Syed Ahmad Khan

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan CSI (Urdu:

; 17
October 1817 27 March 1898), commonly known as
Sir Syed, was an Indian Muslim pragmatist,[1] Islamic
modernist,[2][3] philosopher and social activist of nineteenth century India. He worked for the British East
India Company and was one of the founders of the
Aligarh Muslim University. In 1842, Mughal Emperor
Bahadur Shah ZafarII conferred upon Sir Syed the title
of Javad-ud Daulah, maintaining the title originally conferred upon Sir Syeds grandfather Syed Hadi by Emperor
Shah Alam II around the middle of the 18th century.

status of Urdu. His biographer, Hali, wrote, One day

as Sir Syed was discussing educational aairs of Muslims with Mr. Shakespeare the then Commissioner of
Banaras Mr. Shakespeare looked surprised and asked
him, This is the rst time when I have heard you talking specically about Muslims. Before this you used to
talk about the welfare of the common Indians. Sir Syed
then told him, Now I am convinced that the two communities Muslims and Hindus will not put their hearts in
any venture together. This is nothing it is just the beginning, in the coming times an ever increasing hatred
and animosity appears on the horizon simply because of
those who are regarded as educated. Those who will be
around will witness it., (Hali, 1993).[6] Overall Sir Syed
is hailed as the father of the Two Nation Theory and one
of the founding fathers of Pakistan, along with Allama
Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.[7]

In addition, the Emperor added the title of Arif Jang. The

conferment of these titles was symbolic of Sir Syeds incorporation into the nobility of Delhi.[4]
Born into nobility, Sir Syed earned a reputation as a distinguished scholar while working as a jurist for the British
East India Company's rule in India. During the Indian
Rebellion of 1857, he remained loyal to the British Empire and was noted for his actions in saving European
lives.[5] After the rebellion, he penned the booklet The
Causes of the Indian Mutiny a daring critique, at the
time, of British policies that he blamed for causing the revolt. Believing that the future of Muslims was threatened
by the rigidity of their orthodox outlook, Sir Syed began
promoting Westernstyle scientic education by founding modern schools and journals and organising Muslim entrepreneurs. Towards this goal, Sir Syed founded
Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875 with the
aim of promoting social, scientic, and economic development of Indian Muslims which later developed into the
famous Aligarh Muslim University.

1 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,[8] and then moved to subcontinent[9]
in the ruling times of Mughal emperor AkbarI. 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.[10] His paternal grandfather Syed Hadi held a mansab
Inuential Hindu and Muslim politicians of his time (lit. General) a high-ranking administrative position
viewed Sir Syed with great suspicion, since he called and honorary name of Jawwad Ali Khan in the court of
upon Muslims to loyally serve the British Empire. He Emperor Alamgir II. Sir Syeds father Mir Muhammad
denounced nationalist organisations such as the Indian Muttaqi was personally close to Emperor AkbarII and
[11]
Congress for giving only token representation to the In- served as his personal adviser. )
dian Muslim community. Sir Syed promoted the adop- However, Syed Ahmad Khan was born at a time when
tion of Urdu as the lingua franca of all Indian Muslims, rebellious governors, regional insurrections aided and led
and mentored a rising generation of Muslim politicians by the East India Company, and the British Empire had
and entrepreneurs. Prior to the HindiUrdu controversy, diminished the extent and power of the Mughal state, rehe was interested in the education of both Muslims and ducing its monarch to gurehead. With his elder brother
Hindus, and visualised India as a beautiful bride, whose Syed Muhammad Khan, Sir Syed was raised in a large
one eye was Hindu and, the other, Muslim. As a result house in a wealthy area of the city. They were raised
of this view, he was regarded as a reformer and nationalist in strict accordance with Mughal noble traditions and
leader.
exposed to politics. Their mother Aziz-un-Nisa played
There was a sudden change in Sir Syeds views after a formative role in Sir Syeds early life, raising him
the HindiUrdu controversy: his education and reformist with rigid discipline with a strong emphasis on modern
[12]
policies became Muslim-specic and he fought for the education. Sir Syed was taught to read and understand
the Holy Qur'an by a female tutor, which was unusual at
1

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. He read the works of Muslim
scholars and writers such as Sahbai, Rumi and Ghalib.
Other tutors instructed him in mathematics, astronomy
and Islamic jurisprudence.[10][13] Sir Syed was also adept
at swimming, wrestling and other sports. He took an active part in the Mughal courts cultural activities.[14]
His elder brother founded the citys rst printing press
in the Urdu language along with the journal Sayyad-ulAkbar. Sir Syed pursued the study of medicine for several
years but did not complete the course.[10] Until the death
of his father in 1838, Sir Syed had lived a life customary
for an auent young Muslim noble.[10] Upon his fathers
death, he inherited the titles of his grandfather and father
and was awarded the title of Arif Jung by the emperor
Bahadur Shah Zafar.[15] Financial diculties put an end
to Sir Syeds formal education, although he continued to
study in private, using books on a variety of subjects.[14]
Sir Syed assumed editorship of his brothers journal and
rejected oers of employment from the Mughal court.[14]

CAREER

20. Syed Muhammad

21. Syed Isa
22. Syed Abul Fateh
23. Syed Ali
24. Syed Yar Husayn
25. Syed Kazimuddin Hasan
26. Syed Jafar
27. Syed Baqir
28. Syed Musa
29. Syed Sharfuddin Husayn
30. Syed Ibrahim
31. Syed Haz Ahmad
32. Syed Abdul Aziz
33. Syed Dost Muhammad
34. Syed Burhanuddin

