SIR SYEDS ROLE IN MUSLIM REVIVAL

Subject: Pakistan Studies

Lecturer: Sir Shahid Amin
Submitted by: Hooriyeh Ali
ID: 14143

CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.

Introduction
Background to Muslim Downfall
Background to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Sir Syeds Involvement in Muslim Revival
Education
Political
Others
5. Forerunner for Creation of Pakistan
6. Conclusion

Introduction:
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan is a well-recognised figure in history as the emancipator of Indian Muslims
in the subcontinent, before Partition divided the nation into two separate countries. He is
undoubtedly the messiah and the answer to the prayers of those Muslims who were mercilessly
persecuted at the hands of the Britishers and Hindus, after the War of Independence in 1857.
At a time when there was no guiding light for the Muslims, he emerged as their leader, and
helped them to rise from their despondent states. He awakened the Indian Muslims to their
plight, and made them realize that to fight oppression, they would have to come out of their
shells and face it. He is one of the many people because of whose tireless efforts, Pakistan is a
reality today.

Background to Muslim Downfall:

The Mughals were the chief rulers of the subcontinent, their rule spanning about four centuries
from the 1500s to 1800s. During this time, Muslims were at the peak of their fortunes.
However, after the British slowly started inching their control over the subcontinent, the
Mughals lost their control over the nation and became mere figureheads instead of rulers. To
make matters even worse, the War of Independence or Sepoys Mutiny of 1857 took place.
Although the war was engineered by both Hindus and Muslims alike, most of the blame for the
war was laid on the Muslims, as they would evidently benefit most from it due to Mughal
power being restored. This was the lowest point Muslims would face during British rule, as they
completely fell from British favour after this. Muslims were persecuted to the highest degree,
whether they be from the nobility or just commoners. As many as 24 of the royal Mughal
princes were brutally and publicly executed. Muslims were sewed into pigskins and smeared
with pork fat, educational institutions closed their doors on them, their properties were
confiscated and jobs denied for them. They had literally no positions in government offices, and
no share of commerce or industry, and even no positions in respectable positions like law,
medicine, engineering, etc. Even the official language of the subcontinent was replaced from
Persian to English. The treatment of Muslims was such that, Maulana Hali says: The condition
had become so bad, that there was no need of condemning a Muslim. His being a Muslim was
enough crime.
The Muslims reacted by withdrawing deeper into their shells, and by continuing to live a
shocked and dejected existence instead of striving to better their conditions. This gave the
Hindus the chance to better their status and conditions, which they did by taking advantage of
the education and facilities provided by the British, and by rising in their favour due to this
reason. This left the Muslim community terribly impoverished, be it economically, academically,
politically or socially. It was at this time that Sir Syed came to the aid of the Muslims, and
helped them surface from their deplorable conditions to make their identity known between
the dominant Britishers and Hindus.

Background to Sir Syed:

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was born in Delhi, on October 17, 1817. His family had close contacts with
the Mughal court, his maternal grandfather Khwaja Farid being a minister in the court of Akbar
Shah 2 and his paternal grandfather Syed Hadi held a mansab and the title of Jawwad Ali
Khan in the court of Alamgir 2. Sir Syeds mother Aziz-Un-Nisa played a very important
formative role in shaping his personality and general outlook. He was from an educated
background, and his family was classed in the nobility. Sir Syed learned many languages, such as
Persian, Urdu, Arabic, and also religious subjects under the guidance of Maulvi Hamiduddin. He
was also well-versed in the subjects of Islamic jurisprudence, Mathematics, Astronomy, etc, and
had extensively read the works of Muslim scholars like Rumi, Sahbai and Ghalib. He started
working with the East India Company in the judiciary, and was promoted as judge of Bijnaur
during the mutiny. Sir Syed was involved in sports like swimming, wrestling, etc, and also took
an active part in the Mughal courts cultural activities. He was also awarded the title of Arif Jung
by the emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Sir Syeds Involvement in Muslim Revival:

Sir Syed played a huge part in building the confidence of Muslims, and establishing them as
important and valued citizens that the British would take seriously in the future. He was not
only a jurist, but also a social reformer, political leader, religious thinker, moralist, rationalist
and humanist. Sir Syed mostly awakened the sleeping nation of Muslims in two ways; through
education and political tactics.
Sir Syed was extremely worried at the social and academic conditions of the Muslims. He
realized the importance of Western education and appreciated it, and also saw how the Hindus
were taking advantage of it and moving forward in life while the Muslims were left behind due
to their ignorance and rejection of education. He also did not think it was fair on the part of the
British to put the blame of the War of Independence totally on the Muslims, as the Hindus were
equally responsible for it. Sir Syed took many steps in order to cultivate and change the mindset
of Muslims as well as the British.
Education:
Acquisition of knowledge of science and technology is the only solution for the problems of
Muslims. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Sir Syed always admired and appreciated the Western education system, and thought that
instead of boycotting it Muslims should follow it as it will only help them. This does not mean
he was degrading the local education, but he felt that while learning Persian and Farsi was
imperative, other subjects like science and medicine were equally important and needed to be
included in the school and university curriculum. For this reason, he tried to make the Muslims
understand the importance of education, and established many schools for the advancement of

