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PAK STUDIES TERM REPORT

SIR SYED AHMED

KHAN
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
(1817-1898)
pp18th April 2016
The Course lecturer
Principles of Marketing
Institute of Business Management
Korangi Creek,
Karachi.
Dear SIR ADNAN BASHIR,
SUBJECT: TERM REPORT
We feel immense pleasure in presenting to your good self, the term report as
part of our course requirement. We found this report to be truly challenging in
many aspects, indeed very interesting in relation to the various
interpretational and engrossing exercises. Writing this report itself was truly
a comprehensive learning experience.
ROHAIL RASOOL
We have tried our level best to complete the report with respect to the desired
ID: 18874
requirements. However, if any explanation is required, we would be honored
to oblige. Kindly accept this humble effort of bringing forward our research
and findings on the subject matter.

Yours sincerely,

INSTITUE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

4/21/2016
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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

21th April 2016

The Course lecturer
Pakistan Studies
Institute of Business Management
Korangi Creek,
Karachi.
Dear SIR SAHIB KHAN CHANNA,
SUBJECT: TERM REPORT
I feel immense pleasure in presenting to your good self, the term report as
part of our course requirement. I found this report to be truly challenging in
many aspects, indeed very interesting in relation to the various
interpretational and engrossing exercises. Writing this report itself was truly
a comprehensive learning experience.

I have tried my level best to complete the report with respect to the desired
requirements. However, if any explanation is required, I would be honored to
oblige. Kindly accept this humble effort of bringing forward my research and
findings on the subject matter.

Yours sincerely,
Rohail Rasool (18874)
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In the Name of Allah, the most Beneficent and the most Merciful

Firstly, I am grateful to Almighty Allah for His utmost graciousness and help
throughout my work. I bow my head in front of our Lord on the successful
completion of my term report.

I am profoundly indebted to the course faculty, MR. SAHIB KHAN CHANNA,

whose enormous support, mentoring, guiding principles and constructive
disparagement has enabled me to accomplish this task. Without his immense
determination, I would not have been able to complete my term report.

“THANK YOU, SIR”, for your sheer mentoring and enlightening our morals and
intellect for good. I put forward our profound gratefulness for your support and
generosity.

I am also indebted to Institute of Business Management for providing us with an

opportunity to augment our skills and rationale through such projects.

Hopefully, this report will lead to the positive reception and commend for our
hard work.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER

EARLY LIFE 5

CAREER 6

POLITICAL CAREER AND ALL INDIA MUSLIM LEAGUE 7

SIR SYED AND THE INDIAN REVOLT OF 1857 8

HINDI-URDU CONTROVERSY/BIRTH OF TWO NATION THEORY 9

SIR SYED AND IDEOLOGY OF PAKISTAN 10

ALIGARH MOVEMENT 11

MUSLIM-BRITISH RAPPROCHEMENT 12

POLITICAL VIEWPOINT 13

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES OF SIR SYED 14-15

SIR SYED AND THE VISION OF MODERN INDIA 16

SIR SYED AS A MUSLIM REFORMER 17

SIR SYED AND THE ISLAMIC MODERNISM 18

SCHOLARLY WORK 19-20

BELIEFS 21

SIR SYED AHMED KHAN AND MIRZA ASADULLAH KHAN GHALIB 22

LEGACY AND KNIGHTHOOD 23

BIBLIOGRAPGY AND REFERENCE/NOTES 24

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EARLY LIFE
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was born in October 1817 in a respectable family of Delhi which was
the then capital of the Mughal Empire. His family roots are said to have come from Arabia and
then they shifted to the third largest city of Afghanistan which is called Heart, they shifted in
the ruling times of Mughal Emperor Akbar. His maternal grandfather Khawaja Farid-ud-din
served as minister in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar - II. His paternal grandfather named
Syed Hadi who had a high ranking administrative position and syed hadi also had a honorary
name of Jawwad Ali Khan in the court of Emperor Alamgir. Sir Syed's father’s name was Mir
Muhammad Muttaqi who served as personal advisor to Emperor Akbar- II.

However, Syed Ahmad Khan came into this world during a period when the British Empire had
decreased the degree and force of the Mughal state, diminishing its ruler to nonentity. Sir Syed
was brought up in an expensive house in a well off region of the city with his brother Syed
Muhammad. Sir Syed’s mother Aziz-un-Nisa raised Sir Syed Ahmed Khan with strong discipline
with a rigid emphasis on the importance of education. A female tutor taught Sir Syed to read
the Holy Quran. He got his early education from his maternal grandfather Khawaja farid-ud-din.
He received his education in Holy Quran, Persian and Arabic literature, and acquired excellence
in history geography, mathematics and medicine. By the age of 18 he was skilled in Arabic,
Persian, Mathematics and Medicine. He had also been introduced to some of India’s most able
writers and had developed a love for literature. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan also showed keen interest
in sports including swimming and wrestling. He was very interested in Mughal court's cultural
activities.