Genealogy
1. Abu Talib
2. Imam Ali al Murtaza
3. Imam Husayn al Shaheed
4. Imam Zayn ul Abideen
5. Imam Muhammad Baqir

35. Syed Imaduddin

36. Mir Syed Hadi
37. Mir Syed Muttaqi
38. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

3 Career

6. Imam Jafar Sadiq

7. Imam Musa Kazim
8. Imam Ali Raza
9. Imam Muhammad Taqi
10. Syed Musa al-Mubarraqa
11. Syed Abu Abdullah Ahmad
12. Syed Muhammad al Eraj
13. Syed Muhammad Ahmad
14. Syed Ahmad al Naqib
15. Syed Musa

Nawab Mohsin ul Mulk, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Justice Syed

Mahmood, he was the rst Muslim to serve as a High Court judge
in the British Raj.

16. Syed Ahmad

17. Syed Muhammad
18. Syed Ali
19. Syed Jafar

Having recognized the steady decline in Mughal political

power, Sir Syed decided to enter the English civil service and started attending the East India Company College where he graduated with a degree in law and judicial
services.[16] He was appointed Serestadar (lit. Clerk) at

3
the courts of law in Agra, responsible for record-keeping
and managing court aairs.[16] In 1840, he was promoted
to the title of munshi. In 1858, he was appointed to a
high-ranking post at the court in Muradabad, where he
began working on his most famous literary work.
Acquainted with high-ranking British ocials, Sir Syed
obtained close knowledge about British colonial politics
during his service at the courts. At the outbreak of the
Indian rebellion, on 10 May 1857, Sir Syed was serving as the chief assessment ocer at the court in Bijnor.
Northern India became the scene of the most intense
ghting.[17] The conict had left large numbers of civilians dead. Erstwhile centres of Muslim power such as
Delhi, Agra, Lucknow and Kanpur were severely affected. Sir Syed was personally aected by the violence
and the ending of the Mughal dynasty amongst many
other long-standing kingdoms. Sir Syed and many other
Muslims took this as a defeat of Muslim society.[18] He
lost several close relatives who died in the violence. Although he succeeded in rescuing his mother from the turmoil, she died in Meerut, owing to the privations she had
experienced.[17]

tled The Causes of the Indian Revolt (Asbabe-Baghawat-e-Hind), in which he did his best
to clear the people of India, and especially the
Muslims, of the charge of Mutiny. In spite
of the obvious danger, he made a courageous
and thorough report of the accusations people
were making against the Government and refused the theory which the British had invented
to explain the causes of the Mutiny."{{[20] }}
When the work was nished, without waiting for an English translation, Sir Syed sent the Urdu version to be
printed at the Mufassilat Gazette Press in Agra. Within
a few weeks, he received 500 copies back from the printers. His friend warned him not to send the pamphlet to
Parliament or to the Government of India. Rae Shankar
Das, a great friend of Sir Syed, begged him to burn the
books rather than put his life in danger. Sir Syed replied
that he was bringing these matters to the attention of the
British for the good of his own people, of his country, and
of the government itself. He said that if he came to any
harm while doing something that would greatly benet
the rulers and the subjects of India alike, he would gladly
suer whatever befell him. When Rae Shankar Das saw
that Sir Syeds mind was made up and nothing could be
done to change it, he wept and remained silent. After performing a supplementary prayer and asking Gods blessing, Sir Syed sent almost all the 500 copies of his pamphlet to England, one to the government, and kept the rest
himself.

Social reforms in the Muslim society were initiated by

Abdul Latif who founded The Mohammedan Literary
Society in Bengal. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan established
the MAO College which eventually became the Aligarh
Muslim University. He opposed ignorance, superstitions
and evil customs prevalent in Indian Muslim society. He
rmly believed that Muslim society would not progress
without the acquisition of western education and science.
As time passed, Sir Syed began stressing on idea of prag- When the government of India had the book translated
matic modernism and started advocating for strong inter- and presented before the Council, Lord Canning, the
faith relations between Islam and Christianity.
governor-general, and Sir Bartle Frere accepted it as a
sincere and friendly report. The foreign secretary Cecil
Beadon, however, severely attacked it, calling it 'an extremely seditious pamphlet'. He wanted a proper inquiry
4 Causes of the Indian Revolt
into the matter and said that the author, unless he could
give a satisfactory explanation, should be harshly dealt
Sir Syed supported the British during the 1857 uprising,
with. Since no other member of the Council agreed with
a role which has been criticised by some nationalists such
his opinion, his attack did no harm.
as Jamaluddin Afghani. In 1859 Sir Syed Published the
booklet Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (The Causes of the Later, Sir Syed was invited to attend Lord Cannings
Indian Revolt) in which he studied the causes of the In- durbar in Farrukhabad and happened to meet the foreign
dian revolt. In this, his most famous work, he rejected secretary there. He told Sir Syed that he was displeased
the common notion that the conspiracy was planned by with the pamphlet and added that if he had really had the
Muslim lites, who were insecure at the diminishing in- governments interests at heart, he would not have made
uence of Muslim monarchs. He blamed the British East his opinion known in this way throughout the country; he
India Company for its aggressive expansion as well as the would have communicated it directly to the government.
ignorance of British politicians regarding Indian culture. Sir Syed replied that he had only had 500 copies printed,
Sir Syed advised the British to appoint Muslims to assist the majority of which he had sent to England, one had
in administration, to prevent what he called haramzadgi been given to the government of India, and the remaining copies were still in his possession. Furthermore, he
(a vulgar deed) such as the mutiny.[19]
had the receipt to prove it. He was aware, he added, that
Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali wrote in the biography of Sir
the view of the rulers had been distorted by the stress and
Syed that:
anxieties of the times, which made it dicult to put even
the most straightforward problem in its right perspective.
As soon as Sir Syed reached MuradIt was for this reason that he had not communicated his
abad, he began to write the pamphlet entithoughts publicly. He promised that for every copy that

