The 

East India Company was formed in 1600 and had gained a foothold in India in
1612 after Mughal emperor Jahangir granted it the rights to establish a factory,
or trading post, in the port of Surat on the western coast. As the Mughal
Empire quickly declined in power, the British Empire expanded quick to gain
control of the subcontinent in the 1700s. The economic, social, public, and political
influence of East India Company and the strong military projection further limited
the rule of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II. The defeat of Tipu Sultan,
the ruler of Mysore, proved to be an event which led to the fall of Mysore
Kingdom under the direct or indirect rule of the East India Company.[20]
All over the subcontinent, the British government took over the state machinery,
bureaucracy, universities, schools, and institutions as well establishing its own.
[21]
 During this time, Lord Macaulay's radical and influential educational
reforms led to the numerous changes to the introduction and teaching of Western
languages (e.g. English and Latin), history, and philosophy.[22][23] Religious studies
and the Arabic, Turkish, and Persian languages were completely barred from the
state universities. In a short span of time, the English language had become not
only the medium of instruction but also the official language in 1835 in place of
Persian, disadvantaging those who had built their careers around the latter
language.[23]
After the Seringapatam battle, Emperor Tipu Sultan's children surrendered to Lord
Cornwallis in 1799.
Traditional Hindu and Islamic studies were no longer supported by the British
Crown, and nearly all of the madrasahs lost their waqf (lit. financial endowment).
[22][23]
 Discontent by these reforms, Muslim and Hindu rebels initiated the
first rebellion in 1857 which was inverted by the British forces, followed by
final abdication of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II, also the same year.
Noting the sensitivity of this issue, Queen Victoria removed the East India
Company and consolidated the power by gaining the control of subcontinent into
British Empire. Directives issues by Queen Victoria led to the quick removal of
Mughal symbols which spawned a negative attitude amongst some Muslims
towards everything modern and western, and a disinclination to make use of the
opportunities available under the new regime.[21] This tendency, had it continued
for long, would have proven disastrous for the Muslim community.[21]
In justifying these actions, Macaulay argued that Sanskrit and Arabic were wholly
inadequate for students studying history, science, and technology. He stated, "We
have to educate people who cannot at present be educated by means of their
mother-tongue. We must teach them some foreign language." The solution was to
teach English.[24]

Lord Robert Clive meeting with Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey.
  
 British forces storming of the Pettah Gate of Bangalore.
 

General Sir David Baird discovering the body of Tipu Sultan, 1799.
 

British Army's last push for Mysore, 1700s.
Renaissance vision[edit]
Main articles: Aligarh Movement, Urdu movement, Aligarh Muslim
University, Two-nation theory, and University of the Punjab

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan became an inspiration for the Pakistan Movement.

Eventually, many Muslims barred their children to be educated at English
universities which had proved to be disastrous for the Muslim communities.[citation
needed]
 Very few Muslim families had their children sent at the English universities.
On the other hand, the effects of Bengali renaissance made the Hindus population
to be more educated and gained lucrative positions at the Indian Civil Service;
many ascended to the influential posts in the British government.[citation needed]
During this time, Muslim reformer and educationist Sir Syed Ahmad Khan began
to argue for the importance of the British education.[21]Sir Syed was a jurist and a
scholar who was knighted by the British Crown for his services to British Empire.
Witnessing this atmosphere of despair and despondency, Sir Syed launched his
attempts to revive the spirit of progress within the Muslim community of British
India.[21] At notable Muslim gatherings, he argued that the Muslims, in their
attempt to regenerate themselves, had failed to realise that mankind had entered a
very important phase of its existence—an era of science and learning.[21] Despite
harsh criticism from the Islamic orthodoxy, he helped convince many Muslim
communities to realise that the very fact was the source of progress and prosperity
for the British.[21][25] Therefore, modern education became the pivot of his
movement for regeneration of the Indian Muslims. He tried to transform the
Muslim outlook from a medieval one to a modern one.[21]
In attendance, Sir Syed advised the Muslim communities to not participate in
politics unless and until they got modern education.[26] He was of the view that
Muslims could not succeed in the field of western politics without knowing the
system.[26] In the 1900s, Sir Syed was invited to attend the first convention
of Indian National Congress, and many persuaded him to join the party but he
reportedly refused to accept the offer.[26] Instead, he urged the Muslims to keep
themselves away from the Indian National Congress and predicted that this
convention would prove to be a Hindu party in the times to come.[26] In response to
this, Sir Syed called in and established the first All India Muhammadan
Educational Conference where he provided Muslims with a platform on which he
could discuss their political problems. He also became an instrument of leading
the Aligarh Movement to provide Western education to Muslim communities.
[26]
 This led the establishment of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) which
became pivotal place of providing modern teachings on science and technology,
modern politics, law and justice, literature, history, and contemporary arts. Sir
Syed's writings and scholarly works played a role in popularising the ideals for
which the Aligarh stood whilst also helped to create cordial relations between the
British Crown and the Indian Muslims.[26] One of his biggest achievement was the
removal of misunderstandings about Islam and Christianity.[26] It was from this
platform that Syed Ahmad Khan strongly advised the Muslims against joining the
Hindu-dominated Congress and also promoted the idea that Hindus and Muslims
are two distinct nations. His writings, arguments, theory, and efforts later
conjoined and his idea was now popular as the "two-nation theory".[26] At the time
of his death, Sir Syed was known as the father of "two-nation theory" and earned
the title "Prophet of Education".[26]
The Aligarh movement and the two-nation theory provided the basis of the
Pakistan Movement. With the help of Sir Syed and Nawab Vakar-ul-Mulk, the All-
India Muslim League (AIML) was founded in 1906, followed by the vision of
Sir Mohammad Iqbal of a homeland for the Muslims floated in 1930, on to
the Pakistan Resolution of 1940, and the League gaining strength to finally
attaining a separate homeland for the Muslims of India.[27] Since his death and the
establishment of Pakistan, his name continues to be extremely respected in
Pakistan, even as of today; Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology is
named after him.[25]

The Muslim League Governing Council at the Lahore session. The woman

wearing the black cloak is Muhatarma Amjadi Banu Begum, the wife of Maulana
Mohammad Ali Jauhar, a prominent Muslim League leader. Begum was a leading
representative of the UP's Muslim women during the years of the Pakistan
Movement.[28][29]
Rise of organised movement and Muslims minority[edit]
The success of All India Muhammadan Educational Conference as a part of the
Aligarh Movement, the All-India Muslim League, was established with the support
provided by Syed Ahmad Khan in 1906.[30] It was founded in Dhaka in a response
to reintegration of Bengal after a mass Hindu protest took place in the
subcontinent. Earlier in 1905, viceroy Lord Curzonpartitioned the Bengal which
was favoured by the Muslims, since it gave them a Muslim majority in the eastern
half.[31]
In 1909, Lord Minto promulgated the Council Act and met with a Muslim
delegation led by Aga Khan III to meet with Viceroy Lord Minto,[32][33][34][35] a deal
to which Minto agreed because it appeared to assist the British divide and
rule strategy.[citation needed] The delegation consisted of 35 members, who each
represented their respective region proportionately, mentioned hereunder.
Aga Khan III in 1936.