Sir Syed studied medicine for a couple of years but did not complete the course. Sir Syed until
the death of his father lived a life of a young Muslim noble, However, due to death of his father
in 1837 he was compelled to work, in order to sustain his family, and thus joined East India
Company as a Clerk in 1838, where he was responsible for managing court affairs and record
keeping. He quickly rose from a lowly position in the legal system to become a judge in Delhi in
1846. Sir Syed studied in private on a variety of subjects. He, himself, was bestowed with the
title of Jawa’d-ul-Daula and Arif-e-Jang by Bahadur Shah Zafar II, But he soon realized the
crumbling position of the Mughals and their deviancy from religion, and hence kept at distance
from them.
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CAREER
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan while having sighted the slow fall of Mughal political power decided to
enter the field of English civil services and started attending the East India Company
College from where he succeeded in graduating with a degree in law and judicial services.
Initially he was appointed as a clerk at the courts of law in Agra where he was responsible for
record-keeping and thoroughly managing and taking care of the court affairs.

In 1840, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was promoted to Munishi and rose to become a judge in 1846
and was posted at Delhi. In 1858, he was successful in getting a high-ranking post at the court
in Muradabad, where he started working on his famous literary work. During his stay at Delhi
he wrote his famous book Asar-us-Sanadid, in which he wrote about the famous building in
Delhi. In 1855, he was transferred to Bijnaur where he wrote the history of Bijnaur.

Due to his close relations with high-ranking British officials, Sir Syed got close knowledge about
British colonial politics during his service at the courts. During the Indian revolt on 1857 Sir Syed
was serving his duties as the chief assessment officer at the court of law in Bijnaur. At that
time Northern India became the scene of the most fighting. Large numbers of civilians were
dead due to the conflict. The Centre’s of Muslim power such as Delhi, Agra, Lucknow and
Kanpur were severely affected. Sir Syed was personally affected by the violence and the ending
of the Mughal dynasty. Sir Syed and many other Muslims took this as a defeat of Muslim
society. He lost several close relatives who died in the violence. Although he succeeded in
rescuing his mother from the turmoil, she died in Meerut, owing to the privations she had
experienced.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan established the MAO College which eventually became the Aligarh
Muslim University. He opposed ignorance, superstitions and evil customs prevalent in Indian
Muslim society. He deeply criticized the conservative attitude of the Muslims and firmly
believed that Muslim society would not progress without the acquisition of western education
and science. As time passed, Sir Syed started advocating for strong interfaith relations
between Islam and Christianity.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s elder brother founded the city's first printing press in the Urdu
language along with the journal Sayyad-ul-Akbar. Sir Syed wholeheartedly assumed the
editorship of his brother's journal and rejected offers of employment from the Mughal court.
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POLITICAL CAREER AND ALL INDIA

MUSLIM LEAGUE
In 1878, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was selected to the Viceroy's Legislative Council. Sir Syed Ahmed
Khan affirmed before the education commission to advance the foundation of more universities
and schools across India. Sir Syed around the same time established the Muhammadan
Association to advance political co-operation amongst Indian Muslims from various parts of the
nation. In 1886, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan organized the All India Muhammadan Educational
Conference in Aligarh, which advanced his vision of present day training and political solidarity
for Muslims to new heights. The works of Syed Ahmed Khan made him the most prominent
Muslim lawmaker in the 19th century. Sir Syed bolstered the endeavors of Indian political
pioneer's, for example, Surinder Nath Banerjee and Dada bhai Naoroji to acquire
representation for Indians in the administration and common administrations. In 1883, Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan established the Muhammadan Civil Service Fund Association to energize and
bolster the section of Muslim graduates into the Indian Civil Service. While dreadful of the loss
of Muslim political force owning to the group's backwardness, Sir Syed was also very averse to
the prospect of democratic self-government, which would give control of government to the
Hindu-majority population

Sir Syed said, "At this time our nation is in a bad state in regards education and wealth, but God
has given us the light of religion and the Quran is present for our guidance, which has ordained
them and us to be friends. Now God has made them rulers over us. Therefore we should
cultivate friendship with them, and should adopt that method by which their rule may remain
permanent and firm in India, and may not pass into the hands of the Bengalis... If we join the
political movement of the Bengalis our nation will reap a loss, for we do not want to become
subjects of the Hindus instead of the subjects of the "people of the Book"