4
could be found circulating in India he would personally
pay 1,000 rupees. At rst, Beadon was not convinced and
asked Sir Syed over and over again if he was sure that no
other copy had been distributed in India. Sir Syed reassured him on this matter, and Beadon never mentioned it
again. Later he became one of Sir Syeds strongest supporters.

SCHOLARLY WORKS

Asadullah Khan Ghalib was a person who would appreciate his labours, Syed Ahmad approached the great Ghalib
to write a taqriz (in the convention of the times, a laudatory foreword) for it. Ghalib obliged, but what he did
produce was a short Persian poem castigating the Ai'n-e
Akbari, and by implication, the imperial, sumptuous, literate and learned Mughal culture of which it was a product. The least that could be said against it was that the
book had little value even as an antique document. Ghalib
practically reprimanded Syed Ahmad Khan for wasting
his talents and time on dead things. Worse, he praised
sky-high the sahibs of England who at that time held
all the keys to all the ains in this world.[23]

Many ocial translations were made of the Urdu text of

The Causes of the Indian Revolt. The one undertaken by
the India Oce formed the subject of many discussions
and debates.[21] The pamphlet was also translated by the
government of India and several members of parliament,
but no version was oered to the public. A translation
which had been started by a government ocial was n- The poem was unexpected, but it came at the time
ished by Sir Syeds great friend, Colonel G. F. I. Graham, when Syed Ahmad Khans thought and feelings themand nally published in 1873.[22]
selves were inclining toward change. Ghalib seemed to be
acutely aware of a European[English]-sponsored change
in world polity, especially Indian polity. Syed Ahmad
might well have been piqued at Ghalibs admonitions, but
5 Sir Syed and Mirza Ghalib
he would also have realized that Ghalibs reading of the
situation, though not nuanced enough, was basically accurate. Syed Ahmad Khan may also have felt that he, being
better informed about the English and the outside world,
should have himself seen the change that now seemed to
be just round the corner.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan never again wrote a word in praise
of the Ai'n-e Akbari and in fact gave up taking active interest in history and archealogy. He did edit another two historical texts over the next few years, but neither of them
was anything like the Ai'n: a vast and triumphalist document on the governance of Akbar.
[24]

6 Scholarly works

The court of Akbar, an illustration from a manuscript of the Aine-Akbari

In 1855, he nished his highly scholarly, very well researched and illustrated edition of Abul Fazls Ai'n-e Akbari, itself an extraordinarily dicult book. Having nished the work to his satisfaction, and believing that Mirza

While continuing to work as a junior clerk, Sir Syed began focusing on writing, from the age of 23 (in 1840),
on various subjects (from mechanics to educational issues), mainly in Urdu, where he wrote, at least, 6000
pages.[25][26] His career as an author began when he published a series of treatises in Urdu on religious subjects in 1842. He published the book Ansar-as-sanadid
(Great Monuments) documenting antiquities of Delhi dating from the medieval era. This work earned him the reputation of a cultured scholar. In 1842, he completed the
Jila-ul-Qulub bi Zikr-il Mahbub and the Tuhfa-i-Hasan,
along with the Tahsil jar-i-Saqil in 1844. These works
focused on religious and cultural subjects. In 1852,
he published the two works Namiqa dar bayan masala
tasawwur-i-Shaikh and Silsilat ul-Mulk. He released the
second edition of Ansar-as-sanadid in 1854.[27] He also
started work on a commentary on the Bible the rst
by a Muslim in which he argued that Islam was the
closest religion to Christianity, with a common lineage
from Abrahamic religions.[10] He began with Genesis and

6.2

Religious works

6.2 Religious works

4. Ahkam Tu'am Ahl-Kitab, Kanpur, 1868.
5. Al-Du'a Wa'l Istajaba, Agra, 1892.
6.
Al-Nazar Fi Ba'z Masa'il Imam AlGhazzali, Agra.
7. Izalat ul-Chain as Zi'al Qarnain, Agra, 1889.
8. Zila al-Qulub ba Zikr al-Mahbub, Delhi,
1843.
9. Khulq al-Insan ala ma al-Quran, Agra,
1892.
10. Kimiya-i-Sa'dat, 2 fasl, 1883.
11. Mazumm ba nisbat tanazzul ulum-i-diniya
wa Arabiya wa falsafa-i-Yunaniya, Agra, 1857.
12. Namiqa Bayan Masala Tasawwur alShaikh, Aligarh, 1883.
13. Rah-i-Sunnat dar rad-i-bid'at, Aligarh,
1883.
14. Risala Ibtal-i-Ghulami, Agra, 1893.
15. Risala ho wal Mojud, 1880.
16. Risala Tahqiq Lafzi-i-Nassara, 1860.
First issue of the journal Muhammadan Social Reformer dated
24 December 1870, it was a pioneering publication initiated by
Sir Syed to promote liberal ideas in Muslim society.

