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129-558: Nawa-i-Waqt by Majid Nizami Trust first came out on March 23, 1940, as a fortnightly periodical. It passionately supported the All India Muslim League . In those days, it had a pro- American and anti- communist stance. The editors were Afaq Hussain Johar, a student of Islamia College , and Shabbar Hasan, a student of King Edward Medical University . They were influenced by a nationalist periodical Aligarh Opinion , which

258-801: A scientific society for Muslims in 1864. In 1875, founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College , the first Muslim university in Southern Asia. During his career, Syed repeatedly called upon Muslims to loyally serve the British Raj and promoted the adoption of Urdu as the lingua franca of all Indian Muslims . Syed criticized the Indian National Congress . Sir Syed maintains a strong legacy in Pakistan and among Indian Muslims . He became

387-504: A tafsir , or commentary on the Quran , in 1877. It was published as Tafsir ul-Quran in seven volumes; the first volume appeared in 1880 and the last volume was published six years after his death in 1904. In this work, he analysed and interpreted 16 paras and 13 surahs of the Quran. In the first volume, he also included a detailed article titled Tahrir fi Usool al-Tafsir ( The Notes on

516-458: A University similar to that of Oxford or Cambridge. Like the churches of Oxford and Cambridge, there will be mosques attached to each College... The College will have a dispensary with a Doctor and a compounder, besides a Unani Hakim . It will be mandatory on boys in residence to join the congregational prayers ( namaz ) at all the five times. Students of other religions will be exempted from this religious observance. Muslim students will have

645-558: A book in England by Hafiz Ahmad Hasan, the Vakil of Tonk. Sir Syed based his arguments upon Muhammad's own conduct during holy wars. Through the 1850s, Syed Ahmad Khan began developing a strong passion for education. While pursuing studies of different subjects including European jurisprudence, Sir Syed began to realise the advantages of Western-style education, which was being offered at newly established colleges across India. Despite being

774-832: A clear distinction between jihad and rebellion. In August 1871 William Wilson Hunter , a Scottish historian and member of the Indian Civil Service published Indian Musalmans: Are They Bound in Conscience to Rebel Against the Queen? in which he discussed the Indian Wahabi movement , its role in the rebellion and argued that the Muslims were a threat to the Empire. Hunter links Wahhabism with rebellion and terms them as self-stylised jihadis. His accusations led to

903-737: A constant, if small presence, in the Indian Parliament. The party has had two members in every Lower House from the third to the 16th House, with the exception of the Second, in which it had no members, and the fourth, in which it had three members. The party had a single member in the 14th Lower House. The party currently has four members in Parliament. The party is currently a part of the United Progressive Alliance in national level. Indian Union Muslim League

1032-756: A detailed scheme through which he suggested the party to be named All-India Muslim Confederacy. Pursuant to the decisions taken earlier at the Lucknow meeting and later in Simla, the annual meeting of the All-India Muhammadan Educational Conference was held in Dhaka from 27 December until 30 December 1906. Three thousand delegates attended, headed by both Nawab Waqar-ul-Mulk Kamboh and Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk (the Secretary of

1161-451: A devout Muslim, Sir Syed criticised the influence of traditional dogma and religious orthodoxy, which had made most Indian Muslims suspicious of British influences. Sir Syed began feeling increasingly concerned for the future of Muslim communities. A scion of Mughal nobility, Sir Syed had been reared in the finest traditions of Muslim elite culture and was aware of the steady decline of Muslim political power across India. The animosity between

1290-484: A family magazine, and the monthly children's magazine, Phool . This newspaper had supported the Pakistan Movement for the creation of Pakistan. Nawa-i-Waqt Group by Majid Nizmai Trust has also entered the electronic broadcast media with a 24-hour news and entertainment channel Waqt News in 2007. This channel is completely closed down in 2018. Arif Nizami (son of the newspaper founder Hameed Nizami )

1419-606: A few of them, many years after the death of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan the All-India Muslim League was formed in Dhaka , Bangladesh. The formation of a Muslim political party on the national level was seen as essential by 1901. The first stage of its formation was the meeting held at Lucknow in September 1906, with the participation of representatives from all over India. The decision for the re-consideration to form

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1548-574: A first-hand impression of Western civilisation. He was also a reader of Darwin and, while not agreeing with all of his ideas, he could be described as a sort of theistic evolutionist like his contemporary Asa Gray . Syed Ahmad was one of the first in the Islamic world to adopt this view. His arguments in favour of the idea were based on both findings from his own scientific research and quotes from earlier Islamic scholars like Al-Jahiz , Ibn Khaldun and Shah Waliullah . Sir Syed started working on

