az Dehli ta Palam

As a young man, Syed Ahmad did not need to seek paid employment; and so hehelped out in the newspaper business of his brother. When Sir Syed’s father passedaway in 1838, the monthly stipends to the family were stopped with the exception tothe one received by his mother. While the young man could have attempted to seek membership of the Mughal Court, he chose to take up employment in order to avoidthe deep rooted conspiracies at the Red Fort.Sir Syed’s maternal uncle (mother’s brother-in-law) Moulvi Khaleelullah was

Sadr Amin

(a sub-judge) at Dehli. Sir Syed began his legal apprenticeship with him.Moulvi Khaleelullah got him appointed as a S

areshtidar

(court clerk) in his court.During this period Mr. Robert Hamilton came to Delhi as a judge. Owing to the prominence of Syed’s family, Mr. Hamilton and Sir Syed came into contact and theyoung man was offered a chance to join the more prestigious criminal judicature as aCourt Clerk. Owing to his belief that he would be unable to fulfil the requirements of that position, he declined the offer.After some time Mr. Hamilton became the Commissioner of Agra. He onceagain called Sir Syed and offered the position of

naib munshi

which was accepted.Syed Ahmad re-organized the Commissioner’s Office and developed an efficientworking system. It was during this period, that the young Syed who aspired to rise to

the position of a civil judge, took up the study of law. This soon led to the writing of asmall book on the subject of civil laws as relating to the post of a civil judge, or

munsif

. Mr. Hamilton presented the book to the Government and recommendedSyed’s appointment as a

munsif.

wherever such a vacant post became available. Suchwas the standard of his book that the Governor also endorsed the recommendation for his appointment as a

munsif

. But, before he could be appointed, new rules put into place a qualifying examination for such appointments.Accordingly, his mentor, the Commissioner, asked him to appear for theexamination. Given Syed’s desire that Muslims should come forward to join theBritish Service, he not only appeared himself but also persuaded his elder brother SyedMuhammad and cousin Hatim Ali Khan to sit with him. Sir Syed and his cousin passed the examination. and entered the service of the British East India Company.This was some time after the death of his father in 1838; the young Syed Ahmad was just over 20.On 24

Dec. 1841, Sir Syed took up the position of

munsif

at Manpuri. Lessthen a month later (10

January. 1842) he was transferred to Fatehpur Sikri, the cityAkbar had built in the vicinity of Agra for his patron saint. Here in this historical town,it was no coincidence that Sir Syed’s sleeping quarters were the same as those of theformer Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great. It was certainly by design that the Britishrulers had instituted this practice to demonstrate to all and sundry that Mughal rule had been eclipsed in all but name. Syed was deeply stirred by this fact, the painfulsymbolism of which was a constant reminder of the changed times.. By his ownstatements, he was to pass many a sleepless night pondering over the great past of Muslim India and its present state of deterioration and decline.Syed Ahmad was to live in Akbar’s former regal quarters for the next four years. During this period his legal treatise became very popular and many Muslimssucceeded in passing the

munsifi

examination with the help of the book. More thanhalf a century later when the Anjuman-Islamia at Lahore was to present an address toSir Syed, this treatise was mentioned as one of the great favours of Syed towards theMuslims of India.During this period Sir Syed wrote three books including a biography of theHoly Prophet, peace be upon him. As a consequence, in 1842 the Mughal Court whichwas still holding on to its; largely fictitious glory under British tutelage, bestowedupon Syed Ahmad the titles

Jawadud Daula

(the Bestower of the State) and

Arif Jung

(Scholar Eminent). Incidentally his father had only enjoyed the first of thesetitles.On 18

February, 1846, Sir Syed was transferred to Delhi on his request as his brother had passed away suddenly. Here he was to stay until 1854, the year when healso became a permanent sub-judge. During his stay at Dehli, Sir Syed completed hishitherto incomplete education in Islamic jurisprudence,

Hadith

and Arabic literature.After a stay of about nine years at Dehli, on January 30, 1855, Sir Syed wastransferred to Bijnore as permanent

Sadr Amin

. It was during his stay here that theIndian Revolt (as Sir Syed himself referred to it unlike his Indian comrades who calledit the War of Independence) began. Sir Syed saved the life of Mr. Shakespeare the

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Sirsyed Article

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was one of the greatest South Asian Muslim educationists and reformers. His work and life spanned the 19th century India which passed from a decaying and ch... (More)

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