Nawab Mohsin ul Mulk,(left) who organised the Simla deputation, with Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan (Centre), Sir Syed's son Justice Syed Mahmood (extreme right). Syed
Mahmood was the first Muslim to serve as a High Court judge in the British Raj.
1. Sir Aga Khan III. (Head of the delegation); (Bombay).
2. Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk. (Aligarh).
3. Nawab Waqar-ul-Mulk. (Muradabad).
4. Maulvi Hafiz Hakim Ajmal Khan. (Delhi).
5. Maulvi Syed Karamat Husain. (Allahabad).
6. Maulvi Sharifuddin (Patna).
7. Nawab Syed Sardar Ali Khan (Bombay).
8. Syed Abdul Rauf. (Allahabad).
9. Maulvi Habiburrehman Khan. (Aligarh).
10.Sahibzada Aftab Ahmed Khan. (Aligarh).
11.Abdul Salam Khan. (Rampur).
 12.Raees Muhammed Ahtasham Ali. (Lucknow)
13.Khan Bahadur Muhammad Muzammilullah Khan. (Aligarh).
14.Haji Muhammed Ismail Khan. (Aligarh).
15.Shehzada Bakhtiar Shah. (Calcutta).
16.Malik Umar Hayat Khan Tiwana. (Shahpur).
17.Khan Bahadur Muhammed Shah Deen. (Lahore).
18.Khan Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Chaudhary. (Mymansingh).
19.Nawab Bahadur Mirza Shuja'at Ali Baig. (Murshidabad).
20.Nawab Nasir Hussain Khan Bahadur. (Patna).
21.Khan Bahadur Syed Ameer Hassan Khan. (Calcutta).
22.Syed Muhammed Imam. (Patna).
23.Nawab Sarfaraz Hussain Khan Bahadur. (Patna).
24.Maulvi Rafeeuddin Ahmed. (Bombay).
25.Khan Bahadur Ahmed Muhaeeuddin. (Madras).
26.Ibraheem Bhai Adamjee Pirbhai. (Bombay).
27.Maulvi Abdul Raheem. (Calcutta).
28.Syed Allahdad Shah. (Khairpur).
29.Maulana H. M. Malik. (Nagpur).
30.Khan Bahadur Col. Abdul Majeed Khan. (Patiala).
31.Khan Bahadur Khawaja Yousuf Shah. (Amritsar).
32.Khan Bahadur Mian Muhammad Shafi. (Lahore).
33.Khan Bahadur Shaikh Ghulam Sadiq. (Amritsar).
34.Syed Nabiullah. (Allahabad).
35.Khalifa Syed Muhammed Khan Bahadur. (Patna).[36]
The Muslim League's original goal was to define and protect the interests of
educated upper and gentry class of the Indian Muslims.[37] Its educational activities
were based on AMU, Calcutta University, and Punjab University; though its
headquarter was in Lucknow.[37] British thinker, John Locke's (1632–1704) ideas
on liberty greatly influenced the political thinking behind the party's movement.
[37]
 It was the dissemination of western thought by John Locke, Milton and Thomas
Paine at the AMU that initiated the emergence of Muslim nationalism.[37] Sir Aga
Khan III was appointed its first and founding president; Ali Johar wrote party's first
constitution.[37] Despite its activism and educated mass, the party remained less
influential in various areas as compared to political movements such
as Khaksars, Khudai Khidmatgar, Ahrar, and Hirat until the 1930s.
By the 1930s, Muhammad Iqbal had joined the party whose writings, speeches,
philosophical ideas, and his British education training played a crucial role in the
expansion of the Muslim League.[38] Furthermore, Muslim League's pro-British
stance, Jinnah, Ali Khan, and many other leaders constitutional struggle for
Muslim rights made it an extremely popular party in the Muslim dominated areas
of the Subcontinent.[39] Furthermore, the success of Muslim League in 1934
elections in the Muslim dominated areas played a crucial role in the split between
the Muslim League and Congress became apparent when Congress refused to join
coalition administrations with the Muslim League in areas with mixed religion.
[39]
 The political scene was set that was to lead to post-1945 violence in India.[39]
World War II[edit]
Main articles: Anglomania, Pakistan United Kingdom relations, and Little
Pakistan
On 3 September 1939, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced
the commencement of war with Germany.[40] The World War II became an integral
for Pakistan Movement with the Muslim League playing a decisive role in the
World War II in the 1940s and as the driving force behind the division of India
along religious lines and the creation of Pakistan as a Muslim state in 1947.[41][42] In
1939, the Congress leaders resigned from all British India government to which
they had elected.[43] The Muslim League celebrated the end of Congress led British
Indian government, with Jinnah famously quoting: "a day of deliverance and
thanksgiving."[43] In a secret memorandum writing to British Prime Minister, the
Muslim League obliged to support the United Kingdom's war efforts— provided
that the British had recognise it as the only organisation that spoke for Indian
Muslims.[43]
The events leading the World War II, the Congress effective protest against the
United Kingdom unilaterally involving India in the war without consulting with the
congress; the Muslim League went on to support the British war efforts, which was
allowed to actively propagandise against the Congress with the cry of "Islam in
Danger".[44]
The Indian Congress and Muslim League responded differently over the World
War II issue. The Indian Congress refused to oblige with the Britain unless the
whole Indian subcontinent was granted the independence.[45] The Muslim League,
on the other hand, supported Britain, with the means of political co-operation and
human contribution.[45]The Muslim League leaders' British education training and
philosophical ideas played a role that brought the British government and the
Muslim to be close to each other.[45]Jinnah himself supported the British in World
War II when the Congress failed to form any form of collaboration.[45] The British
government suddenly made a pledge to the Muslims in 1940 that it would
not transfer power to an Independent India unless its constitution was first
approved by the Indian Muslims, a promise it did not subsequently keep.[45]
The end of the war[edit]
In 1942, Gandhi called for the Quit India Movement against the United Kingdom.
On the other hand, the Muslim League advised Prime Minister Winston
Churchill that Great Britain should "divide and then Quit".[45] Negotiations between
Gandhi and Viceroy Wavell failed, as did talks between Jinnah and Gandhi in
1944.[45] When World War II ended, the Muslim League's push for the Pakistan
Movement and Gandhi's efforts for Indian independence intensified the pressure on
Prime Minister Winston Churchill.[45] Given the rise of American
and Russian order in the world politics and the general unrest in India, Wavell
called for general elections to be held in 1945.[45] The Muslim League won nearly
all the seats in Muslim areas while Congress did the same in predominantly Hindu
areas. Polarisation was now obvious and violence erupted throughout the
Subcontinent.[39]
For Jinnah, Islam laid a cultural base for an ideology of ethnic nationalism whose
objective was to gather the Muslim community to defend the Muslim minorities in
the subcontinent. Jinnah's representation of Indian Muslims was quite apparent in
1928, when in the All-Party Muslim Conference, he was ready to swap the
advantages of separate electorates for a quota of 33% of seats at the Capital. He
maintained his views at the Round Table Conferences, while the Muslims of
Punjab and Bengal were vying for a much more decentralised political setup. Many
of their requests were met in the 1935 Government of India Act. Jinnah and
the founding fathers played a peripheral role at the time and in 1937 could manage
to gather only 5% of the Muslim vote. Jinnah refused to back down and went
ahead with his plan. He presented the two-nation theory in the now famous Lahore
Resolution in March 1940, seeking a separate Muslim nation-state.[46][not specific enough to
verify]

