SIR SYED AHMAD KHAN THE REFORMIST

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan born in Delhi in 1817 was considered as the greatest reformer of the Muslims of sub-continent. His family had a compact connection with the Mughal courts. His mother took a pronounced interest in his education. He read and understood the Qur’an, received his early education in Delhi. He was proficient in Urdu, Arabic, Persian and religious subjects. He thoroughly studied the writings of the prominent Muslim scholars. In addition, he studied mathematics, Islamic Jurisprudence and astronomy. With such a broad background of early education, his talent groomed which developed the faculty of looking deep into affairs. Moreover, his diligence and love for Islam played a key role which cultivated an urge in him to do something for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s major contribution towards the Muslim nation was that he was the founder of Aligarh Muslim University. All of his efforts, which can be seen through his works, were mainly to improve the plight of the Muslims and were devoted for the well-being of the Muslims of the sub-continent.

His chief concern was, in one word, EDUCATION’ education for all the Muslims and he emphasised on education for girls/women as well. He recognised that the state of Muslims could not be reformed without education; they would have to bring a change in their approach towards education to grow and prosper. He believed ‘the progress of Muslim community was impossible without higher education.’

Here it is essential to know as to why the Muslims of the sub-continent were lagging behind in education and why they used to experience hatred for the western education which proved to be a hurdle between them and the knowledge.

Firstly, Muslims believed that their traditional Islamic learning/teachings were superior to that of the western. Secondly, they did not ‘own’ this education because this western education was imposed upon them by the foreigners. Lastly and most importantly, Muslims of the sub-continent assumed that their beliefs would be corrupted by the western education because this knowledge was coming to them from the Christians hence it would be encapsulating Christian system of beliefs (Christianity) which could endanger their faith.

 Muslims of the subcontinent assumed that their beliefs would be corrupted by the western education because this knowledge was coming to them from the Christians hence it would be encapsulating Christian system of beliefs (Christianity) which could endanger their faith.

 Aligarh Movement was Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s supreme accomplishment. The movement was a great educational project having one clear objective: To Educate Muslims, considering it the only cure of all the sufferings of the Muslims of the sub-continent. The underlying objectives were to encourage Muslims of the subcontinent to try for all the opportunities available to them under the British government without harming their fundamental beliefs; and to remove the strain and misapprehension between the new British Raj and the Muslims.

After the War of Independence (1857), Muslims were facing a crucial stage. They had a strong hate for the Englishmen, their education, language and culture. They kept their children away from the western education. Their illiteracy about the English language was creating a distance between them and the respectable government posts. It was creating a destructive impact on the Muslims interests. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan inferred the need of the time and took the responsibility to educate Muslims. First of all he tried to clarify the misunderstanding of the British government by writing essays on the causes of the Indian Revolt (Asbaab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind).

After that, he shifted his sole interest to the education of the Muslims. He told Muslims that acquiring the western education and language would not corrupt their belief, rather it was indispensable to compete with the Hindus.

For this purpose, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan issued a magazine named ‘Tahzeeb ul Ikhlaq’ which expounded adoptable western manners. In this magazine he wrote various essays spanning educational, religious and philosophical issues to revolutionise attitude of Muslims towards western education.

At Muradabad, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded Gulshan School in 1859. In Ghazipur, he instituted Victoria School (1863) and a Scientific Society in 1864. In the following year, Scientific Society shifted to Aligarh. The purpose of the Scientific Society was to translate practical and scientific works written in English language into Urdu.

The objective of the Aligarh Institute Gazette was to keep the British government informed about the inclinations of the Indians and to facilitate the Indians to understand the British sway.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan journeyed to England during 1869-70. He wrote a defence in reply to Sir William Muir’s book ‘Life of Mahomet’. The defence was published in a series of pamphlets which were soon published in Urdu as well and was named as ‘Khutbaat-e-Muhammadia’ this defence of the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.) earn exceptional popularity among the nations in India.

During his journey to England, he got a chance to watch the British system of education keenly and closely. While examining British educational institutions, he got an idea to found a college particularly for the Muslims for the reason that the old/traditional system of education was no more compatible with the modern demands. He said, ‘It was not bad but the old thread with which the ribs had been tied was now broken and a new thread was needed to re-tie them.’

Furthermore, he said, ‘the small imitate the great; not great the small.’ He felt an urgent need to open a great educational institution to spread modern education to the lower strata of the society.

After his stay at England, he came back to India with several educational patterns. Keeping those all in view, he started his educational movement with a greater zeal and zest. As a result of which, he founded Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College in 1875 and devoted the rest of his life to this college. After his death, the college got the status of university in 1920. The college, undoubtedly, played a major role in the awareness of the Muslims of the subcontinent.

Thus, through education, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan tried to ‘cure the root’ keeping in mind that the tree would itself flourish.

‘Illiteracy is the mother of poverty. Poverty comes to that nation which has no literacy and when it (poverty) comes, it tends to create so many crimes’ said he. Hence, he insisted all the Muslims to get education to eradicate all the deficiencies due to which Muslims of the sub-continent were suffering from seemingly a never-ending misery.