All-India Muslim League

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan helped in forming the All India Muslim League is such a way that he
originally founded the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference in 1886 in order to uplift
Western education especially science and literature, among India's Muslims and broaden their
horizons about what changes are happening in the world and how to adapt them for a better
future. The conference, in addition to generating funds for Sir Syed Ahmad Khan's
Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, motivated Muslim elites to propose expansion of
educational uplift elsewhere, known as the Aligarh Movement. In turn this new awareness of
Muslim needs helped stimulate a political consciousness among Muslim elites that went on to
form the All India Muslim League.
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SIR SYED AND THE INDIAN REVOLT OF 1857

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan supported the British amid the 1857 uprising, a part which has been
condemned by a few patriots. In 1859 Sir Syed published the booklet Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind
(The Causes of the Indian Revolt) in which he concentrated on the reasons for the Indian
rebellion. In this, his most acclaimed work, he dismisses the normal idea that the intrigue was
arranged by Muslim elites, who were shaky at the decreasing impact of Muslim rulers. He
faulted the British East India Company for its forceful extension and additionally the lack of
awareness of British lawmakers with respect to Indian society. Sir Syed exhorted the British to
choose Muslims to assist in administration, to forestall what he called "haramzadgi" (an
indecent deed, for example, such as the mutiny.

As soon as Sir Syed Ahmed Khan reached Muradabad he started to write the pamphlet entitled
The Causes of the Indian Revolt (Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind), in which he did his best to clear
the general population of India, and particularly the Muslims of the charge of Mutiny. In spite of
the obvious danger, Regardless of the undeniable threat, he made a gallant and careful report
of the allegations individuals were making against the Government and denied the theory
which the British had designed to clarify the reasons for the Mutiny.

Later, Sir Syed received an invitation to go to Lord Canning's durbar in Farrukhabad and
happened to meet the foreign secretary there. He told Sir Syed that he was disappointed with
the handout and included that if he had really had the government's interests at heart, he
would not have made his opinion known in this way throughout the country; he would have
communicated it directly to the government. Sir Syed answered that he had just had 500
duplicates printed, the greater part of which he had sent to England, one had been given to the
administration of India, and the remaining duplicates were still in his ownership. Besides, he
had the receipt to demonstrate it. He knew, he included, that the perspective of the rulers had
been twisted by the anxiety and nerves of the times, which made it hard to put even the most
direct issue in its right point of view. It was thus that he had not imparted his musings freely. He
guaranteed that for each duplicate that could be discovered flowing in India he would by and by
pay 1,000 rupees. At initially, Beadon was not persuaded and asked Sir Syed again and again on
the off chance that he was certain that no other duplicate had been dispersed in India. Sir Syed
consoled him on this matter, and Beadon never said it again. Later he got to be one of Sir Syed's
most grounded supporters.

Numerous official translations were made of the Urdu content of The Causes of the Indian
Revolt. However no version was offered to the public.
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HINDI-URDU CONTROVERSY/BIRTH OF
TWO NATION THEORY
The amalgamation of Arabic, Persian and Turkish gave birth to a new kind of language called
Urdu that adapted Persian script instead of Deva Nagiri. Majority of Muslims spoke Urdu and
Majority of Hindus spoke Hindi in the North-Western Province. Urdu was introduced by the East
India Trade company as the official/court language in the North-Western Provinces which
aroused Hindu antagonism. Therefore Hindi-Urdu controversy in true sense of the term began
in 1867.

Several Hindi movements were formed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century;
notable among them were Nagari Pracharini Sabha formed in Banaras in 1893, Hindi Sahitya
Sammelan in Allahabad in 1910, Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha in 1918 and Rashtra
Bhasha Prachar Samiti in 1926. The development was energized in 1881 when Hindi in
Devanagari script supplanted Urdu in Persian script as the official dialect in neighboring Bihar.
They submitted 118 dedications marked by 67,000 individuals to the Education Commission in a
few cities. The advocates of Hindi contended that the greater part of individuals communicated
in Hindi and along these lines presentation of Nagari script would better enhance prospects for
holding Government positions. They additionally contended that Urdu script made court
records indecipherable, supported fabrication and advanced the utilization of complex Arabic
and Persian words. Associations, for example, Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu were shaped for the
backing of Urdu. Advocates of Urdu contended that Hindi scripts couldn't be composed quicker,
and needed institutionalization and vocabulary. They likewise contended that the Urdu dialect
began in India, attested that Urdu could likewise be talked smoothly by the vast majority of the
general population and questioned the statement that official status of dialect and script is
fundamental for the spread of education

Communal violence broke out as the issue was taken up by firebrands. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
once stated, "I look to both Hindus and Muslims with the same eyes & consider them as two
eyes of a bride. By the word nation I only mean Hindus and Muslims and nothing else. We
Hindus and Muslims live together under the same soil under the same government. Our
interest and problems are common and therefore I consider the two factions as one nation."

