SIR SYED AHMED KHAN

Allama Iqbal believed that, “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.” While in the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, “Sir Saiyad was an ardent reformer and he wanted to reconcile modern scientific thought with religion by rationalistic interpretations and not by attacking basic belief. He was anxious to push new education. He was in no way communally separatist. Repeatedly he emphasized that religious differences should have no political and national significance”.Pakistan came into existence on 14th August,1947.Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was born on Oct 17, 1817 in Delhi, belonged to a family which held prominent positions in the reign of Mughal emperors and 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

He initiated his practical career by joining East India Company in 1937 as serestadar, managing court affairs and record-keeping. His educational reforms started when he laid the foundation of a madrassa (Muradabad Panchayaity Madrassah) in Muradabad in 1859, which was one of the first religious academies to incorporate scientific knowledge along with the religious one. Here Hindu and Muslim students were taught Urdu, Persian and Arabic along with English. T he school was run from Hindu and Muslim funding.

EARLY LIFE

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was born on 17 October 1817 to a Noble Syed family in Delhi, which was the capital of the Mughal Empire. His family ancestral roots is said to have come from Arabia,[dubious – discuss][9] and then moved to Herat of Afghanistan in the ruling times of Mughal emperor Akbar–I. Many generations of his family had since been highly connected with the administrative position in Mughal Empire. His maternal grandfather Khwaja Fariduddin served as Wazir (lit. Minister) in the court of Emperor Akbar–II His paternal grandfather Syed Hadi held a mansab (lit. General)– a high-ranking administrative position and honorary name of Jawwad Ali Khan in the court of Emperor Alamgir II. Sir Syed's father Mir Muhammad Muttaqi was personally close to Emperor Akbar–II and served as his personal adviser) However, Syed Ahmad Khan was born at a time when rebellious governors, regional insurrections aided and led by the East India Company, and the British Empire had diminished the extent and power of the Mughal state, reducing its monarch to figurehead. With his elder brother Syed Muhammad Khan, Sir Syed was raised in a large house in a wealthy area of the city. They were raised in strict accordance with Mughal noble traditions and exposed to politics. Their mother Azis-un-Nisa played a formative role in Sir Syed's early life, raising him with rigid discipline with a strong emphasis on modern education. Sir Syed was taught to read and understand the Holy Qur'an by a female tutor, which was unusual at the time. He received an education traditional to Muslim nobility in Delhi. Under the charge of Hamiduddin, Sir Syed was trained in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and orthodox religious subjects.[citation needed] He read the works of Muslim scholars and writers such as Sahbai, Rumi and Ghalib.[citation needed] Other tutors instructed him in mathematics, astronomy and Islamic jurisprudence. Sir Syed was also adept at swimming, wrestling and other sports. He took an active part in the Mughal court's cultural activities.

His elder brother founded the city's first printing press in the Urdu language along with the journal Sayyad-ul-Akbar.[citation needed] Sir Syed pursued the study of medicine for several years but did not complete the course. Until the death of his father in 1838, Sir Syed had lived a life customary for an affluent young Muslim noble. Upon his father's death, he inherited the titles of his grandfather and father and was awarded the title of Arif Jung by the emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Financial difficulties put an end to Sir Syed's formal education, although he continued to study in private, using books on a variety of subjects Sir Syed assumed editorship of his brother's journal and rejected offers of employment from the Mughal court.

1. Improving Relations between the British and Muslim Communities

Sir Syed believed that the position of the Muslims in the subcontinent could only be improved if relations with the British were improved and Muslims gained higher-quality education. There were two major obstacles to good relations. A . The British had put the entire responsibility for the War of Independence in 1857 on the Muslims. As a result they carried out policies of repression against the Muslims after 1857. The Hindus and other religious groups were considered to be loyal and prepared to assist in governing India, but the Muslims were seen as rebellious and unhelpful. Even as early as 1843 the British Governor-General had stated: I cannot close my eyes to the belief that the Muslim race is fundamentally hostile to us.Our true policy is to reconcile the Hindus’. Sir Syed wanted to ensure that this false view was corrected. B. There was a deep-seated resentment of the British among many in the Muslim community. This was sometimes based on the fact that the British were seen as ‘foreign invaders’ and sometimes because they were thought to be trying to replace Islam with Christianity. Other Muslims rejected all Western ideas because they were often not in line with Islamic beliefs. Sir Syed wanted to ensure that the benefits and advantages of British rule, in particular in the areas of science and technology were embraced by the Muslim community to improve the lives of the masses. Convincing the British In 1860 Sir Syed wrote The Loyal Mohammadens of india. In this work he defended the Muslims from the British accusation that they were disloyal. He gave a detailed account of the loyal service which Muslims had given and named various Muslims who had shown particular loyalty to the British. At the same time he called on the British to end their hostility towards the Muslim community. In order to convince the British that they were wrong to put the full blame for the events 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 lack of representation for Indian government of the country. 2. The forcible conversion of Muslims to Christianity 3. The poor management of the Indian army He also listed many other measures taken by the British which created dissatisfaction and led to resentment among the Muslim community. This pamphlet was circulated free amongst the British officials in India and was also sent to members of Parliament in England.

