ASSIGNMENT # 2

PRINT MEDIA

GROUP MEMBERS: Syeda Rida Fatima (F20BAMS045)

Amber Mehfoz (F20BAMS052)

Eman Razzaq (F20BAMS051)

Khadija Mujahid (F20BAMS011)

SECTION: A

MAJOR: Media Studies

SESSION: 2020 - 2024

INSTRUCTOR NAME: Komal Ahmed

SUBMISSION DATE: 26th April, 2021

KINNAIRD COLLEGE FOR WOMEN

 ROLE OF SIR SYED AHMED KHAN IN PRINT
MEDIA

INTRODUCTION:

Eventual defeat of the War of Independence in 1857,

Muslim conditions had deteriorated significantly. The
rivalry between the two cultures had raised mistrust.
The Muslims feared the English, and the English feared
the Muslims. The English decided to eliminate the
Muslims' influence so that they wouldn't trouble them. Under the conditions, they needed a time
server, a genuine and steadfast person who could alert them to the needs of the time and adjust
the Muslims' condition in accordance with the new situation.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan assumed command of the situation. First and foremost, he believed that
Muslim's innocence should be shown to the English. Foremost, he believed the English should be
convinced of Muslim's innocence. Since the English is wary of Muslims. The English should be
educated about their misguided practises. As a result, he penned a treatise titled "The Causes of
the Indian Mutiny."

He demonstrated that not only Muslims but also Hindus were involved. He also told the English
that the Muslims hated the English because they had once ruled them. They were therefore
stripped of some amenities as a result of the government's departure. Sir Syed wished for
Muslims to be trained in modern sciences. He attracted Muslims' attention to a variety of topics,
but he focused on modern journalism the most.

Beginning of Sir Syed’s work as a journalist:

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was a scholar and educator who also worked as a journalist. Sir Syed was
a man of many talents. He was trying to do a lot of stuff at once, as he was overflowing with
reformative zeal. He left his mark in every domain of his endeavors, but his biographers and
commentators have stalled behind and have been reluctant to do justice to any of his
accomplishments. They have struggled to clarify the importance of his influence, at least in
regards to his journalism, to our satisfaction. Sir Syed's reforming activities began with the
Scientific Society, which was his brainchild. One could say that the foundation of this
civilization ushered in an era of prose and reason in Urdu. The translations demonstrate that
Urdu was adapting to Western ideas and feelings. And new ways of speech arose as a result of
this activity.

The Tahzib-i-Akhlaq
The “Scientific Society” was a paper that was political, spiritual, and Solat neu. It was not only
for Muslims, but for all Indians as well. Sir Syed's movement was created specifically for
Muslims. He believed that it was critical for the nation's perspective to be molded into the new
political mound. They needed to be liberated from the bonds of slavery and taught about
democracy. He published the magazine "The Tahzib-i-Akhlaq" for this reason. The magazine
printed articles whose main purpose was to shift the opinion of the government. On December
24, 1890, the first issue was issued. The English name was "The Muhammadan Social
Reformer," and it was only written in Urdu. It was twelve pages long, with two columns on each
page. The whole topic was written on a very fine page. Generally it was printed thrice a month in
the first edition Sir Sved wrote under the heading “Its purpose is to convince the Indian Muslim
to adopt! The highly polished civilization so that they could be counted sophisticated among the
respectable nations of the world. He stressed that for the Muslim, faith and culture were
paramount and predominated above all else. He also wanted religion to be put to the test. After
six years and seven months, this publication was finally shut down.

The Effects of “The Tahzib-i-Akhlaq”

 Sir Syed backed the Muslim's stumbling boats.

 Islamic schools have been founded throughout the world.
 The majority of the people spoke English.
 The Muslin learned about their forefathers' accomplishments, which instilled in them a
desire to progress.
  The doubts and suspicions engendered by European writers' writings were dispelled.
 Muslims' stereotypes have dissipated. They cultivated the mindset of relying on their own
resources.
 It instilled in Muslims a sense of Islamic nationality.
 Urdu literature underwent a revolution, and poetry took on a different path as a result.
 Religion was the subject of the posts, which were written in a concise and straightforward
manner.

Sir Syed's Contribution at Aligarh College, according to

Khalida Adeeba Khanum
“If we look at Sir Syed from every perspective, we can see that he was universal. He was like a
stone in India's stagnant water. Sir Syed warned the Muslims that battling the English would not
result in victory, but rather destruction. To secure their life, they should level the playing field
when it comes to acknowledging them in all fields.”