Speaking to Mr. Shakespeare, governor of Banaras, after the language controversy heated up,
he said "I am now convinced that the Hindus and Muslims could never become one nation as
their religion and way of life was quite different from one and other." He expressed his views
about Hindus and Muslims as two separate nations, the birth of famous Two Nation Theory.
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SIR SYED AND IDEOLOGY OF PAKISTAN

Ideology of Pakistan
The Ideology of Pakistan reflects the way of thinking of the Muslims of the south-Asian
subcontinent that led to the emergence of Pakistan in 1947. Pakistan Ideology is mainly based
on the conviction that:
(a) The Muslims are a separate nation having their own culture, civilization, customs, literature
and way of life
(b) The Muslims should live in a state where they are free to live according to the teachings of
Islam and Quranic laws
(c) The minorities be given full given full protection and treated as equal citizens within the
framework of Muslim Shariah.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Pakistan Ideology

Pakistan was founded on the Two-Nation Theory which meant that Hindus and Muslims were
two different nations whose understanding of life was quite different from each other. Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan, pioneer of the famous Two Nation Theory used the word Two Nations for the
Hindus and Muslims when he was convinced of the Hindu hatred and prejudice towards
Muslims. This was evident from the Hindi-Urdu Controversy that began in the year eighteen
hundred and sixty seven, when the Hindus agitated against Urdu and demanded its
replacement with Hindi, with Deva Nagiri script, as an official court language.

The event of Hindi-Urdu controversy convinced Sir Syed Ahmed Khan that the Hindus would
never be friendly with the Muslims.

Thus the anti-Urdu stance by the Hindus of the subcontinent strengthened the Muslim Belief in
the Two-Nation Theory, which later on came to be the crowning factor in the Muslim Struggle
for a separate homeland for the Muslims. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, of course, could not visualize a
separate homeland for the muslims in India but surely he was the forerunner of the Two-Nation
Idea.

His contribution to the ideology of Pakistan is, therefore, unique. To be accurate, he was really
the first architect of the ideal of Two-Nation

Pakistanis, therefore, rightly claim him as one of the founders of their country.
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ALIGARH MOVEMENT
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan launched the Aligarh Movement. The Aligarh Movement had its significant
impact on the Indian society, especially on the Muslim society contrasted with the other
intense yet less versatile developments of nineteenth century. It also affected a number of
other contemporary movements to such a huge extent that it brought the rise of other socio-
religious movements during nineteenth century. The significant impact of Aligarh Movement
was not restricted to the Northern India only but its spread could be seen on the other various
regions of the Indian sub-continent during twentieth century.

The movement of Muslim awakening connected with Syed Ahmad Khan and M.A.O. School
came to be known as Aligarh Movement.

The Aligarh Movement was the drive for advanced Muslim education made a profound and
enduring commitment to the political liberation of Indian Muslims.

The movement was political in nature from the very beginning. The Deoband School of Thought
was opposed to the movement as Aligarh Movement was Pro British.

In 1886 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference in
order to promote more broadly the educational objectives of Aligarh Movement. The Aligarh
Movement introduced a new trend in Urdu literature. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and his association
left the old style of writing in the Urdu language, which was rhetorical and academic, and
started a simple style which helped Muslims to understand the main purpose of the movement.
Aligarh Muslim University is the creation of the movement.

Keeping education and social reform as the two planks of his program, he launched the Aligarh
Movement with the following objectives:

1 - To create mutual understanding between the British government and the Muslims.
2 - To persuade Muslims to learn English education.
3 - To persuade Muslims to abstain from politics of agitation.
4 - To produce an intellectual class from amongst the Muslim community.
5 - To bring a social and cultural reform amongst the Muslim community.
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MUSLIM-BRITISH RAPPROCHEMENT
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was convinced that the position of the Muslims in the subcontinent could
only be improved if relations with the British were improved and if Muslims gained higher
quality modern education. He was not against the teachings of the Holy Quran. But the obstacle
to good relations between the British and the Muslims was that the British had put the whole
obligation regarding the War of Independence in 1857 on the Muslims. Subsequently they had
carried out policies of repression against the Muslims after 1857. The Hindus and different
religious gatherings were thought to be loyal and arranged to help with administering India, yet
the Muslims were seen as insubordinate and unhelpful by the British.

In the year 1860, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wrote The Loyal Muhammadans of India. In this work he
shielded the Muslims from the British allegation that they were traitorous. He gave a point by
point record of the unwavering administration which Muslims had given and named different
Muslims who had demonstrated specific loyalty to the British. In the meantime he approached
the British to end their threatening vibe towards the Muslim group.

