History and Cultural of Pakistan Section 1

For complete notes of Islamiyat /Pakistan Studies / Urdu contact 03222253698 1
History Section 1
Cultural and Political Background of Pakistan Movement
Chapter 1: Religious Thinkers
Key Question 1: How successful were the religious thinkers in spreading Islam in the
sub-continent during 18th and 19th?
Shah Wail Ullah (1703-1762)
Introduction
Shah Wali Ullah was born on 21 February 1703 during the reign of Aurangzeb his real name was
Qutub-ud-din but became famous as Shah Wali-Ullah his father was Shah Abdul Rahim who
founded Madrassa Rahimiya in Delhi his father died in 1718.In 1724 Shah Wali Ullah went to
Arabia to perform Hajj. He studied under famous scholar Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim and
returned to Delhi in 1732.
Beliefs
He believed that the Muslims were facing decline not because of weak leadership but because of
Muslim community itself. He believed that many Muslims did not have complete knowledge of
Quranic teachings. A major problem was that Muslims were divided into Shias and Sunnis and
fought with themselves. It was necessary to follow Islamic teachings into every aspect of life.
Work
He worked hard to ensure that he was a role model for every Muslim. He translated Quran into
Persian because many people were unfamiliar with Arabic. Later his sons, Shah Abdul Qader and
Shah Rafi, translated Quran into Urdu so more and more people could gain Islamic knowledge. He
wrote fifty one books in Persian and Arabic. Amongst the most famous were Hujjatullah-ul-Baligha
and Izalat-Akhfa. He also wrote an account of the first four caliphs of Islam in a way that was
acceptable to both Shias and Sunnis. In economics he emphasised the need for social justice and for
peasants and craftsmen to be truly valued for their contribution to the economy. His most
important contributions to the Muslim community was his organization of opposition to the
Marathas, who were threatening to over-run the Mughal Empire from the south. It was to call
together the divinities among Muslims and unite them for Jihad. He wrote a letter to Afghan King
Ahmad Shah Abdali and joined local forces with local Muslim leaders and defeated the Marathas
in the Battle of Panipat in 1761. However, despite encouragement from Shah Wali Ullah, the
Muslim leaders did not unite to take advantage of the defeat of the Marathas. Perhaps if they had
done so, the Muslims would not have soon found themselves under Non-Muslim rule.
www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

Importance
Shah Wali Ullah was one of the first thinkers to state that the decline of Mughal Empire and the
vulnerable position of the Muslims were due to a neglect of the principles of Islam. He showed how
this regeneration might take place. The Madrassa continued to play a vital role in teaching Islamic
principles and researching Islamic thought. He believed that Muslims could prosper if they
followed proper Islamic customs and did not indulge in social evils. His writing gave large number
of Muslims a chance to study their religion and understand its teachings. He gave Muslims
inspiration to lead a pure simple Life. He showed that Muslims had to concentrate more on basic
principle rather than finding the difference which would lead them in the conflict among them. He
tried to oppose Maratha and unite the Muslim under a common enemy. Many future leaders were
inspired by his teachings. And fight for the good of Muslim community.
Syed Ahmad Shaheed Barailvi (1786-1831)

Introduction
Syed Ahmad was born in a small town of Rai Bareli near Lucknow. He moved in Delhi in 1806 and
Studied in Madrassa Rahimya for two years. In 1810 in joined a Pathan Military Leader and
learned to use European weaponry. In 1817 He returned to Delhi trying to make Islam to its
original purity.
Beliefs
He believed that Muslims could achieve their freedom by having arm struggle against the British
and Sikhs. He believed that the evil in the Islamic Society had to be cured. He called for Jihad
Movement to over throw the non-Muslim force which was oppressing them. Only then Islam could
be rescued from the evil customs of other societies.
Work
In 1821 He went for Hajj and returned from Arabia in 1823 ready for action. At this time Punjab
and NWFP was in the control of Sikh and Muslims were unable to live according to their faith. He
traveled many hundred miles to raise a mujahideen force. In 1826 Syed Ahmad established his
headquarters near Peshawar and sent a messenger asking Ranjit Singh the ruler to allow muslims
follow their religion but the request was turn down so he had no choice but to attack at Okara on
21 December 1826 and after that Hazarothe and defeat the Sikhs. He was successful military
leader and the mujahideen force soon reached 80,000 men, but there was a major problem as the
force had people from different area they quarreled on how the camping should run. Sikhs tried to
exploit the army by calling it un-Islamic but it was consider jihad by Muslim leaders. When Syed
Ahmad was about to attack the fort of Attock he encountered the army of Sikh of 35000 men’s.
What he did not know was that Yar Muhammad Khan a Pathan chief was bribed by the Sikh and
even his servant tried to poison him. Then Yar Muhammad deserted him on the battle field along
his men and thus this creates chaos and lead to defeat. Syed Ahmad had no choice but to move his
headquarters to safety of Panjtar near Kashmir but was again betrayed when a person in his army
told the British a secret way to attack them. In battle of Balakot 1831 a surprise attack was lead by
Sikh and Six hundred Muslims were killed along with Syed Ahmed.
Importance
The Defeat of the mujahedeen in the Battle of Balakot was a serious setback for the Jihad
movement still it survived. The movement continued on the hills of NWFP until 1863 when the
British sent large force to deal with it still it survived through determination of its followers. The
work of Syed Ahmad was important because it was the first arm struggle of a movement to free
Muslims from non-Muslim rule. It was not a movement for a leader but it was to achieve religious
freedom. Jihad of Syed Ahmad inspired many Muslims. It is the fore-runner of Pakistan movement

as the aim of this movement was to safe-guard Muslim interest and achieves a homeland where
they can practice their Religion, Culture and Freedoms.
Haji Shariat Ullah (1781-1840)

Introduction
He was born in 1781 in Faridpur district in east Bengal. His family was poor. In 1799 He went to
Arabia on pilgrimage and stayed there for nineteen years . He was greatly influenced by the
teaching of Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Wahab.
Beliefs
He believed that the miserable condition of the Muslims in India led to the country being Dar-Ul-
Harb (Country under Foreign Rule). He told that Friday prayer and Eid prayer cannot be offered
here. He also believed that Muslim community had moved away from Islamic practice. He wanted
them to return to what he thought was the proper observation of Islamic duties called Faraizi. This
was why he started his movement was called Faraizi Movement. The Faraizi Movement supported
the idea of Jihad against the non-Muslims who were undermining the true principles of Islam.
Work
He started Faraizi movement to restore the Pride of the Muslims and remove what he thought
were the Hindu practices. Emphasis was placed on praying for past sins and promising to lead a
righteous life in the future which had crept into their worship. The success of this movement
caused British and Hindu Landlord’s and they did not want Haji Shariat Ullah to create difficulty
for them by uniting a desire to improve their lives and purify their religion so they drove Haji out
of the reign to Nawabganj in Dhaka where he died in 1840. His work however was carried by his
son Mohsin-ud-Din who continued to improve the position of Muslim in East Bengal and
introduced important economic measures. He divides East Bengal into circle under control of each
Khalifa to carry out religious activities. He helped the peasants to oppose land taxes and he
threatened to declare Jihad against the British so he was captured and put in prison where he died
in 1860.
Importance
Work of Haji Shariat Ullah was important to Faraizi Movement because it gave encouragement to
Muslims at a time when they demoralised by oppression suffered from Hindus and British. It also
brought about a spiritual revival which led to a revival in Islamic religion in East Bengal. Hindu
influences were removed from Islamic practices. It might be said that some seeds for the Pakistan
Movement were sown by the Faraizi Movement.
Some Repeated Questions in CIE

4 Marks Questions
Who was Shah Waliullah?

 Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dehlvi was born in 1703 at Delhi. Shah Waliullah received his academic
and spiritual education from his father, Shah Abdul Rahim, at his Madrasa-e-Rahimiya. He left
for Arabia in 1724 for higher education, there he got educated under Sheikh Abu Tahir, a
renowned religious scholar. By the time he returned to Delhi in July 1732, the decline in Mughal
fortunes had started. The social, political, economic and religious conditions of the Muslims were
very poor. On his return to India, he not only identified the causes for the decline of the Muslims,
but also pointed out the remedies. He translated the Quran to Persian, the main and common

language of the people at that time. He also tried to reduce the various differences of many a
sectarian group prevailing at that time.
What did Shah Waliullah believe about the role of Islam?

 Shah Waliullah believed that Islam should direct every aspect of life, political, social and
economic behavior should be guided by Islamic values. He believed that Muslims cannot be
successful if they departed from the principles of their religion. He believed Islamic values of
Justice and equilibrium must be followed. He emphasized on putting an end to cast and sect
system and follow the teaching of brotherhood Islam to achieve success.
What were the achievements of Shah Waliullah?

 Shah Waliullah revived the spirit of Islam in the hearts of Muslims of Sub-continent. He gave
Muslims an Identity. He made the Muslims realize their mistakes. He emphasized on traditional
values of Islam. He stressed on the importance of teaching of Islam. He translated Quran in
Persian. This translation enabled the majority to understand it. He also wrote 51 books for better
understanding and implementation on Islamic Religion. He also tried to remove the sectarian
differences between Muslims.
What was the Jihad Movement?

 The Jihad movement was the movement set up by Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi. Its purpose was
to make Muslims perform Jihad, war in way of God. Its purpose was to free Muslims from Sikh and
British Rule. It aimed to organize the Muslims and think about betterment.
What were the reasons for Syed Ahmed Shaheed’s failure in defeating Sikhs?
 The Sikhs under Ranjit Singh were a very powerful and superior force. The Muslims were divided
and reluctant to work unitedly. The locals of Balakot and his own forces disagreed over the taxes
he laid upon them. There was a lack of support.
Who was Titu Mir?

 His real name was Mir Mithar Ali. He was a disciple of Syed Ahmed Shaheed. He was a man of
action. He was from West Bengal where he tried to protect rights of farmer and free them from
tyranny of Hindu zamindars. In 1830, he made his base at Nalkerbaria, where he built a Bamboo
Fort out of the Bamboo stick for his army. He provoked British and was killed in battle in 1831.
Who were Mujahideens?

 Mujahideens were the people of army of Syed Ahmed Barelvi Shaheed. They did jihad which means
to fight in way of God. Sikhs were there major enemy. Ranjit Singh was the ruler of Sikhs at that
time. They defeated Sikhs several times but they were finally killed in large numbers in the Valley
of Balakot.
Who was Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi?

 Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi was born in 1786 in Rai Bareilley. He moved to Delhi at the age of
eighteen and became the follower of Shah Abdul Aziz, son of Shah Waliullah. In 1821, he went to
perform Hajj and studied under great religious scholar, Sheikh Abdul Wahab. He became greatly
impressed from this new system of thought for Islam. He was a man of action and disliked British
rule. When he came back in 1823 to India, he devoted himself to the religious and social
reformation of the Muslims and the preparation of Jihad. He received martyrdom in fighting with
Sikhs on 6th May 1831 in Battle of Balakot.
What is the importance of the Jihad movement of Syed Ahmed Shed Barelvi?
 The Defeat of the mujahedeen in the Battle of Balakot was a serious setback for the Jihad
movement still it survived. The movement continued on the hills of NWFP until 1863 when the
British sent large force to deal with it still it survived through determination of its followers. The
work of Syed Ahmad was important because it was the first arm struggle of a movement to free

Muslims from non-Muslim rule. It was not a movement for a leader but it was to achieve religious
freedom. Jihad of Syed Ahmad inspired many Muslims. It is the fore-runner of Pakistan movement
as the aim of this movement was to safe-guard Muslim interest and achieves a homeland where
they can practice their Religion, Culture and Freedoms.
Who was Haji Shariatullah?

 Haji Shariatullah was born in East Bengal in the village of Bandorkhola, in 1781. He was the son
of an ordinary farmer. After getting his early education from his village, he went to Arabia in 1799
to perform Hajj at an early age of 18 years he stayed there for next 19 years and was greatly
influenced by beliefs of Muhammad Abdul Wahhab. He got education from the Madrasa al
Rahimiya (founded by Shah Waliullah's father, Shah Abdul Rahim). He was the one who gave
Muslims their rights in difficult times. He had a son named Mohsin-ud-din.
Who were Faraizis?

 Faraizis were the people who followed Haji Shariatullah. They were the people of Faraizi
Movement. They emphasized on praying for past sins and following all the obligations. Their
Faraizi movement was very successful until an alarmed British put an end to it recognizing it as
an opposition against them.
What was the Faraizi movement?

 It was started by Haji Shariatullah, it was an Islamic revivalist movement in East Bengal. He
rejected the introduction of non-Islamic customs and practices which had been introduced from
tribal and cultural practices, and emphasized the importance of the performance of the compulsory
religious duties. The sect also opposed much of the basis of British rule in India as a consequence of
its interpretation of Islamic practice. After Haji Shariatullah, his son Mohsin-ud-Din carried on his
work. Faraizi movement was very successful until an alarmed British and Hindus put an end to it
recognizing it as an opposition against them.
What is the importance of the Faraizi movement of Haji Shariatullah?
 Work of Haji Shariatullah was important as Faraizi Movement gave encouragement to Muslims at
time when they demoralized by oppression suffered from Hindus and British. It also brought about
a spiritual revival which led to a revival in Islamic religion in East Bengal. Hindu influences were
removed from Islamic practices. It might be said that some seeds for the Pakistan Movement were
sown by the Faraizi Movement.
7 Marks Questions
Q: Why did SWU wish to revive Islam in the subcontinent?
 SWU believed that many of the problems of the Muslims of India were due to their incomplete
knowledge of the Holy Qur’an. As the Holy Qur’an is in Arabic whereas common Muslims knew
Persian, he wanted that the Quranic teachings should be accessible to the common people so
that they could act upon them.
 Secondly, the Muslim community was divided into sectarian groups such as Sunnis and Shi’as
and therefore vulnerable to attacks on their religion. SWU wanted them to put aside their
differences so that a more united and strong community could be created.
 Thirdly, many unislamic practices had crept into Muslim society due to its constant interaction
with the Hindus and other non – Muslim communities. Therefore, not only did the social,
political and economic aspects of the lives of the Muslims were polluted, but they had also

forgotten the moral and spiritual principles of Islam. Hence, SWU wished to receive Islam to
purify the Islamic society.
Q: Why did SASB wish to revive Islam in the subcontinent?
 Many areas of the subcontinent were being ruled by non-Muslims such as Sikhs and the
British. SASB wanted that Muslims should only be ruled by fellow Muslims. Therefore, he
launched the Jihad movement as he believed that the freedom of the Muslims could only come
as a result of armed struggles against non-Muslims.
 Secondly, the Sikh rulers of Punjab were not letting Muslims practice their religion freely. They
even banned Azaan. This angered SASB and he launched Jihad against Sikhs for the religious
freedom of the Muslims of Punjab.
Q: Why did Haji Shariat Ullah wish to revive Islam in the subcontinent?
 The Muslims in Bengal were suppressed by the Hindu landlords. HSU wanted to end this
tyranny. Thus he started the Faraizi Movement to create a sense of Jihad in the Muslims so
that they could fight for their rights.
 The Muslims of Bengal had forgotten the basic principles of Islam and did not practice their
religious obligations i.e. Faraiz like prayer and fasting. Thus he started the Faraizi Movement
to insist upon them to follow the pillars of Islam.
Q: Why did SASB launch Jihad against the Sikhs of Punjab?
 The Sikh rulers of Punjab were not letting Muslims practice their religion freely. They even
banned Azaan. This angered SASB and he launched Jihad against the Sikhs for the religious
freedom of the Muslims of Bengal.
 Secondly, SASB knew that he had to launch Jihad movement against the British and the Sikhs.
He knew that the British were a superpower at that time and the Sikhs were relatively weaker
as compared to the British. Thus SASB launched Jihad against the Sikhs as the Muslims had a
better chance of winning against the Sikhs than the British.
 Thirdly, SASB also knew that there were Muslim tribes living in the surrounding of Punjab.
Thus SASB launched Jihad against the Sikhs in Punjab as he knew that he would not be
surrounded by the enemy and also thought that the Muslims in Punjab may also help him in
his movement.