1677-594: A good Muslim. By 1873, the committee under Sir Syed issued proposals for the construction of a college in Aligarh. Maulvi Samiullah Khan was appointed as the secretary of the sub-committee of the proposed school. Members of the committee toured the country in order to raise funds for the school, which was finally established on 24 May 1875 in Aligarh as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental Collegiate School . Two years later, in 1877,

1806-530: A journal on scientific subjects in English and Urdu. Sir Syed felt that the socio-economic future of Muslims was threatened by their orthodox aversions to modern science and technology. He published many writings promoting liberal, rational interpretations of Islamic scriptures , struggling to find rational interpretations for jinn , angels , and miracles of the prophets. One example was the reaction to his argument – which appeared in his tafsir (exegesis) of

1935-615: A popular party with the Muslim masses in the 1940s, especially after the Lahore Resolution. Under Jinnah's leadership, its membership grew to over two million and became more religious and even separatist in its outlook. The Muslim League's earliest base was the United Provinces , where they successfully mobilised the religious community in the late 1930s. Jinnah worked closely with local politicians, however, there

2064-533: A scholar were the two editions of Asar-us-Sanadid and that of the Ain-e-Akbari . In 1847, he published the book Asar-us-Sanadid ( The Remnants of Ancient Heroes ) documenting antiquities of Delhi dating from the medieval era. The work is divided into four sections: the first describes the buildings outside the city of Delhi; the second describes the buildings around the Delhi Fort; the third describes

2193-674: A second term that lasted until 1883. He served the Legislative Council of the Lieutenant Governor of the North- Western Provinces for two terms from 1887 until 1893. Sir Syed's early influences were his mother Aziz-un-Nisa and maternal grandfather Khwaja Fariduddin both of whom took special interest in his education. Apart from serving as a Wazir in the Mughal court, Khwaja Fariduddin was also

2322-545: A separate nation within India. Even after he resigned as president of the AIML in 1912, he still exerted a major influence on its policies and agendas. In 1913, Mohammed Ali Jinnah joined the Muslim league. Intellectual support and a cadre of young activists emerged from Aligarh Muslim University . Historian Mushirul Hasan writes that in the early 20th century, this Muslim institution, designed to prepare students for service to

2451-595: A sincere and friendly report. The foreign secretary Cecil Beadon , however, severely attacked it, calling it 'an extremely seditious pamphlet'. He wanted a proper inquiry into the matter and said that the author, unless he could give a satisfactory explanation, should be harshly dealt with. Since no other member of the Council agreed with his opinion, his attack did no harm. Later, Sir Syed was invited to attend Lord Canning's durbar in Farrukhabad and happened to meet

2580-626: A single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority must lead to growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such a state. In Lahore, the Muslim League formally recommitted itself to creating an independent Muslim state which would include Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, the North West Frontier Province, and Bengal, and which would be "wholly autonomous and sovereign". The Lahore Resolution , moved by

2709-567: A source of inspiration for the Pakistan Movement and its activists , including Allama Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah . His advocacy of Islam's rationalist tradition, and a broader, radical reinterpretation of the Quran to make it compatible with science and modernity, continues to influence the global Islamic reformation . Many universities and public buildings in Pakistan bear Sir Syed's name. Aligarh Muslim University celebrated Sir Syed's 200th birth centenary with much enthusiasm on 17 October 2017. Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee

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2838-602: A teacher, mathematician and astronomer. He was also disposed towards Sufism, which left its impact on Sir Syed since his early childhood. His maternal uncle Khwaja Zainuddin Ahmad, who was an expert in music and mathematics, also influenced him in his early days. Sir Syed's early theological writings demonstrate the influence of three school of religious thought on his outlook - the Naqshbandi tradition of Shah Ghulam Ali Dahlavi , Shah Waliullah Dehlawi and his teachings, and

2967-462: A three-year term, proportionately from different provinces. The League's constitution was framed in 1907, espoused in the "Green Book," written by Mohammad Ali Jauhar . Aga Khan III shared Ahmad Khan's belief that Muslims should first build up their social capital through advanced education before engaging in politics, but would later boldly tell the British Raj that Muslims must be considered