With a specific end goal to persuade the British that they weren't right to put the full fault for
the occasions of 1857 on the Muslims, Sir Syed wrote a pamphlet called 'Essay on the causes of
the Indian Revolt'. In his writing he pointed out the main reasons for the uprising were:

1. The absence of representation for Indian legislature of the country.

2. The persuasive change of Muslims to Christianity
3. The poor administration of the Indian armed force

He additionally recorded numerous different measures taken by the British which made
disappointment and prompted disdain among the Muslim group.

This pamphlet was flowed free amongst the British authorities in India and was also sent to
members of Parliament in England. Indeed, even members of the Royal family got copies of the
pamphlet. Some British authorities were maddened by what Sir Syed wrote as he was by all
accounts pointing the finger at them for the uprising. Others read what he wrote with
sympathy and acknowledged that there was truth in his words .Sir Syed likewise attempted to
clear up a misconception amongst the British who detested being called "Nadarath" by the
Muslims. The British imagined this was an insult, but Sir Syed pointed out that the word
originated from "Nasir", an Arabic word meaning helper. So the term was an impression of the
positive picture Muslims had of British, not an affront.
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POLITICAL VIEWPOINT
Keeping in view Sir Syed’s religio-educational policy, one can easily visualize his political
outlook. From 1858 to 1867, he devoted himself to bring about a political rapprochement
between the rulers and the ruled. During this period, he presented himself as a staunch patriot
who considered all those who lived in India as one nation and a was a great advocate of Hindu-
Muslim Unity,

In May 1866, he called a meeting of eminent residents of Aligarh for the establishment of an
association to bring to the notice of the British Government the feelings of the people of the
people with regard to laws and regulations enforced by the British administration in India. The
suggestion was accepted and the ‘British Indian Association’, Aligarh, was formed in 1866 with
Raja Jaikishindas as President and Sir Syed as Secretary. It was perhaps the first joint Hindu-
Muslim organization that envisaged the development of a common outlook towards Indian
Problems and towards the relations of people with their rulers. It can, therefore, be called the
forerunner of the All-India National Congress. However the organization flourished only for a
year.

Sir Syed’s advice to the Muslims to remain away from the Politics, in general, and from the
Indian National Congress, in particular, was a clear indication the he regarded it harmful for the
Muslims and wanted them to keep them consciously away from both organizing themselves
politically or taking part in the activities of the All India National Congress. Thus, Sir Syed was
averse to the idea of participation by the Muslims in any organized political activity which, he
feared, might revive British hostility towards them.

In Sir Syed’s opinion, the Muslims had already been crushed in 1857, he therefore prohibited
them to such organizations which might make them, again, a suspect in the eyes of the
government.

He was defensive in politics only to save the skin of Muslims lest they should indulge again in
any of the revolutionary activities against the government, being led or mislead by any of the
groups of the Muslims or non-Muslims.

Sir Syed therefore declined to support the ‘Central National Muhammadan Association’.

In 1888, Sir Syed organized the Patriotic Association which did a lot to convince the British that
Congress was not a national body.
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EDUCATIONAL SERVICES OF SIR SYED

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was also a zealous educationist. His educational services are as follows:

In 1859, he opened a school at Muradabd where Persian (and, perhaps, some acquaintance
with English) was taught.

In 1863, he established another school at Ghazipur that included English as a regular subject in
its curriculum.

In 1864, he founded in Ghazipur a ‘Translation Society’ which was later on moved to Aligarh and
named as ‘Scientific Society’. The chief objective of this society was to get Standard English
works translated in Urdu so as to make it possible for the Muslims to get acquainted with the
latest developments of Western Thought and Western Discoveries. The Society was also to
serve as a platform where Indians and Englishmen could meet and talk over subjects of
common interest.

On 1 April 1869 he went, alongside his son Syed Mahmood to England, where he was awarded
the Order of the Star of India from the British government on Sixth of August. Bridging England,
he went to its schools and was motivated and inspired by the culture of learning. Sir Syed was
very much inspired by the British Education System and when he came back to India in the next
year, set up his mind to set up an educational institutional in India based on the pattern of
Oxford and Cambridge universities

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan on 26th December 1870, organized the "Committee for the Better
Diffusion and Advancement of Learning among Muhammadans. It was soon after his return
from England.

In 1873, the committee under Sir Syed Ahmed Khan issued recommendations for the
construction of a college in Aligarh. Sir Syed started distributing the Tahzib al-Akhlaq (Social
Reformer) to spread mindfulness and learning on cutting edge science subjects and advance
changes in Muslim society. He contended in a few books on Islam that the Qur'an laid on a
valuation for reason and characteristic law, making experimental request vital to being a decent
Muslim. In May 1875, Sir Syed opened the M.A.O School in Aligarh and, getting support from
rich Muslims and the British, established the framework stone of the Muhammadan Anglo-
Oriental College on 24 May 1875. Nonetheless, inside under two years, i.e. in 1877, the School
was overhauled by Lord Lytton, the then Governor-General and emissary of India.
 P a g e | 15

With the establishment of M.A.O College, Aligarh became the centre of Muslim social, cultural
and educational activities. Here Muslim social, cultural and educational activities

In 1920, the M.A.O College was transformed into a university.