Comparisons of Religious Thinkers (14 Marks)

Q: Which of the following was the most important with regard to the revival of Islam in the
subcontinent?
i) Shah Wali Ullah
ii) Syed Ahmed Shaheed Bralvi
iii) Haji Shariat Ullah
Explain your answer with reference to all three of the above. [14]
 Shah Wali Ullah’s efforts to revive Islam in the subcontinent include his translation of the
Quran into Persian, the local language, despite the opposition of the ulema, so that it was much
easier for the common Muslims to understand and act upon golden Islamic teachings hence
Islam revived among through SWU’s efforts as he helped the Muslims of the subcontinent to
understand and follow the true Islamic principles.
This endeavor of his later paved way for translation of the Qur’an into Urdu by his sons who
were inspired by him and made the teachings of the Holy Qur’an accessible to greater number
of people who could only understand Urdu.
 SWU also contributed to the revival of Islam by writing 51 books on different aspects of Islam
like Fiqh and Hadis. Among them were Hujjatullah – ul – Baligha and Izalat – ul – Akhfa were
significant. This helped the Muslims to understand the Islamic principles and therefore act
upon them.
 SWU also taught at Madrassa – e – Rahimiya for many years. This was important as it meant
that SWU paved way for the youth to familiarize themselves with the fundamental principles
and the glorious past of Islam hence inducing solidarity and pride in them regarding their
religion which helped them mold their lives according to the teachings of Islam.
It was also due to his such efforts that SASB, a student of Madrassa – e – Rahimiya, later
worked for the rights of Muslims and founded the Jihad Movement.
 He also tried to unite the Muslims against Marathas and Sikhs so that Islam could be both
protected and revived. It was him who invited Ahmed Shah Durrani from Persia. He defeated
the Marathas and therefore the Muslims were saved from the tyrannical rule of Non-Muslims.
This effort of his also induced a sense of Jihad among the Muslims who were ready to fight
unitedly for a common cause.
 SWU revived Islam in the prevalent economic system by stressing on social justice and
equilibrium. He made the laborers and craftsmen more aware by stressing that they should be
paid justly and urged the traders and businessmen to adapt a fair Islamic system of trading
thus eliminating sense of corruption in business activities.
 SWU recommended the application of Ijtihad i.e. the judgment of an individual on the basis of
Quran and Sunnah as against the blind following of the four Muslim schools of thought. Hence,
he tried to resolve the problems of the Muslims of that time by interpreting Islam in a
modernized way.
 Being a military man, Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi launched the Jihad Movement against
the Sikhs in Punjab who were not letting the Muslims practice their religion freely. He gathered
an army and launched war on them. Although the Mujahedeen’s were later defeated but this

shows his commitment to liberate Muslims from oppressive rules and grant them their due
rights.
 His ‘Jihad Movement’ not only infused a great deal of moral courage and determination
amongst his followers but also had its far reaching and increasing influence on the future
generations as well who got a source of religious and political guidance and inspiration from
SASB’s efforts for the Islamic cause. As a result, it acted as a forerunner for the upcoming
movements including the Pakistan Movement.
 The Jihad Movement involved different Muslims from different tribes in the surrounding of
Punjab. He simpered the Muslims, not only of Punjab, but of the minor tribes living in its
surrounding as well to fight for the sake of Islam. Thus, SASB contributed to the revival of
Islam by encouraging other tribal people to enhance their knowledge of Islam by reviving it
through Jihad Movement.
 The Islamic revivalism began in Bengal in the 19th century by Haji Shariat Ullah. He began
his reform movement known as the ‘Faraizi Movement’, which was started as a reaction to the
anti-Islamic policies of the British and the Hindus. The movement insisted upon the fulfillment
of ‘Faraiz’ i.e. religious obligations imposed by God and His Prophet(s). His followers came to be
known as the ‘Faraizis’ on account of their insistence on the fulfillment of one’s duties. As a
consequence, many Muslims dedicated themselves to the performance of their duties and
became staunch followers of Islam.
 HSU also brought the Muslim peasantry together against the cruel exploitation by the Hindu
Zamindars. It infused a spirit among the peasants who got together to direct Jihad against
them than religious and social oppression to fight for their rights. This confidence and
awakening of the Bengalis from their slumber prepared the ground for future works of his
successors like Titu Mir and Dadu Mian for the revival of Islam.
 HSU also worked towards the elimination of Hindu customs that had crept into Muslim society
due to their continuous interaction. It was significant as he attempted to purify the lives of
Muslims so that they could not only distinguish Islamic rituals and Hindu practices but also
follow the true Islam.
However there were failures

 Shah Wali Ullah was not able to bring Muslim power back to subcontinent and Muslims were
still being oppressed by Marathas who prevented them from obeying there religions law.
 Syed Ahmed eventually failed to defeat the British and the oppressing Sikhs and Muslims once
again returned to their torturing lives.
 Haji Shariat Ullah could only bring revolution in Bengal and so could not reach the entire
subcontinent. The failure of the Jihad Movements discouraged Muslims to rise up against the
enemy which weakened Muslims.
Conclusion
Although every religious thinker was quite successful in spreading the message amongst the
people, Shah Wali Ullah through writings, Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi through his Jihad
Movement and Haji Shariat Ullah through his Faraizi movement, yet in my opinion Shah Wali
Ullah was most successful as his work was ever lasting and sowed a seed for the later "Pakistan
Movement".

Q: Was lack of military training the main reason for the failure of Jihad Movement? Explain your
answer. [14]
 Firstly, Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi’s army was not well trained in military tactics. Most of
the fighters were teachers or spiritual leaders. This made it difficult for Muslim forces to fight
against the Sikhs and come up with clever strategies to defeat them. On the other hand, the
Sikhs were tough and very well trained under their strong military ruler, Ranjit Singh. Thus it
was easier for the Sikhs to compete against the untrained Muslims.
 Secondly, there was lack of unity between Muslims as the force contained of Muslims from
different backgrounds. Soldiers often mistrusted each other and were often reluctant to agree
with other. As a result, due to internal conflicts, there wasn’t always full support from
everybody, which weakened the Muslim forces.
 Also the Pathans could not tolerate being in an army that they themselves weren’t ruling. They
weren’t ready to compromise which strained their relationship with other Muslims. This
weakened the Muslims forces as there was less support from the Pathan tribes, making the
Muslims more vulnerable to their defeat.
 Since SASB imposed taxes on the local population to bear military costs which many people
resented to pay, the funds became limited and therefore not all military cost could be afforded.
As a result, SASB’s army did not have new and improved war equipment that could make it
easier for them to fight the Sikhs. Thus it contributed to the failure of the Jihad Movement.
 Moreover, SASB’s army was not as sincere to him. Firstly there were attempts by Yar
Muhammad Khan, one of his commanders, to assassinate SASB. Hence, now SASB also had to
tackle with internal threats in addition to the external ones. Thus, diverted SASB’s attention
from his major goal, which was to defeat the Sikhs.
 Later, when fighting Sikhs in Okora, Yar Muhammad left the battle field in mid fighting. As a
result, SASB’s forces became increasingly weaker and were thus defeated.
 Later, when SASB was moving his forces to Balakot, traitors informed Sikhs of the Muslims
route. This provided the Sikhs with an opportunity to prepare themselves and strengthen their
forces which made it easier for them to defeat the Muslims. So, when they launched their
surprise attack at Balakot, Muslims unprepared for this unexpected event, found it difficult to
fight and were defeated.
 Also, at this battle the Sikhs greatly outnumbered the Muslims. Therefore they were stronger
than Mujahedeen enabling them to defeat the “few” Muslims.
Moreover, SASB was killed in this battle. This meant that the Jihad movement had almost
come to an end as now the guidance of a strong military leader was missing.

Chapter: 2 Decline of Mughal Empire
Aurangzeb’s policies Reasons after Aurangzeb

Deccan wars Absence of any law of succession
Suttee banned Vast empire
Jizya imposed Weak control
Temples destroyed Luxurious lifestyle
Extravagance Foreign invasions
Did not train his sons how to rule British encroachment
Maratha’s enemies increased, high taxes, Drain of wealth, rebels became
costly, administration overlooked stronger, admin ignored,
military loses, disunity
Hindus displeased Difficult to administer
Non-Muslims displeased Countries more powerful than
emperors so disintegration
Hindus annoyed Economy eroded, admin ignored
Financial decline Nadir Shah, Ahmed Shah
,financial loss, prestige loss,
disintegration
Could not govern effectively after the Trained soldiers on modern lines,
death of Aurangzeb modern weapons due to
industrial revolution,
superpower so confident.
Decline of Mughals
4 Marks Questions
Who was Aurangzeb?

Aurangzeb was born in 1618. He was the sixth Mughal Emperor. His father was Shah Jehan and
Mother was Mumtaz Mehal. He was an Islamic ruler and imposed the Jizya Tax. He divided his
empire into his three sons.

What kind of man was Aurangzeb?

Aurangzeb was a deeply religious person; who wrote out copies of Quran and made the famous
Pearl Mosque. He was a disciplined ruler with high administrative qualities due to which he was
able to run the empire for a long time. He was a just ruler and a brave one, whose main ambition
was to increase his territory for which he believed it right to use any means. He was a person who
could be ruthless to his own kith and kin like he killed his own brother in the battle over the
Empire.
Was Aurangzeb responsible for the decline of Mughal Empire?

To some extent Aurangzeb could be responsible as he built a lot of buildings which drained the
treasury quicker than expected like the Pearl Mosque for his personal prayers. Aurangzeb fought
long costly wars to capture more land and to fight of the invaders. He could not administer very
efficiently for he was often away from his capital. His policy of heavy taxes caused hardships for his
people.
What was the Jizzya Controversy?

Aurangzeb imposed the non-Muslim tax again on the Indians. This tax had been abolished long ago
by Akbar. The non-Muslims, especially Hindus were angered as it was a tax abolished long ago. It
was a differential tax and was considered as enforcement to convert to Islam .It was criticized as
a way of supporting the long drawn costly wars and as a financial assistance.
What was Jizzya?

Under Islamic law, jizzya or jizyah is a per capita tax levied on Islamic state’s non-Muslim citizens.
This tax was stopped by Akbar but restarted by Aurangzeb. This was a reason for uprising against
Aurangzeb. The non-Muslims, especially Hindus were angered as it was a tax abolished long ago.
It was criticized as a way of supporting the long drawn costly wars
What was Suttee?

Suttee was an old Hindu tradition. In it the widow was also burned with the dead body of her
husband. First Aurangzeb banned it. Then, British believing it to cruel abolished the use of Suttee.
Christian Missionaries and Ram Mohan Roy forced Governor General Bentrick to outlaw this
practice. It was one of the reason of war of independence in 1857.
Who was Nadir Shah?
He was a leader of Persia. Nadir Shah entered the Mughal Empire from Afghanistan. He captured
the Lahore, Peshawar, Kabul and then Delhi and looted all the wealth including the Peacock
throne. He returned leaving the empire looted and burnt.
Who was Ahmed Shah Abdali\Durrani?

He was the Afghan general and leader of Persian army. He was called by Shah Waliullah to fight
with the Marathas. In third battle of Panipat he defeated the Marathas. Instead of ruling himself
he made Ahmed shah (Muhammad shah’s son) as the emperor and left.
How did invasions weaken the Mughal Empire?

The invasions drained the Mughal Empire and destroyed its prestige. The Persian Invasion under
Nadir Shah resulted in Delhi getting sacked and the Empire getting looted. The famous peacock
throne of Mughals was taken away by Nadir Shah. Ahmed Shah Abdali led 10 Invasions in
Northern India and looted the Empire, which weakened it.
Who were Marathas?

The Marathas was a powerful group of people in Southern Indian. They were skilled as Guerrilla
fighters. They were devoted to Hinduism and had grown in power during the 17th century and they
were the expected rulers after Mughals due to their power. Aurangzeb was unable to crush the
Marathas of Deccan which proved their power. In 1760 they even occupied Delhi. They were
defeated in the Third Battle of Paniput by Ahmed Shah Durrani.
Who was Sivaji?

He was a Maratha Leader. He founded the Maratha Empire. He was a ruthless leader. He was
born in Pune. He promoted Sanskrit. He created an independent Maratha kingdom with Vedant
Raigad as its capital and successfully fought against the Mughals to defend his kingdom.
How were the Marathas Defeated?

The Marathas were defeated by their inner weaknesses. They controlled more land than any ruler
but not all was in one place. Their unity and loyalty to the main Peshwa decreased and their
power began to deteriorate. Than they were crushed in the 3 rd Battle of Paniput in 1761 by
the invading army of Ahmed Shah Abdali. They suffered heavy casualties in this battle and
lost all their ambitions of ruling the Empire.
Who was Chatrapati Shivaji?