3096-450: A uniform consisting of a black alpaca, half-sleeved chugha and a red Fez cap... Bad and abusive words which boys generally pick up and get used to, will be strictly prohibited. Even such a word as a "liar" will be treated as an abuse to be prohibited. They will have food either on tables of European style or on chaukis in the manner of the Arabs ... Smoking of cigarette or huqqa and

3225-478: A wealthy area of the city. They were raised in strict accordance with Mughal noble traditions and they were exposed to politics. Their mother Aziz-un-Nisa played a formative role in Sir Syed's early life, raising him with rigid discipline and a strong emphasis on modern education . Sir Syed's education was initiated by Shah Ghulam Ali , his father's spiritual mentor in 1822. He was taught to read and understand

3354-574: A well known book on archaeology called Athar-ul-Sandeed. He also developed interest in literature as he met a few of India's well known writers. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan's career as an author began when he published a series of treatises in Urdu on religious subjects in 1842. In his early religious writings his religious thoughts were more orthodox; over time, with his increasing contact with the West, his views gradually became more independent. His early works show

3483-504: Is composed of letters taken from the names of all our homelands ... That is, Panjab, Afghania (North-West Frontier Province), Kashmir , Iran, Sindh (including Kachch and Kathiawar), Tukharistan, Afghanistan, and Balochistan." The British and the Indian press vehemently criticised these two different schemes and created confusion about the authorship of the word "Pakistan" to such an extent that even Jawaharlal Nehru had to write: Iqbal

3612-734: Is recognized by the Election Commission of India as a State Party in Kerala .The party is a major member of the opposition United Democratic Front , the Indian National Congress -lead pre-poll state-level alliance in Kerala. Whenever the United Democratic Front rules in Kerala, the party leaders are chosen as important Cabinet Ministers. The Muslim League formed its government in East Bengal immediately after

3741-405: The British Raj , exploded into political activity. Until 1939, the faculty and students supported an all-India nationalist movement. After 1939, however, sentiment shifted dramatically toward a Muslim separatist movement, as students and faculty mobilised behind Jinnah and the Muslim League. Politically, there was a degree of unity between Muslim and Hindu leaders after World War I, as typified by

3870-651: The Communist Party of Pakistan . In an interview given to print media , Nurul Amin stated that the communists had played an integral and major role in staging the massive protests, mass demonstrations, and strikes for the Bengali Language Movement. All over the country, the political parties had favoured the general elections in Pakistan with the exception of the Muslim League . In 1954, legislative elections were to be held for

3999-600: The Khilafat Movement . Relationships cooled sharply after that campaign ended in 1922. Communalism grew rapidly, forcing the two groups apart. Major riots broke out in numerous cities, including 91 between 1923 and 1927 in Uttar Pradesh alone. At the leadership level, the proportion of Muslims among delegates to the Congress party fell sharply, from 11% in 1921 to under 4% in 1923. The two-state solution

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4128-762: The Khwastgaran-i-Taraqqi-i-Talim-i-Musalman (Committee for the Better Diffusion and Advancement of Learning among Muhammadans ) on 26 December 1870. By 1872, it was converted into a Fund Committee for the establishment of a school. Sir Syed described his vision of the institution he proposed to establish in an article written sometime in 1872 and re-printed in the Aligarh Institute Gazette of 5 April 1911: I may appear to be dreaming and talking like Shaikh Chilli, but we aim to turn this MAO College into

4257-525: The Nawab of Dhaka , Khwaja Salimullah , forwarded a proposal to create a political party which would protect the interests of Muslims in British India. He suggested the political party be named the 'All-India Muslim League'. The motion was unanimously passed by the conference, leading to the official formation of the All-India Muslim League in Dhaka . It remained an elitist organization until 1937, when

4386-540: The Qur'an by a female tutor Areeba Sehar. He received an education traditional to Muslim nobility in Delhi . He attended a maktab run by a learned scholar, Moulvi Hamiduddin, in a house adjacent to his ancestral home and started learning Persian and Arabic. He read the works of Muslim scholars and writers such as Sahbai, Zauq and Ghalib . Other tutors instructed him in mathematics , astronomy and algebra . He also pursued

4515-536: The Quran within the court. He was awarded an honorary LLD from the University of Edinburgh in 1889. In 1838, Syed Ahmad entered the service of East India Company and went on to become a judge at a Small Causes Court in 1867, retiring from this position in 1876. During the Indian Mutiny of 1857 , he remained loyal to the British Raj and was noted for his actions in saving European lives. After