In 1886, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan founded the ‘Muhammadan Educational Conference’ to promote
the cause of education among the Muslims, which flourished till his death in 1898 and the work
left incomplete by him was completed by his successors. Some very imminent leaders and
scholars like Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk, Nawab Viqar-ul- Mulk, Moulana Shibli Naomani and
Moulana Altaf Hussain Hali were associated with this conference and inspired the people with
their spiritual, academic and political acumen and insight.

Sir Syed Ahmed khan’s work received great encouragement from the British.
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SIR SYED AND THE VISION OF MODERN

INDIA
History of social and educational changes in Indian sub-continent can’t be finished without Sir
Syed Ahmed Khan. He is one of the immense mastermind, logician and progressives who had
devoted his complete life for his country and particularly for his group. 19th century was a hard
time for the country of India and particularly for Muslims in the outcome of 1857 rebellion
against British imperialism. Sir Syed attempted and persuaded Indian Muslim. Sir Syed emerged
conspicuously as a dynamic power set against conservatism, superstitions, latency and lack of
awareness in the history of India’s transition from medievalism to modernism. He contributed a
hefty portion of the vital components to the improvement of current India and made path for
the development of a solid investigative state of mind of brain which is an essential condition
for advancement, both material and scholarly.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan said : After the Revolt of 1857, I was lamented neither by virtue of the
loot of my home nor by virtue of the loss of property that I had endured. What disheartened
me the most was the destruction of individual people. When Mr. Shakespeare offered to me
the Taluqa of Jehanabad, which initially had a place with a recognized Syed family, and yielded
a yearly rental of more than a lac rupees, as a prize of my administrations, my heart was
profoundly stung. I said to myself, by what means would I be able to acknowledge this jagir and
turn into the Taluqdar while every one of the general population are in trouble. I declined to
accept it.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was a great champion of Hindu-Muslim Unity. While addressing a big
group of people at Gurudaspur on January twenty seven, eighteen hundred and eighty four, He
said: “ Hindus and Muslims ! Do you belong to a country other than India ? Don’t you live on
this soil and are you not buried under it or cremated on its Ghats ? If you live and die on this
land, then bear in mind, that Hindus and Muslims is but a religious word; all the Hindus,
Muslims and Christians who live in this country are one nation.”
 P a g e | 17

SIR SYED AS A MUSLIM REFORMER

Through the 1850s, Syed Ahmed Khan started building up a solid enthusiasm for education.
While seeking after investigations of various subjects including European [jurisprudence], Sir
Syed started to understand the upsides of Western-style education, which was being offered at
recently settled universities across India. In spite of being an ardent Muslim, Sir Syed
condemned the impact of customary authoritative opinion and religious orthodoxy, which had
made most Indian Muslims suspicious of British influences. Sir Syed started feeling
progressively worried for the eventual fate of Muslim communities. Sir Syed had been raised in
the finest conventions of Muslim elite culture and knew about the consistent decrease of
Muslim political power across India. The enmity between the British and Muslims prior and
then afterward the rebellion (Independence War) of 1857 undermined to underestimate
Muslim groups across India for many generations.

Sir Syed heightened his work to advance co-operation with British powers, elevating dedication
to the Empire amongst Indian Muslims. Focused on working for the uplifting and betterment of
Muslims, Sir Syed established an advanced madrassa in Muradabad in 1859; this was one of the
principal religious schools to give scientific education. Sir Syed also worked on social causes,
sorting out help for the starvation struck individuals of North-West Province in 1860. He set up
another modern school in Ghazipur in 1863.

Sir Syed gathered Muslim researchers from various parts of the nation. The Society held yearly
meetings, disbursed good funds for educational and instructive causes and consistently
published a journal on scientific and exploratory subjects in English and Urdu.