Shivaji Bhosle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle was the founder of Maratha Empire
in western India in 1674. He raised a strong army and navy, constructed and repaired forts, used
guerilla warfare tactics, developed a strong intelligence network, gave equal treatment to the people
from all religions and castes based on merit, and functioned like a seasoned Statesman and General.
He appointed ministers with specific functions such as internal security, Foreign affairs, Finance,
Law and Justice, Religious matters, Defense etc. He introduced systems in revenue collection and
warned the officials against harassment of subjects. He thought ahead of times and was a true
visionary.
Q: Were Aurangzeb’s policies the most important factors for the decline of the Mughals? Explain
your answer. [14]
 Aurangzeb started wars against Marathas. This firstly led to enmity of Marathas. This meant
that Mughals had enemies in the south as well who harmed them in the future e.g. Marathas
defeated the Mughal army in 1737 outside Delhi and also captured an important town of
Malwa.
 Secondly, the war against Marathas continued for 25 years. This was a great wastage of time
which led to the affairs of the state left unattended. This weakened the administration and thus
the empire itself.
 Thirdly, these wars were very costly. The war against the Marathas almost emptied the
treasury. The major downfall of the economy led to the downfall of the empire.
 Fourthly, he increased the taxes in order to cover up the expense of the wars. This made him
unpopular among his empire as people resented to pay for the useless adventures of Aurangzeb.
Therefore not only Aurangzeb became unpopular, but the Mughal Empire also lost the support
of the locals / natives.
 According to some historians, Aurangzeb was also intolerant towards other religions. This was
glanced in his actions of re imposing Jizya tax and the destruction of some temples and also the
banning of Satti (a traditional Hindu practice). This led to hatred for him among other religious
communities especially Hindus who were in majority. This decreased support for the empire
and thus weakened it.

 One of the other wrong acts of Aurangzeb was his extravagance. He built luxurious palaces and
mosques e.g. pearl mosque which eh built for his own personal use. Such acts weakened the
economy and pushed the empire towards its decline.
 One of the important reasons for the downfall were the succession disputes. Time to time when
the emperors died, their sons fought for the throne as there was no law of succession in the
Mughal house. Firstly, it led to the expenditure of great sums of money. This eroded the
economy, having an adverse effect on the empire’s stability.
 Secondly, the disputes decreased the unity in the empire as it divided Mughals and their
supporters into different groups, thus the empire fell into a worse decline.
 The succession disputes also led to the decline in the military expertise as this divided the
military into different factions supporting different princes. This not only created disunity
among the forces of the empire but also wastage of arms. This made the military and thus the
empire more vulnerable to invaders like Nadir Shah and the rebels who played a vital part in
the decline of the empire.
 Administrative weakness was also an important factor that contributed to the decline of the
Mughals. Firstly, due to the huge size of the empire, emperors could not know what was going
on in each part of his empire. Decisions often had to be relayed over thousands of miles. When
rebellions broke out, it was often many months before emperors could take decisive actions,
thus the empire started to disintegrate.
 Weak control was also a very important factor that contributed to its decline. In some cases,
courtiers proved to be more powerful than the emperor themselves. Such was glanced in the
assassination of Alamgir II by his courtier. This proved that the system had failed to work
properly.
 With weak control in the center, the other administrative institutions like the Mansabdari
system also failed to work which added problems for the emperor and the empire.
 Pleasure seeking also contributed to the downfall of the empire. The Mughals had become more
ease loving. They used to wear fine and expensive clothes and jewelry. Firstly they spent more
time in such activities than administration. This also led to the extravagance in the emperors
which eroded the already struggling Mughal economy and pushing it towards bankruptcy.
 Invaders were also continually weakening the empire. Some like Ahmed Shah Durrani
conquered Punjab and Kashmir. This meant that many of the areas of the subcontinent was
now in foreign hands. This was one of the other signs of the disintegration of the Empire.
 Others like Nadir Shah were also significant in the decline of the Empire. Firstly, his success
against the Mughals exposed the weakness of the Mughal army in front of the British who were
encouraged to take over the empire and eventually conquered it in 1857. Nadir Shah also
played an important role in weakening the empire since he took a lot of wealth and the precious
peacock throne thus be pushed the empire to its decline.
 But the British also held great importance in the downfall of the Mughal Empire. Firstly, the
British economic and military strength was greater due to the industrial revolution. British
industries were producing cheap manufactured goods which were sold around the world. With
the wealth this created, British could afford military strength (e.g. modern weapons) which the
Mughals could not match therefore when the British encroached into the empire, its end was
inevitable.
 The British army was also well trained in military tactics. They could fight efficiently and could
come up with clever strategies to defeat opposition. The Mughals on the other hand were
already militarily weak and had poor training. As a result the British were able to seize the
control of the Empire.

 The British being the super power of that time had more confident soldiers. Their political belief
was to only succeed and to never to fail and therefore the army was more eager and determined
to defeat the scattered Indians.
Q: Why did Nadir Shah invade the subcontinent from 1738 – 1739?
 Muhammad Shah, the Mughal emperor, gave refuge to some Persian rebels which angered the
Persian Emperor, Nadir Shah, who then attacked the subcontinent not only to get hold over his
enemies but also to ‘punish’ Muhammad Shah for sheltering his enemies.
 Nadir Shah was well aware that the Mughal Empire was in decline and its military had become
too weak. So he attacked the subcontinent as he was sure of his success.
 Although the Mughal Empire was in decline, but still it was a wealthy empire and so the breed
of Nadir Shah encouraged him to attack the subcontinent to mint money through plundering
and looting which is quite evident from the fact that he took the expensive peacock throne with
him when he returned to Persia.
British/East India Company Rule

Q: What was the East India Company? [4]
East India Company was a private trading company which was given a monopoly in trade between
the areas of Britain and some areas of East Africa. In 1600 the Queen Elizabeth I granted
permission to a group of merchants to set up the East India Company (EIC). English merchants set
up the East India Company in 1600 to trade with East, not to conquer India. They established
trading settlements known as factories. At first the company was only interested in trade and not
in any kind of political control. But the decline of Mughal Empire, clashes with Marathas, and the
lack of any central government can led to conflict between the company and the ambitions of local
Princes. The British had to protect themselves against the attack from the French. The East India
Company gained power and created a private army. It played a major role in establishing British
Reign in the subcontinent.
In the end, drawn into local politics to maintain and enhance their business, the East India
Company had the unusual distinction of ruling an entire country.The East India Company was
finished through India Act 1858 after War of Independence.
Q: Why did the British government take control of the affairs of the EIC during the early 19 th
century?
 The EIC officials in Bengal were involved in corruption which hurt the British prestige
internationally as a civilized nation. Therefore the British government started to intervene to
stop this mismanagement.
 The volume of trade became so significant that the British government felt it was too valuable
an asset to leave in the hands of a private company. Therefore it intervened to have a share in
the profits of the EIC which could then be utilized for the welfare of the people in Britain.
 Also the fear of Russian expansion in central Asia worried the government and so Britain
decided to shape its foreign policy by further expansion towards Afghanistan to counter this
threat.
Q: Why were the British able to increase their influence in India from 1750 – 1850?
 The British were successful in the Battle of Plessey and Buxar. Through this, it gave those fair
trading rights and more riches with the Nawabs which would increase their influence
economically as well due to them maintaining their control.

 Another reason was the industrial revolution in weaponry. This gave them an edge over the
Indians who were making use of old and traditional weaponry which increased their influence
as they were modernized in warfare.
 The British appointed governors under areas in control such as Calcutta and Madrassa. The
governors were trained on modern lines to govern the areas. Thus due to them having a better
and stronger drip on administration, it helped to increase their influence.
What were the reasons for British Interest to trade with India?
The British was interested in the Indian Wealth of Spices and Mineral Resources. The British
wanted to use and take control over the major trade routes to control World Trade and they all
passed through the subcontinent. The British wanted to eliminate all other countries from
competitions. The British wanted to trade for its economic growth.
What was the Doctrine of Lapse?

The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy devised by Lord Dalhousie. It stated that any
ruler who does not have any male heir will have his land taken in British possession after
his death. The land of Jhansi suffered from this law. The Doctrine caused a lot of resentment and
played a major role in the British Expansion in the subcontinent.
What were the Subsidiary Alliances?

The Subsidiary Alliances were another tool in the British expansionism introduced by Lord
Wellesley in 1798. These Alliances were formed between the ruler of a state and the British.
According to them, the ruler was given British protection while the state was controlled by the
British in actual. Many states fell prey to them and due to them British were able to take over a
vast area of land in the
Subcontinent. The State of Hyderabad was the first to form this alliance
What was Black hole event?
The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon in the old Fort William, at Calcutta. There the
troops of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah, held British prisoners of war after the capture of
the Fort. 123 prisoners died out of 146 prisoners held, (however precise number of deaths have
been the subject of controversy). This angered the British and this led to the Battle of Plassey.
Describe the Battle of Plassey

In 1757, the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah was encouraged by the French to attack East Indian
Company base in Calcutta. The city was captured but the Nawab could not control it. Robert Clive
with a small force of three thousand attacked the large army of the Nawab but due to the treachery
of a close relative Mir Jafar, he lost the battle. Later, his body was found in river. Mir Jafar was
made the Nawab of Bengal.
Describe the Battle of Buxar

In June 1763, the Battle of Buxar was fought between the forces of British East India Company led
by
Hector Munro, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal; Shuja-ud-Daula the
Nawab of Awadh; the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. The battle was fought at Buxar, then within
the territory of Bengal, a town located on the bank of the Ganges River. It was a decisive victory for
the British East India Company. It gave the British the vast riches of Bengal and favorable trading
rights with local nawabs
What was the Regulating act 1773?

The Regulating Act of 1773 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain intended to overhaul the
management of the East India Company's rule in India. The Act did not prove to be a long-term

solution to concerns over the Company's affairs. In 1784, it was replaced by Pitts India act. It made
the East India Company accountable to British parliament.
What was the Pitts India Act 1784?

Pitt's India Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain intended bring the East India
Company's rule in India under the control of the British Government. This introduced a Governor
General to oversee the business in India. It Introduced a Board of Control which was to decide all
political matters in India and appoint any Senior Officer there. The Company’s Trading Wing only
to deal with trade. This Act was the sign that British Government was not ready to loose India and
because the Company was going bankrupt so from stopping its corruption to strengthen its hold
over India this Act was passed.
Why was the India Act 1784 passed?

The East India Company was going Bankrupt. To remove the corrupt officials. To save the
company from falling. To strengthen hold over Indian land and trade as now the parliament had
started to show keen interest in it.
What were the reasons for the fall of East India Company?
The company became bankrupt. It lost its monopoly as other companies wanted to share the Indian
trading monopoly. British government achieved its purpose of capturing the subcontinent by
blaming EIC of War of Independence of 1857. British did not want to leave sub-continent in the
hands of a trading company. India Act 1858 abolished the company and the British government
took over the company’s assets.
What role did East India Company play in decline of Mughal Empire?
Due to the industrial revolution EIC had been able to stockpile weapons which were of superior
quality to any of those which the Indians had, so Indians were defeated in battlefields. EIC
defeated the Indians in the battlefields e.g. Battle of Plassey, which gave the British the vast riches
and area of Bengal. Disunity of Mughals enabled the EIC to take over large areas of the sub-
continent. Subsidiary alliances enabled the British to defeat strong rulers e.g. Tipu Sultan. EIC’s
policy of direct wars also allowed British to expand their control. Doctrine of Lapse also played a
major role in British expansion.
Why did the Mughal Empire declined?

Aurangzeb started long and costly Daccan wars against Marathas. Aurangzeb’s policy of banning
suttee and re-imposing Jizzya resulted in losing support of majority. The later Mughals kept on
extending the empire without keeping a check on the administration. The successor of Aurangzeb
started leading luxurious lives. No law of succession, led to long costly wars. Wars of succession
made the army weak.
What role did successors of Aurangzeb play in decline of Mughal Empire?

The later Mughals kept on extending the empire without keeping a check on the administration.
The successor of Aurangzeb started leading luxurious lives. No law of succession, led to long costly
wars. Wars of succession made the army weak. Constant attacks from Marathas and foreign
invaders weakened the military and economy. Ultimately, skilled, equipped and trained British
army ceased the pleasure seeking Mughals.
What effect did British have on Indians?

The British caused a change in Indian culture. The British caused the increase in resentment and
misery in the Indians. They developed India’s infrastructure thus taking Indians towards
development. The British tried to change the religion of people and the laws they were following.
How did the British treat the lands they had taken control of?

They tried to westernize different lands. They took complete hold over the major cities and states
like
Punjab. Obedient rulers were placed over smaller states. Some lands were taken from the rulers as
they were thought to be inefficient. British tried its best to get maximum benefit from the lands
they taken over.
What did British do about religion in sub-continent?

They first try to adopt neutrality. Later they allowed Christian Missionaries to enter India to
spread Christianity. The Entry of Christian Missionaries strengthened the beliefs of British and
they started to belief themselves as superior. The British and Christian missionaries became
intolerant of Indian Values. Very few people changed their religion. Before War of Independence, a
rumor also spread that British would adopt the policy of converting Indian soldiers to Christianity.
How introduction of Railway system did played an important role in India?

The Railway played an important role as it was used to transfer army effectively throughout India.
The Railway opened for public and became the main public transport to different cities. It played
an important role in British Victory in the War of Independence for troops were quickly transferred
from one place to another to put down rebellion. It was important in communication because
telegraph line was laid along railway line for sending instant messages.
Why British annexation was over Sindh was considered a shameful British Act?
British pride was hurt so to restore its pride it attacked Sindh. British wanted to show Muslims
they were still powerful. British broke a Friendship treaty with rulers of Sindh. In Britain, British
considered it a wrong act.
What was the Suez Canal Dispute?

The Suez Canal was used by British and French for trade as it cut the route to India nearly by
Half. The Egypt decided to nationalize the use of this canal. British and French started war over
the Canal as they wanted to capture the Empire. British captured the Canal. Later UNO decided
upon the Canal Dispute and returned its control to Egypt.
What was the Industrial Revolution?

The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the mid-18th Century and spread across Europe and
to North America. It has been explain as the beginning of factory production and involved a change
in manufacturing process. The first factory began to churn out mass produced goods, the
development of the steam engines, railways and steam ships. The textile industry using imported
Indian cotton was very successful. From being a small rule of nation the Industrial revolution
turned Britain into the wealthiest and the most powerful country in the world.
Who was Warren Hastings?