Convincing the Muslims

Sir Syed was aware that the British knew very little about Islam. Indeed, on a visit to England he was so offended by an English book on (P.B.U.H) that he immediately wrote his own work correcting the many errors. Many Muslims, however, were very suspicious of any British influence because they believed it corrupted Islamic learning .Sir Sved realized that he needed to increase awareness of the benefits of western technological advances. He did not accept the arguments of British Christian missionaries that the technological advances that had been made in Europe were a result of the teachings of Christianity. He believed that they had to do with greater political development and a higher standard of education, particularly in science. He therefore laid great emphasis on the need to bring about improved education for Muslims.

IIt was also true, however, that the Muslims in India knew very little about Christianity. He tried to overcome this was by writing Tabyin-ul-Kalam, in which he pointed out the similarities between Islam Christianity. Due to lack of resources the work was not finished, but it showed Sir Syed’s commitment to improving relations.

Jinnah used the term NATION for the Muslims of India in Feb 1935 (Legislative Assembly). He argued that the combination of religion, culture, race, arts, music and so forth make a minority a SEPARATE ENTITY. In March 1936 Bombay, he stated that the Muslims could arrive at a settlement with Hindus as TWO Nations. In 1937, he asserted that there is also a third party in India, the Muslims. In 1939, he roared that the Muslims and Hindus are two nations and they are going to live as a nation and playing part as a nation:

Another example of this was the British Indian Association which Sir Syed established to try to increase co-operation between the two peoples.

Speeches and statements: 1940-47 Jinnah believed in the force of Islam as he said that Islam is a dynamic force that can unite the Muslims. It can help to overcome the present crisis. It’s a source of inspiration and guidance providing ethical foundation, a framework, social order and civilization.

Guidance & inspiration for constitution-making and Governance He also talked of the modern notions of state, constitution, civil and political rights and democracy. He assured that constitution of Pakistan would be framed by the elected assembly.

Modern democratic and Islamic State He gave assurance of equality of all citizens and rights and freedom to religious minorities in the new state.

2. Encouraging the growth of Western education

As we have seen after 1857 the Muslim community discrimination at the hands of the other British , whilst the other groups were supported. The Hindus for example, had decided that they should work with the British. This helped the British to see them as a counter to the supposedly ‘disloyal Muslims’, So Hindus were keen to learn the English language and to acquire a British education in the subcontinent. This helped them to gain employment and to make progress in society. By 1871 there were 711 Hindus in government employment compared with only 92 Muslims.

The ‘Hindu Movement’ gained strength as more and more Hindus received education in the new schools ,colleges and universities which were springing up. This increased confidence among Hindus also led to them viewing Muslims with an increasing lack of respect.

Sir Syed took steps to change Muslim attitudes to receiving British education. In this he came into conflict with ulema. They believed that acceptance of scientific and technological ideas might undermine Islamic beliefs. Sir Syed believed that the Holy Quran emphasized the need to study and that an understanding of modern scientific beliefs actually helped reveal the full majesty of God. -To gain support for his views Sir Syed set up an Urdu journal called Tahdhih-ul-Akhlaq. This journal contained articles from influential Muslims who agreed with Sir Syed that there was a need for a new approach to education. Although some ulema attacked the journal, it played a major part inbringing about an intellectual revolution amongst Muslim thinkers.