Sir Syed felt that the socio-economic eventual fate of Muslims was undermined by their
customary antipathies for cutting edge science and technology. He published and distributed
numerous works promoting liberal, rational and sane translations of Islamic sacred writings.
Nonetheless, his perspective of Islam was rejected by Muslim clergy as in opposition to
customary perspectives on issues like jihad, polygamy and animal slaughtering. Clerics of the
Deobandi and Wahhabi school of thoughts condemned him cruelly as a kafir. In face of
immense pressure from religious Muslims, Sir Syed Ahmed khan abstained from talking about
religious subjects in his works, centering rather on promoting education.
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SIR SYED AND THE ISLAMIC

MODERNISM
Islamic modernism
Islamic modernism in the Indian Subcontinent in the nineteenth century is a straightforward
continuation of the Islamic reformists movements carried out by the reformists, for example,
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Shah Walliullah of Delhi. In the pre-modernist change movements,
accentuation was put more towards the positive issues of the general public, in political. The
move from pre-modernist pattern to modernism was set apart by its positive methodology of
Islamic change in the social substance of Islam. The great pioneer scholars like Sir Syed Ahmed
Khan and Syed Amir Ali have drawn closer the issue of the relationship in the middle of
confidence and reason in Islamic Philosophico-theological thinking with another scientific
standpoint which was then developing and overwhelmingly asserting for acknowledgment.

Modernist Outlook of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was the principal vital modernist among the Indian Muslims. Shah
Waliullah affected Sir Syed Ahmed's essential motivation of theoretical thought. He
acknowledged Shah Waliullah's key teachings of Ijtihad yet neglected to decide plainly its limit.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan said, "It is my obligation to shield as much as I can the religion of Islam,
right or wrong, and to uncover to the general population, the original bright face of Islam"

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan unequivocally announced that this work was particularly expected for the
utilization of those Muhammadan young people who are seeking after their English studies.
Sayid Ahmed Khan's most noticeable theory is his proposition to test the religious truths by
science. As indicated by him, disclosure and nature both has originated from the same source,
i.e., God. In this way, these two must be steady and can be confirmed by each other,
particularly religion by science.
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SCHOLARLY WORKS
While proceeding to do the job as a junior clerk, Sir Syed started focusing on writing, from the
age of twenty three, on various subjects from mechanics to educational issues, mainly in Urdu,
where he wrote, at least, six thousand pages. His career as an author began when he published
a series of essays in Urdu on religious subjects in eighteen hundred and forty two. Throughout
his life Syed Ahmad always found time for literary and scholarly interests. The scope of his
literary and scholarly interests was very wide: history, politics, archaeology, journalism,
literature, religion and science.

The scope of his major writings is indeed amazing, majority are listed as follows:

In 1842, he completed the Jila-ul-Qulub bi Zikr-il Mahbuband the Tuhfa-i-Hasan, focused on

religious and cultural subjects.

In 1844, he completed the Tahsil fi jar-i-Saqil, focused on religious and cultural subjects.

In 1847, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wrote his famous book Asar-us-Sanadid (Antiquities of Delhi). In
this book he wrote about the famous buildings and places in and around Delhi, which earned
him the reputation of a cultured scholar

In 1852, he published the two works Namiqa dar bayan masala tasawwur-i-Shaikh and Silsilat
ul-Mulk.

In 1854, He released the second edition of Ansar-as-sanadid

During the Revolt of 1857, Sir Syed was working in Bijnaur and he wrote the History of Bijnaur.

In 1858, he wrote a pamphlet known as Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (Essays on the causes of the

Indian Revolt, English translation in 1860), in which he endeavoured to prove that the revolt
was not a planned affair, and that the muslims share in it was not greater than that of the
Hindus. The Asbab was not published until many years after the war of Independence of 1857.
All its printed copies were retained by the author himself except the one sent to the
government of India at Calcutta, were dispatched to the members of the British Parliament.

Sir Syed commenced the publication of a series of pamphlets entitled The Loyal Mohammadans
of India, in which the faithful services of Muslims to the cause of the British government were
recorded
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Sir Syed also wrote a commentary on the Bible Known as Tabaeen-ul-Kalam, wherein he
pointed the similarities between Islam and Christianity. The chief objective was to bring out
points on which genuine Islam and Christianity agree.

In 1868, Sir Syed produced a documented pamphlet, Risalah Ahkam-i-Ta’am-i-Ahl-i-Kitab, in

which the Islamic principles and etiquettes of eating a dining was discussed.

Upon his return for England, Sir Syed published his famous journal Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq in which he
criticized the conservative attitude of Muslims and urged them to adapt new trends of life.

Sir Syed wrote a voluminous treatise, Khutbat-i-Ahmadiya [Essays on the life of Prophet
Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)], he wrote it to counter the allegations levelled against the
Holy Prophet by Sir William Muir in his book, [The life of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon
Him)],

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan also introduced, edited, and published the Aligarh Institute Gazette which
was the first multilingual journal of India and it was widely read across the country.
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BELIEFS
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan from the start kept a watchful eye on slow decline of the Mughal Empire.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan took several steps for the revival of prestige and betterment of Muslims
in the subcontinent. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in his famous journal Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq criticized the
conservative attitude of Muslims and urged them to adapt new trends of life. He urged them to
receive education because he believed that would help in changing in current worse conditions,
Muslims were severely lacking knowledge in western sciences and other western discoveries
while on the other hand the conditions of Hindus of the subcontinent was a hundred times
better than Muslims of the subcontinent because Hindus were so much advanced in receiving
western knowledge, they had knowledge about new western discoveries and western sciences.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was the firm believer of the fact that education can play a very important
role in changing the future of a Nation and it can unite them against all the enemy forces and
lead them towards a better social, religious and economical future.