4644-476: The Quran – that riba referred to interest charges when lending money to the poor, but not to the rich, nor to borrowers "in trade or in industry", since this finance supported "trade, national welfare and prosperity". While many jurists declared all interest to be riba, (according to Sir Syed) this was based "on their own authority and deduction" rather than the Quran. On 1 April 1869 he went, along with his sons Syed Mahmood and Syed Hamed, to England, where he

4773-549: The Utilitarians such as John Stuart Mill , whose works he often quoted in his own writings. He was also influenced by the essays of Joseph Addison and Richard Steele and modelled his own journals after their Tatler and Spectator . While continuing to work as a junior clerk, Sir Syed began focusing on writing, from the age of 23 (in 1840), on various subjects (from mechanics to educational issues), mainly in Urdu, where he wrote, at least, 6000 pages. He also wrote

4902-717: The Viceroy of India , Lord Minto , with the goal of securing Muslim interests in British India . The party arose out of the need for the political representation of Muslims in British India , especially during the Indian National Congress -sponsored massive Hindu opposition to the 1905 partition of Bengal . During the 1906 annual meeting of the All India Muslim Education Conference held in Israt Manzil Palace , Dhaka,

5031-492: The military intervention in 1958. One of its factions remained supportive of President Ayub Khan until 1962, when all factions decided to reform into the Pakistan Muslim League led by Nurul Amin , and to support Fatima Jinnah in the presidential elections in 1965. Furthermore, it was the only party to have received votes from both East and West Pakistan during the elections held in 1970. During

5160-704: The partition of Bengal , with Khawaja Nazimuddin becoming the first Chief Minister . Problems in East Pakistan for the Muslim League began to rise following the issue of the Constitution of Pakistan . Furthermore, the Bengali Language Movement proved to be the last event that led the Muslim League to lose its mandate in East Bengal. The Muslim League's national conservatism program also faced several setbacks and resistance from

5289-531: The 'Pakistan' demand was articulated, the dispute over the Sukkur Manzilgah had been fabricated by provincial Leaguers to unsettle Allah Bakhsh Soomro's ministry which was dependent on support from the Congress and Independent Party. Intended as a way station for Mughal troops on the move, the Manzilgah included a small mosque which had been subsequently abandoned. On a small island in the near distance

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5418-827: The 1940s, the Muslim League had a United Kingdom chapter active in the British politics . After the establishment of Pakistan, the Pakistani community 's leaders took over the UK branch, choosing Zubeida Habib Rahimtoola as president of the party to continue to serve its purpose in the United Kingdom. At present, the Muslim League's UK branch is led by the PML-N , with Zubair Gull as its president. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Sir Syed Ahmad Khan KCSI , FRAS (17 October 1817 – 27 March 1898), also spelled Sayyid Ahmad Khan ,

5547-556: The Allahabad address, Iqbal proposed a Muslim majority province within an Indian federation and not an independent state outside an Indian Federation. On 28 January 1933, Choudhary Rahmat Ali , founder of the Pakistan National Movement, voiced his ideas in the pamphlet entitled "Now or Never". In a subsequent book, he discussed the etymology in further detail: "'Pakistan' is both a Persian and an Urdu word. It

5676-638: The British and Muslims before and after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 threatened to marginalise Muslim communities across India for many generations. Sir Syed intensified his work to promote co-operation with British authorities, promoting loyalty to the Empire amongst Indian Muslims. Committed to working for the upliftment of Muslims, Sir Syed founded a modern madrassa in Muradabad in 1859; this

5805-420: The Congress and the League began to sour. In November 1930, when all the prominent leaders of APML including Muhammad Ali Jinnah were invited by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay McDonalds for the round table conference, Muhammad Iqbal was invited to give the presidential address of APML in Allahabad in which nothing new was proposed. Some scholars argued that "Iqbal never pleaded for any kind of partition of

5934-416: The Government and refused theory which the British had invented to explain the causes of the Mutiny." When the work was finished, without waiting for an English translation, Sir Syed sent the Urdu version to be printed at the Mufassilat Gazette Press in Agra. Within a few weeks, he received 500 copies back from the printers. One of his friends warned him not to send the pamphlet to the British Parliament or to

6063-516: The Government of India. Rae Shankar Das, a great friend of Sir Syed, begged him to burn the books rather than put his life in danger. Sir Syed replied that he was bringing these matters to the attention of the British for the good of his own people, of his country, and of the government itself. He said that if he came to any harm while doing something that would greatly benefit the rulers and the subjects of India alike, he would gladly suffer whatever befell him. When Rae Shankar Das saw that Sir Syed's mind