He was the First Governor General of Bengal. Previously he had worked with the East India
Company and risen through the ranks. He extended British Controlled India by fighting war
against Hyder Ali of Mysore and Marathas. He took bribes in organizing these ventures and had to
return to Britain facing charges of corruption. He was cleared in the end but his reputation was
ruined.
Who was Robert Clive?
He was a British officer in India, also known as Clive of India. He is seen as founder of British
India. He commanded the British army in battle of Plassey and defeated the Nawab’s forces. After
battle of Plassey, he became the Governor of Bengal and was later convicted of corruption. He
committed suicide at the age of 49 due to addiction to opium and destruction of prestige.
Who was Tipu Sultan?

Tipu Sultan became the ruler after the death of his father Haider Ali. He was the ruler of Maisur, a
princely state in the south of India. Tipu proved to be a difficult enemy for the British.
Unfortunately he was also facing continuous attacks from his neighbors, the Nizam of Hyderabad
Deccan and Marathas. In 1791, he was defeated by Sir Hector Munro but his final defeat came in
1798 when his relative Mir Sadiq deceived him and the British Governor General Lord Wellesley
killed him in 4th Anglo-Mysore War. His two sons were taken under the possession by the British.
Who was Siraj-ud-Daullah?

He was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. He attacked the the British presidency of Calcutta
and conquered it. But when Clive’s forces arrived he was defeated. This was due to conspiracy of
his men Mir Jafar. He was executed by British.
Q: Explain why the East India Company became involved in the Sub- Continent during 17th
century? [7]
India was a source of several products that were sold all over the world by wealthy people in
Europe. For example: Spices, cotton goods, yarn, sugar, silk and potassium. The thing that the
British mostly wanted was cotton yarn. Cotton cloth was particularly in more demand as the cotton
clothing was much more comfortable than the woolen clothing that most of the English people wore
and cotton was grown in India. They wanted the control of that trade. India was known as golden
sparrow due to its immense wealth and rich agriculture. It was land of golden fiber (jute) and silver
fiber (cotton). The British wanted to gain as much profit from trade as possible. So they turn their
envious eyes towards India. Another reason was that the East India Company was given a
monopoly in trade between Britain and some areas of East Africa. That meant that no other
British company could trade in that area. The merchants were hoping to break into the spice trade
in Indonesia. But the Dutch had already won the control of spice trade and would not allow any
other European company share it. The India was also very important because of its strategic
importance. India has remained very important from the strategic point of view it has clear routes
to Russia, Middle East and Eastern countries. So the East India Company turned to India for
taking benefit of its strategic importance and for trading.
Q: Why did the British government take control of the East India Company in early 19 th century?
Explain. [7]
 With the expanding horizons of the East India Company (EIC) in the 18th and the early 19th
century the British government involved itself in the affairs of the Sub-Continent under the
control of EIC for following reasons.
o Huge trading volume

o Strategic importance
o Soviet expansion
 One of the factors was the huge trading volume and the profits earned with this trade. The
company had earned too much and the British government felt necessity to take over all the
trade under the control of EIC to get some benefits.
 Another reason was the strategic importance of the Indian Sub-Continent. Historically India
has remained very important from strategic point of view. It had clear routes Russia, Middle
East and Eastern countries. British government wanted to take advantage of these routes
under the control through EIC.
 Also the fear of Soviet expansion was also causing a tension to the Britain. The Soviets were
planning to reach warm waters through Afghanistan to the Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea). The
British government gave a serious thought to this issue and finally decided to take steps to stop
Soviet aggression and its access to warm waters. Hence, the British’s government took control
of EIC’S affairs in the mid of 19th century.

Q: Why was the Britain so successful in expanding its control of the Sub-
Continent between 1750 and 1850? [7]
Main reasons for expanding their control in the Sub-Continent were:
1) No central power strong enough to face the British.

2) India was divided into many small states after the decline of Mughal Empire.
3) British superiority in military power.
After the death of Aurangzeb (1707), the Mughal Empire declined and got divided into many
small states. The rulers of the states were not strong enough to face the British, and many
states even sought British protection.
Main reason was British superiority in military power. The British Indian army was equipped
with better and improved weapons which were supplied from England. Proper training of the
army and better methods of war fare always gave the British an upper hand. In all successive
wars between 1750 and 1850 the British were victorious and the British expanded their
possessions gradually. After the battle of Plassey 1757 and battle of Buxar 1764, Bengal and
Bihar came under British control. In 1799 Tipu Sultan of Mysore was defeated and killed; and
later Marathas were defeated in 1818, and whole of South India came under British control.
Sindh was also annexed in 1843 and in 1849 Punjab also came under British control after the
defeat of Sikh army. Thus the British gradually expanded their control of the Sub-Continent
between 1750 and 1850.
Q: Why did the Sub-Continent attract the European traders in the late 16th and early 17th century?
India was a source of several products that were sold all over the world by wealthy people in
Europe. For example: Spices, cotton goods, yarn, sugar, silk and potassium. The thing that the
British mostly wanted was cotton yarn. Cotton cloth was particularly in more demand as the
cotton clothing was much more comfortable than the woolen clothing that most of the English
people wore and cotton was grown in India. They wanted the control of that trade. India was
known as golden sparrow due to its immense wealth and rich agriculture. It was land of golden
fiber (jute) and silver fiber (cotton). The British wanted to gain as much profit from trade as
possible. Another reason was the strategic importance of Indian Sub-Continent. India has
remained very important from strategic point of view. It has clear routes to Russia, Middle East
and Eastern countries. So British turn their envious eyes towards Indian Sub-Continent.
Q: How important was Robert Clive in the British expansion over SubContinent? [7]
 The East India Company did not recognize the contribution that their employee Robert Clive
made to their power and profits. In the 1750s the company began to fortify their important post
at Calcutta. This against an agreement they made with the Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Dullah.
An angry Siraj marched towards Calcutta and seized the company’s fort William. It was June
1756 at the peak of summer that the tragedy of “Black hole” took place. When captured British
residents were locked up in a small room and by morning 23 of the 64 were found dead. This
was used to whip up the anger against Siraj.
 At the Battle of Plassey in June 1757 an English army led by Robert Clive succeeded in
defeating the much larger army of Siraj. Clive had bribed one of Siraj’s key men, Mir Jafar, to
side with the British. In return the victorious British made him the new Nawab of Bengal. It
was a great success for the British who were now guaranteed the control of profitable trade in
Bengal. Valuable goods like salt, betel nut, tobacco and salt-peter were now shipped to Britain.

Clive and the other’s working for the company amassed immense fortunes. The people of Bengal
remained very poor. In 1764 another Bengal ruler made a desperate attempt to stop the British
from plundering his kingdom. However, his defeat at the Battle of Buxar made certain that the
British, thanks to Clive, were firmly in control of Eastern India.
 The company rewarded Clive by appointing him as the first Governor of Bengal. He demanded
and received huge payments from the Nawab and other princes for himself and the company. It
was Clive who laid the foundations of British rule in India.
Q: Why did the EIC become involved in the India subcontinent?

 India was a country which was rich in many materials like indigo, spices and cotton which were
in high demand in Britain. The EIC were well aware of their demand and saw this as an
opportunity to earn great profit. Thus they went to India to indulge in trade of these products as
these materials would make their merchants very rich.
 The Dutch and Portuguese had already established trade in India due to their high demand in
trade. They were already earning high profits due to their trade. The Dutch and Portuguese
were a rival of the British. The British considered this as unacceptable due to their rivalry with
them and because they were earning huge profits. Thus the EIC was established in order to
oust their rivals and to establish a large monopoly amongst the subcontinent.
 The British were considered a superpower and they considered that due to this their religion
and culture was superior to others. There was little to no sign of Christianity to be known
among the Indians even though India had a huge population and there were a lot of religions
among Indians. The British wanted their religion and culture to be known throughout the globe
and thus sent missionaries and established EIC to spread Christianity among the subcontinent.
Q: Why were the European traders attracted towards India in late 16th and early 17th century?
 During the early 16th century, the Dutch and Portuguese had established a trading center in the
subcontinent due to the high demand of products and were earning high profits. These two
nations were rivals of the British and thus they found it unacceptable to leave this situation as
they were flourishing in a monopoly in the subcontinent. Thus the European traders established
EIC in India to indulge in this great monopoly.
 India was a country in which materials such as indigo, silk, cotton and spices were in high
demand. The European traders saw this as an opportunity to establish a huge monopoly within
India. Thus the European traders were attracted towards the subcontinent to establish huge
profit
 The Europeans were considered a superpower and they considered that due to this their
religion and culture was superior to others. There was little to no sign of Christianity to be
known among the Indians even though India had a huge population and there were a lot of
religions among Indians. The Europeans wanted their religion and culture to be known
throughout the globe and thus sent missionaries and established EIC to spread Christianity
among the subcontinent.
Q: Why did the British annex Sindh in 1843?
 Firstly, the British wanted to make sure that Afghanistan did not fall into Russian hands so
they tried to capture Afghanistan. However, a rebellion in Afghanistan in 1841 led to all British
troops in the country being killed. The British felt that their pride as a superpower had been
hurt by this loss and decided to return to Sindh to restore their image.

 Secondly, the British feared after their defeat in Afghanistan, the Indians might also rise
against them in rebellion by considering them too weak. Therefore they immediately captured
Sindh to show the Indians that they were still powerful.
 Thirdly, the Sikh rulers of Punjab were following the policies of extending their kingdom. This
worried the British as they wanted to make India a British colony. Therefore, they captured
Sindh before the Sikhs could do so.
Q: How successful was the Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of lands in the
Sub-Continent? Explain. [14]
British in the form of EIC came to India for trading. But with the passage of time the weakness of
the Emperors invited them to make armed efforts to capture different parts of Sub-Continent.
In 1756, encouraged by French Nawab Siraj-ul-Daula attacked British base at Calcutta to stop
their increasing influence. He won but was unable to take control of it. In 1757, British hit back
strongly and capture whole of Bengal Killing the Nawab. The first major attempt of Indians failed
badly.
Even Before this in 1686, Aurangzeb sent forces to treat the British for their ill crimes. The forces
defeated British and had to pay heavy fine.
In 1764, Nawab of Oudh, Mir Qasim and Shah Alam II were defeated after they tried to force the
British to retreat. After the battle, Bihar and Orissa also fell into the hands of British. Another
attempt failed.
In 1782, British were forced to sign a treaty with Marathas after first Maratha war. This treaty
helped British influence to increase and later on in 1818 Marathas were defeated in 3 rd Maratha
war. The attempt from a non-Muslim community also received the same fate as that of Muslim
ones.
In 1799, British GG Wellesley attacked Mysore and captures it by defeating Tipu Sultan. Before
Tipu, the resistance which came from his father, Haider Ali from Mysore also received the same
treatment.
In 1843, British capture Sindh. The resistance of Amir’s of Sindh was of no use as the British eased
passed them.
In 1838, British signed a treaty of perpetual friendship with Ranjit Singh in Punjab who they
dared not to bring to a war. The following year Ranjit died and it was after his death that the
British were able to capture Punjab and N.W.F.P up to 1849. Eight years later, however the major
resistance by the Indians to stop British capturing lands came in 1857. The Indian revolt was
featured by disunited people fighting against British for their own interests. Except a few areas,
where Muslims had joined their hands, all other areas kept their interest under consideration.
Even many state rulers helped British win over their neighbors. Although this revolt failed but it
has far reaching impacts. This showed the British that, if headed by capable leaders, Indians could
united together put great resistance against them. This was happened a century later when the
leaders of ML and Congress forced the British to leave India.
Thus the Indians attempts to resist the British from capturing lands failed badly without achieving
anything solid except the lesson that they learnt from the war of Independence in 1857. This
failure was due to lack of unity, leadership and common cause and also due to the superiority of
British which meant that Indians were destined to fail.
Q: Did the British face any problem in getting successes in India? [7-14]

 Since the Portuguese and other European nation had got a lot of benefits from their trade and
other relations with eastern wealth. The British also decided to try out their luck in an area
with immense wealth. So they turn their envious eyes towards Indian Sub-Continent. They
came here for trade purpose in the form of EIC. But soon after its strong trade development
relations, it started to interface in the political matters of the country. They soon had enough
army to perfect their resiliencies.
 The army’s first target was Bengal. Bengal was a very wealthy Province of India ruled by a
Muslim, Nawab Siraj-ud-Dullah. The growing influence of EIC led Nawab to attack its
residency in 1756 which gave rise to clear enmity b/w the two. The EIC army under Sir Robert
Clive, marched ahead to capture the province of Bengal. A battle, a battle of Plassey was fought
by the help of the traitor of Nawab Siraj-ud-Dullah, British were able to defeat and kill him and
his army in numbers. The Nawab’s body was found in a river. Mir Jafar was rewarded with the
 Nawabship of Bengal while Robert Clive became the Governor General. Later on, EIC also
occupied Oudh, Bihar and Orissa with case. The British captured Mysore in 1799 by killing
Tipu Sultan and completed their control in Southern India. British entered Delhi in 1803 and
annexed it.
 After the failure of British attempt to take control over Afghanistan in 1841, the British now
turned to restore their lost prestige by capturing Sindh. The fear of Sikh expansion also forced
them to turn their envious eyes towards Sindh. Sindh was ruled by Amir’s at that time who
signed a treaty with British in 1809. The Amir’s encouraged by their people attacked British
residency and this was what the EIC was waiting for. They quickly reacted and capture the
province of Sindh in 1843. The British general himself stated it to be a shameful British act but
it was necessary to restore their high prestige.
 In case of Punjab, the British had hoped Punjab leader, Ranjit Singh to help them in installing
a pro-British ruler in Afghanistan but Ranjit didn’t do so. Ranjit had signed a treaty with the
British in 1838 so the British were not in Position to attack, Punjab. After Ranjit’s death in
1839, British now planned to fulfill their dreams and even to extend it to N.W.F.P. The British
were attacked by local people down to Sutlej and now the British moved ahead to capture it in
1846 but they were unable to enter Lahore before 1849. Hence Punjab also fell into British
hands within 3 years.
 Thus, we can say that British faced no problem in getting successes in these areas and faced no
counter attack of strong force in these major areas of India.
Q: Why were the British able to conquer India? Explain. [14]
The British first arrived in India in the early 17th century. English merchants set up the East
India Company in 1600 to trade with India not to conquer India. They set up their trading
settlements known as factories. At first the company was only interested in trade and not in
any kind of political control. But the decline of Mughal Empire, clashes with Marathas, and the
lack of any central government can led to conflict between the company and the ambitions of
local Princes. The British had to protect themselves against the attack from the French. In the
end, drawn into local politics to maintain and enhance their business, the East India Company
had the unusual distinction of ruling an entire country.
Battle of Plassey:
In 1756, the French encouraged the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Dullah to attack the EIC base at
Calcutta. He captured the city but was unable to keep control of it. In 1757 Clive arrived with
the force EIC soldiers and defeated Siraj-ud-Dullah troops in the battle of Plassey. The Nawab’s
body was found in a river after the battle.
Clive’s victory had been made easy by the treachery of Siraj-ud-Dullah’s general Mir Jafar. The
EIC rewarded him by making him the new Nawab of Bengal.