Consequently, orthodox religious leaders were strongly preaching against the encroachment of
the western culture and the learning of western languages and sciences because they
considered it inferior to traditional Islamic education, these religious scholars thought that
western modern education is infused with Christianity and it might corrupt their religious
beliefs.
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SIR SYED AHMED KHAN AND MIRZA

ASADULLAH KHAN GHALIB
In the year eighteen hundred and fifty five, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan completed his highly scholarly,
very well researched and delineated version of Abul Fazl's Ai'n-e Akbari, itself an remarkably
difficult book. Having completed the work agreeable to him, and trusting that Mirza Asadullah
Khan Ghalib was a man who might value his works, Syed Ahmad drew nearer the colossal
Ghalib to write a taqriz (in the tradition of the times, a commendatory foreword) for it. Ghalib
obliged, yet what he produced was a short Persian sonnet censuring the Ai'n-e Akbari, and by
suggestion, the magnificent, extravagant, proficient and learned Mughal society of which it was
a product. The minimum that could be said against it was that the book had little esteem even
as an old fashioned record. Ghalib basically condemned Syed Ahmad Khan for squandering his
abilities and time on dead things. More regrettable, he applauded sky-high the "sahibs of
England" who around then held all the keys to all the a'ins in this world.

Other than keeping on composing and interpreting his own particular work on Islam, society,
writing and history, he established and empowered new developments in differing fields – from
pure artistic writing in Urdu to the presentation of surgical social change among the Muslims of
the Subcontinent.

The Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College, which later turned into the Aligarh Muslim
University, was not only an organization established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. It was an image
of another awakening and making of a dynamic development for Muslims over the length and
broadness of India to get modern education. The societies that Sir Syed established for
advancing science, the magazines he edited and the journals he composed affected society in
most unprecedented ways.

If there were no Sir Syed, there would have been no Muhammed Hussain Azad writing Aab-e-
Hayat, no Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali composing Madd-o-Jazr-e-Islam, no Shibli Nomani writing
Seerat-un-Nabi and Al-Farooq and no Nazeer Ahmed composing reformist fiction. There would
have been no Allama Muhammad Iqbal and no Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
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LEGACY AND KNIGHTHOOD

Legacy
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan spent the last twenty years of his life in Aligarh, viewed generally as the
guide of nineteenth-and twentieth century Muslim business visionaries and government
officials.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan called upon Muslims to steadfastly serve the British Empire. He reproved
patriot associations, for example, the Indian Congress for giving just token representation to
the Indian Muslim group. Sir Syed advanced the appropriation of Urdu as the most widely used
language of every Indian Muslim, and guided a rising era of Muslim legislators and business
people. Before the Hindi–Urdu contention, he was keen on the education of both Muslims and
Hindus, and envisioned India as a "beautiful bride, whose one eye was Hindu and, the other,
Muslim", As an aftereffect of this perspective, he was viewed as a reformer and patriot pioneer.

He remained the most compelling Muslim government official in India, with his suppositions
managing the feelings of an expansive larger part of Muslims. Fighting sicknesses and old age,
Sir Syed left this mortal world on twenty seventh March Eighteen Hundred Ninety Eight. The
funeral of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was attended by thousands of students, Muslim leaders, elites
and the British officials. Sir Syed is generally honored across South Asia as an incredible Muslim
reformer and visionary. At the same time, Sir Syed looked to politically associate Muslims to the
British government. An admitted supporter of the British Empire, Sir Syed was nominated as a
member of the Civil Service Commission in 1887 by Lord Dufferin. In 1888, he founded the
United Patriotic Association at Aligarh to advance political co-operation with the British and
Muslim interest in the administration.

Knighthood
Syed Ahmed Khan was knighted by the British government in 1888 and was honored Knight
Commander of the order of Star of India for his reliability and loyalty to the British crown,
through his enrollment of the Imperial Legislative Council and in 1889 he got a LL.D. honoris
causa from the Edinburgh University.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Altaf Hussain Hali, Hayat-i-Jawed, First edition.

REFERENCES/NOTES
Altaf Hussain Hali, "Syed Ahmad Khan." Wikipedia. Wikimedia
Foundation, 01 Jan. 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ahmad_Khan
Altaf Hussain Hali, Hayat-i-Jawed, First edition.