17. Tabyin-ul-Kalam Tafsir-al-turat-wa'l Injil ala Mullat-al-Islam (The Mohomedan Commentary on the Holy Bible).
18. Tafsir-ul-Qura'n

Matthew, the rst books of the Old and New Testament,

but quit his project before even completing those rst two.
His 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 authorities
and the Muslim community.[10]
Throughout his life Syed Ahmad found time for literary
and scholarly pursuits. The range of his literary and scholarly interests was very wide: history, politics, archaeology, journalism, literature, religion and science. The
scope of his major writings is indeed amazing, majority
are listed as follows:[28]

Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.

I Aligarh, 1880,
II Aligarh, 1882, Agra, 1903.
III Aligarh, 1885
IV Aligarh, 1888
V Aligarh, 1892.
VI Aligarh, 1895
VII Agra, 1904.

19. Tafsir al-Jinn Wa'l Jan ala ma al-Qur'an,

Rahmani Press, Lahore, 1893, Agra, 1891.
20. Tafsir-a-Samawat, Agra.
21. Tahrir Usul al-Tafsir, Agra, 1892.

6.1

Legal works
1. Act No. 10 (Stamp Act) 1862.
2. Act No. 14 (Limitation) Act 18591864.

22. Tarjama fawa'id al-afkar amal al-farjar,

Delhi 1846.
23. Tarqim qisa ashab al-kahf wal-Raqim,
Agra, 1889.

3. Act No. 16 (Regarding registration documents) Allyson, 1864.

24.
Tasyad al'Aquid (Being the correspondence between Syed Ahmad Khan and
Maulana Muhammad Qasim of Deobund).

4. Act No. 18 (Regarding womens rights)

1866.

25. Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (Reasons for

the Indian Revolt of 1857) 1875

SCHOLARLY WORKS

6.4 Biographical works

32. Al-Khutbat al-Ahmadiya 'l Arab wa'I
Sirat al-Muhammadiya : Aligarh, 1900, English translation, London, 186970.
33. Sirat-i-Faridiya, Agra, 1896.
34. Tuhfa-i-Hasan, Aligarh, 1883.

6.5 Political works

: 35. Asbab-i-Bhaghwat-i-Hind, Urdu 1858 and English edition, Banaras.
36. Lecture Indian National Congress Madras
Par, Kanpur, 1887.
37. Lectures on the Act XVI of 1864, delivered
on 4 December 1864 for the Scientic Society,
Allygurh, 1864.
38. Musalmanon ki qismat ka faisla (taqarir-eSyed Ahmad Khan wa Syed Mehdi Ali Khan
etc.) Agra, 1894.
39. On Hunters :Our Indian Mussulmans
London, 1872.
40. Present State of Indian Politics (Consisting
of lectures and Speeches) Allahabad, 1888.
41. Sarkashi Zilla Binjor, Agra 1858.

Title page of Commentary of Quran by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

6.3

Historical works
25. A'in-e-Akbari (Edition with Illustration),
Delhi.
26.
Asar-us-Sanadid (i) Syed-ul-Akhbar,
1847, (II) Mata-i-Sultani, 1852.

6.6 Lectures
42. Iltimas be Khidmat Sakinan-i-Hindustan
dar bad tarraqi ta' lim ahl-i.Hind, Ghazipore,
1863.
43. Lecture dar bab targhib wa tahris talim
itfal-i-Musalmanan, in 1895, Agra 1896.
44. Lecture Madrasaat ul-Ulum Aligarh Key
Tarikhi halat aur jadid Waqi'at Par, Agra.
1889.

27. Description des monument de Delhi in

1852, D'a Pre Le Texte Hindostani De Saiyid
Ahmad Khan (tr. by M. Garcin De Tassy),
Paris, 1861.

45. Lecture Ijlas Dahum Muhammadan Educational Conference, Agra, 1896.

28. Jam-i-Jum, Akbarabad, 1940.

47. Majmu'a Resolution Haye dah sala (Resolutions passed by the Muhammadan AngloOriental Educational Conference from 1886 to
1895) ed. by Sir Syed Ahmad, Agra, 1896.

29. Silsilat-ul-Muluk, Ashraf ul Mataba',

Delhi, 1852.
30. Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi (Edition), Asiatic Society, Calcutta, 1862.
31. Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri (edition Aligarh, 1864).

46. Lecture Muta'liq Ijlas Yazdahum Muhammadan Educational Conference, Agra, 1896.

48. Report Salana (Annual Report of the

Boarding House of Madrasat-ul-Ulum 1879
1880).

6.9

Journals, reports, and proceedings

6.9 Journals, reports, and proceedings

1. Tehzeeb-ul-Ikhlaq.
2. Aligarh Institute Gazette.
3. Proceedings of the Muhammadens Educational Conference.
4. An Account of the Loyal Muhammadans of
India, Parts I, II, III, Moufussel Press, Meerut,
1860.
5. Proceedings of the Scientic Society.
6. By-Laws of the Scientic Society.
Sir Syed with his son Syed Mahmood, grand son Syed Ross Masood, and some admirers.

