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Sir Syed Ahmad Khan &

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Aligarh Movement
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 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan- The Man
• “The architect of modern India”
• The real greatness of the man (Sir Syed) consists in the fact that
he was the first Indian Muslim who felt the need of a fresh
orientation of Islam and worked for it’’ (Sir Allama Iqbal)
• “Sir Syed was a prophet of education” (Mahatma Gandhi)

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• “Sir Syed was an ardent reformer” Jawaharlal Nehru
• ‫ہماری باتیں ہی باتیں ہیں سید کام کرتا ہے‬
• ‫نہ بھولو فرق جو ہے کہنے والے کرنے والے میں‬
• ‫اکبر‬
ؔ ‫کہا جو چاہے کوئی میں تو کہتا ہوں کہ اے‬
• ‫خدا بخشے بہت سی خوبیاں تھیں مرنے والے میں‬
• ‫ت جاوید از الطاف حسین حالی‬ ِ ‫ حیا‬A tribute to Sir Syed

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 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan- The Man
• 1857- Beginning of the British Raj & British wrath
• The British Raj- No animosity with the Hindus & other
communities except for the Muslims
• Muslims had to bear the brunt of WOI- 1857

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• Elimination of Muslims as a nation- Economically, Politically,
Social & Culturally, Religiously
• No one dared to confront the Raj but----
• No one had the courage to speak for Muslims but…
• No one was able enough to guide & lead Muslims but…
• No one was willing to sacrifice his life for the renaissance of
Muslims but…. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

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 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (Part-1)the Man
• 17 October, 1817- Muslim nobility in Delhi
• Joined the civil service and rose to the rank of judge
• Went to England – 1869- studied English education system at

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Cambridge
• Khutbat-e-Ahmadia
• Retired in 1876 – settled in Aligarh
• Became the first Indian member of the Imperial Legislative
Council
• Renaissance – Education- Society – Politics- Economics
• In 1888 he was made a Knight Commander of the Star of India
• Died 27 March, 1898

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 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (part-2)
The Movement
• The supreme interest of Syed’slife was education—in its widest sense. He began by
establishing schools, at Muradabad (1858) and Ghāzīpur (1863)
• Muhammdan Anglo-Oreintal School 1875 later MAO College 1877
• A more ambitious undertaking was the foundation of the Scientific Society, which

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published translations of many educational texts and issued a bilingual journal—in
Urdu and English- Aligarh Institute Gazette 
• In 1867 he was transferred to Benares, a city on the Ganges with great religious
significance for the Hindus where a movement started to replace Urdu, the language
cultivated by the Muslims, with . Hindi
• This movement and the attempts to substitute Hindi for Urdu convinced Syed that the
paths of the Hindus and the Muslims must diverge – the birth of Two Nation Theory
• Books- Article- Journals – Translations “Education and only eductaion”
• Indian National Congress -1885 by A.O. Hume – “ The larger community (Hindus)
would totally override the interest of the smaller community (the Muslims)”
observed Sir Syed
• Political Platform – AIMEC- 1886
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 The Aligarh Movement
• 1857
– -a watershed event in the history of Muslim India
– British wrath & victimization of Muslims

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– Sir Syed – Rapprochement- an establishment or resumption of
harmonious relations
• Hindu Muslim Relationship
– A staunch advocate of Hindu-Muslim Unity
– Hindi-Urdu controversy -1867 changed his “political outlook”
Ahmed Saeed
– Two national couldn’t “co-exist” also the “enmity & conflict”
would grow overtime due to “educated people” observed Sir Syed

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 The Aligarh Movement
• Urdu – ‫ے‬2‫ ہ‬2‫ی‬22‫ ھماریزباں ک‬2‫ارے جہاںمیںدھوم‬2‫س‬
– extremely import for Muslims’ survival
– Hindu dislike for Urdu –replacement of Urdu with Hindi

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as official language
• Indian National Congress (INC)– opposed its
formation and demands (Election- civil service
exam
– Muslims to stay away from INC
– No such thing in India as one Nation & called it
“misnamed National Congress” (p-31) Shan Mohammad
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 The Aligarh Movement
• Politics
– Elections & Parliamentary systems - not suitable for the Indian
environment
– Hindu Majoritarianism - the idea that the numerical majority of a

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population should have the final say
– India – a multinational country- Majoritarianism will fail
– A trap of slavery for minorities
– Muslims would suffer due to this system
– Muslims would be in a “permanent minority” Yousaf Abbasi
– Civil Service Exam – Age reduction from 21 to 19 – a conspiracy –
opposed holding of exam in India
– For review of allegations on Sir Syed and for further details please
consult Ahmed Saeed’s book Trek to Pakistan

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 Few Works by Sir Syed
• Tafsir-ul-Qura'n  
• Asaar-us-sanadeed (Great Monuments) documenting
antiquities of Delhi dating from the medieval era.
• He also worked on a commentary on the Bible – the first by a

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Muslim – in which he argued that Islam was the closest
religion to Christianity, with a common lineage from 
Abrahamic religions
• Loyal Muhammadans of India
•  Tabyin-ul-Kalam
• Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq (“Social Reform”), for the uplift and reform
of the Muslim
• Risaala i Ahkam E Taam E Ahl E Kitab

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 “Come for More”
• https://www.aligarhmovement.com/sir_syed
• https://
www.britannica.com/biography/Sayyid-Ahma
d-Khan
• https://
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www.britannica.com/topic/majoritarianism
• https://
www.rekhta.org/qita/hamaarii-baaten-hii-baa
ten-hain-sayyad-kaam-kartaa-hai-akbar-allaha
badi-qita?lang=ur
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 NOA
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