The idea of a separate state had first been introduced by Sir Iqbal in his speech in
December 1930 as the President of the Muslim League.[47] The nation state that he
visualised, "within the British Empire, or without the British Empire",[48] included
only four provinces of Northwest India: Punjab, Sindh, Afghania, and Balochistan.
Three years later, the name Pakistan was proposed in a pamphlet published in 1933
by Choudhry Rahmat Ali, a graduate of the University of Cambridge.
[49]
 Again, Bengal was left out of the proposal.[49]
In a book written in 2004, Idea of Pakistan by American historian of
Pakistan, Stephen P. Cohen, writes on the influence of South Asian Muslim
nationalism on the Pakistan movement:[50]
It begins with a glorious precolonial empire when the Muslims of South Asia were
politically united and culturally, civilizationally, and strategically dominant. In that
era, ethnolinguistic differences were subsumed under a common vision of an
Islamic-inspired social and political order. However, the divisions among Muslims
that did exist were exploited by the British Empire, who practiced divide and rule
politics, displacing the Mughals and circumscribing other Islamic rulers.
Moreover, the Hindus were the allies of the British Empire, who used them to
strike a balance with the Muslims; many Hindus, a fundamentally insecure people,
hated Muslims and would have oppressed them in a one-man, one-vote democratic
India. The Pakistan Movement united these disparate pieces of the national puzzle,
and Pakistan was the expression of the national will of India's liberated Muslims.
— Stephen Cohen, Idea of Pakistan (2004), source[50]
1946 elections[edit]
The 1946 elections resulted in the Muslim League winning the majority of Muslim
votes and reserved Muslim seats in the Central and provincial assemblies,
[51]
 performing exceptionally well in Muslim minority provinces such as UP and
Bihar, relative to the Muslim majority provinces of Punjab and NWFP. Thus, the
1946 election was effectively a plebiscite where the Indian Muslims were to vote
on the creation of Pakistan; a plebiscite which the Muslim League won.[52] This
victory was assisted by the support given to the Muslim League by the rural
peasantry of Bengal as well as the support of the landowners of Sindh and Punjab.
The Congress, which initially denied the Muslim League's claim of being the sole
representative of Indian Muslims, was now forced to recognise that the Muslim
League represented Indian Muslims.[52] The British had no alternative except to
take Jinnah's views into account as he had emerged as the sole spokesperson of
India's Muslims. However, the British did not desire India to be partitioned and in
one last effort to avoid it they arranged the Cabinet Mission plan.[53] In 1946, the
Cabinet Mission Plan recommended a decentralised but united India, this was
accepted by the Muslim League but rejected by the Congress, thus, leading the way
for the Partition of India.[54]
Political campaigns and support[edit]
Punjab[edit]
Main articles: Punjab Muslim League and Punjab Legislative Assembly (British
India)

Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman seconding the Resolution with Jinnah and Liaquat