6.7

Collected works
49. Khutut-i-Sir Syed, ed Ross Masud, 1924.
50. Majuma Lecture Kaye Sir Syed ed. Munshi Sirajuddin, Sadhora 1892.
51. Maqalat-i-Sir-Syed ed.
Khvesgri, Aligarh, 1952.

by 'Abdullah

52. Maqalat-i-Sir Syed, ed. By Muhammad

Ismail, Lahore,
53. Makatib-i-Sir Syed, Mustaq Husain,
Delhi, 1960.
54. Maktubat-i-Sir Syed, Muhammad Ismail
Panipati, Lahore, 1959.
55.
Makummal Majumua Lectures wa
speeches. ed. Malik Fazaluddin, Lahore,
1900.
56. Muktubat al-Khullan ed. Mohd. Usman
Maqbul, Aligarh 1915.
57. Tasanif-i-Ahmadiya (Collection of Syed
Ahmad Khans works on religions topics) in 8
parts.
58. stress on Holy Quran.
59.Reformation of Faith.

6.8

7. Addresses and speeches relating to the

Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in Aligarh (18751898) ed. Nawab Mohsin-ulMulk, Aligarh, 1898.[29]

Miscellaneous
58. On the Use of the Sector (Urdu), Syed-ulAkbar, 1846.
59. Qaul-i-Matin dar Ibtal-i-Harkat i Zamin,
Delhi, 1848.
60. Tashil Jar-a-Saqil, Agra, 1844.
61. Ik Nadan Khuda Parast aur Dana dunyadar
Ki Kahani, Badaon, 1910.
62. Kalamat-ul-Haqq, Aligarh

7 Muslim reformer
See also: Aligarh Movement
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Through the 1850s, Syed Ahmed Khan began developing a strong passion for education. While pursuing studies
of dierent subjects including European [jurisprudence],
Sir Syed began to realise the advantages of Western-style
education, which was being oered at newly established
colleges across India. Despite being a devout Muslim,
Sir Syed criticised the inuence of traditional dogma and
religious orthodoxy, which had made most Indian Muslims suspicious of British inuences.[30] Sir Syed began
feeling increasingly concerned for the future of Muslim
communities.[30] A scion of Mughal nobility, Sir Syed
had been reared in the nest traditions of Muslim lite
culture and was aware of the steady decline of Muslim
political power across India. The animosity between the
British and Muslims before and after the rebellion (Independence War) of 1857 threatened to marginalise Muslim communities across India for many generations.[30]

8
Sir Syed intensied his work to promote co-operation
with British authorities, promoting loyalty to the Empire
amongst Indian Muslims. Committed to working for
the upliftment of Muslims, Sir Syed founded a modern
madrassa in Muradabad in 1859; this was one of the rst
religious schools to impart scientic education. Sir Syed
also worked on social causes, helping to organise relief
for the famine-struck people of North-West Province in
1860. He established another modern school in Ghazipur
in 1863.
Upon his transfer to Aligarh in 1864, Sir Syed began
working wholeheartedly as an educator. He founded
the Scientic Society of Aligarh, the rst scientic association of its kind in India. Modelling it after the
Royal Society and the Royal Asiatic Society,[13] Sir Syed
assembled Muslim scholars from dierent parts of the
country. The Society held annual conferences, disbursed
funds for educational causes and regularly published a
journal on scientic subjects in English and Urdu. Sir
Syed felt that the socio-economic future of Muslims was
threatened by their orthodox aversions to modern science and technology.[30] He published many writings promoting liberal, rational interpretations of Islamic scriptures. However, his view of Islam was rejected by Muslim clergy as contrary to traditional views on issues like
jihad, polygamy and animal slaughtering. Clerics of the
Deobandi and Wahhabi schools condemned him harshly
as a kar.[31] In face of pressure from religious Muslims,
Sir Syed avoided discussing religious subjects in his writings, focusing instead on promoting education.[32]

8 ADVOCACY OF URDU
emergence of Sir Syed as a political leader of the Muslim
community. He became a leading Muslim voice opposing the adoption of Hindi as a second ocial language
of the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). Sir Syed
perceived Urdu as the lingua franca of Muslims. Having
been developed by Muslim rulers of India, Urdu was used
as a secondary language to Persian, the ocial language
of the Mughal court. Since the decline of the Mughal dynasty, Sir Syed promoted the use of Urdu through his own
writings. Under Sir Syed, the Scientic Society translated
Western works only into Urdu. The schools established
by Sir Syed imparted education in the Urdu medium. The
demand for Hindi, led largely by Hindus, was to Sir Syed
an erosion of the centuries-old Muslim cultural domination of India. Testifying before the British-appointed education commission, Sir Syed controversially exclaimed
that Urdu was the language of gentry and Hindi that of
the vulgar.[33] His remarks provoked a hostile response
from Hindu leaders, who unied across the nation to demand the recognition of Hindi.

The success of the Hindi movement led Sir Syed to further advocate Urdu as the symbol of Muslim heritage and
as the language of all Indian Muslims. His educational
and political work grew increasingly centred around and
exclusively for Muslim interests. He also sought to persuade the British to give Urdu extensive ocial use and
patronage. His colleagues such as Mohsin-ul-Mulk and
Maulvi Abdul Haq developed organisations such as the
Urdu Defence Association and the Anjuman Taraqqi-iUrdu, committed to the perpetuation of Urdu. All these
colleagues led eorts that resulted in the adoption of Urdu
as the ocial language of the Hyderabad State and as the
medium of instruction in the Osmania University.[34] To
8 Advocacy of Urdu
Muslims in northern and western India, Urdu had become
an integral part of political and cultural identity. HowSee also: Hindi-Urdu controversy
ever, the division over the use of Hindi or Urdu further
The onset of the Hindi-Urdu controversy of 1867 saw the provoked communal conict between Muslims and Hindus in India.
On 1 April 1869 he went, along with his son Syed Mahmood, to England, where he was awarded the Order of
the Star of India from the British government on 6 August. Travelling across England, he visited its colleges
and was inspired by the culture of learning established after the Renaissance. Sir Syed returned to India in the following year determined to build a Muslim Cambridge.
Upon his return, he organised the Committee for the
Better Diusion and Advancement of Learning among
Muhammadans" (Muslims) on 26 December 1870. Sir
Syed described his vision of the institution he proposed
to establish in an article written sometime in 1872 and reprinted in the Aligarh Institute Gazette of 5 April 1911:

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in Punjab

I may appear to be dreaming and talking

like Shaikh Chilli, but we aim to turn this
MAO College into a University similar to that
of Oxford or Cambridge. Like the churches of
Oxford and Cambridge, there will be mosques

9
attached to each College... The College will
have a dispensary with a Doctor and a compounder, besides a Unani Hakim. It will be
mandatory on boys in residence to join the
congregational prayers (namaz) at all the ve
times. Students of other religions will be exempted from this religious observance. Muslim students will have a uniform consisting of a
black alpaca, half-sleeved chugha and a red Fez
cap... Bad and abusive words which boys generally pick up and get used to, will be strictly
prohibited. Even such a word as a liar will be
treated as an abuse to be prohibited. They will
have food either on tables of European style or
on chaukis in the manner of the Arabs... Smoking of cigarette or huqqa and the chewing of
betels shall be strictly prohibited. No corporal
punishment or any such punishment as is likely
to injure a students self-respect will be permissible... It will be strictly enforced that Shia
and Sunni boys shall not discuss their religious
dierences in the College or in the boarding
house. At present it is like a day dream. I pray
to God that this dream may come true.

Sir Syed established a modern school in Aligarh and, obtaining support from wealthy Muslims and the British,
laid the foundation stone of the Muhammadan AngloOriental College on 24 May 1875. He retired from his
career as a jurist the following year, concentrating entirely
on developing the college and on religious reform.[13] Sir
Syeds pioneering work received support from the British.
Although intensely criticised by orthodox religious leaders hostile to modern inuences, Sir Syeds new institution attracted a large student body, mainly drawn from the
Muslim gentry and middle classes.[31] The curriculum at
the college involved scientic and Western subjects, as
well as Oriental subjects and religious education.[13] The
rst chancellor was Sultan Shah Jahan Begum, a prominent Muslim noblewoman, and Sir Syed invited an Englishman, Theodore Beck, to serve as the rst college
principal.[31] The college was originally aliated with
Calcutta University but was transferred to the Allahabad
University in 1885. Near the turn of the 20th century,
it began publishing its own magazine and established a
law school. In 1920, the college was transformed into a
university.

9 Political career
In 1878, Sir Syed was nominated to the Viceroys Legislative Council.[35] He testied before the education commission to promote the establishment of more colleges
and schools across India. In the same year, Sir Syed
founded the Muhammadan Association to promote political co-operation amongst Indian Muslims from dierent parts of the country. In 1886, he organised the All
India Muhammadan Educational Conference in Aligarh,
which promoted his vision of modern education and political unity for Muslims. His works made him the most
prominent Muslim politician in 19th century India, often
inuencing the attitude of Muslims on various national
issues. He supported the eorts of Indian political leaders Surendranath Banerjee and Dadabhai Naoroji to obtain representation for Indians in the government and civil
services. In 1883, he founded the Muhammadan Civil
Service Fund Association to encourage and support the
entry of Muslim graduates into the Indian Civil Service
(ICS).[13][36] While fearful of the loss of Muslim political power owing to the communitys backwardness, Sir
Syed was also averse to the prospect of democratic selfSignatures of Sir syed
government, which would give control of government to
By 1873, the committee under Sir Syed issued propos- the Hindu-majority population:[37][38]
als for the construction of a college in Aligarh. He beAt this time our nation is in a bad state
gan publishing the journal Tahzib al-Akhlaq (Social Rein regards education and wealth, but God has
former) to spread awareness and knowledge on modern
given us the light of religion and the Quran is
subjects and promote reforms in Muslim society. Sir
present for our guidance, which has ordained
Syed worked to promote reinterpretation of Muslim idethem and us to be friends. Now God has made
ology in order to reconcile tradition with Western educathem rulers over us. Therefore we should cultion. He argued in several books on Islam that the Qur'an
tivate friendship with them, and should adopt
rested on an appreciation of reason and natural law, makthat method by which their rule may remain
ing scientic inquiry important to being a good Muslim.

10

12
permanent and rm in India, and may not pass
into the hands of the Bengalis... If we join the
political movement of the Bengalis our nation
will reap a loss, for we do not want to become
subjects of the Hindus instead of the subjects
of the "people of the Book...[38]

REFERENCES

was nominated as a member of the Civil Service Commission in 1887 by Lord Duerin. In 1888, he established the United Patriotic Association at Aligarh to promote political co-operation with the British and Muslim
participation in the government.