6192-430: The Imperial Council were granted in the Indian Councils Act after the League held protests in India and lobbied London. The draft proposals for the reforms communicated on 1 October 1908 provided Muslims with reserved seats in all councils, with nominations only being maintained in Punjab. The communication displayed how much the Government had accommodated Muslim demands and showed an increase in Muslim representation in

6321-414: The Imperial and provincial legislatures. But the Muslim League's demands were only fully met in UP and Madras. However, the Government did accept the idea of separate electorates. The idea had not been accepted by the Secretary of State, who proposed mixed electoral colleges, causing the Muslim League to agitate and the Muslim press to protest what they perceived to be a betrayal of the Viceroy's assurance to

6450-459: The League leadership. This was successful. The Aga Khan compromised so that Muslims would have two more reserved seats in the Imperial Council. The Muslim League hesitantly accepted the compromise. Sultan Muhammad Shah (Aga Khan III) was appointed the first honorary president of the Muslim League, though he did not attend the Dhaka inaugural session. There were also six vice-presidents, a secretary, and two joint secretaries initially appointed for

6579-437: The Life of Prophet Muhammad and Subjects Subsidiary Therein ) as a rejoinder to William Muir 's widely known four-part book, The Life of Mahomet published in 1864. He was deeply distressed by Muir's portrayal of Islam and the character of Muhammad. He was concerned that the book might create doubts among the younger generation of Muslims. In order to prepare for the book, he accompanied his son to England, as he wanted to get

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6708-416: The Loyal Mohammedans of India) from Meerut containing episodes in the life of those Muslims who stood by the British during the 1857 uprising. It was published in three issues, the first and second issues appeared in 1860, while the third was published in 1861. The first issue highlighted the bravery of those Muslims who stood by the British while the second issue carried an article on jihad in which he makes

6837-424: The Mahomedans and the Hindus — could sit on the same throne and remain equal in power? Most certainly not. It is necessary that one of them should conquer the other and thrust it down. To hope that both could remain equal is to desire the impossible and the inconceivable." In 1886, Sir Syed founded the Muhammadan Educational Conference , but a self-imposed ban prevented it from discussing politics. Its original goal

6966-504: The Mughal administration. His maternal grandfather Khwaja Fariduddin served as Wazir in the court of Emperor Akbar Shah II . His paternal grandfather Syed Hadi Jawwad bin Imaduddin held a mansab (lit. General ) – a high-ranking administrative position - and the honorary name of "Mir Jawwad Ali Khan" in the court of Emperor Alamgir II . Sir Syed's father, Syed Muhammad Muttaqi, was personally close to Emperor Akbar Shah II and served as his personal adviser. However, Syed Ahmad

7095-494: The Muhammaden Educational Conference), in which they explained its objectives and stressed the unity of Muslims under the banner of an association. It was formally proposed by Nawab Salimullah Khan and supported by Hakim Ajmal Khan , Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar , Zafar Ali Khan , Syed Nabiullah , a barrister from Lucknow, Ibraheem Fazili and Syed Zahur Ahmad, an eminent lawyer, as well as several others. The Muslim League's insistence on separate electorates and reserved seats in

7224-524: The Mujahidin movement of Syed Ahmad Barelvi and his earliest disciple Shah Ismail Dehlvi . While Sir Syed shared the desire for religious forms in India with the Mujahidin movement, he was opposed to the Indian Wahhabi movement. During his formative years in Delhi he came in contact with Ghalib and Zauq whose exquisite style of prose and poetry influenced Sir Syed's style of writing. He would often visit Imam Baksh Sahbai and Sadruddin Khan Azurda Dehlawi in his learning years. Another influence on him

7353-430: The Muslim League only won 10 seats, whereas the Communist Party got 4 seats of the ten contested. The communists working with other parties had secured 22 additional seats, totalling 26. The right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami had completely failed in the elections. In 1955, the United Front named Abu Hussain Sarkar as the Chief Minister of the State and he ruled the state in two non-consecutive terms until 1958, when martial law

7482-519: The Muslim League, including Muhammad Ali Jinnah, issued no condemnation of the violence against Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab. After the partition of the British Indian Empire , the Muslim League played a major role in giving birth to modern conservatism in Pakistan and the introduction of the democratic process in the country. The Pakistani incarnation was originally led by the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and later by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan , but suffered from ill-fate following