presiding the session.
First Session of All India Jamhur Muslim League
The Western Punjab had become a major centre of activity of the Muslim League's
pushed for Pakistan Movement. On 29 December 1930, Sir Muhammad
Iqbal delivered his monumental presidential address to the All India Muslim
League annual session held in Lahore. He said:[55]
I would like to see Punjab, North-West Frontier Province [now Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa], Sindh and Balochistan amalgamated into a single state. Self
government within the British Empire or without the British Empire, the formation
of a consolidated North-West Indian Muslim state appears to me to be the final
destiny of the Muslims, at least of North-West India.
On 28 January 1933, Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, founder of Pakistan National
Movement voiced his ideas in the pamphlet entitled "Now or Never: Are We to
Live or Perish Forever?"[56] In a subsequent book Rehmat Ali discussed the
etymology in further detail.[57]"Pakistan' is both a Persian and an Urdu word. It is
composed of letters taken from the names of all our South Asia homelands; that is,
Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh and Balochistan. It means the land of the Pure".
In 1940 Muslim League conference in Lahore in 1940, Jinnah said: "Hindus and
the Muslims belong to two different religions, philosophies, social customs and
literature.... It is quite clear that Hindus and Muslims derive their inspiration from
different sources of history. They have different epics, different heroes and
different episodes.... To yoke together two such nations under a single state, one as
a numerical minority and the other as a majority, must lead to growing discontent
and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of
such a state."[58] At Lahore the Muslim League formally recommitted itself to
creating an independent Muslim state, including Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, the
North West Frontier Province and Bengal, that would be "wholly autonomous and
sovereign". The resolution guaranteed protection for non-Muslim religions.
The Lahore Resolution, moved by the sitting Chief Minister of Bengal A. K. Fazlul
Huq, was adopted on 23 March 1940, and its principles formed the foundation for
Pakistan's first constitution. Talks between Jinnah and Gandhi in 1944 in Bombay
failed to achieve agreement. This was the last attempt to reach a single-state
solution.[59]
In the 1940s, Jinnah emerged as a leader of the Indian Muslims and was popularly
known as Quaid-e-Azam (‘Great Leader’). The general elections held in 1945 for
the Constituent Assembly of British Indian Empire, the Muslim League secured
and won 425 out of 496 seats reserved for Muslims (and about 89.2% of Muslim
votes) on a policy of creating an independent state of Pakistan, and with an implied
threat of secession if this was not granted. The Congress which was led
by Gandhi and Nehru remained adamantly opposed to dividing India. The partition
seems to have been inevitable after all, one of the examples being Lord
Mountbatten's statement on Jinnah: "There was no argument that could move him
from his consuming determination to realize the impossible dream of Pakistan."[60]
The Western Punjab was home to a small minority population of Punjabi Sikhs and
Hindus up to 1947 apart from the Muslim majority.[61] In 1947, the Punjab
Assembly cast its vote in favour of Pakistan with supermajority rule, which made
many minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while Muslim refugees from
India settled in the Western Punjab and across Pakistan.[62]
Sindh[edit]
Main article: Sindh Assembly
Sindh is the birthplace and burial place of Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan.
The local leaders and Sindhi nationalists never submitted to British crown, and
the Hurs led by Sindhi nationalist, Pir Pagara-I has fought against the British
forces in 1857.[63] After Western Punjab, Sindh had been an influential and
ideological place of Muslim League, since the Jinnah family were hailed
from Karachi.[64] When the support for Pakistan Movement reached to Sindh, it
became an important centre of activities during the Khilafat Movement.[64] These
activities led Sindh to be separated from the Bombay Presidency when the Muslim
League passed a resolution in 1925 urging separation of Sindh.[64] Furthermore,
Sindh was also a birth place of Muhammad Ali Jinnah who had spent his teenage
years in Karachi.[63]
A convention held by Muslim League in 1938, the Muslim League devised a
scheme of constitution under which Muslims may attain full independence.[63] It
was the province of Sindh which first adopted the resolution for an independent
Muslim state.[64] The Muslim League had secured an exclusive mandate of Sindh
during the general elections held in 1945. The Muslim majority in Sindh was in
support of the policy and the programme of the Muslim League as the Muslim
League had good equation with the Sindhi nationalists.[64]
Sindhi nationalist leader, G. M. Syed, who reaffirmed his role as one of the leading
figure in the movement.[63] His role as founding father and key role in the Muslim
League, G. M. Syed proposed the 1940 Pakistan Resolution in the Sindh
Assembly, which ultimately resulted in the creation of Pakistan.[64] On 26 June
1947, the special session held in Sindh Assembly decided to join the new Pakistan
Constituent Assembly. Thus, Sindh became the first province to opt for Pakistan.[64]
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa[edit]
Further information: Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Bacha Khan with Gandhi in 1946.
Unlike Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh, the Muslim League had little support
in Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa where Congress and the Pashtun nationalist Abdul
Ghaffar Khan had considerable support for the cause of the Independent India.[65]
[66]
 Abdul Ghaffar Khan (also known as Bacha Khan) initiated a Khudai
Khidmatgar movement and dubbed himself as "Frontier Gandhi" due to his efforts
in following in the foot steps of Gandhi.[66]
Alongside, another movement, known as Red Shirts (now known as Awami
National Party) and the people of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa interpreted their
program in their own way. For Pashtun intelligentsia, the Red Shirts political
program was based on the promotion of Pashtun culture and elimination of non-
Pashtun influence in their province.[67] For Islamic hardliners and Ulemas, their
program was mainly Anti-British and their religious stand became a cause of
attraction for the poor peasants which meant to check economic oppression of the
British-appointed political agents.[67] Furthermore, the strong emphasis on Pashtun
identity created by Bacha Khan made it extremely difficult for Muslim League's
support for the Pakistan Movement. The 'Red Shirts' and the Congress were able to
contain the Muslim League to non-Pashtun regions, such as Hazara
Division and Attock District.[67]
The 'Red Shirts' membership rose to about 200,000 activists, which shows its fame
and popularity.[67] The Khudai Khidmatgar, 'Red Shirts', and Bacha Khan himself
joined hands with the Congress against the Pakistan Movement.[67] During the 1945
general elections, the Muslim League could only managed to win 17 seats against
Congress who secured 30 seats. The Muslim League was highly benefited with its
activists who played crucial role in gathering support for the Pakistan Movement,
specifically Jalal-u-din Baba, an ethinc Hazara. His strong activism with the
Muslim League captured a strong mandate of Hazara District and Attock District.
[67]
 Many activists, such as Roedad Khan, Ghulam Ishaq, Sartaj Aziz, and Abdul
Qayyum Khan, helped up lifted the cause and image of the Muslim League in the
province.[67] Finally, a referendum was held in 1946 to decide the fate of the NWFP
as to whether the people of the NWFP ( now Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) want to vote
for Pakistan or India. In this referendum, majority of vote was cast in favour of
Pakistan, despite Bacha Khan wanting to accede with India.[67]
It is well documented when the Congress accepted the referendum without
consulting the Khudai Khidmatgar, Bacha Khan told the Congress "you have
thrown us to the wolves."[68] The spirit of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement took
its last breath when it was proclaimed as a political party after the creation of
Pakistan.[67] The aims and objectives were changed and gradually people lost their
interest in the movement and embraced the idea of pakistan.[67]
Balochistan[edit]
Main article: Balochistan Assembly

Jinnah meeting with Balochistan's leaders.

The province of Balochistan had mainly consisted of Nawabs and local princely
states, under the British Indian Empire.[69] Three of these states willingly joined
with Pakistan when the referendum was held in 1947 at the Balochistan Assembly.
[69]
 However, the Khan of Kalat chose independence as this was one of the options
given to all of the 535 princely states (out of which 534 accede with Pakistan) by
British Prime Minister Clement Attlee.[70]
However, "Nehru persuaded Mountbatten to force the leaders of the princely states
to decide whether to join India or Pakistan",[70]and hence independence "was not an
option".[70] Nehru later went on to annexe other princely states like Hyderabad with
military force.[70] The Muslim League's Pakistan Movement programme was
generally supported by the people of Baluchistan.[71] One of its leader and founding
father of Pakistan, Jafar Khan Jamali (whose nephew later became the Prime
Minister of Pakistan in 2002) was an important and key figure of the Muslim
League.[71] Jafar Khan Jamali's heavily lobbying for Balochistan to accede with
Pakistan highly benefited the Muslim League.[71] Another influential Baloch figure
was Akbar Bugti was stalwart supporter of Jinnah who well received Jinnah who
came to visit Balochistan.[72] among the Pashtunes Abdul Ghafoor Khan
Durrani Qazi Muhammad Essa and Shahzada Rehmatullah Khan Saddozai they
were staunch supporter and loaylist of Jinnah who played crucial role in supporting
the idea of Pakistan in Baluchistan.[72] Another young activist, Mir Hazar, helped
initiate student rallies and public support for Pakistan Movement in Balochistan.[73]
[74]
 In 2013, Mir Hazar Khoso, who noted and described Jinnah as his inspiration,
also became Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2013.[73][74] In 1947, the Balochistan
Assembly passed the resolution and cast its vote in favour of Pakistan, with a
majority approving the accession with Pakistan.[69]
Other regions[edit]

Map of United Bengal: .