education, eg: Gulshan School at Muradabad in 1859, Victoria School at Ghazipur in 1863, etc.
He published the Aligarh Institute Gazette, both in English and Urdu, which kept the British
informed of Indian views and opinions and also tried to make the Indians appreciate the role
the British administration played in the subcontinents progress. In 1874, Sir Syed established
the Muhammedan Anglo Oriental School in Aligarh, and he also was the founder of the
Scientific Society. This society published translations of many educational texts and issued a
bilingual journal in Urdu and English, which was for the use of all citizens and was jointly
operated by the Hindus and Muslims. Three years later, in 1877, the high school attained the
status of a college. Even the Viceroy of that time, Lord Lytton, came for the inauguration. This
shows the importance of Sir Syeds work and his respect in the eyes of the British.
In 1869, Sir Syed made a visit to England. He made full use of this opportunity, and took a tour
of the educational institutions over there. When he returned, he wanted to establish a Muslim
Cambridge in India. Thus, the Muhammedan Anglo Oriental College was formed, which later
became the famous Aligarh University. This university became a focal point for many
educational and political meetings for the Muslim youth, and was instrumental in bringing
about support and spreading awareness for the creation of Pakistan. In 1886, he also set up the
All India Mohammedan Educational Conference, which held meetings in order to decide on
what course to take and how to keep updating education of the Muslims.
Overall, Sir Syed had an immense role in opening the eyes and minds of the Muslims to the
importance of education, and in showing them that they could only progress by accepting
British methods of education instead of thinking of it as a conspiracy and turning away from it.
If not for Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the Muslims would not have been educated in areas like
science, medicine and law, and would have remained backward in these areas even today.
Sons (of MAO College, later AMU) shall go forth throughout the length and breadth of the land
to preach the message of free inquiry, of large-hearted toleration and of pure morality. Sir
Syed Ahmed Khan
Political:
Do not show the face of Islam to others; instead show your face as the follower of true Islam
representing character, knowledge, tolerance and piety. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
After the War of Independence, the relationship between the Muslims and the British had
started deteriorating rapidly. Not only that, but the Hindus were also taking advantage of this
and exploited the Muslims, while restoring their friendship with the British. Looking at the
situation then, Sir Syeds main concern was to show the Britishers that not all the fault was of
the Muslims and they should not be blamed for this, and also to restore relations between the
two communities.
He worked tirelessly to fulfill this purpose, and to rectify the image the British had of the
Muslims as disloyal, untrustworthy and not to be relied upon. In order to do this, the first step

Sir Syed took was to write the pamphlet, The Causes of the Indian Revolt or Risalaae
Asbaabe-Baghaawat-e-Hind. This pamphlet outlined the many reasons for the revolt, and
showed how all Muslims, Hindus and British were equally to be blamed for it. While Sir Syed did
point out the faults of the Muslims, he also did not hesitate to highlight the British
administration on their faults (eg: greased cartridge issue, forced conversion of Hindus and
Muslims to Christianity, considering Muslims as inferior beings, Doctrine of Lapse, etc), even
though he himself was part of government service. Sir Syed approached the situation quite
sensibly, and before criticizing the British, he thanked them for their help in making
advancements in fields like education, technology, etc. But he also made sure that the British
understood the point of view of the Muslims, and so he made sure that the pamphlet was read
not only by the Britishers in the subcontinent, but also sent it to England after translating it in
English. This pamphlet had a profound effect on the outlook of the British, as even they were
perplexed as to why the revolt took place in the first place. It opened their eyes to the many
things they were doing wrong, and made them realize what the Indian Muslims thought of
them and where should they improve themselves.
Then, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan also wrote another pamphlet, The Loyal Muhammedans of India,
in which he drew the attention of the critics to the services rendered by the Muslims towards
the British men, women and children. In this, Sir Syed tried to show that the Muslims were only
being taken in a negative light; there positivity and services were not being considered due to
this factor. He also pointed out that Muslims are not against Christians, and tried to highlight
the loyalty and dedication of the Muslims towards the British.
Most importantly, the Aligarh Movement was a major part of Muslim revival, and the
Muslims came to value education as an esteemed form of self-improvement and a way to
obtain better employment. This also gave a boost to their confidence, and increased their selfworth. This was primarily an educational venture, and Sir Syed had two objectives behind its
conception; to remove the state of tension and misunderstanding between the Muslims and
the British government, and to persuade the Muslims to make use of the opportunities
provided to them under the new rule without deviating from their fundamental faith. Due to
this movement, Islamic institutions were formed, Western Education was promoted, the
Muslims were unified after the War of Independence, and the lives of the Muslims improved
considerably. Urdu was promoted to a high extent, cultural and literary discourse gained
momentum, and education took the topmost priority in students lives. The Aligarh Movement
made the Muslims understand their position in the political scenario, helped them improve it,
and also proved to be a major platform for the birth of the idea of a separate country for
Muslims.