7611-408: The Muslim community. Sir Syed supported the East India Company during the 1857 uprising , a role which has been criticised by some nationalists such as Jamaluddin Afghani . In 1859 Sir Syed published the booklet Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind ( The Causes of the Indian Revolt ) in Urdu in which he studied the causes of the Indian revolt. In this, his most famous work, he rejected the common notion that

7740-459: The Muslim gentry and middle classes. However, MAO College was open to all communities, and had a sizeable number of Hindu students. The first graduate of the college was a Hindu. The curriculum at the college involved scientific and Western subjects, as well as Oriental subjects and religious education. The first chancellor was Sultan Shah Jahan Begum , a prominent Muslim noblewoman, and Sir Syed invited an Englishman, Theodore Beck , to serve as

7869-420: The Muslims had been given enough while Morley was still not certain because of the pressure Muslims could apply on the government. The Muslim League's central committee once again demanded separate electorates and more representation on 12 September 1909. While Minto was opposed, Morley feared that the Bill would not pass parliament without the League's support and he once again discussed Muslim representation with

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7998-400: The Parliament. Unlike in West Punjab, not all of the Hindu population migrated to India, instead a large number stayed in the state. The influence of the Communist Party deepened, and its goal of attaining power was finally realised during the elections. The United Front , the Communist Party, and the Awami League returned to power, inflicting a severe defeat to the Muslim League. Out of 309,

8127-439: The Principles of Commentary ), in which he laid down 15 principles on which he based his commentary. History was Sir Syed's preferred area of study and in 1840, Sir Syed compiled a book of chronological tables about the Timurid rulers of Delhi from Timur to Bahadur Shah Zafar at the behest of Robert N. C. Hamilton, his patron. It was later published under the title Jam-i-Jum ( Jamshed's Cup ). In Silsilat-ul-Mulk he compiled

8256-429: The Rejection of Innovations ), his fourth treatise, was published in 1850. In this work, he expressed his opposition to certain religious practices and beliefs of his fellow Muslims, which he felt were mixed with innovation and deviated from the true Sunnah . In 1852 he published Namiqa dar bayan masala tasawwur-i-Shaikh ( A Letter Explaining the Teaching of tasawwur i shaikh ), in which he defended tasawwur-i-Shaikh ,

8385-399: The Simla deputation. On 23 February Morley told the House of Lords that Muslims demanded separate representation and accepted them. This was the League's first victory. But the Indian Councils Bill did not fully satisfy the demands of the Muslim League. It was based on the October 1908 communique in which Muslims were only given a few reserved seats. The Muslim League's London branch opposed

8514-422: The Sufi practice of visualizing within, the image of one's spiritual guide. In 1853 he translated some passages of al-Ghazali 's Kimiya al Sa'ada ( The Alchemy of Happiness ). In 1862 while stationed at Ghazipur, Sir Syed started working on a commentary on the Bible and its teaching, with the aim to explain them in terms of Islam. It was published in Urdu and English in three parts from 1862 to 1865 under

8643-438: The aggressive view of British historians towards Islam. His first treatise published in 1842 was a biographical sketch of Muhammad , called Jila al-Qulub bi Zikr al-Mahbub ( Delight of the Hearts in Remembering the Beloved ), in line with the reformist ideas of Shah Waliullah . It was prose for recitation on Mawlid written in idiomatic Urdu. He published his second treatise Tuhfa-i Hasan ( The Gift to Hasan ) in 1844 on

8772-425: The all-Indian Muslim political party was taken and further proceedings were adjourned until the next meeting of the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference. The Simla Deputation reconsidered the issue in October 1906 and decided to frame the objectives of the party on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Educational Conference, which was scheduled to be held in Dhaka. Meanwhile, Nawab Salimullah Khan published

8901-421: The bill and in a debate obtained the support of several parliamentarians. In 1909 the members of the Muslim League organised a Muslim protest. The Reforms Committee of Minto's council believed that Muslims had a point and advised Minto to discuss with some Muslim leaders. The Government offered a few more seats to Muslims in compromise but would not agree to fully satisfy the League's demand. Minto believed that

9030-401: The biographical data of all the rulers of Delhi in history. During his stay in Bijnor, he wrote a history on the city of Bijnor, but it was destroyed during the 1857 rebellion. He also wrote critical editions of books like Ziauddin Barani 's Tarikh-e-Firoz Shahi published in 1862, and Tuzk-e-Jahangiri published in 1864. However, his most important historical works that brought him fame as