Although, Jinnah, Iqbal and other Founding Fathers of Pakistan were initially
struggling for the independence of Four Provinces to create a nation-state,
Pakistan.[11] The concept and phenomenon of Pakistan Movement was highly
popular in the East Bengal, which was also the birthplace of the Muslim League, in
the 1940s.[11] The Muslim League's notable statesman and activists were hailed
from the East Bengal, including Husyen Suhrawardy, Nazimuddin, and Nurul
Amin, who later became Prime ministers of Pakistan in the successive periods of
Pakistan.[75] Following the partition of Bengal, the violence erupted in the region,
which mainly maintained to Kolkata and Noakhali.[76] It is documented by the
historians of Pakistan that Suhrawardy wanted Bengal to be an independent state
that would neither join Pakistan or India but to be remained unpartitioned.
[77]
 Despite the heavy criticism from the Muslim League, Jinnah realised the
validity of Suhrawardy's argument gave his tacit support to the Bengal's plan for
independence.[78][79][80] However, the plan failed after a successful involvement of
Congress in Western Bengali; therefore the Muslim-majority Eastern Bengal was
left no choice but to become a part of Pakistan.[81]
During the Pakistan Movement in the 1940s, Rohingya Muslims in western Burma
had an ambition to annexe and merge their region into East-Pakistan.[82] Before
the independence of Burma in January 1948, Muslim leaders from Arakan
addressed themselves to Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and asked his assistance
in annexing of the Mayu region to Pakistan which was about to be formed.[82] Two
months later, North Arakan Muslim League was founded
in Akyab (modern: Sittwe, capital of Arakan State), it, too demanding annexation
to Pakistan.[82]However, it is noted that the proposal was never materialised after it
was reportedly turned down by Jinnah.[82]
In 1947, an armed revolution took place in Jammu and Kashmir over the issue of
accession to India or Pakistan.[83] Kashmir's Hindu maharaja, Hari Singh, fearing a
loss of control requested Indian intervention in Kashmir.[84] The conflict resulted in
a stalemate as the "Line of Control" became the de facto border between India and
Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.[85]
Role of Ulama[edit]
In its election campaign in 1946 the Muslim League drew upon the support of
Islamic scholars and Sufis with the rallying cry of 'Islam in danger'.[51] The
majority of Barelvis supported the creation of Pakistan and Barelvi ulama issued
fatwas in support of the Muslim League.[86][87][88] In contrast, most Deobandi ulama
(led by Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani) opposed the creation of Pakistan and the
two-nation theory. Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani and the Deobandis advocated
'composite nationalism', according to which Muslims and Hindus were one nation.
[89]
 Madani differentiated between 'qaum' -which meant a multi-religious nation-
and 'millat'-which was exclusively the social unity of Muslims.[90][91] However, a
few highly influential Deobandi clerics did support the creation of Pakistan.
[92]
 Such Deobandi ulama included Mufti Muhammad Shafi and Maulana Shabbir
Ahmad Uthmani.[93] Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi also supported the Muslim
League's demand for the creation of Pakistan[94] and he dismissed the criticism that
most Muslim League members were not practising Muslims. Maulana Ashraf Ali
Thanvi was of the view that the Muslim League should be supported and also be
advised at the same time to become religiously observant.[95]
Conclusion[edit]
Further information: Partition of India, Indian Independence Act
1947, Bangladesh Liberation War, 1969 uprising in East Pakistan, and Breakup of
East and West Pakistan
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898) philosophical ideas plays a direct role in the
Pakistan Movement.[37] His Two-Nation Theory became more and more obvious
during the Congress rule in the Subcontinent.[96] In 1946, the Muslim majorities
agreed to the idea of Pakistan, as a response to Congress's one sided policies,[96]
[97]
 which were also the result of leaders like Jinnah leaving the party in favour of
Muslim League,[98] winning in seven of the 11 provinces. Prior to 1938, Bengal
with 33 million Muslims had only ten representatives, less than the United
Provinces of Agra and Oudh, which were home to only seven million Muslims.
Thus the creation of Pakistan became inevitable and the British had no choice but
to create two separate nations – Pakistan and India – in 1947.[99][100][101][102]
But the main motivating and integrating factor was that the Muslims' intellectual
class wanted representation; the masses needed a platform on which to unite.[37] It
was the dissemination of western thought by John Locke, Milton and Thomas
Paine, at the Aligarh Muslim University that initiated the emergence of Pakistan
Movement.[37] According to Pakistan Studies curriculum, Muhammad bin Qasim is
often referred to as 'the first Pakistani'.[103] Muhammad Ali Jinnah also acclaimed
the Pakistan movement to have started when the first Muslim put a foot in
the Gateway of Islam.[104]
After the independence in 1947, the violence and upheavals continued to be faced
by Pakistan, as Liaquat Ali Khan becoming the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1947.
[105]
 The issue involving the equal status of Urdu and Bengali languages created
divergence in the country's political ideology.[16] Need for good governance led to
the military take over in 1958 which was followed by rapid industrialisation in the
1960s.[105] Economic grievances and unbalanced financial payments led to a bloody
and an armed struggle of East Pakistan in the 1970s, in which eventually resulted
with East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh in 1971.[16]
Realizing the problems and causes of the East Pakistan's separation led another
nationalist subset to work on the more reform constitution that guaranteed equals
rights in the country.[19] Much of Islamic texture and basic rights defined by Holy
Quran were inserted in the Constitution of Pakistan in 1973; the year when the
Constitution of Pakistan was promulgated.[19] In the successive periods
of tragedy of East-Pakistan, the country continued to rebuild and reconstruct itself
in terms constitutionally and its path to transformed into republicanism.[13] After
1971 catastrophic episode, Pakistan's phase shift to parliamentary republicanism
and the gradually increasing in democracy caused an upheaval of traditional social
hierarchy and gave birth to the ethic that has formed a core of political values in
Pakistan.[19] The XIII amendment (1997) and XVIII amendment (2010)
transformed the country into becoming a parliamentary republic as well as also
becoming a nuclear power in the subcontinent.[18]
Non-Muslims contribution and efforts[edit]
Main articles: Christianity in Pakistan, Hinduism in Pakistan, Sikhism in Pakistan,
and Protestantism in Pakistan
Jinnah's vision was supported by few of the Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jews and
Christians that lived in Muslim-dominated regions of undivided India.[106][107] The
most notable and influential Hindu figure in the Pakistan Movement was Jogendra
Nath Mandal from Bengal. Jagannath Azad was from the Urdu-speaking belt.
[108]
 Mandal represented the Hindu contingent calling for an independent Pakistan,
and was one of the founding-fathers of Pakistan.[106] After the independence,
Mandal was given ministries of Law, Justice, and Work-Force by Jinnah in Liaquat
Ali Khan's government.[106] He returned to India and submitted his resignation to
Liaquat Ali Khan, the then-Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Some local Christians also stood behind Jinnah's vision, playing a pivotal role in
the movement.[109] The notable Christians included Sir Victor Turner and Alvin
Robert Cornelius.[110] Turner was responsible for the economic, financial planning
of the country after the independence.[110] Turner was among one of the founding
fathers[110] of Pakistan, and guided Jinnah and Ali Khan on economic affairs,
taxation and to handle the administrative units.[110] Alvin Robert Cornelius was
elevated as Chief Justice of Lahore High Court bench by Jinnah and served as Law
Secretary in Liaquat Ali Khan's government.[110] The Hindu, Christian, and Parsi
communities also played their due role for the development of Pakistan soon after
its creation.[109]
As an example or inspiration[edit]
Main article: Pakistanisation
The cause of Pakistan Movement became an inspiration in different countries of
the world. Protection of one's beliefs, equal rights, and liberty were incorporated in
the state's constitution. Arguments presented by Ali Mazrui pointed out that the
South Sudan's movement led to the partition of the Sudan into Sudan proper, which
is primarily Muslim, and South Sudan, which is primarily Christian and animistic.
[111]