Syed Ahmed Khan was knighted by the British government in 1888 and was awarded Knight Commander of
the order of Star of India[40] for his loyalty to the British
9.1 All-India Muslim League
crown, through his membership of the Imperial Legislative Council[41] and in the following year he received an
Ahmad Khan helped form the All-India Muslim League LL.D. honoris causa from the Edinburgh University.[13]
(AIML). His educational proposals and political activism
inspired Muslim elites to support the AIML. Ahmad The university he founded remains one of Indias most
Khan originally founded the All India Muhammadan Ed- prominent institutions. Prominent alumni of Aligarh inucational Conference in 1886 in order to uplift Western clude Muslim political leaders Maulana Mohammad Ali,
education, especially science and literature, among In- Abdur Rab Nishtar, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Maulvi Abdias Muslims. The conference, in addition to generating dul Haq, who is hailed in Pakistan as Baba-e-Urdu (Fafunds for Ahmad Khans Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental ther of Urdu). The rst two Prime Ministers of Pakistan,
College, motivated Muslim elites to propose expansion of Liaquat Ali Khan and Khawaja Nazimuddin, as well as
educational uplift elsewhere, known as the Aligarh Move- the late Indian President Dr. Zakir Hussain, are amongst
ment. In turn this new awareness of Muslim needs helped Aligarhs most famous graduates. In India, Sir Syed is
stimulate a political consciousness among Muslim elites commemorated as a pioneer who worked for the sociopolitical upliftment of Indian Muslims. Sir Syed is also
that went on to form the AIML.[39]
hailed as a founding father of Pakistan for his role in developing a Muslim political class independent of Hindumajority organisations.

10

Legacy and Knighthood

11 See also
Aligarh Muslim University
Womens College
Aligarh Movement
Sheikh Abdullah
Islamic Modernism
Khwaja Muhammad Yusuf
Nawab Muhammad Hayat Khan
British Pakistanis
Sir Syeds house in the university campus

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan lived the last two decades of his
life in Aligarh, regarded widely as the mentor of 19thand 20th century Muslim entrepreneurs and politicians.
He remained the most inuential Muslim politician in India, with his opinions guiding the convictions of a large
majority of Muslims. Battling illnesses and old age, Sir
Syed died on 27 March 1898. He was buried besides
Sir Syed Masjid inside the campus of the Aligarh university. His funeral was attended by thousands of students,
Muslim leaders and British ocials. Sir Syed is widely
commemorated across South Asia as a great Muslim reformer and visionary.[13][36] At the same time, Sir Syed
sought to politically ally Muslims to the British government. An avowed loyalist of the British Empire, Sir Syed

List of British Pakistanis

12 References
[1] http://www.academia.edu/2501127/Enlightenment_
and_Islam_Sayyid_Ahmad_Khans_Plea_to_Indian_
Muslims_for_Reason
[2] Glasse, Cyril, The New Encyclopedia of Islam, Altamira
Press, (2001)
[3] Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, Thompson
Gale (2004)
[4] http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00fwp/
srf/srf_sirsayyid.pdf

11

[5] Glasse, Cyril, The New Encyclopedia of Islam, Altamira

Press, (2001)
[6] Akht ar, Altf usain l ; Talkh , Salim (1993).
No%3A%099693501861-Author%3A%09ALTAFHUSSAIN-HALI.html ayt-i jved Check |url=
value (help). Lhaur: Sang-i Ml Pablikeshanz. ISBN
9693501861.
[7] Akram, Shaikh Muhammad. Mauj-e-kausar (in Urdu).
Lahore. pp. 86, 85.
[8] Hayaat-e-Javaid, Maulana Altaf Husain Haali, Vol. 1, pp.
26, Arsalaan Books, Allama Iqbal Road, Azad Kashmir
[9] GRAHAM, George Farquhar (1885). The Life and Work
of Syed Ahmed Khan, C. at S. L. Black wood. p. 1.
[10] period =P001 Sir Syed Ahmad Khan Check |url= value
(help). Story of Pakistan. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
[11] GRAHAM, George Farquhar (1885). The Life and Work
of Syed Ahmed Khan, C. S. L. Blackwood. p. 4.

[23] The word ain can mean all or any of the following: character, convention, temperament, habit, rule, path, law (ecclesiastical or secular), creed, praxis, quality, intention,
organization, management, system, decoration, beauty.
(Lughat Nama-e Dehkhoda). There are about eighty
meanings in all. These meanings seem to have developed
over the centuries. Most were available to Abul Fazl; all
were available to Ghalib.
[24] Faruqi, Shamsur Rahman. From Antiquary to Social
Revolutionary: Syed Ahmad Khan and the Colonial Experience (PDF). Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, work in English.
Columbia University. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
[25] John W. Wilder(2006), Selected essays by Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan, p. 34
[26] Johannes Marinus Simon Baljon(1964), The reforms and
religious ideas of Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan, p. 13
[27] Sir Syed Ahmed Khan >> Chronology
[28] http://aligarians.com/mehfil/index.php/topic,59.0.html
[29] Compiled by: Ashraf A. Shah, 1980

[12] Syed Ziaur Rahman, Sir Syed and His Family Background, The Aftab Magazine, Aligarh Muslim University,
Aligarh, 199899, p. 17-19; We and You (Special Issue),
Aligarh, SeptOct., 1999, p. 10

[30] KUMAR, S (2000). Educational Philosophy in Modern

India. Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 59. ISBN 81261-0431-7.

[13] Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Encyclopedia of World Biography (2nd ed.). Gale Research. 1997. pp. 17 vols.

[31] Nazeer Ahmed (2000). Islam in Global History. Xlibris

Corporation. p. 231. ISBN 0738859664.

[14] Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Nazaria-e-Pakistan. Story of

Pakistan, Sir Syed. Retrieved 27 March 2014.

[32] ALI, Engineer Asghar (2001). Rational Approach to Islam. Delhi: Gyan Publishing House. p. 191. ISBN
8121207258.