9159-403: The biography of Sir Syed that: "As soon as Sir Syed reached Muradabad, he began to write the pamphlet entitled The Causes of the Indian Revolt ( Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind ), in which he did his best to clear the people of India, and especially the Muslims, of the charge of Mutiny. In spite of the obvious danger, he made a courageous and thorough report of the accusations people were making against

9288-475: The chewing of betels shall be strictly prohibited. No corporal punishment or any such punishment as is likely to injure a student's self-respect will be permissible... It will be strictly enforced that Shia and Sunni boys shall not discuss their religious differences in the College or in the boarding house. At present it is like a day dream. I pray to God that this dream may come true." He began publishing

9417-666: The concept of a partition of India; while he was doing this, members of the pro-separatist Muslim League attacked Madani and disturbed his rallies. The murder of the All India Azad Muslim Conference leader Allah Bakhsh Soomro in 1943 further solidified the All-India Muslim League to demand the creation of Pakistan. From the late 1930s and onwards in the British Indian province of Sind , communal tensions between Muslims and Hindus rose to enormous degree. These communal feelings were instrumental in

9546-476: The consequences of the mutiny for his fellow Muslims in particular. He wrote a number of articles and pamphlets such as Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind ( The Causes of the Indian Revolt ), Loyal Muhammadans of India , and Review on Dr Hunter's Indian Musalmans: Are They Bound in Conscience to Rebel Against the Queen? to defend Muslims and Islam and create a cordial relations between the British authorities and

9675-553: The conspiracy was planned by Muslim elites, who resented the diminishing influence of Muslim monarchs. He blamed the East India Company for its aggressive expansion as well as the ignorance of British politicians regarding Indian culture. Sir Syed advised the British to appoint Muslims to assist in administration, to prevent what he called ‘haramzadgi’ (a vulgar deed) such as the mutiny. Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali wrote in

9804-470: The country. Rather he was an ardent proponent of a 'true' federal setup for India..., and wanted a consolidated Muslim majority within the Indian Federation". Another Indian historian, Tara Chand , also held that Iqbal was not thinking in terms of partition of India, but in terms of a federation of autonomous states within India. Dr. Safdar Mehmood also asserted in a series of articles that in

9933-589: The courts. At the outbreak of the Indian rebellion , on 10 May 1857, Sir Syed was serving as the chief assessment officer at the court in Bijnor. He stood by the British officers of Bijnor and saved the lives of many officers and their family members from the revolting soldiers. The conflict had left large numbers of civilians dead. Erstwhile centres of Muslim power such as Delhi, Agra, Lucknow and Kanpur were severely affected. He lost several close relatives who died in

10062-430: The death of his father in 1838, Sir Syed had lived a life customary for an affluent young Muslim noble. Upon his father's death, he inherited the titles of his grandfather and father and was awarded the title of Arif Jung by the emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar . Financial difficulties put an end to Sir Syed's formal education, although he continued to study in private, using books on a variety of subjects. Having recognized

10191-585: The encouragement of his friend Nur al Hasan. It is an Urdu translation of the tenth and twelfth chapter of Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi 's Tuhfah-i Ithna Ashariyya ( A treatise on the 12 Imams ), which was a critique of Shia beliefs. The tenth chapter deals and answers the Shia accusations against the Sahabi and Hazrat Aisha and the twelfth deals with the Shia doctrines of tawalli and tabarri . His third treatise, entitled Kalimat al-Haqq ( The True Discourse ),

10320-477: The first lithographically produced book illustrations in India. Syed Ahmad released the second edition of Ansar-as-Sanadid in 1854. However, the second edition was radically different from the first – the second was abbreviated and more factual. This work brought Sir Syed a wider fame and earned him the reputation of a cultured scholar. In 1861, it was translated into French by Gracin de Tassy in Paris. The book

10449-420: The foreign secretary there. He told Sir Syed that he was displeased with the pamphlet and added that if he had really had the government's interests at heart, he would not have made his opinion known in this way throughout the country; he would have communicated it directly to the government. Sir Syed replied that he had only had 500 copies printed, the majority of which he had sent to England, one had been given to

10578-535: The government of India, and the remaining copies were still in his possession. Furthermore, he had the receipt to prove it. He was aware, he added, that the view of the rulers had been distorted by the stress and anxieties of the times, which made it difficult to put even the most straightforward problem in its right perspective. It was for this reason that he had not communicated his thoughts publicly. He promised that for every copy that could be found circulating in India he would personally pay 1,000 rupees. At first, Beadon