Battle of Buxar:
In 1764 Mir Jafar’s son Mir Qasim joined forces with the Nawab of Oudh and the Mughal
emperor Shah Alam II to drive British out of Bengal. They were unsuccessful and after their
defeat in the battle of Buxar in 1764 British influence actually increased.
Pitt’s Indian act, 1784:

This parliamentary act was moved by the Prime Minister William Pitt. The Indian act of 1784
made the Government General of India a royal appointment and replaced the company’s board
of Directors with the board of control comprising six men including the Secretary of state and
the chancellor of exchequer. This began a new era raising the company from a trading concern
to sovereign body.
Annexation of Sindh:
After the failure of British attempt to take control over Afghanistan in 1841, the British now
turned to restore their lost prestige by capturing Sindh. The fear of Sikh expansion also forced
them to turn their envious eyes towards Sindh. Sindh was ruled by Amir’s at that time who
signed a treaty with British in 1809. The Amir’s encouraged by their people attacked British
residency and this was what the EIC was waiting for. They quickly reacted and capture the
province of Sindh in 1843. The British general himself stated it to be a shameful British act but
it was necessary to restore their high prestige.
Annexation of Punjab and N.W.F.P:

In case of Punjab, the British had hoped Punjab leader, Ranjit Singh to help them in installing
a pro-British ruler in Afghanistan but Ranjit didn’t do so. Ranjit had signed a treaty with the
British in 1838 so the British were not in Position to attack, Punjab. After Ranjit’s death in
1839, British now planned to fulfill their dreams and even to extend it to N.W.F.P. The British
were attacked by local people down to Sutlej and now the British moved ahead to capture it in
1846 but they were unable to enter Lahore before 1849. Hence Punjab also fell into British
hands within 3 years.
Why were they successful?

It may seem incredible that Britain with the population of 10 million in 1800 should able to
take over a huge land of 350 million people. Many Indians saw benefit in cooperating with the
British. The British trading network meant that they could sell their goods not only to Europe
but as far to Americas. To assist the trade and control the land, British built a network of roads
and later thousands of miles of railways. They irrigated 20 million acres of land and gradually
established schools and universities that were greatly appreciated by better of Indians. But the
final and the most important reason was that, India was a much divided land not only religious
divisions were there but people were also divided by distance, language, customs and economic
circumstances.
Q: How successful was Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of Indian lands?
Explain your answer. [14]
 In 1686, Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor, sent strong forces against the EIC as they refused to
pay the taxes to the Mughal Empire. As a result of this war, the British were defeated and they
had to pay heavy fine to Aurangzeb to continue their trade in the subcontinent. This victory of
the Indians shows that the Mughal Empire at that time were strong enough to curtail the
powers of the EIC.

 In 1756, Nawab of Bengal, Siraj – ud – Daulah, attacked the EIC base in Calcutta in an attempt
to oust the British. He was successful in capturing the city and therefore it shows that even the
local princely rulers were strong enough to defeat the British.
 In 1757, the British defeated Siraj – ud – Daulah, the ruler of Bengal, in the Battle of Plessey.
Due to this success, the British were able to increase their influence as Bengal was the largest
and the richest province of the subcontinent which strengthened their possession both
economically and politically.
 In 1764, the British defeated the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II, along with the rulers of
Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. This strengthened their position even more in the subcontinent as
now they had complete financial control of the areas they conquered like Bengal and Bihar
which gave them enough resources to maintain a strong army.
 In 1782, the first Governor – General, Warren Hastings, signed an agreement with the
Maratha’s ending the first Maratha War between the British and Marathas. This helped the, to
increase their influence elsewhere as Maratha threat was now over for them.
 However, it also shows that some of the Indian nations like Marathas were still powerful who
did not allow the British to capture their land, rather force them to negotiate with them.
 Another resistance for the EIC was Ranjit Singh, the strong Sikh ruler of Punjab. During his
presence, the British dared not to enter Punjab, but signed an agreement of perpetual
friendship with him in 1809. This shows that although he did not fight, but his mere presence
was a threat and resistance for the EIC.
 The Nawabs of Maysore, Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali, greatly curtailed the powers of the EIC by
fighting against its forces and defeating them. Hence they proved to be a successful resistance
as they did not allow the British to capture their lands for quite some time.
 In 1799, Governor General, Wellesley, invaded Maysore and killed its ruler Tipu Sultan. This
was beneficial for the British because not only a strong enemy was killed but his lands were
now under British control which strengthened the British possessions even more.
 In 1903, the British entered Delhi and forced the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam that he was
ruling under British protection. This meant that the British were now the indirect rulers of
India as Delhi, its capital, was under their control and the Mughal Emperor was just a ‘puppet’
in their hands.
 The British had experienced industrial revolution which made them technologically more
superior. Therefore, they had the advance weapons which gave them an edge over the Indians
who made use of traditional and outdated weaponry and so with the help of these weapons, they
captured the Indian land quite easily.
Q: Why was the British rule in India unpopular during the first half of the 19 th century?
 The British were blamed for much of the warfare that occurred in India. This warfare had
damaged many of the great monuments of the past and had also disrupted trade and
agriculture. This created resentment among Indians as they believed that the British not only
destroyed their cultural heritage but also gave them economic loss which contributed to making
the British rule unpopular in India
 Some areas of India such as Bengal had great wealth but little of it was shared with the
ordinary India people. Instead, it went into pockets of the British ruler. This annoyed the
Indians who felt exploited and thus contributed to the unpopularity of the British rule in India.
 The industrial revolution in British made it possible for textiles to be produced by machine in
large amounts. Soon cheap British textiles were being imported to India. Many Indian weavers
lost their jobs as their hand-made cloths were expensive.
 Satti was a Hindu tradition in which the widow had to burn herself with the dead body of her
husband. British banned Satti. Although this custom was inhuman and cruel but Hindu
emotions were attached to it and they were very annoyed when it was banned. They felt that
the British were foreign invaders but were trying to interfere in their religion and customs and

created bitterness for the British rule.
 British introduced coeducation system in the subcontinent. Indians, generally Muslims, did not
like this concept because Muslims observe purdah for women and that could not be observed
when boys and girls both study together. Thus Muslims viewed this as interference in their
religion and they were greatly displeased which contributed to the unpopularity of the British
rule.
 Christian missionaries came to India to convert the local population as well as to setup school.
In these schools, the missionaries taught Christianity and expected other religions to be
dropped, which was opposed by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs alike as they felt religiously
threatened and so opposed the British rule.
British policies
 One of the reason was the introduction of English education and the replacement of Persian
with English as the primary language. This allowed the Hindus to not only learn a new
language but also gave them an opportunity for British government jobs as English was an
essential part in receiving a government job. Thus due to the introduction of English education
for the sake of the Hindus, their hatred was not just not justified, but also won the support of
the Hindus and improved the economic status of the Indians.
 Another reason was the banning of Satti, in which a widow woman would be burnt alive along
with her dead husband. Although this was an inhuman act, this was requested by the modern
Hindus to the British to ban its practices. Even though a large part of the population was
against this ban, one more civilized sector had proposed this for the betterment of the Hindu
population. Thus, due to the British banning on inhuman act and improving the humanitarian
standard of the Hindus, they won the support of the Hindus later on when they came to realize
of their mistakes and gave an opportunity to the women of India to excel.
 Another reason was the introduction of imports of cloth which was made by the British through
their modern machinery. The cloth produced was very cheap as compared to the traditional
cloth. This pleased the Hindus due to them having to save their already not so high salaries due
to the cheap price. Thus, this act of the British not only benefited them but also the majority of
the Hindu population.
Chapter: 3 War of Independence
Key Question 3: What were the causes and consequences of the War of Independence
1857?

In 1857 British faced a serious challenge to their rule in India. This war is called war of
Independence. There are many causes for this war which are:
Political
As British extended their control they introduced many ways of grabbing land like the use of
Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by Lord Dalhousie was very unpopular. The mistreatment of
Mughal Emperor was also another cause and when Lord Dalhousie moved the capital from Delhi.
It angered many people. English was replaced by Persian as an Official language.
Religious and Social

As the rule of British grew so did its culture. The British thought that they were Superior Culture
and Disrespected the Indian culture they also did not get mixed with the Indians as they thought
that Indians are uneducated and uncivilized people. This arrogant attitude and the introduction of
new ways of life with railways, roads and telegraph were not accepted to many Indians. Indians
thought that their religion was ay threat by foreigners was sent Christian monks to spread their
religion. These monks insulted the religion of the Indians. This angered many Indians.
Economic
We have learnt that how British merchants traded with India which was very profitable for them.
The British imposed high taxes on Indians and the tax collectors were corrupt and kept some
money for themselves. The resentment grew when the British filled Indian market with cheap
mass produced goods and many families were unable to sell their goods thus this made most of the
Indians poor. British also made the salary of their army (Infantry) low.
Military
There were many Indian soldiers in the British army but not even a single one of Indian was made
an officer. The British used their army to fight other countries and this was not accepted to Indians
who wanted to leave their mother land. They were also rumors that The Indians were forced to
convert into Christianity before they could be made the Officers.
The Events Of 1857

 In January 1857 the British announced that they would introduce a new rifle with a paper
cartridge covered with grease to keep the powder dry and before the cartridge would be loaded
the end had to be bitten off. However a rumor spread that the grease was made up of Cow and
pigs fat. The Sepoys were so angry that they refused to use the new rifle.
 In March a Sepoy named Mangal Pandey defied his British officer and was executed.
 In May Sepoys of Meerut refused to touch the new cartridge so they were put to prison but their
fellow Sepoys freed them and killed all the British then the soldiers marched to Delhi and
captured it. The Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II wined the support of Hindus and
Muslims. The War spread and British lost control of Mathura, Kanpur, Jhansi and Allahabad
as well as Delhi and Lucknow. This area is now known as Uttar pardesh. However British
proved to be too powerful and quickly regained the areas they had lost.
 In September Delhi was regained and Bahdur Shah was put into life time prison. In august
1858 the war was officially over.
Reasons for Failure of War of Independence 1857

Lack of Unity
Although the whole Indian nation faced resentment against the British but the aims were
different. The Muslim wanted to regain control and again set up the Mughal Empire. There was no
general plan or a Leader. The princes did not want the Imperial power once again. There was no
sense of patriotism and India was too dived for such a feeling. The only uniting force was Islam but
the other groups opposed them which were Hindus and Sikhs as they did not want the rule of
Muslim once again on the India. These were the reasons as British considered this as “Muslim
Revolt”.
British Strength:
The most powerful country of that time and because of Industrial Resolution they had High tech
weapons. The British army was well trained and was much disciplined and they were provided
with large weapons and Funds by the British government. The Perhaps the major reason for the
failure of this uprising was the strength of the British. The Britain was Indians were still fighting
with each other and in the meantime the British use it clever techniques and weapons to crush the
rebellion furthermore it had the support. Of some loyal states like Kashmir who sent 2000 troops to
support the British win the war.
The Effects of the War:

The failure of the war conformed the British masters of India. The war did not loosen control but
rather tightened it. The East India Company was abolished and the Britain took full control of the
Indians affairs. In 1877 the Queen Victoria was given the title as Empress of India and the Mughal
royal family decade away. There were very cruel acts in the war as in the town of Cawnpore the
Indians had murdered several British women and children to avenge their deaths the British killed
anyone who was sympathetic to Indians. They also introduced Viceroy who was known responsible
for all the acts in the country. He had over thousand civil servants to help him administer the
country. These ranged from highly paid judge to lowly paid junior administer. After the War the
British stopped funding Muslim schools and because Muslims still were not ready to accept the
British rule so they did not go in the British schools and became uneducated. This was not the case
with Sikhs and Hindus and they became friendly with the British and very quickly learned to
speak English. After 1857 British did not trust the Indians and thus they were not taken in the
army and the British did not allow Indians to have their own weapons and thus making the further
rebellions less effective. The Control of the British in India was now unchallenged.
Q: Why did the War of Independence break out?
 The British introduced Doctrine of Lapse according to which they could confiscate the territory
of any local ruler who did not have a real male heir. This did not please the Indian landlords as
they were being deprived of their lands and therefore they rebelled.
 The British introduced greased cartridges made up of cow and pig fat which the Indian soldiers
had to open with their mouths before loading the guns. As cow is considered sacred by Hindus
and pig is forbidden in Islam, this created an uprising in the army because they considered this
as an insult to their religion.
created bitterness for British.

Q: Was the issue of greased cartridges the most important reason for the outbreak of the War of
Independence? Explain your answer. [14]
 The British introduced greased cartridges made up of cow and pig fat which the Indian soldiers
had to open with their mouths before loading the guns. As cow is considered sacred by Hindus
and pig is forbidden in Islam, this created an uprising in the army because they considered this
as an insult to their religion.
 As the Indians refused to use the grease cartridges, they were punished severely. They would be
shot with a cannon-ball alive. Therefore, as a retaliation to such a treatment, the sepoys started
the War of Independence.
 There was an issue of job opportunities among the Indians. The Indians were either
unemployed or had extremely low-ranked jobs while the British sepoys were offered higher and
well paid jobs. Thus in order to avoid a financial crisis in India, they started the War of
Independence.
 There was an issue of the activities carried out by the British Christian missionaries, who came
to India to convert the local population. If they were to be successful, they would be rewarded
land in India by the British. This severely irritated the Hindus as they thought their religion
was now under threat. Thus, in order to avoid such a threat from going any further, they
started the War of Independence.
 The British took actions to dominate Hindu/Muslim culture. The British considered their
culture to be superior to any other. This bothered the Indians as they did not want the British to
interfere with their culture which they had been following for many generations. Hence they
revolted against the British in order to sustain the culture which had been passed down by their
ancestors which led to the outbreak of the War of Independence.
created bitterness for British.
Q: “War of Independence achieved nothing.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer. [14]
 The War of Independence ended in a disaster and I would agree that it resulted in many
failures. The Indians failed in their main objective of putting an end to the British rule and
driving them out of the subcontinent. The Indians failed not only in their immediate cause but
as a result of the war they became the slaves of the British. The British attained complete
autonomy of the country and established a tyrannical rule over the Indians.

