SIR SYEDS ROLE IN MUSLIM REVIVAL

Subject: Pakistan Studies

Lecturer: Sir Shahid Amin
Submitted by: Hooriyeh Ali
ID: 14143

CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.

Introduction
Background to Muslim Downfall
Background to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Sir Syeds Involvement in Muslim Revival
Education
Political
Others
5. Forerunner for Creation of Pakistan
6. Conclusion

Introduction:

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan is a well-recognised figure in history as the

emancipator of Indian Muslims in the subcontinent, before Partition divided
the nation into two separate countries. He is undoubtedly the messiah and
the answer to the prayers of those Muslims who were mercilessly persecuted
at the hands of the Britishers and Hindus, after the War of Independence in
1857. At a time when there was no guiding light for the Muslims, he emerged
as their leader, and helped them to rise from their despondent states. He
awakened the Indian Muslims to their plight, and made them realize that to
fight oppression, they would have to come out of their shells and face it. He
is one of the many people because of whose tireless efforts, Pakistan is a
reality today.

Background to Muslim Downfall:

The Mughals were the chief rulers of the subcontinent, their rule spanning
about four centuries from the 1500s to 1800s. During this time, Muslims
were at the peak of their fortunes. However, after the British slowly started
inching their control over the subcontinent, the Mughals lost their control
over the nation and became mere figureheads instead of rulers. To make
matters even worse, the War of Independence or Sepoys Mutiny of 1857
took place. Although the war was engineered by both Hindus and Muslims
alike, most of the blame for the war was laid on the Muslims, as they would
evidently benefit most from it due to Mughal power being restored. This was
the lowest point Muslims would face during British rule, as they completely
fell from British favour after this. Muslims were persecuted to the highest
degree, whether they be from the nobility or just commoners. As many as 24
of the royal Mughal princes were brutally and publicly executed. Muslims
were sewed into pigskins and smeared with pork fat, educational institutions
closed their doors on them, their properties were confiscated and jobs denied
for them. They had literally no positions in government offices, and no share
of commerce or industry, and even no positions in respectable positions like
law, medicine, engineering, etc. Even the official language of the
subcontinent was replaced from Persian to English. The treatment of Muslims
was such that, Maulana Hali says: The condition had become so bad, that
there was no need of condemning a Muslim. His being a Muslim was enough
crime.
The Muslims reacted by withdrawing deeper into their shells, and by
continuing to live a shocked and dejected existence instead of striving to
better their conditions. This gave the Hindus the chance to better their status
and conditions, which they did by taking advantage of the education and
facilities provided by the British, and by rising in their favour due to this
reason. This left the Muslim community terribly impoverished, be it
economically, academically, politically or socially. It was at this time that Sir
Syed came to the aid of the Muslims, and helped them surface from their
deplorable conditions to make their identity known between the dominant
Britishers and Hindus.

Background to Sir Syed:

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was born in Delhi, on October 17, 1817. His family had
close contacts with the Mughal court, his maternal grandfather Khwaja Farid
being a minister in the court of Akbar Shah 2 and his paternal grandfather
Syed Hadi held a mansab and the title of Jawwad Ali Khan in the court of
Alamgir 2. Sir Syeds mother Aziz-Un-Nisa played a very important formative
role in shaping his personality and general outlook. He was from an educated
background, and his family was classed in the nobility. Sir Syed learned many
languages, such as Persian, Urdu, Arabic, and also religious subjects under
the guidance of Maulvi Hamiduddin. He was also well-versed in the subjects
of Islamic jurisprudence, Mathematics, Astronomy, etc, and had extensively
read the works of Muslim scholars like Rumi, Sahbai and Ghalib. He started
working with the East India Company in the judiciary, and was promoted as
judge of Bijnaur during the mutiny. Sir Syed was involved in sports like
swimming, wrestling, etc, and also took an active part in the Mughal courts
cultural activities. He was also awarded the title of Arif Jung by the emperor
Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Sir Syeds Involvement in Muslim Revival:

Sir Syed played a huge part in building the confidence of Muslims, and
establishing them as important and valued citizens that the British would
take seriously in the future. He was not only a jurist, but also a social
reformer, political leader, religious thinker, moralist, rationalist and humanist.
Sir Syed mostly awakened the sleeping nation of Muslims in two ways;
through education and political tactics.
Sir Syed was extremely worried at the social and academic conditions of the
Muslims. He realized the importance of Western education and appreciated
it, and also saw how the Hindus were taking advantage of it and moving
forward in life while the Muslims were left behind due to their ignorance and
rejection of education. He also did not think it was fair on the part of the
British to put the blame of the War of Independence totally on the Muslims,
as the Hindus were equally responsible for it. Sir Syed took many steps in
order to cultivate and change the mindset of Muslims as well as the British.
Education:
Acquisition of knowledge of science and technology is the only solution for
the problems of Muslims. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Sir Syed always admired and appreciated the Western education system, and
thought that instead of boycotting it Muslims should follow it as it will only
help them. This does not mean he was degrading the local education, but he
felt that while learning Persian and Farsi was imperative, other subjects like