[15] GRAHAM, George Farquhar (1885). The Life and Work

of Syed Ahmed Khan, C. S. L. Blackwood. p. 7.

[33] Hindi Nationalism, Alok Rai, Orient Blackswan, 2001

[16] Hayat-i-Javed (A Biography of Sir Sayyid) by Altaf Husain Hali (1901), translated by David J. Matthews (New
Delhi: Rupa and Company, 1994)

[34] ABBASI, Yusuf (1981). Muslim Politics and Leadership in the South Asian Sub-continent. Institute of Islamic History, Culture and Civilization, Islamic University (Islamabad). p. 90.

[17] Sir Syed Ahmad Khan Chronology. Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology.

[35] GRAHAM, George Farquhar (1885). The Life and Work

of Syed Ahmed Khan, C. S. L. Blackwood. p. 289.

[18] MUHAMAD, Dr. Shan (1978). The Aligarh Movement.

Meerut: Meenakshi Prakashan. pp. IX.

[36] MAJUMDAR, RC (1969).

Struggle for Freedom. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 1967. ASIN:
B000HXEOUM.

[19] Hoodbhoy, Pervez (9 Feb 2013). Why Sir Syed loses and
Allama Iqbal wins in Pakistan. The Pakistan Tribune.
Retrieved 30 July 2015.

[37] BAIG, MRA (1974). The Muslim Dilemma in India.

Delhi: Vikas Publishing House. pp. 512.

[20] Hayat-i-Javed (A Biography of Sir Sayyid) by Altaf

Husain Hali (1901), translated by David J. Matthews
(New Delhi: Rupa and Company, 1994), pp. 92-95
|date=December 2011
[21] See, for instance, chapter 2 of Raja, Masood Ashraf.
Constructing Pakistan: Foundational Texts and the Rise
of Muslim National Identity, 18571947, Oxford 2010,
ISBN 978-0-19-547811-2
[22] Hayat-i-Javed (A Biography of Sir Sayyid) by Altaf Husain
Hali (1901), translated by David J. Matthews (New Delhi:
Rupa and Company, 1994), pp. 9295

[38] KUMAR, S (2000). Educational Philosophy in Modern

India. Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 60. ISBN 81261-0431-7.
[39] Abdul Rashid Khan, All India Muhammadan Educational Conference and the Foundation of the All India
Muslim League, Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society (2007) Vol. 55 Issue 1/2, pp 6583.
[40] Ikram, S.S. Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan: Muslim Scholar. Encyclopedia Brittanica. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
[41] Mondal, Puja. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and the Aligarh
Movement. Retrieved 30 July 2015.

12

13

14

Further reading

The Glowing Legend of Sir Syed A Centennial

Tribute (1998), Ed. Syed Ziaur Rahman, NonResident Students Centre, Aligarh
Muslim University (Aligarh)
Prof. Iftikhar Alam Khan. Sir Syed aur Faney
Tameer (Aligarh)
Prof. Iftikhar Alam Khan. Muslim University ki Kahani, Imarton ki zubani (Aligarh)
Prof. Iftikhar Alam Khan. Sir Syed aur Scientic
Society (Aligarh)
Prof. Iftikhar Alam Khan. Sir Syed tahreek ka siyasi
aur samaji pas manzar (Aligarh)
Prof. Iftikhar Alam Khan. Sir Syed House ke Mah
Wasal (Aligarh)
Prof. Iftikhar Alam Khan. Sir Syed Daroon e Khana
(Aligarh*
Prof. Iftikhar Alam Khan " Sir Syed aur Jadeedyat
Pub. by Educational Publications, Delhi 012.
Prof. Iftikhar Alam Khan " Sir Syed aur Hindustani
Nizam-e-zaraat " Ed. Pub. Delhi.
Graham, George Farquhar Irving. The Life and Work of
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (Karachi: Oxford University Press,
1974)
Encyclopedia of World Biography Syed Ahmed
Khan, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. (Gale Research) as Baba-eUrdu (Father of Urdu) an, n and nn,S K S K,P ,S K
S K,P

14

External links

Comprehensive detail about Aligarh Movement

Sir Saiyad Ahmad, Khan Bahadur, L.L.D,
K.C.S.I. By Afzal Usmani
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan short biography. ocial
website of Aligarh Muslim University.
Sir Syed Today: A Source of Literary Work of Sir
Syed Ahmad Khan.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (18171898)". Story of
Pakistan.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Pioneers of Freedom.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Cyber AMU.

Upadhyay, R. Aligarh Movement. South Asia
Analysis Group.
The Rich Legacy of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (Gulf
News)
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan His Life and Contribution
(NewAgeIslam)

13

15
15.1

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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Syed Ahmad Khan Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ahmad_Khan?oldid=721945106 Contributors: SimonP, Leandrod,

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TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

File:Muhammadansocialreformer.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Muhammadansocialreformer.

jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Sir Syed Album, by Khaliq Ahmad Nizami, published by Idara-I Adabiyat, Delhi, 1983. Original
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Contributors: Sir Syed Album, by Khaliq Ahmad Nizami, published by Idara-I Adabiyat, Delhi, 1983. Original artist: Sir Syed Album, by
Khaliq Ahmad Nizami, published by Idara-I Adabiyat, Delhi, 1983.
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Syed Album, by Khaliq Ahmad Nizami, published by Idara-I Adabiyat, Delhi, 1983. Original artist: Sir Syed Album, by Khaliq Ahmad
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