 Although the rebels succeeded in putting an end to the “East India Corporation”, however the
country came under the direct British Crown by the famous proclamation of Queen Victoria in
1858 and to the great dismay of Muslims; the Mughal Empire was removed from the Indian
political scene forever. So for the Muslims this war brought them immediate failure.
 The war left in its trail trace of mutual fear and distrust in the minds of the ruler and the ruled.
The British became cautious, rigid and reactionary in their attitude towards the Indians
especially the Muslims. They considered the Muslims to be solely responsible for the revolt who
wanted to restore the supremacy of Mughal Empire in the subcontinent. The Hindus on the
other hand had no zeal for national regeneration and had joined the movement for the sake of
local patriotism. Therefore the British policy of suppressing the Muslims in every walk of life, as
a result of this hatred, continued for about half a century.
 The army that took the initiative in the War of Independence was thoroughly revised. The
number of European soldiers was increased in the army, to the great dismay of Indian soldiers
who took part in the revolt for their promotions and better salaries but instead they were
ousted.
 The war brought about important changes in the policy and administration of the British
government in the subcontinent. The most important one was the end of ‘British East India
Company’ to the happiness of the Indians who were relieved of the tyranny of the company’s
rule. It was an achievement on the behalf of Indians who succeeded in getting rid of the
company.
 New reforms and constitutional changes were introduced. An act for the better government of
India was passed and this act introduced the post of Secretary of State for indo-pak with a
council of 15 members to help him. The policy of centralization in the act of 1833 was changed
and new principles of decentralization and indianisation were recognized. To the great
achievement of Indians they could then be elected in many provincial councils and attain power
at provincial level.
 Moreover, the act of 1861 restored legislative power to the governments of Bombay and Madras.
Similarly, new legislative councils were established in many provinces such as Punjab, Bengal,
etc. Therefore Indians were given some political say.
 To the great content and satisfaction of landlords, princes and many other property holders, the
British changed their policy of annexations. The Queen declared that they desired no extension
of the present territorial possessions. More importantly, the long hated ‘doctrine of lapse’ was
once for all abandoned and now the Indians could inherit their ancestral lands with ease.
 The rifle cartridges that were wrapped in cow and pig fat had aroused deep revolt and anger
among the Indian sepoys were removed and their supply was stopped by the British. Thus the
issue that became the immediate cause of the war was put to an end when the authorities
realized their mistakes. The Indian soldiers were now greatly relieved of a very sensitive
religious issue. And this was a big success for them.
Q: “Political reasons were more important for the outbreak of the War of Independence than
military factors.” Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons. [14]
 By 1857, the Mughal emperor had little power left but was still an important symbolic figure.
The British moved the Royal family from the Red Ford of Delhi to a more obscure Qutub Sahib.

The Indians saw this act as disrespectful for their leaders and hence such a mistreatment
resulted in unrest.
 Furthermore, at a lower level in society there was also resentment at the lack of opportunities
for native Indians in the Civil Service. This resulted in more hatred for the British as their
rights were not considered. Hence, this finally resulted in rebellion against the British.
 In addition, in 1834 English replaced Persian as the official language of administration. This
created resentment because it was not only seen as cultural intervention but also increased
unemployment for Indians as most of them did not know English.
 British introduced greased cartridges made up of cow and pig fat which the Indian soldiers had
to open with their mouths before loading the guns. As cow is considered sacred by Hindus and
pig is forbidden in Islam, this created an uprising in the army because they considered this as
an insult of their religions.
 Also, most of the sepoys in the army were Indians whereas officer posts were almost exclusively
British. This again annoyed the Indians as they believed they were being unfairly treated.
 The British also sent Indian troops to fight in Afghanistan. This proved to be unpopular as
Hindu soldiers did not want to leave mother India. Also this was unacceptable to Muslim
soldiers who did not want to fight against their Muslim brothers in Afghanistan.
 Furthermore, there were also regular rumors that Muslim, Hindu and Sikh soldiers would be
forced to convert to Christianity. This angered the Indian soldiers who felt that their religions
were under threat and therefore for the protection of their beliefs, they rebelled.
Q: “Economic reasons were more important than the social reasons for the outbreak of the War of
Independence.” Explain why you might both agree and disagree with the statement. [14]
 British officers used to tax Indians very heavily. The economic condition of Indians was already
poor and was worsened by such taxations. The tenants especially could not afford to pay the
taxes and this caused resentment among them and caused unrest later because the Indians felt
overburdened.
 Many British officers were corrupt. The tax collectors often cheated and kept most of the tax
money for themselves. This offended the Indians as they felt exploited.
 The British promoted their own trade in the subcontinent. British policies favored the British
goods. British goods were sold in large quantities whereas Indian goods were deemed to be
substandard. Thus local market went into loss and this affected the Indian economy. Economic
situation of Indians worsened and bitterness for the British in the heart of the Indians
increased.
emotions were attached with it and they were very annoyed when it was banned. They felt that
created bitterness for the British.
 British introduced coeducation system in the subcontinent. Indians, generally Muslims, did not
like this concept because Muslims observe purdah for women and that could not be observed
when boys and girls both study together. Thus Muslims viewed this as interference in their
religion and they were greatly displeased.
 British did racial discrimination between themselves and the Indians. British families and
officials considered their culture and themselves superior to those of Indians. Economic and
social discrimination was common. This hurt the feelings of the Indians and they felt
humiliated.

 British supported the Christian missionaries who used to do forceful conversions from other
religions to Christianity. They used to teach Christianity in schools also. This annoyed the
Indians as they feared that their religions were threatened by the British.
 The British replaced Persian with English as the official language of India. Indian culture was
mostly preserved in Persian and they felt that a foreign language was a threat for their cultural
identity and they started hating the British or their lack of concern for Indians.
Q: “Lack of unity was the only reason for the failure of the War of Independence.” Do you agree or
disagree? Explain your answer. [14]
 Disunity among the rebels was an important reason for the failure of the War of Independence.
Firstly the rebels had no common purpose. Everyone was fighting for personal interests and
nobody took part in the revolt unless personally harmed e.g. Nana Sahib was only interested to
get the Doctrine of Lapse reversed and was ready to come to terms if his demand was accepted.
As a result there wasn’t always a common cause to fight from the Indians which weakened their
unity and made them more vulnerable to their defeat.
 Secondly, the Hindus and Sikhs saw the war as an attempt by Muslims to restore the Mughal
Empire. Since they didn’t want to be ruled by the Muslims, they did not support them.
Consequently, the rebel force wasn’t strong enough to compete against the British and was thus
defeated.
 Thirdly, Punjab and Sindh had been conquered by the British through troops from Bengal and
Central India. So when these troops rebelled against the British in 1857, the Punjabis and
Sindhis did not support them till the end. This further reduced the number of rebels which
made it difficult for them to fight against the mighty British.
 Lord Canning, the Governor General, adapted a conciliatory policy towards the rebels. He
allowed many concessions for them and announced that the rebels who gave up their arms
would be forgiven. Therefore the War of Independence failed in its objective as many leaders left
the battlefield to join the table for negotiations with the government.
 Also the British, due to industrial revolution, had efficient war equipment and modern
technology. So they found it easier to combat against the Indians who made use of outdated and
traditional weapons.
 The British army was well trained in military tactics. They could fight efficiently and could
come up with clever strategies to defeat opposition. The Indians on the other hand were not well
trained. As a result the British were victorious.
 The British being the super power at that time had more confident soldiers. Their political
belief was to only succeed and never to fail and therefore the army was more eager and
determined to defeat the Indians.
 Due to the war, there had been great deal of vandalism (destruction of public property). Due to
this, the local population was harmed and became angry with the rebels. As a result they
stopped supporting the rebels which weakened their strength. Not only had this but now they
sided the British who stood for the law and order. As a result, the British were further
strengthened.
 Furthermore, Bahadur Shah, who was considered as the main leader of the rebels, showed
incompetence during this war situation. He was more interested in poetry and neglected affairs
of the combat. Thus this sort of poor administration led to inefficient control and thus turned
out to be a worse nightmare.
Chapter: 4 Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

Key Question 4: How important was the work of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan to the
development of the Pakistan Movement during the nineteenth century?
Early Biography Details

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was born in 1817 in Delhi. He came from a wealthy family and his father
gave him high quality education. When he was 18 Sir Syed was skilled in Arabic, Persian,
Mathematics and Medicine. He was also introduced as Sub-continent most able writer. In 1838 his
father died so he became a judge in Delhi in 1846. When the war of Independence broke out in 1857
he was working as Chief Judge in Bijnaur and had saved the life of British women and children
during the fighting. In return for his loyalty the British gave him estate with large income but he
refused. His Belief that armed uprising against the British was pointless made him unpopular to
many Muslims. He was appointed Chief justice in Muradabad and was later transferred to
Ghazipore. In 1864 he was transferred to Aligarh where he played an important part in
establishing the college. In 1876 he retired from his work to concentrate on running the college and
devoting himself to improve the position of Muslims through education. He died on 27 March 1898.
Beliefs
Sir Syed was extremely unhappy about the position of Muslims in the subcontinent. Since the days
of the Mughal declined the social and economic status of Muslims had declined sharply and the role
of Muslims in the war of Independence had left further decline as British took measures to ensure
that their control was unchallenged. Sir Syed Ahmed felt that the poor status of Muslims was due
to they were treated as second-class citizen by British and Hindus and they had to take some
responsibilities themselves. Most Muslims thought that British were no more than just invaders
and they had nothing to do with them. Sir Syed Ahmed believed that Muslims had to accept that
the British were there rulers and could only improve if they have a positive approach towards
them. They needed to accept the British idea and their education if they wanted to improve. Sir
Syed wanted to see Muslims untied and prospering in their social, economic and religious fortune.
He made this his Life’s ambition and founded Aligarh movement.
Aligarh Movement
Sir Syed was interested in Muslims. He wanted to improve relations with British and the positions
of Muslims.
The central aims of the Aligarh Movement were to:
- improve relations between the British and Muslims communities by removing British doubts
about Muslim loyalty and Muslim doubts about the British intentions.
- improve the social and economic position of Muslims by encouraging them to receive Western
education and take up posts in the civil service and army.
- increase their political awareness to make them aware of the threat to from the Hindu policy of
cooperation with the British.
Work
Improving Relation 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 by the 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. 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.

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 Mohammedans of India”. In this work he defended Muslims and
listed the name of those Muslims who remained Loyal to the British during the uprising. In order
to convince that the British were wrong to fully blame the Muslims for the uprising so he wrote a
pamphlet “Essay on the Causes of the Indian Revolt”. In this he pointed the reasons for the
uprising. He told that British were unable to understand the Indians. This Pamphlet was
circulated freely among the British officials in India and the copies were also sent to England were
it was studied carefully. Many British thought that he was blaming them for uprising but others
sympathetic and accepted the truth in his words. He also cleared the misunderstanding that
Muslim called the British “Nadarath”, He told that this was no insult but the word came from
Arabic word “Nasir” which means helpers.
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 the life of the Prophet (PBUH) that he immediately wrote
his own work correcting the many errors. Sir Syed was aware that Muslim in India knew very little
about Christianity. He tried to overcome this by writing “Tabyin-ul-Kalam” in which he pointed out
the similarities between Islam and Christianity.
Encouraging the growth of Western education

He also supported the idea of western education as he knew that Muslims could not succeed until
they had high quality education which was received by the Hindus. He believed that the
acceptance of Western scientific and technological ideas was necessary as this could only make
Muslim advance in the world of science. He related this with Holy Quran that it was written in
Quran that the study and that an understanding of modern scientific belief actually helped reveal
the full majesty of God. He established scientific society at Ghazipore and its main purpose was
making Scientific Writing available to more people. When he visited England he was impressing by
the quality of education the student received there so in 1875 he founded Mohammedan Anglo-
Oriental College its main purpose was to provide the education to the Muslims like the people in
England received. The subjects were Mathematics, Modern Science and Agricultural Science. (In
1920 the college became the University of Aligarh.
Increasing Political Awareness

Syed Ahmed also wanted Muslims to have a good relation with the Hindus but he found out that
Hindus did not want good relations.
 In 1885 Indian Nation Congress was found which claimed to speak for Indians but later it was
found out that it was a body dominated by Hindus.
 Sir Syed wanted Muslims to stay away from Democracy as the Muslims were in minorities in
India and every election would be won by the Hindus.
 A further cause of concern to Syed Ahmed was the “Hindi-Urdu Controversy”. In 1867 the
Hindus demanded that Hindi should be the next official language. The Muslims were struck by
this as Urdu had special place in their hearts. This was another factor guiding him towards his
two nation theory.
Hindi-Urdu Controversy
Hindi-Urdu Controversy was started in 1867. Hindus demanded Hindi to be official language but
Muslims wanted Urdu to be official language. Sir Syed supported Urdu in this thing. Due to this
reason Sir Syed started “Two Nation Theory” telling that Muslims and Hindus were two separate

kinds of people. Muslims opposed this and supported Urdu as it was the sign and united the
Muslims of the India under one language.
Two-Nation Theory
Urdu was the national language for many years. But Hindus opposed it in Urdu Controversy. This
provoked Sir Syed to make his Two Nation Theory to tell that Urdu had place in hearts of Muslims
and was supported by them and can’t be replaced by Hindu which was the language of the Hindus.
It was important because Sir Syed had realized that Muslims and Hindu couldn’t work together as
the Hindus were not with the Muslims.
Another reason was that the parliamentary system was not supported by Sir Syed was Hindus
were in more number so they always outnumbered the Muslims and due to this Sir Syed opposed
it. Sir Syed realised that separate electorate was the possible solution to this so in view of his Two
Nations Theory. He made this decision of separate electorate demand for elections for the good of
the Muslims.
Another reason it was important was that congress spoke of competitive examinations for jobs and
good posts while Muslims were always not given good education so they were also not able to take
good posts as Hindu won all the seats and passed the examinations always. According to Two
Nation Theory Sir Syed suggested it as two separate groups of Muslims and Hindus were not
working for the Muslims at that time so Two Nation Theory was important here as well.
Importance
He worked tirelessly to improve the relation of British and Muslims and wrote several books and
pamphlets so that British might be convinced and trust Muslims once again. He played a major
role in educating Muslims so that they can take up good jobs and their condition was improved. He
is known as “Father of the Pakistan Movement” As he was the first one to express the Idea of
treating Muslims and Hindus separately.
Contribution of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (14Marks)