Memory and legacy[edit]

Main articles: Minar-e-Pakistan, Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal, Tomb of Jinnah,
and Azme Alishan

The Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore, Pakistan glances at night.

The Pakistan Movement has a central place in Pakistan's memory.[112] The founding
story of Pakistan Movement is not only covered in the school and
universities textbooks but also in innumerable monuments.[113] Almost all key
events are covered in Pakistan's textbooks, literature, and novels as well.
[113]
 Thus, Fourteenth of August is one of major and most celebrated national day in
Pakistan.[114] To many authors and historians, Jinnah's legacy is Pakistan.[115]
The Minar-e-Pakistan is a monument which has attracted ten thousand visitors.
[116]
 The Minar-e-Pakistan still continues to project the memory to the people to
remember the birth of Pakistan.[116] Jinnah's estates in Karachi and Ziarat has
attracted thousands visitors.[117]
Historian of Pakistan, Vali Nasr, argues that the Islamic universalism had become
a main source of Pakistan Movement that shaped patriotism, meaning, and nation's
birth.[118] To many Pakistanis, Jinnah's role is viewed as a modern Moses-like
leader;[119] whilst many other founding fathers of the nation-state also occupies
extremely respected place in the hearts of the people of Pakistan.[120]
Timeline[edit]
 1849 Annexation of the Punjab  1933 Pakistan Nat
 1850 Urdu becomes the official language in all of the west Pakistan  1933 Pakistan Dec
provinces, excluding Sindh  1935 Government
 1857 War of Independence  1937 Elections
 1885 Formation of the Indian National Congress  1937–39 Congress
 1901 Partition of Punjab  1937 Strong anti c
 1905 Partition of Bengal  1938 A. K. Fazlul
 1906 Simla Deputation  1938 Jinah Sikand
 1906 Founding of the All-India Muslim League  1938 Pirpur Repo
 1909 Minto–Morley Reforms  1939-45 World W
 1911 Annulment of the Partition of Bengal  1939 Resignation
 1914–18 World War I players got golden
 1916 Lucknow Pact  1940 Pakistan Res
 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre  1940 19 March Kh
 1919 Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms  1942 India Movem
 1919–23 Khilafat Movement  1942 Cripps' miss
 1922–29 Hindu–Muslim Riots  1944 Gandhi – Jin
 1927 Delhi Muslim Proposals  1945 The Simla C
 1928 Nehru Report  1946 The Cabinet
 1929 Fourteen Points of Jinnah  1946 Direct Actio
 1930 Simon Commission Report  1946 Interim Gov
 1930 Separation of a strong Punjabi group from congress and  1946 Quit Kashm
formation of Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam government of Az
 1930 Allama Iqbal Address  1947 June 6 Partit
 1931 Kashmir Resistance movement  1947 Creation of P
 1930–32 Round Table Conferences
 1932 Communal Award (1932)
Notable quotations[edit]
Allama Iqbal
I would like to see the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sind and Baluchistan
amalgamated into a single State. Self-government within the British Empire, or
without the British Empire, the formation of a consolidated North-West Indian
Muslim State appears to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims, at least of
North-West India.[123]
Choudhry Rahmat Ali
At this solemn hour in the history of India, when British and Indian statesmen are
laying the foundations of a Federal Constitution for that land, we address this
appeal to you, in the name of our common heritage, on behalf of our thirty million
Muslim brethren who live in Pakistan – by which we mean the five Northern units
of India, Viz: Punjab, North-West Frontier Province (Afghan Province), Kashmir,
Sind and Baluchistan – for your sympathy and support in our grim and fateful
struggle against political crucifixion and complete annihilation.[49]
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
It is extremely difficult to appreciate why our Hindu friends fail to understand the
real nature of Islam and Hinduism. They are not religious in the strict sense of the
word, but are, in fact, different and distinct social orders, and it is a dream that the
Hindus and Muslims can ever evolve a common nationality, and this
misconception of one Indian nation has troubles and will lead India to destruction
if we fail to revise our notions in time. The Hindus and Muslims belong to two
different religious philosophies, social customs, literatures. They neither intermarry
nor interdine together and, indeed, they belong to two different civilizations which
are based mainly on conflicting ideas and conceptions. Their aspect on life and of
life are different. It is quite clear that Hindus and Muslims derive their inspiration
from different sources of history. They have different ethics, different heroes, and
different episodes. Very often the hero of one is a foe of the other and, likewise,
their victories and defeats overlap. To yoke together two such nations under a
single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority, must lead to
growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built for the
government of such a stat
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………….
1905 - 1940 Events
The Struggle For Independence
1905 - 1919 Events

1905 - 1919 Events

Simla Deputation
When Lord Minto was appointed as the Viceroy on India in 1905, new reforms
were indicated in which the elected principle would be extended. The anti-partition
agitation had convinced the…
   
 
 

1905 - 1919 Events

Establishment of All India Muslim League
On December 30 1906, the annual meeting of Muhammadan Educational
Conference was held at Dhaka under the chairmanship of Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk.
Almost 3,000 delegates attended the session making it the…
   
 
 

1905 - 1919 Events

Minto-Morley Reforms
In 1906, Lord Morley, the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs, announced in the
British parliament that his government wanted to introduce new reforms for India,
in which the locals…
   
 
 
1905 - 1919 Events
The Lucknow Pact
When All India Muslim League came into existence, it was a moderate
organization with its basic aim to establish friendly relations with the Crown.
However, due to the decision of…
   
 
 

1905 - 1919 Events

Khilafat Movement
The Lucknow pact showed that it was possible for middle-class, English-educated
Muslims and Hindus to arrive at an amicable settlement on Hindu-Muslim
constitutional and political problems. This unity reached its…
   
 
 
1905 - 1919 Events
Montague-Chelmsford Reforms
In World War I, the British claimed that they stood for the protection of democracy
around the world. Thus the Indians, who fought for them in this war, demanded
that…
   
 
 