science and medicine were equally important and needed to be included in

the school and university curriculum. For this reason, he tried to make the
Muslims understand the importance of education, and established many
schools for the advancement of

education, eg: Gulshan School at Muradabad in 1859, Victoria School at

Ghazipur in 1863, etc. He published the Aligarh Institute Gazette, both in
English and Urdu, which kept the British informed of Indian views and
opinions and also tried to make the Indians appreciate the role the British
administration played in the subcontinents progress. In 1874, Sir Syed
established the Muhammedan Anglo Oriental School in Aligarh, and he also
was the founder of the Scientific Society. This society published translations
of many educational texts and issued a bilingual journal in Urdu and English,
which was for the use of all citizens and was jointly operated by the Hindus
and Muslims. Three years later, in 1877, the high school attained the status
of a college. Even the Viceroy of that time, Lord Lytton, came for the
inauguration. This shows the importance of Sir Syeds work and his respect in
the eyes of the British.
In 1869, Sir Syed made a visit to England. He made full use of this
opportunity, and took a tour of the educational institutions over there. When
he returned, he wanted to establish a Muslim Cambridge in India. Thus, the
Muhammedan Anglo Oriental College was formed, which later became the
famous Aligarh University. This university became a focal point for many
educational and political meetings for the Muslim youth, and was
instrumental in bringing about support and spreading awareness for the
creation of Pakistan. In 1886, he also set up the All India Mohammedan
Educational Conference, which held meetings in order to decide on what
course to take and how to keep updating education of the Muslims.
Overall, Sir Syed had an immense role in opening the eyes and minds of the
Muslims to the importance of education, and in showing them that they
could only progress by accepting British methods of education instead of
thinking of it as a conspiracy and turning away from it. If not for Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan, the Muslims would not have been educated in areas like
science, medicine and law, and would have remained backward in these
areas even today.
Sons (of MAO College, later AMU) shall go forth throughout the length and
breadth of the land to preach the message of free inquiry, of large-hearted
toleration and of pure morality. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Political:

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
After the War of Independence, the relationship between the Muslims and the
British had started deteriorating rapidly. Not only that, but the Hindus were
also taking advantage of this and exploited the Muslims, while restoring their
friendship with the British. Looking at the situation then, Sir Syeds main
concern was to show the Britishers that not all the fault was of the Muslims
and they should not be blamed for this, and also to restore relations between
the two communities.
He worked tirelessly to fulfill this purpose, and to rectify the image the British
had of the Muslims as disloyal, untrustworthy and not to be relied upon. In
order to do this, the first step

Sir Syed took was to write the pamphlet, The Causes of the Indian Revolt
or Risalaae Asbaabe-Baghaawat-e-Hind. This pamphlet outlined the many
reasons for the revolt, and showed how all Muslims, Hindus and British were
equally to be blamed for it. While Sir Syed did point out the faults of the
Muslims, he also did not hesitate to highlight the British administration on
their faults (eg: greased cartridge issue, forced conversion of Hindus and
Muslims to Christianity, considering Muslims as inferior beings, Doctrine of
Lapse, etc), even though he himself was part of government service. Sir
Syed approached the situation quite sensibly, and before criticizing the
British, he thanked them for their help in making advancements in fields like
education, technology, etc. But he also made sure that the British
understood the point of view of the Muslims, and so he made sure that the
pamphlet was read not only by the Britishers in the subcontinent, but also
sent it to England after translating it in English. This pamphlet had a
profound effect on the outlook of the British, as even they were perplexed as
to why the revolt took place in the first place. It opened their eyes to the
many things they were doing wrong, and made them realize what the Indian
Muslims thought of them and where should they improve themselves.
Then, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan also wrote another pamphlet, The Loyal
Muhammedans of India, in which he drew the attention of the critics to the
services rendered by the Muslims towards the British men, women and
children. In this, Sir Syed tried to show that the Muslims were only being
taken in a negative light; there positivity and services were not being
considered due to this factor. He also pointed out that Muslims are not
against Christians, and tried to highlight the loyalty and dedication of the
Muslims towards the British.

Most importantly, the Aligarh Movement was a major part of Muslim

revival, and the Muslims came to value education as an esteemed form of
self-improvement and a way to obtain better employment. This also gave a
boost to their confidence, and increased their self-worth. This was primarily
an educational venture, and Sir Syed had two objectives behind its
conception; to remove the state of tension and misunderstanding between
the Muslims and the British government, and to persuade the Muslims to
make use of the opportunities provided to them under the new rule without
deviating from their fundamental faith. Due to this movement, Islamic
institutions were formed, Western Education was promoted, the Muslims
were unified after the War of Independence, and the lives of the Muslims
improved considerably. Urdu was promoted to a high extent, cultural and
literary discourse gained momentum, and education took the topmost
priority in students lives. The Aligarh Movement made the Muslims
understand their position in the political scenario, helped them improve it,
and also proved to be a major platform for the birth of the idea of a separate
country for Muslims.