-In 1863 Sir Syed founded the Scientific Society at Ghazipore. Its main purpose was to make scientific writings available to a wider market by translating them from English, Persian or Arabic into Urdu. When he was transferred to Aligarh in 1864 he continued his work and in 1866 began issuing a journal called the ‘Aligarh Institute Gazette’. -He had already shown his commitment to expanding educational opportunities when, in 1859, he opened a school in Muradabad. In 1864 he opened another school in Ghazipore. -In 1869 Sir Syed travelled to England to study the university system there. He dreamed of setting up a university for Muslims in the sub-continent . He was very impressed by the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and hoped to set up an educational institution based on their model. However, on returning home, he found that his plans were often met with suspicion. He could not start with a university straight away. So instead he decided to begin with a school.

TThe college offered both Western and Indian education, though Islamic education was also provided. It became much more than an educational institution. In the days before the Muslim League, it became a symbol of Muslim unity. Many of the future leaders of Pakistan, such as Liaquat All Khan and Ayub Khan, were educated there and some historians have commented that the college was the institution which contributed more than any other to the formation of Pakistan. -In 1920, some years after the death of Sir Syed, the college became the University of Aligarh.

In September 1944, Jinnah and Gandhi, who had by then been released from his palatial prison, met at the Muslim leader's home on Malabar Hill in Bombay. Two weeks of talks followed, which resulted in no agreement. Jinnah insisted on Pakistan being conceded prior to the British departure, and to come into being immediately on their departure, while Gandhi proposed that plebiscites on partition occur sometime after a united India gained its independence. In early 1945, Liaquat and the Congress leader Bhulabhai Desai met, with Jinnah's approval and agreed that after the war, the Congress and the League should form an interim government and that the members of the Executive Council of the Viceroy should be nominated by the Congress and the League in equal numbers. When the Congress leadership was released from prison in June 1945, they repudiated the agreement and censured Desai for acting without proper authority.

“Sir Syed’s vision and his laborious efforts to meet the demands of challenging times are highly commendable. The dark post 1857 era was indeed hopeless and only men like Raja Mohan Roy and Sir Saiyad could penetrate through its thick veil to visualize the Nation’s destinies. They rightly believed that the past had its merits and its legacies were valuable but it was the future that a society was called upon to cope with. I offer my homage to Sir Syed for his vision and courage that withstood all obstructions both from the friends and the foes"

This most respected and important educational centre for Indian Muslims was initially founded as Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College (MAOC) at Aligarh in 1875 by Sir Saiyad Ahmed Khan and subsequently raised to the status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1920. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), known more as a movement than an academic institution is one of the most important chapters of Indian history as far as the sociology of Hindu-Muslim relation is concerned. Sir Syed said: “This is the first time in the history of Mohammedans of India, that a college owes it nor to the charity or love of learning of an individual, nor to the spending patronage of a monarch, but to the combined wishes and the united efforts of a whole community. It has its own origin in course which the history of this county has never witnessed before. It is based on principles of toleration and progress such as find no parallel in the annals of the east.” Sir Syed’ famous speech which he made while foundation of MAO College was laid down by Lord Lytton on 18th January, 1877 is the soul of Aligarh Movement. Sir Saiyad said: “from the seed which we sow today, there may spring up a mighty tree, whose branches, like those of the banyan of the soil, shall in their turn strike firm roots into the earth, and themselves send forth new and vigorous saplings”. It’s a common misconception that Sir Saiyad and Aligarh Movement is anti-oriental studies (Islamic and Eastern studies) and MAO College was started in a reactionary movement to counter the religious school, Darul-Uloom Deoband, started by Maulana Qasim Nanotvi (another student of Sir Syed’s teacher Maulana Mamlook Ali Nanotvi). In fact Sir Saiyad had a broader vision and had put forward the need of the hour to get equipped with the modern education to improve the social and economical conditions of Muslims of India. He never discouraged or denied the importance of religious and oriental studies. By his individual means and with the help of Muslim Educational Conference, he always tried to modernize the Madarasas, update their syllabus as per the need of the hour.

DEATH

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan breathed his last on March 27, 1898. He is buried right along the Sir Syed Masjid inside Aligarh University. His funeral was attended not only by thousands of Muslims but British officials as well. He revived the dormant consciousness of Muslims and through his educational and social reforms, he went down in Muslim history as arguably the most influential Indian politician of 19th century.

After his death, his Muslims and English friends started raising money to fulfill Sir Syed’s dream of making the MAO college in a Muslim university. People loved him, because in his life he was like a shady tree to them and after his death they remembered him and showed their love for him by making efforts for raising the status of the college to the university, which came finally in 1920.