1905 - 1919 Events

Partition of Bengal
Finding the Bengal Presidency too large for one governor to administer, in 1905
the English decided to redraw its boundaries and divided it into two parts. The
provinces of Bengal…
   
 
 
1905 - 1919 Events
First World War
The First World War lasted over four years from 1914 to the end of 1918.
Germany and its allies Turkey, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, were called the
‘Central Powers’ while the…
   
 
 

1905 - 1919 Events

Kanpur Mosque Incident
In 1913 the heavy toll of life taken by indiscriminate firing on a Muslim mob
protesting against the demolition of a portion of the Kanpur Mosque stirred and
prompted the…
   
 
 
1905 - 1919 Events
The Massacre of Jallianwala Bagh
After the Lucknow Pact of 1916 both Hindus and Muslims started their struggle for
the self-rule for India. It was a brief period of Hindu-Muslim unity. To probe into
their…
   
 
 
1920 - 1932 Events

1920 - 1932 Events

Simon Commission
The Government of India Act of 1919 was essentially transitional in character.
Under Section 84 of the said Act, a statutory commission was to be appointed at
the end of…
   
 
 
1920 - 1932 Events
Delhi Muslim Proposals
Considering separate electorates to be the main hindrance in improving Hindu-
Muslim relations, Quaid-i-Azam proposed that if the Hindus agreed to provide
certain safeguards, the Muslims would give up this demand.…
   
 
 

1920 - 1932 Events

Nehru Report
The Government of India Act 1919 was essentially transitional in character. Under
Section 84 of the said Act, a statutory Commission was to be appointed at the end
of ten…
   
 
 
1920 - 1932 Events
Fourteen Points of M. A. Jinnah
A positive aspect of Nehru Report was that it resulted in the unity of divided
Muslim groups. In a meeting of the council of All India Muslim League on
March…
   
 
 

1920 - 1932 Events

All Parties Muslim Conference
The immediate result of the publication of the Nehru Report was that Muslims of
all shades of opinion united in opposition to it. The two wings of the Muslim
League…
   
 
 
1920 - 1932 Events
Allahabad Address
Several Muslim leaders and thinkers having insight into the Muslim-Hindu
situation proposed the separation of Muslim India. However, Allama Muhammad
Iqbal gave the most lucid explanation of the inner feelings…
   
 
 

1920 - 1932 Events

Round Table Conferences
The Indian political community received the Simon Commission Report issued in
June 1930 with great resentment. Different political parties gave vent to their
feelings in different ways. The Congress started…
   
 
 
1920 - 1932 Events
The Communal Award
When the Indian leadership failed to come up with a constitutional solution of the
communal issue, the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald announced his
own formula for solving the problem.…
   
 
 

1920 - 1932 Events

Hijrat Movement
The Hijrat Movement was a by-product of the Khilafat Movement. In the summer
of 1920 suggestions were made by the local bodies representing the Central
Khilafat organization that the Muslims…
   
 
 
1920 - 1932 Events
Khudai Khidmatgar Movement
Khudai Khidmatgar Movement was organized by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
popularly known as Bacha khan, on a non-violence approach to the socio-political
problems of the people of N.W.F.P. The province…
   
 
 

1920 - 1932 Events

The Unionist Party
Mian Fazl-i-Hussain and Chhotu Ram laid the foundation of the Punjab National
Unionist Party in 1923. It was originated by a group of rural members of the
Punjab Legislative Council.…
   
 
 
1920 - 1932 Events
The Ahrar Movement (Majlis-i-Ahrar-i-Islam)
A number of nationalist Muslims of Punjab, mainly religious leaders, called
themselves “Ahrars” who organized Majlis-i-Ahrar-i-Islam. They were former
members of the provincial branch of the All India Khilafat Committee…
   
 
 

1920 - 1932 Events

The Khaksar Movement
The Khaksar Movement was a paramilitary organization, which was introduced by
Allama Inayatullah Mashriqi in a chaotic situation of the political atmosphere of
India. After serving for about 17 years…
   
 
 
1920 - 1932 Events
Quaid-i-Azam and the Reorganization of Muslim League
The Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was thoroughly
disappointed by the anti Muslim attitude of the Indian National Congress in the
Nehru report. He considered it as parting…
   
 
 
1935 - 1940 Events

1935 - 1940 Events

Government of India Act 1935
After the failure of the Third Round Table Conference, the British government
gave the Joint Select Committee the task of formulating the new Act for India. The
Committee comprised of…
   
 
 
1935 - 1940 Events
Rule of Congress Ministries
The Government of India Act of 1935 was practically implemented in 1937. The
provincial elections were held in the winter of 1936-37. There were two major
political parties in the…
   
 
 

1935 - 1940 Events

The Ideology of Pakistan: Two-Nation Theory
The ideology of Pakistan stems from the instinct of the Muslim community of
South Asia to maintain their individuality by resisting all attempts by the Hindu
society to absorb it.…
   
 
 
1935 - 1940 Events
Shaheed Gunj Mosque Incident
The Shahidganj mosque, located in Landa bazaar outside Delhi gate at Lahore, was
considered as the holy place for both Muslims and Sikhs. It was occupied by Sikhs
in the…
   
 
 
s………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………
Pakistan History 1857-1947
by KHAWAJA UMER FAROOQ January 29, 2013 0 Comments
1857 - 1905 

Urdu-Hindi Controversy

Aligarh Movement [1858-98]

Deoband Movement [1866-1947]

Anjuman Himayat-i-Islam [1884-1947]
Establishment of Indian National Congress [1885]
Nadva-tul-'Ulema of Lucknow [1894-1947] 

Urdu-Hindi Controversy 

During the last days of the Muslim rule, Urdu emerged as the most common
language of the northwestern provinces of India. It was declared the official
language, and all official records were written in this language. In 1867, some
prominent Hindus started a movement in Banaras in which they demanded the
replacement of Urdu with Hindi, and the Persian script with the Deva Nagri script,
as the court language in the northwestern provinces. The reason for opposing Urdu
was that the language was written in Persian script, which was similar to the
Arabic script, and Arabic was the language of the Quran, the Holy Book of the
Muslims. The movement grew quickly and within a few months spread throughout
the Hindu population of the northwestern provinces of India. The headquarters of
this movement were in Allahabad. 

This situation provoked the Muslims to come out in order to protect the importance
of the Urdu language. The opposition by the Hindus towards the Urdu language
made it clear to the Muslims of the region that Hindus were not ready to tolerate
the culture and traditions of the Muslims. 