Others:
Get rid of old and useless rituals. These rituals hinder human progress.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
There were other ways as well, through which Sir Syed aimed to cultivate the
minds and mannerisms of the Muslims and to restore their lost confidence.
He published the magazine Tehzeeb-Ul-Akhlaaq, in which he outlined the
ethical aspects of Muslim life, hygiene issues, educational issues, articles on
societal reforms, etc. In this magazine, he also criticized the conservative
Muslim way of life, and advised them to change with the times and adopt
new trends in life. Orphan houses were also set up by him, so that Muslim
children would not end up going to Christian missionaries for shelter, and
lose their deen in the process. He also set up the Anjuman-e-Taraqqi-eUrdu, so that he could protect the language and preserve it for the coming
generations, while also protecting the identity of the Muslims. In the Ahkame-Taam-e-Ahle-Kitaab, he clarified that it is not against Islam to eat with
Christians at the same table, and thus wiped off many misconceptions from
the minds of the Muslims, which resulted in them being less prejudiced
against the British.
Through such avenues and tireless dedication, Sir Syed tried his utmost to
make life better for the Muslims in the subcontinent, while preserving and
protecting Islam at the same time.

Forerunner for Creation of Pakistan:

We (Hindus and Muslims) eat the same crop, drink water from the same
rivers and breathe the same air. As a matter of fact Hindus and Muslims are
the two eyes of the beautiful bride that is Hindustan. Weakness of any one of
them will spoil the beauty of the bride (dulhan). Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Remember that the words Hindu and Muslim are only meant for religious
distinction: otherwise all persons who reside in this country belong to one
and the same nation.- Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
In the beginning, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was never in favour of or gave the
idea of two separate nations for Muslims and Hindus, which is evidenced by
the quotes given above. He was a great believer of Hindu-Muslim unity, and
did not believe in any religious divisions between people. However, due to
some incidents, Sir Syed was forced to come up with the Two Nation Theory
in order to protect the rights and identity of the Muslims.
The Hindi-Urdu Controversy was the main trigger for the formation of the
Two-Nation Theory. In 1867 the Hindus demanded that Hindi should be made
the next official language in place of Urdu (which had become the official
language in 1825). It was not until after his death that Hindi became the
second language, but the Hindu opposition to Urdu greatly shocked and
disturbed Sir Syed. He was bitterly opposed to this attack on Urdu and
stunned to find that the Hindu members of the Scientific Society wanted the
societys
journal
to
be
published
in
Hindi.
Sir Syeds belief that It seemed that in some areas it was becoming
increasingly difficult for Muslims and Hindus to live in peaceful co-existence.

Also, Sir Syed had always made it clear to the Muslims to stay away from
politics, as they werent educated or well-read enough to take part in it, and
also could give rise to suspicions in the minds of the British of another revolt.
Also, Sir Syed wanted the Muslim youth to concentrate on their education
and not politics, as he considered education to be the true key to success,
and the solution for all problems. So the Muslims quietly stood in the
background, while the administration took all their decisions for them. During
this time, the Indian National Congress was formed, which took up the
responsibility of making the voice of the Indians heard regardless of their
communities/religion, and would act as a bridge between the Indians and the
British. The British saw this body as a means by which they could hear the
views of the educated elite in Indian society. However, it soon became
apparent that the Congress dominated body which was working to establish
Hindu supremacy over the Muslims. Sir Syed knew this for a fact that
Congress was working in the interests of Hindus, and in a way which was
harmful to the Muslim community. This led him to refuse to attend its
meetings, and instead he organised an alternative body, called the United
Patriotic Alliance. In 1893 this became the Muhammaden Defence Alliance.

By this time rivalry between the Hindu and Muslim communities was
increasing and there were several examples of Hindus showing disrespect for
the Muslim religion. In Bombay some Hindu extremists began playing loud
music mosques.
After such cases and experiences, it is no shock as to why Sir Syed would
come up with such an idea. He then pioneered the concept of the Two Nation
Theory, in which he stated that both Hindus and Muslims should be given
different nations, as a peaceful co-existence is not possible anymore. This
would turn out to be the building block for the creation of Pakistan in the
future, and that is why Sir Syed is rightly called, Father of the Pakistan
Movement.
Conclusion:
There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that Sir Syed Ahmed Khan played
an extremely important part in improving the status of the Muslim
community in the subcontinent. Without fearing for his own status or safety
in the eyes of the British, Sir Syed made sure that he did everything he
possibly could to restore the Muslims to their fallen glory. The fact that Sir
Syed is truly the saviour of the persecuted Muslims of the subcontinent is
undeniable. If Sir Syed would not have stood up for the Muslims, recognized
their problems and decide to solve them, Pakistan would probably be but a
distant dream today, with Muslims still being victimized at the hands of the
Hindus and British. Sir Syed is the spring which gave life to the emotionally
and socially dead Muslims of that era. He provided the basis and laid the
foundation for future leaders to come and build on, and he gave the seed of
the idea of a new nation for Muslims, which then germinated into Pakistan
and was fulfilled at the end by the likes of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Liaquat Ali
Khan and Allama Iqbal. Truly, he is the messiah of the helpless Muslims, and
reviver
of
their
dead
hopes
and
dreams.