1. Attempts to achieve a better understanding between the British and the Muslims
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was one of the Muslim reformers. He carefully studied and analyzed the
decline of Muslims in political power, social status and economic well-being. He came to the
conclusion that Muslims were being handicapped because of the misunderstanding which had
cropped up between the British and Muslim rulers, the Muslims opposed and hated the British and
everything associated with the British. Muslims kept away from modern education and English
language which the British were trying to enforce in India. On the other hand the British held the
Muslims responsible for the revolt of 1857 and considered them (Muslims) to be their real enemies.
The result of this mistrust was that Muslims were being crushed in every way.
Therefore, Sir Syed tried to remove this misunderstanding by addressing both the British and
Muslims. Sir Syed wrote books and explained to the British that the real cause of 1857 uprising
was the wrong policies and altitude of the British themselves. To Muslims Sir Syed explained that
Christians and Christianity should not be hated. He specially stressed that Muslims should came
towards modern education, the lack of which was causing continual set back to the Muslims of
India.
2. Education
Sir Syed gave much importance to modern education and his efforts and contribution to Muslim
education and his efforts and contribution to Muslim education is very important. He opened
schools at several places where he was posted. He established Scientific Society and printed the

Aligarh Institute Gazette. He was visited England in 1869 on his own expenses to observe the
working of British Universities. Most important achievement in education sector was the founding
of M.A.O College at Aligarh in 1877. Sir Syed founded the Mohammadens Educational Conference
whose objective was to discuss and solve the education problems of Muslims in the sub-continent.
His efforts for Muslim education served double purpose. It helped the Muslims to get good jobs and
raised their status in society. It also helped in removing the mistrust between the British and the
Muslims. Therefore education was the most important aspect of Sir Syed’s services in the Muslims
of India.
3. Politics
Sir Syed’s advice to Muslims in the political field is also important. He believed that under the
European system or democratic government the Muslims of India would always be at the mercy of
Hindu majority. He suggested separate electorate for Muslims. He advised the Muslims not to join
Congress. He opposed the system of competitive examinations for government posts because
Muslims were much behind the Hindus in education. Sir Syed strongly opposed the replacement of
Urdu with Hindi as court and official language.
4. Religion
In Religion Sir Syed united the Muslims by supporting the “Two Nation Theory” and the Hindi-
Urdu controversy of 1867 in which Hindus wanted Hindi to be the official language while the
Muslims wanted Urdu. He realized the threat to Muslims so united them and gave them good
education.
Questions/ Answers
Q: Why did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan establish the Aligarh Movement?
 Muslims were blamed by the British for the War of Independence and therefore they started
a policy of repression against them after the war. Sir Syed wanted an end to this ill-
treatment of the Muslims. So, he established the Aligarh movement to improve British-
Muslim relations by removing British doubts about Muslim loyalty and Muslim doubts
about British intention.
 He established the Aligarh movement to encourage Muslims to receive western education as
he believed that by doing so, the Muslims would be able to get better jobs in the government
department which would improve their social as well as economic conditions in the
subcontinent.
 Sir Syed believed that Hindus would get ahead of Muslims due to their cooperation with the
British, which would help them to improve their social, economic and political conditions. So,
Sir Syed established Aligarh movement to create political awareness among the Muslims of
India that eventually they would be dominated by the Hindus and their position would be
transported to 3rd class position if they refused to cooperate with the British.
Q: Why was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan accused by Muslims of being Pro-British?
 Sir Syed has saved the lives of British women and children during the War of Independence.
Muslims accused him on being Pro-British as they thought that he was trying to protect their
enemies which angered them as they were fighting this war against the British.
 Sir Syed had asked the Indian Muslims to stop fighting against the British as he knew that the
British were the superpower of that time and would not only win the fight against the Muslims,
but would also punish them after it. However, the Muslims thought that he was trying to take
the side of the British and thus accused him of being Pro-British.
 The Indian Muslims believed that the British were nothing more than invaders that had come
to the subcontinent only to increase their influence even more. However, Sir Syed had thought

more rationally towards the British and thought of them as not only being the superpower, but
also the ones excelling in other areas such as education. Sir Syed asked the Muslims to adopt
the western education policy as the Hindus did. This, however, was, once again, in view of
Muslims that Sir Syed was taking the side of the British and thus was accused of being Pro-
British.
Q: Why did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan try to improve British-Muslim relationship?
 The British considered the Muslims responsible for the War of Independence. Therefore, they
started a policy of repression against them. As Sir Syed wanted an end to this tyranny,
therefore, he tried to improve British-Muslim relations by removing this misconception.
 Muslims considered British as foreign invaders and were thus reluctant to acquire western
education, whereas Sir Syed believed that it was vital for the Muslims to receive it in order to
lead a prosperous life. Therefore, he tried to bridge the gap between the two communities so
that Muslims could accept British ideas.
 Sir Syed feared that the Hindus would dominate Muslims due to their cooperative attitude
towards the rulers i.e. the British. They were developing economically, socially as well as
politically. Therefore, Sir Syed tried to improve British-Muslim relations so that the Muslims
could come in par with the Hindus.
Q: Why did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan insist upon the Muslims of India to receive western education?
 One of the reason was that he believed that by doing so, Muslims would be able to get better
jobs in the government sector which would improve their social, economic as well as political
conditions. Thus, he insisted upon the Muslims to acquire western education in order to exceed
in these sectors.
 Hindus were eagerly receiving western education which improved their confidence and so they
viewed illiterate Muslims with disrespect. This worried Sir Syed and so he urged upon the
Muslims to receive western education so that they should come at par with the Hindus, so that
their image in the subcontinent would improve.
 Although the ulema believed that western education was anti-Islamic, but Sir Syed was of the
view that the Holy Quran asked the Muslims to study and explore the universe and in his
opinion, these teachings of the Holy Quran were in line with western education of science and
technology. Thus, he asked the Muslims to get western education in order to understand their
religion well.
Q: Why did Sir Syed develop his Two-Nation Theory?

 Firstly, Urdu had been the official language of India for many years. However, the Hindus
wanted to change it to Hindi. This view wasn’t shared by the Muslims as Urdu was their main
language. This continuously provoked Sir Syed to give his ‘Two Nation Theory’ as he realized
that the Hindus and Muslims were two different nations because of their opposite demands.
 Secondly, the Hindus wanted parliamentary System in India. Sir Syed, however, rejected this
by saying that as Hindus were in majority, they wanted to dominate the Muslim minority. So,
Sir Syed advocated the ‘Two-nation Theory’ as he knew that these nations could not live in
harmony.
 Thirdly, Congress spoke of open competitive examinations for government jobs. However, Sir
Syed rejected this as Muslims were not educated enough to pass these exams and so most of the
posts would be taken over by the educated Hindus. Hence, Sir Syed developed his ‘Two-Nation
Theory’ as he realized that the Hindus wanted to suppress Muslims economically as well as
politically.
Q: Which of the following was the most important contribution of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan for the
Muslims in India:
1. His efforts to improve British-Muslim relations

2. His educational services

3. His political services [14]
 Sir Syed wrote the ‘Loyal Muhammadan of India’. In this, he gave a detailed account of the
loyal services which Muslims had given and named various ways. Thus, he not only defended
the Muslims from the British accusation that they were disloyal but also called on them to end
the hostility towards the Muslim community.
 Sir Syed also wrote the pamphlet called ‘Essay in the cause of Indian Revolt’. In this pamphlet,
he pointed out the main reasons for the War of Independence e.g. poor management of Indian
army, the forcible conversion of Muslims to Christianity, etc. His pamphlet helped to convince
the British that they were wrong to put the full blame of uprising on Muslims. Therefore, some
British read it with sympathy and decreased their hostility towards the Muslims.
 Sir Syed tried to remove misunderstanding amongst British who resented being said ‘Nasarah’
by the Muslims. The British thought that this was an insult to them but Sir Syed pointed out
that the word ‘Nasarah’ meant helper. Thus, the term was a reflection of positive image that
Muslims had of the British and not an insult.
 Sir Syed wrote a reply of English book on the life of the Holy Prophet. He corrected the errors
concerning the life of the Holy Prophet about Islam. Thus, he tried to convince the British that
their knowledge about Islam was limited and so they needed to improve it in order to remove
misconception.
 Sir Syed wrote a pamphlet called ‘Commentary on the Holy Bible’. In this, he pointed out the
similarities between Islam and Christianity. Although this work remained incomplete, yet it
shows his commitment in improving British-Muslim relationship.
 Sir Syed wrote another pamphlet called ‘Food laws of people of The Book’. In this, he told the
Muslims that they were allowed by their religion to dine with the Christians. Thus, he urged
upon the Muslims of India that they were closer to the British than the Hindus who were
reluctant to eat with Muslims.
 Sir Syed established ‘British-Indian Association’. It was a platform where members of both the
communities could interact with each other and could discuss various issues. Thus, this helped
to improve the level of understanding between the two communities.
Q. Was the establishment of Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College the most important educational
contribution of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan? Explain your answer. [14]
 Sir Syed established Mohammadan Anglo Oriental School in 1875 which was upgraded to a
college in 1877. It provided western and Islamic education on the pattern of English public
school system. This institution proved beneficial for Muslims in many ways. Firstly, it provided
quality education to the Muslims of India and after graduation from this institute, they could
get better job opportunities in the government department.
 Secondly, it became a symbol for unity for Muslims in the absence of Muslim League.
 Thirdly, many future leaders of Pakistan such as Liaqat Ali Khan and Ayub Khan were
educated there and many of the historians believe that this institute contributed the most in
the formation of Pakistan.
 Fourthly, it also helped to improve British-Muslim relationship as not only many British were
teaching in this institute, which created respect in the hearts of Muslims for British, but also
after receiving English education, now the Muslims were in a better position to communicate
with the British in their language and remove misconceptions between them.
 Sir Syed started a journal called ‘Tehzeb-ul-Akhlaq’. This journal included articles from
influential Muslims who agreed with Sir Syed that there was a need for a new approach
regarding education. Although some ulemas attacked this view, yet this journal played a major
part in bringing about an intellectual revolution amongst the Muslim thinkers.

 Sir Syed founded a scientific society in Ghazipur in 1863. It translated scientific writings from
English, Persian or Arabic into Urdu; the main language of the India-Muslims. Thus, Muslims
knowledge of science was improved. This also helped to reduce Muslim hatred towards the
British as they read about their scientific works, Muslims realized that they were not just
invaders but had done a lot for humanity through scientific inventions.
 Sir Syed also opened schools in Moradabad and Ghazipur. These efforts of Sir Syed show his
commitment towards expanding educational opportunities for Muslims.
 Sir Syed also set up Muhammadan Educational Conference. Its aim was to publicize the new
educational methods which were to be used in M.A.O. Thus, this contribution helped to improve
educational standards of Muslims
 This conference also played an important role in establishing a Muslim political platform in the
days before the establishment of the Muslim League as it attracted famous orators and writers
who discussed the political problems of the Muslims of India.
 It was after the 20th session of the same organization in December 1906 at Dhaka that its major
leaders gathered to form Muslim League which was the founder party of Pakistan.
Q: Were educational developments the most important contribution of sir Syed Ahmed Khan to
improve British-Muslim relationship? Explain your answer [14]
 One of the reason was that he discovered a scientific society in Ghazipur in 1863. This society
worked on translating the scientific writings from English, Persian or Arabic into Urdu. Thus,
this contributed to improve British-Muslim relations as the Muslims figured out that the
British were more than invaders, that they were more modernized than they themselves were.
 Another reason was that he established school in Moradabad and Ghazipur. This effort made
the youth of the Indian Muslims develop a more rational thinking skill which helped to improve
British-Muslim relations.
 Another reason was his establishment of Mohammadin Anglo Oriental College in 1877. It
provided western and Islamic education on the basis of English public school system. This
provided quality education for the Muslims and after graduation, they would be able to get
better British government jobs which helped to improve British-Muslim relations.
 Secondly, this institute not only contained many British scholars and teachers, who got along
and developed a good relationship with the Muslims, but also that is taught the English
language which removed misconception amongst the Muslims of their language and thus
contributed to the improvement of British-Muslim relations.
 One of them was that he tried to remove the ill-treatment of the Muslims who were blamed for
starting War of Independence, by launching Aligarh movement. Thus, Sir Syed not only
contributed to removing this treatment but also helped to improve British-Muslim relations.
 Sir Syed believed that Hindus would get ahead of Muslims due to their cooperation with the
British and feared that even the Hindus may start dominating Muslims. This, he launched the
Aligarh movement in order to restore the Muslims social, economic and political status and
more importantly, to improve British-Muslim relations.
 Sir Syed wrote a pamphlet called ‘Commentary on the Holy Bible’. This contained information
that pointed out the similarities between Islam and Christianity. Thus, due to this pamphlet,
this shows his commitment to improve British-Muslim relations, which in fact did help, even
though it was incomplete.
 Another reason was that Sir Syed established ‘British-Indian Association’. In this, the two
parties would get together and discuss various problems. Thus, due to this, it helped to improve
the level of cooperation between the British and Indian Muslims.