The Urdu-Hindi controversy had a great effect on the life of Sir Syed Ahmad
Khan. Before this event he had been a great advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity and
was of the opinion that the "two nations are like two eyes of the beautiful bride,
India". But this movement completely altered his point of view. He put forward the
Two-Nation Theory, predicting that the differences between the two groups would
increase with the passage of time and the two communities would not join together
in anything wholeheartedly. 
Aligarh Movement [1858-98] 

The War of Independence 1857 ended in disaster for the Muslims. The British
chose to believe that the Muslims were responsible for the anti-British uprising;
therefore they made them the subject of ruthless punishments and merciless
vengeance. The British had always looked upon the Muslims as their adversaries
because they had ousted them from power. With the rebellion of 1857, this feeling
was intensified and every attempt was made to ruin and suppress the Muslims
forever. Their efforts resulted in the liquidation of the Mughal rule and the Sub-
continent came directly under the British crown. 

After dislodging the Muslim rulers from the throne, the new rulers, the British,
implemented a new educational policy with drastic changes. The policy banned
Arabic, Persian and religious education in schools and made English not only the
medium of instruction but also the official language in 1835. This spawned a
negative attitude amongst the Muslims towards everything modern and western,
and a disinclination to make use of the opportunities available under the new
regime. This tendency, had it continued for long, would have proven disastrous for
the Muslim community. 

Seeing this atmosphere of despair and despondency, Sir Syed launched his
attempts to revive the spirit of progress within the Muslim community of India. He
was convinced that the Muslims in their attempt to regenerate themselves, had
failed to realize the fact that mankind had entered a very important phase of its
existence, i.e., an era of science and learning. He knew that the realization of the
very fact was the source of progress and prosperity for the British. Therefore,
modern education became the pivot of his movement for regeneration of the Indian
Muslims. He tried to transform the Muslim outlook from a medieval one to a
modern one. 

Sir Syed's first and foremost objective was to acquaint the British with the Indian
mind; his next goal was to open the minds of his countrymen to European
literature, science and technology. 

Therefore, in order to attain these goals, Sir Syed launched the Aligarh Movement
of which Aligarh was the center. He had two immediate objectives in mind: to
remove the state of misunderstanding and tension between the Muslims and the
new British government, and to induce them to go after the opportunities available
under the new regime without deviating in any way from the fundamentals of their
faith. 

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

1. To create an atmosphere of 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. 

Fortunately, Syed Ahmad Khan was able to attract into his orbit a number of
sincere friends who shared his views and helped him. Among them were well-
known figures like Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk, Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk, Hali, Shibli,
Maulvi Nazir Ahmad, Chiragh Ali, Mohammad Hayat, and Zakaullah. Above all,
his gifted son Syed Mahmud, a renowned scholar, jurist and educationist, was a
great source of help to him. 

Syed Ahmad also succeeded in enlisting the services of a number of distinguished

English professors like Bech, Morison, Raleigh and Arnold who gave their best in
building up the Aligarh College into a first-rate institution. 

A brief chronology of Syed Ahmad's efforts is given below: 

1859: Built Gulshan School in Muradabad. 

1863: Set up Victoria School in Ghazipur. 

1864: Set up the Scientific Society in Aligarh. This society was involved in the
translation of English works into the native language. 

1866: Aligarh Institute Gazette. This imparted information on history; ancient and
modern science of agriculture, natural and physical sciences and advanced
mathematics. 

1870: Committee Striving for the Educational Progress of Muslims. 

1875: Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental School (M. A. O.), Aligarh, setup on the

pattern of English public schools. Later raised to the level of college in 1877 and
university in 1913. 

1886: Muhammadan Educational Conference. This conference met every year to

take stock of the educational problems of the Muslims and to persuade them to get
modern education and abstain from politics. It later became the political
mouthpiece of the Indian Muslims and was the forerunner of the Muslim League. 

Besides his prominent role in the educational uplift of the Muslims, Syed Ahmad
Khan's writings played an important role in popularizing the ideals for which the
Aligarh stood. His essay on "The Causes of Indian Revolt in 1858", and other
writings such as "Loyal Muhammadans of India", Tabyin-ul-Kalam and "A Series
of Essays on the Life of Muhammad and Subjects Subsidiary Therein" helped to
create cordial relations between the British Government and the Indian Muslims.
They also helped to remove misunderstandings about Islam and Christianity. 

It was from this platform that Syed Ahmad Khan strongly advised the Muslims
against joining the Hindu dominated Congress. He was in favor of reserved seats
for Muslims and also promoted the idea that Hindus and Muslims are two distinct
nations. This idea led to the Two-Nation Theory. 

Syed Ahmad Khan's Aligarh Movement played a significant role in bringing about
an intellectual revolution among the Indian Muslims. Thus it succeeded in
achieving its major objectives, i.e. educational progress and social reform. His
efforts earned Sir Syed the title "Prophet of Education"
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………
 1857 war of Independence:
In order to oust the British from India, the Indian people fought the war of
independence but lost.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817 to 1898):
Efforts were made to make the Muslims socially and educationally strong.
Partition of Bengal 1905:
The British portioned Bengal into east and west Bengal to improve the
administration.
The Simla Deputation 1906:
A deputation comprising of some Muslim leaders met the viceroy at Simla in order
to get some rights of the Muslims.
The Foundation of the Muslim League 1906:
The foundation of the first Muslim political party in India was laid.
The Lacknow pact 1916:
A constitutional agreement between the Muslims and the Hindus to chalk out a
joint struggle in India.
The Khilafat Movement 1919:
The Muslims of the sub-continent launched a movement to safeguard the Holy
places from the British during the First World War.
The Simon commission, November 1927:
For the grant of constitutional reforms in the sub-continent a deputation under the
leadership of Sir John Simon visited India.
The Nehru report, 1928:
Pandit Moti Lal Nehru presented certain constitutional proposals in which he
ignored the rights of the Muslims.
Fourteen points of the Quaid-e-Azam, 1929:
In relation to the Nehru report, the Quaid-e-Azam presented some proposal on
behalf of the Muslims.
The Allahabad address, 1930:
Allama Iqbal, during a meeting of All India Muslim League, presented the idea of
the grant autonomy in the Muslim majority areas.
The Ministries of the Indian National Congress 1937:
The Indian National Congress formed the Government in various provinces, after
the general elections, which made the life of the Muslims miserable.
The Pakistan Resolution, 1940:
The demand for separating the Muslims majority provinces was presented in the
annual meeting of the All India Muslim League at the Minto Park, Lahore.
The Crips proposals:
During the 2nd world war British Government deputed a mission under the
leadership of Sir Stifford Crips. In order to diffuse political tension he proposed the
transfer of power to various stated after ten years.
The Election of 1945-46:
During these elections the Muslims League won with overwhelming majority and
proved that the Muslims Leagues alone was the exclusive political party of the
Muslims.
The Plan of 3rd June 1947:
The British Government proclaimed that India would gain independence by June,
1948.
The Creation of Pakistan on 14th August, 1947:
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah took oath as the Governor General of
Pakistan.