Urdu Literature Has Undergone a Revolution.

Sir Syed brought about a great revolution in Urdu literature by way of his forceful writings to
make his points more understandable, he used plain words. His campaign had a lot of clout. Sir
Syed thoroughly understood the mindset of Hindus in 1857. He aimed literature at the literati in
order to lift the Muslims out of their disappointment and discontent. He attempted and succeeded
in changing the lives of Muslims through literature. He used a basic, rather than rhythmical,
medium to express himself. He preferred rationalism-based subjects. He started writing about
modern inventions and morality.

He made Muslims aware of their own mortality.

Sir Syed and the magazines he wrote made Muslims more aware of their lives. After the defeat
of the Independence War in 1857, the Muslims turned their backs on education. They despised
the English system of slavery. He encouraged Muslims to squabble with the English in order to
gain social standing. Furthermore, he compelled them to research modern sciences.

Urdu Political Journalism is introduced.

Before Sir Syed, there was no political journalism. Local newspapers were outlawed outright.
The newspapers of the time reported on the monarch and changes in the climate. Sir Syed was
the first journalist to include politics in his publications. He opposed the government in an
outstanding way.

SIR SYED AHMED KHAN AND URDU JOURNALISM:

During the rule of the East India Company, the institution of Akbar Navees grew in importance
in India, and it served as a sort of feedback system for company directors, as some company
employees used to communicate their grievances through that system. William Bolts (1739-
1808), an Amsterdam-born trader living in Calcutta (now Kolkata), was one of them, suspicious
of the company's policies and directors. He is also known in the Indo-Pak subcontinent's
journalism history as the person who attempted to suppress India's "first-ever printed
newspaper," according to Ateeq Siddiqi. Bolts advertised that someone interested in learning
about the country's public affairs and problems might come to his house and read the news and
facts he had written down.

However, his viewpoints were disapproved of, and he was ordered to leave India and return to
Europe by the company. He left India but did not give up, and in 1772 he published a book
called "Considerations on India Affairs" from England. The 500-page, two-volume book
exposed the East India Company's and its directors' "wrongdoings," especially their policies to
exploit Bengal. The book is regarded as a valuable resource for academic research on Bengal's
history and the East India Company.

Bolt's expulsion served as a deterrent to others, and print media in India was effectively
suffocated. However, on January 29, 1780, an Irishman named James Augustus Hicky published
the English weekly Bengal Gazette from Calcutta. It was also known as Hicky's Bengal Gazette
and was India's first printed newspaper. It was also known as the Calcutta General Advertiser,
according to Ateeq Siddiqi. Hicky, on the other hand, criticised the company and expressed the
opinion on Warren Hastings' personal life. As a result, Hicky was jailed, and his press was
eventually captured.

Print journalism, on the other hand, had arrived in India to stay, and a variety of newspapers
started publishing in the following years. India Gazette (1784), Calcutta Gazette (1785), Madras
Courier (1785), Calcutta Chronicle (1786), Bombay Herald (1789), and Madras Gazette (1789)
were among them (1796). However, these were English-language newspapers, and the first
vernacular newspaper was the Bengal Gazette, which was published in Bengali in 1816.

Mirat-ul-akhbaar, the first Persian newspaper published in India, was founded by Raja Ram
Mohan Roy on April 20, 1822. In 1822, the first Gujarati-language newspaper, Bombay
Samachar, was published. Udant martand, or the rising sun, was the first Hindi newspaper,
published from Calcutta in May 1826.The first Tamil-language newspaper, Tamil Magazine, was
published in 1831, and a Malayalam-language newspaper was published in 1840.