Others:
Get rid of old and useless rituals. These rituals hinder human progress. Sir Syed Ahmed
Khan
There were other ways as well, through which Sir Syed aimed to cultivate the minds and
mannerisms of the Muslims and to restore their lost confidence. He published the magazine
Tehzeeb-Ul-Akhlaaq, in which he outlined the ethical aspects of Muslim life, hygiene issues,
educational issues, articles on societal reforms, etc. In this magazine, he also criticized the
conservative Muslim way of life, and advised them to change with the times and adopt new
trends in life. Orphan houses were also set up by him, so that Muslim children would not end
up going to Christian missionaries for shelter, and lose their deen in the process. He also set
up the Anjuman-e-Taraqqi-e-Urdu, so that he could protect the language and preserve it for
the coming generations, while also protecting the identity of the Muslims. In the Ahkam-eTaam-e-Ahle-Kitaab, he clarified that it is not against Islam to eat with Christians at the same
table, and thus wiped off many misconceptions from the minds of the Muslims, which resulted
in them being less prejudiced against the British.
Through such avenues and tireless dedication, Sir Syed tried his utmost to make life better for
the Muslims in the subcontinent, while preserving and protecting Islam at the same time.
Forerunner for Creation of Pakistan:
We (Hindus and Muslims) eat the same crop, drink water from the same rivers and breathe
the same air. As a matter of fact Hindus and Muslims are the two eyes of the beautiful bride
that is Hindustan. Weakness of any one of them will spoil the beauty of the bride (dulhan).
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Remember that the words Hindu and Muslim are only meant for religious distinction:
otherwise all persons who reside in this country belong to one and the same nation.- Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan
In the beginning, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was never in favour of or gave the idea of two separate
nations for Muslims and Hindus, which is evidenced by the quotes given above. He was a great
believer of Hindu-Muslim unity, and did not believe in any religious divisions between people.
However, due to some incidents, Sir Syed was forced to come up with the Two Nation Theory in
order to protect the rights and identity of the Muslims.
The Hindi-Urdu Controversy was the main trigger for the formation of the Two-Nation Theory.
In 1867 the Hindus demanded that Hindi should be made the next official language in place of
Urdu (which had become the official language in 1825). It was not until after his death that
Hindi became the second language, but the Hindu opposition to Urdu greatly shocked and
disturbed Sir Syed. He was bitterly opposed to this attack on Urdu and stunned to find that the
Hindu members of the Scientific Society wanted the societys journal to be published in Hindi.
Sir Syeds belief that It seemed that in some areas it was becoming increasingly difficult for
Muslims and Hindus to live in peaceful co-existence.

Also, Sir Syed had always made it clear to the Muslims to stay away from politics, as they
werent educated or well-read enough to take part in it, and also could give rise to suspicions in
the minds of the British of another revolt. Also, Sir Syed wanted the Muslim youth to
concentrate on their education and not politics, as he considered education to be the true key
to success, and the solution for all problems. So the Muslims quietly stood in the background,
while the administration took all their decisions for them. During this time, the Indian National
Congress was formed, which took up the responsibility of making the voice of the Indians heard
regardless of their communities/religion, and would act as a bridge between the Indians and
the British. The British saw this body as a means by which they could hear the views of the
educated elite in Indian society. However, it soon became apparent that the Congress
dominated body which was working to establish Hindu supremacy over the Muslims. Sir Syed
knew this for a fact that Congress was working in the interests of Hindus, and in a way which
was harmful to the Muslim community. This led him to refuse to attend its meetings, and
instead he organised an alternative body, called the United Patriotic Alliance. In 1893 this
became the Muhammaden Defence Alliance. By this time rivalry between the Hindu and
Muslim communities was increasing and there were several examples of Hindus showing
disrespect for the Muslim religion. In Bombay some Hindu extremists began playing loud music
mosques.
After such cases and experiences, it is no shock as to why Sir Syed would come up with such an
idea. He then pioneered the concept of the Two Nation Theory, in which he stated that both
Hindus and Muslims should be given different nations, as a peaceful co-existence is not possible
anymore. This would turn out to be the building block for the creation of Pakistan in the future,
and that is why Sir Syed is rightly called, Father of the Pakistan Movement.
Conclusion:
There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that Sir Syed Ahmed Khan played an extremely
important part in improving the status of the Muslim community in the subcontinent. Without
fearing for his own status or safety in the eyes of the British, Sir Syed made sure that he did
everything he possibly could to restore the Muslims to their fallen glory. The fact that Sir Syed is
truly the saviour of the persecuted Muslims of the subcontinent is undeniable. If Sir Syed would
not have stood up for the Muslims, recognized their problems and decide to solve them,
Pakistan would probably be but a distant dream today, with Muslims still being victimized at
the hands of the Hindus and British. Sir Syed is the spring which gave life to the emotionally and
socially dead Muslims of that era. He provided the basis and laid the foundation for future
leaders to come and build on, and he gave the seed of the idea of a new nation for Muslims,
which then germinated into Pakistan and was fulfilled at the end by the likes of Muhammad Ali
Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan and Allama Iqbal. Truly, he is the messiah of the helpless Muslims, and
reviver
of
their
dead
hopes
and
dreams.