Chapter 5: Regional Languages

Key Question 5: To what extent Urdu and Regional languages contributed to the
cultural development of Pakistan?
Urdu
What is Urdu?
Urdu was created around the 1600’s in Central Asia. The word ‘Urdu’ comes from the Turkish
word ‘ordu’ meaning ‘camp’ or ‘army’. Urdu vocabulary contains approximately 70% Farsi and the
rest being a mix of Arabic and Turkish. In 1947, it was chosen as national language of Pakistan.
Development of Urdu
Urdu is the medium of the national media. Since the media is well known to everyone and people
watch television and listen to the radio with interest for information and entertainment, the
language gets promoted as more people get exposed to the language.
Urdu has been made the medium of instruction in many schools. This develops interest in students
towards their national language as all the subjects are taught in Urdu and they frequently use it in
their reading, writing and communication.
Urdu is being taught up to M.A, M. Phil and PH.D level in different institutions e.g. Urdu
university, Islamabad. Therefore, the scholars research in the language and explore different
aspects of its poetry and prose which helps to modernize Urdu.
Also, Urdu language is a compulsory subject to pass grade 10 and 12 in educational institutions.
Therefore, the language is promoted as students get familiar with its literature and grammar.
Urdu is the official language of courts, with English. This helps its promotion as it is then
frequently used in judicial proceeding e.g judges’ use it in their judgments and lawyers use it in
their argument.
Urdu mashaira; a poetry recitation session, are frequently held in Pakistan where poets recite
their poetry which encourages them to write more in Urdu. They are motivated even for them
when sometimes given awards for their work.
Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and is frequently used in all 4 provinces. Thus, it is not
only a unifying force but is also being promoted by people due to their regular use.
Failures / Disadvantages
When Urdu was made the national language after independence, East Pakistan strongly protested
for Begali, their language which was spoken by 54% of the total population whereas Urdu was the
language of the minority, to be the national language. This offended them to the extent that it
eventually led to the creation of Bangladesh. So Urdu, instead of unifying Pakistan, in a way
disintegrated it.
The local languages like Punjabi is used by 62% of the total population (after 1971). So when Urdu
was made the national language, which was the language of 8% of the population, led to
resentment among the Punjabis as they were deprived of theirs rights. This gave rise to the

feelings of provincialism.
In urban areas, people prefer English over Urdu and send their children to English Medium
Schools for their better future as they are aware that civil exams are taken in English. So Urdu is
side-lined, one the other hand, in remote areas people mostly use their own local languages instead
of Urdu. Thus, this hinders the development of Urdu as many of them do not understand it.
How has the Pakistan government promoted the development of Urdu since 1947?
How has Urdu been promoted?
It is the medium of instructions in many educational institutions in Pakistan. A dictionary of office
terms in Urdu has been published and steps have been taken to move away from English as the
language of administration. Urdu is the medium for radio and television programmes. Urdu plays
and films are very popular. Urdu novels, poetry, magazines and newspapers are widely read. Urdu
is taught in many universities.
What is the importance of Urdu language?

Urdu was the main language of Mughal court after Aurangzeb. Urdu was the language of Muslims
of India. It is the language which played a very important role in the Pakistan Movement as most
of the documents and letters had been written in Urdu. Urdu was spoken by a large number of
people. The Urdu-Hindi controversy was the one of the main reason that Muslims wanted a
separate homeland. Urdu has a very rich literature stock.
1. Why did Pakistan choose Urdu as its national language? [7]
 One of the reasons why Urdu became the national language in Pakistan is its long history. It
was widely used in the Mughal period and dates back as far as the Sultans of Delhi. In its early
stages it was used by the Muslim armies and became widely spoken and understood in many
parts of the subcontinent. So it was natural that such a well-known and established language
would be chosen.
 Another reason for Urdu being chosen was its high status. Some of the finest early poets, such
as Amir Khusru wrote in Urdu and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s school at Aligarh became a centre
for Urdu study. Many religious books, including the Quran, were translated into Urdu. So it
was considered an important language with a rich literacy tradition.
 Perhaps the major reason for Urdu being chosen was the fact that it was so closely associated
with the Pakistan Movement. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan supported it and the Muslim League was
formed not only to defend Muslims interests, but also to protect Urdu. The Quaid-e-Azam was
particularly keen to promote Urdu as he saw it as a unifying force. Since Pakistan was a new
country, it was very appropriate to pick a language which had played a part in unifying
Muslims.
Advantage of Urdu
The Quaid-e-Azam was particularly keen to promote Urdu as he saw it as a unifying force. Since
Pakistan was a new country, it was very appropriate to pick a language which had played a part in
unifying Muslims.
Disadvantages of Urdu
 Destruction of other languages
 Language of only 8% people
 Urdu Bengali Controversy which lead to separation
Punjabi
What is Punjabi language?

It is the main language of Punjab Province. It is statistically spoken more than Urdu. Hafiz
Barkhurdar has been the first person around 1080 AD to use the language by this name. Punjabi is
written in the same script as Arabic. It has a vast literature containing very famous folk tales like
HEER-RANJHA. It is the main language of Sufi Poets especially famous music literature includes
Bulley Shah and Baba Farid Ganjshakar.
How has the Pakistan government promoted the development of Punjabi since 1947?
Punjabi has been used in very famous dramas, short stories and novels in 20th Century.
Newspaper, journals and magazines have also been very significant in promoting Punjabi
culture & literature. Punjabi is taught up to MA level in many universities e.g. Punjab University.
Books in wide variety of academic subjects have been published in Punjabi. Punjabi has been used
in the writing style of contemporary age. Punjabi films have been made and it is popular language
in theatres and radio. This language is also used by singers and there are many songs in this
language.
Punjabi VS Other Languages
Q. "Punjabi has been developed the most in the regional language since 1947". Do you agree /
disagree? Give reasons. [14]
Ans. Books on academic subjects like Law, Medicine, Science, History and Philosophy have been
published in Punjabi language, using it as a mean of imparting education and so contributing to its
development
The Punjabi University also teaches Punjabi up to Masters level. Therefore, the language gets
promoted as students / scholars do research in different aspects of its literature which helps to
modernize the language.
Radio and television have also promoted Punjabi through news and drama serials, etc. Similarly,
Punjabi theatre and films are also widely appreciated by people because of their comedy and
actions. Hence, by using it as a source of entertainment and information, its understanding has
been improved among the masses.
The Holy Qur'an's versified translation by Muhammad Ali Faiq in Punjabi promoted the language
on religious lines as Muslims of Punjab read this unique translation with more interest.
The Punjabi poetry recitation sessions (mushairas) are also held where poets recite their poetry in
front of public. It not only helps to increase the interest of the people in this language but also
encourages the poets to work more in Punjabi as they are appreciated by the audience and
sometimes given awards for their poetry.
Sindhi
What is Sindhi?
Sindhi is very ancient language according to documentation it has been dated back to 12 century.
Initially Sindhi had been written in Arz Nagari script but later the script changed to the Arabic
style. It is the main language of Sindh Province. Sindhi literature is famous in the form of Sachel
Sarmast’s poetry. It is used in school but it is not the medium of instructions in schools.

How has the Pakistan government promoted the development of Sindhi since 1947?
In 1948, Sindhi Literary Board was set up and has printed many books and magazines. Several
important books on Sindhi Folk Literature have been written. Sarmast Academy and Sindhiology
Department at Sindh University, Jamshoru have been set up to promote this language. It is also
used in schools. Sindhi library in Karachi has helped Sindhi literature spread. Many folk writings
have also been produced. Bazm-e-Talib-ul-Muola have been set up which translates books into
Sindhi. Promotion of Sindhi literature and culture through modern means e.g. TV, radio,
newspapers etc. have also been very significant.
Balochi
What is Balochi?
This is the language spoken in Baluchistan province. Basically spread by Nomadic tribes from Iran
and North West Areas. Balochi literature is small but rich in folk tales passed on word of tongue.
Balochi literature at the earliest has been recorded as famous folk songs specially of Jam
Darang. Balochi language which was at its decline before partition was given special attention for
its promotion.
How has the Pakistan government promoted the development of Balochi since 1947?
Radio Pakistan Karachi broadcasts in Balochi. Balochi Literary Association was set up to publish
magazines and Balochi literature. Balochi folk tales have been brought down in writing. Quetta
Television Studio Broadcasts in Balochi. Balochi poets like Atta Shad and writers have greatly
contributed towards its promotion.
Pashto
What is Pashto?
Pashto is the main language of Northern regions and most tribes of NWFP though with
different dialects. It is influenced by Greek, Persian and Arabic. It had a great history and is one of
the oldest languages of Pakistan. Its first book on Sufism is Khair-ul-Biyan. It has recorded famous
poets like Amir Khan and Bayazaid Ansari. Pashto literature achieved its peak in Mughal period
and the songs developed the theme of nationalism. The British Rule Period is considered its Golden
Age when very high quality writing was produced during this time. Pashto literature played an
important role in British Opposition to achieve independence.
How has the Pakistan government promoted the development of Pashto since 1947?
Pashto has also been developed since 1947. It's being taught up to M.A. Level in Peshawar
University helps to promote the language as not only the students come to know about its
literature but they also explore different aspects of the language, through their research thesis, so
modernizing it.
The academy for promotion of Pashto literature was set up in 1954 and this prepared a widely
accepted Pashto dictionary, which created more understanding of this language by improving
Pashto vocabulary among the people.

Q. Why have Regional languages been promoted by Pakistan since 1947? [7]
Urdu was promoted because it was the language of Muslims. It united the Muslims of India in
those times and was also chosen as the national language of Pakistan. More development was
taken in it so that more people could have knowledge in it and promote it.
Sindhi was also promoted because it played a major role in literature. It was felt that the ork of the
people should be kept alive and not forgotten. The work and poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and
Sachal Sarmast was to be preserved. The government made Sindhiology department in University
of Jamshoru. Sarmast Academy was setup to promote Sindhi language.
Balochi language was promoted so that the people dont forget it and due to the work and poetry of
people like Jam Darang. His works were great. Radio pakistan promoted it by broadcasting in
Balochi. Newspapers and Books were published in Balochi language to promote it at national
levels.
Punjabi was promoted because it contained many influential things like poetry and other works of
Bullhe Shah's Kalam. It was thought that his work should be protected for future generations and
save it
Pushto was promoted because it played a major role by Sahibzada Abdul Qayum in the
independence of Muslims. It made people stand up for their rights. University of Peshawar
supported it and books were written in Pushto. So that is why Regional languages been promoted
by the Pakistan government.
Q. `The promotion of regional languages in Pakistan between 1947 and 1988 has
been more successful than the promotion of Urdu.' Do you agree? Explain your
answer. [14]
Urdu is very important for all Pakistanis and it has been considered to be the language of all
Muslims for 300 years. It was the language associated with the Pakistani Movement throughout its
struggle with the British and the Hindus. After Independence it was felt that the language was the
uniting force behind the nation. The Hindi-Urdu Controversy Sir Syed supported Urdu as official
language for the Muslims and India.
Sindhi is the language older than Urdu it was used by number of famous poets. It is very popular
in Sindhi province. Sindhi was written in ‘Marwari’ and ‘Arz Nagari’ was of writing which was
subsequently changed into Arabic. After Independence, There are many steps taken to promote
Sindhi. The Sindhi Literary Board was set up in 1948 which has printed many books and
magazines in the language. Several important books are written in Sindhi. It is used in school but
it is not the medium of instructions in schools. Government is also trying to promote this language.
One of the famous person is Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and Sachal Sarmast. Sarmast Academy was
also setup in Sindh. The government made Sindhiology department in Univeristy of Jamshoru.
Balochi is the language which is spoken by the largest province of Pakistan which is Baluchistan.
Language was brought here by tribes who migrated here. There are several Balochi poets. It was
first discovered outside the province in 1830 when a British traveler was traveling. There was a
decline in the language but government has made Radio Pakistan Karachi to do broad cast in
Balochi. There are several magazines written and Quetta Television broadcast Balochi shows.
There is now promoted rapidly increase in the language and is used by many poets.

Punjabi is the local language of the Punjab. It was a popular language amongst the Sufi poets
who used it for their romantic folk poetry. It is also spoken in Abad Kashmir and the NWFP. It is
easily understood by everyone and is also considered very old language. It has a long history and is
written in “Gurmukhi script” and there are several dialects of this language. This language is used
by singers and there are many songs in this language. There are novels, short stories, and Dramas
in Punjabi and there are also books published in this language as Law, Medicine. The Punjabi
Literature is taught in many educational places. These poems contributed greatly to the popularity
of Punjabi. After Independence, steps were taken for the promotion and development of the
language in other parts of the province. The Government have ensured its development by giving
support to those institutions who are using it for example in University of Punjab. Punjabi is now
taught at Masters level. Some important works, poets and people include Bullhe Shah for his
'Kalam'. Some famous works include of various people are Heer-Ranjha and Sassi Pannu.
Pushto is the language of people of NWFP and the northern areas of Baluchistan. It is influenced
by Greek, Persian and Arabic. It had a great history and is one of the oldest languages of Pakistan.
Pashto literature plays an important role in opposition to British rule and movement towards
independence. Study in Pashto helped foster unity and the language became freedom movement for
NWFP. Within three years after independence Peshawar University was established to promote
the language.
But still agree that Urdu was the most promoted because it was the national language of the
Pakistan and the Muslims because it united the Muslims under one point and made them fight for
their separate country which led to making of Pakistan and also because it’s been promoted more
than others.

History and Cultural of Pakistan Section 1

Încărcat de

Informații document

Titlu original

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

History and Cultural of Pakistan Section 1

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

For complete notes of Islamiyat /Pakistan Studies / Urdu contact 03222253698 1

Cultural and Political Background of Pakistan Movement

Chapter 1: Religious Thinkers

Shah Wail Ullah (1703-1762)

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

Syed Ahmad Shaheed Barailvi (1786-1831)

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

Haji Shariat Ullah (1781-1840)

Some Repeated Questions in CIE

Who was Shah Waliullah?

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

What did Shah Waliullah believe about the role of Islam?

What were the achievements of Shah Waliullah?

What was the Jihad Movement?

Who was Titu Mir?

Who were Mujahideens?

Who was Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi?

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

Who was Haji Shariatullah?

Who were Faraizis?

What was the Faraizi movement?

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

Q: Why did SASB wish to revive Islam in the subcontinent?

Q: Why did SASB launch Jihad against the Sikhs of Punjab?

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

Comparisons of Religious Thinkers (14 Marks)

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

However there were failures

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

Chapter: 2 Decline of Mughal Empire

Aurangzeb’s policies Reasons after Aurangzeb

Who was Aurangzeb?

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

What kind of man was Aurangzeb?

Was Aurangzeb responsible for the decline of Mughal Empire?

What was the Jizzya Controversy?

What was Jizzya?

What was Suttee?

Who was Ahmed Shah Abdali\Durrani?

How did invasions weaken the Mughal Empire?

Who were Marathas?

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

Who was Sivaji?

How were the Marathas Defeated?

Who was Chatrapati Shivaji?

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

British/East India Company Rule

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

What was the Doctrine of Lapse?

What were the Subsidiary Alliances?

Describe the Battle of Plassey

Describe the Battle of Buxar

What was the Regulating act 1773?

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

What was the Pitts India Act 1784?

Why was the India Act 1784 passed?

Why did the Mughal Empire declined?

What role did successors of Aurangzeb play in decline of Mughal Empire?

What effect did British have on Indians?

www.learnalislam.com face book ID: bashirgul2@gmail.com

What did British do about religion in sub-continent?