Aftermath the revolt of 1857 produced ripples in an otherwise stagnant Indian society.

The
crosscurrents were felt across communities, cultures and religions. The policy of radical interfering
into the matters of natives was forsaken. Earlier liberal policies in fields of education, religious
reforms; coupled with native zeal for reform were instrumental in producing a distinct
consciousness among the majority Hindus. Though there were piecemeal reforms, among Muslims
also, these were more concentrated on the theological understanding of Islam. Yet, there was Sir
Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-1898) and his Aligarh project, which became the beacon of reform for
the largest minority in India. The new associational politics around the Aligarh provided the
platform for the Muslim voice. Still, the Muslim voice was not homogeneous, and there were
different contending voices which represented different voices among different sections of
Muslims. The creation of Muslim league in 1907 provided another milestone in this regard. Indian
National Congress also tried to accommodate the rising Muslim aspirations; Lucknow Pact in 1916
was a symbol of such accommodation. However, the unity established in Lucknow could not live
very long. The Fissures started just after the Gandhian Non-Cooperation movement in 1920.
During this period Aga Khan played a pivotal role in shaping the Muslim public opinion and
politics. His endeavors were wide-ranging from education to philanthropy to politics. His life was
an example of a golden life lived for a cause- for the Muslims of Indian subcontinent. Through
this paper, I seek to explore his role in shaping the Muslim political consciousness from the
formation of Muslim League in 1906 to Lucknow pact in 1916.