The first Urdu-language newspaper was Jam-i-jahan numa. Its first editor was Munshi Sada Sukh
Mirzapuri. It was a weekly, later on, it started publishing a Persian supplement. Its exact launch
date is a point of contention. Jam-i-jahan numa was launched in May 1823, according to Ateeq
Siddiqi. However, according to Imdad Sabri's book Rooh-i-sahafat, "Jam-i-jahan numa" was
launched on May 16, 1822.On basis of an issue of the Calcutta Monthly Journal, Abdus Salam
Khursheed said that Jam-i-jahan numa started publication on March 27, 1822. Dr. Tahir Masood
agrees with Khursheed's date in his book Urdu sahafat unneesveen sadi mein. However,
Gurbachan D. Chandan holds a different viewpoint.Chandan Sahib, a veteran Indian journalist
who died in 2015 at the age of 95, was recognised as the Urdu journalism's walking
encyclopedia. He spent years studying the history of Urdu journalism in India and wrote Jam-i-
jahan numa: Urdu sahafat ki ibtida, the only book on Urdu's first newspaper ever published in
any language.On March 21, 1822, the Indo-Pak subcontinent's first-ever written Urdu
newspaper, Jam-i-jahan numa, was published from Calcutta. The lord, Hari Har Dut, was a
Calcutta entrepreneur.According to Chandan Sahib, the real reason for India's first Press Act,
which was enacted in December 1823 by John Adam, the then governor-general of India, was
some critical views expressed by Jam-i-jahan numa, particularly about the financial matters of
princely states like Deccan.Many Urdu newspapers followed, including Aaeena-i-sikandari,
which started as a Persian-language newspaper in Bombay in 1822 and added an Urdu
supplement in 1834. In 1837, Moulvi Muhammad Baqir published the first litho-based Urdu
newspaper, the weekly Dehli Urdu akhbaar.Many Urdu newspapers and magazines started to
appear in various cities across India.After 1857, Urdu periodicals and newspapers exploded,
many of them as commercial ventures. Among them was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, whose role in
promoting and developing Urdu journalism was monumental. He launched Syed-ul-Akhbar
(1830), Risala khair khwah-i-musalmanan (1860), Aligarh Institute Gazette (1866), and
Tehzeeb-ul-akhlaq (1870). Prof. Dr. Asghar Abbas, the former head of the Urdu department at
Aligarh Muslim University in India, has spent decades studying Sir Syed's life, works, and
journalistic accomplishments. Prof. Abbas' novel, Sir Syed ki sahafat, is based on his dissertation
and a detailed review of the Aligarh Institute Gazette. The magazine was published for 32 years
and had a total number of pages of about 32,000. On 27th March, 1898, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
died.Prof Abbas had to sift through those large piles of material to examine various aspects of Sir
Syed's journalistic acumen and position in Urdu journalism. As a result, the book was created,
and it is now in its third edition. With the author's permission, Karachi's Idara-i-Yadgar-i-Ghalib
has now released its Pakistani version. It is a must-read for journalism students and, maybe, for
those who teach journalism.

Journalism's prestige has been elevated.

Prior to Sir Syed, the newspapers reported on the supers. He elevated journalism's standing.
There was no consistency in the other newspapers since they were translated into Urdu from
English newspapers. He only wrote important things in the newspaper and only reported news
from credible sources. He spoke in a very clear and understandable manner. He believed it was
his responsibility to instil universal values in the Indian masses. Sir Syed's journalism gained a
sound and solid reputation, and the newspaper started to attract attention from government
officials.

He Added Seriormess of Sobriety to Journalism.

India's English to Urdu Journalism The people of India followed the same writing style as
English newspapers. All was written in a lighthearted and amusing tone. Sir Syed was the first
person to bring sobriety and seriousness to newspaper writing.

Conclusion
In the subcontinent, Syed Ahmad Khan laid the groundwork for sober and responsible
journalism. He persuaded his contemporaries that inflammatory journalism could not save
Muslims' interests. The Aligarh Institute Gazette and Tehzeeb ul Akhlaq, two of his periodicals,
championed the cause of Muslim renaissance. The Aligarh Institute Gazette urged Muslims to
appreciate the importance of modern science in today's world. Tehzeeb ul Akhlaq was interested
in morality and etiquette. Its goals were to promote a fair religious outlook among Muslims,
advance the cause of education in both Western and oriental branches of learning, remind
Muslims of their past glory, and disseminate new cultural values in order to civilize them. The
journal has played a significant role in persuading Muslims not to spend money in unnecessary
outlets, to abandon un-Islamic practices, and to pay more attention to business and trade. In
reality, the journal covered every aspect of life. The importance of Syed Ahmad's periodicals can
be seen in the fact that most of the subsequent newspapers followed the same strategy as these
periodicals.

Plagiarism report:
 https://searchenginereports.net/view-plag-
report/a66addd3610bb152ef99515ac345a4e9.html
 https://searchenginereports.net/view-plag-
report/5e23b928d6361440ead9910c1b76081f.html