10707-610: The influence of Sufism and his upbringing in Delhi. The main themes of these works are popularization of the practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad as the one true path and the desire to reform the lives of Indian Muslims from religious innovations, thus endeavoring for the purity of Islamic belief in India. His later religious writings, such as his commentary on the Torah and Gospel and his essays on Muhammad, were stimulated in response to Christian missionary activities in India and

10836-484: The journal Tehzeeb-ul-Akhlaq ( Social Reformer ) on 24 December 1870 to spread awareness and knowledge on modern subjects and promote reforms in Muslim society. Sir Syed worked to promote reinterpretation of Muslim ideology in order to reconcile tradition with Western education. He argued in several books on Islam that the Qur'an rested on an appreciation of reason and natural law, making scientific inquiry important to being

10965-493: The leadership began mobilising the Muslim masses, which turned the league into a popular organization. The Muslim League played a decisive role in the 1940s, becoming a driving force behind the division of India along religious lines and the creation of Pakistan as a Muslim state in 1947. After the Partition of India and the establishment of Pakistan, the All-India Muslim League was formally disbanded in India. The League

11094-463: The monuments in Shahjahanabad; and the last section presents a brief historical account of the various settlements of Delhi as well as the prominent inhabitants of Delhi, including Sufis (such as Shah Ghulam Ali and Saiyid Ahmad Shahid), physicians, scholars, poets, calligraphers, and musicians. It also contained around 130 illustrations drawn by Faiz Ali Khan and Mirza Shahrukh Beg, which were

11223-707: The natives of Hindoostan on education ). Upon his transfer to Aligarh in 1864, Sir Syed began working wholeheartedly as an educator. The Scientific Society was transferred from Ghazipur to Aligarh and rechristened as the Scientific Society of Aligarh . Modelling it after the Royal Society and the Royal Asiatic Society , Sir Syed assembled Muslim scholars from different parts of the country. The Society held annual conferences, disbursed funds for educational causes and regularly published

11352-576: The next few years, but neither of them was anything like the A'in : a vast and triumphalist document on the governance of Akbar. During the uprising of 1857, Sir Syed was posted as a chief assessment officer at the court in Bijnor . He recorded the history of the mutiny in Tarikh i Sarkashi-ye Bijnor ( History of the Bijnor Rebellion ), which was published in 1858. He was deeply worried about

11481-468: The official writing system of the colony, and demanded that India turn into a de facto unitary state, with residuary powers resting at the centre – the League had demanded at least one-third representation in the legislature and sizeable autonomy for the Muslim provinces. Jinnah reported a "parting of the ways" after his requests for minor amendments to the proposal were denied outright, and relations between

11610-636: The popularity of the All India Muslim League throughout the province. Even though the Muslims made up about 70% of the population of Sindh, they had a bare majority (34 of 60 seats) in the Assembly. Furthermore, before the British took over, the Sindhi Hindus didn't own any land but within a century of British rule, their landownership grew by 40% while a further 20% was believed to have been mortgaged to them. The inter-faith conflict

11739-582: The prosecution of Muslims in India especially in the North Western Provinces and those associated with Wahhabism were severely punished. Many Muslims found his arguments one-sided and this prompted Sir Syed to write a rejoinder of the book. He reviewed the book in The Pioneer in a series of articles which were reprinted in Aligarh Institute Gazette from 24 November 1871, to 23 February 1872. They were later collected and published in

11868-518: The rebellion, he penned the booklet The Causes of the Indian Mutiny – a daring critique, at the time, of various British policies that he blamed for causing the revolt. Believing that the future of Muslims was threatened by the rigidity of their orthodox outlook, Sir Ahmad began promoting Western–style scientific education by founding modern schools and journals and organizing Islamic entrepreneurs. Victoria School at Ghazipur in 1863, and

11997-537: The restoration of the mosque to Muslims had passed, the League started an agitation. In the few years before the partition, the Muslim League was accused of "monetarily subsidizing" mobs that engaged in communal violence against Hindus and Sikhs in the areas of Multan, Rawalpindi, Campbellpur, Jhelum and Sargodha, as well as in the Hazara District . The Muslim League led mobs reportedly paid assassins money for every Hindu and Sikh killed. As such, leaders of

12126-435: The school was converted into the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College . He retired from his career as a jurist the following year, concentrating entirely on developing the college and on religious reform. Sir Syed's pioneering work received support from the British. Although intensely criticised by orthodox religious leaders hostile to modern influences, Sir Syed's new institution attracted a large student body, mainly drawn from

12255-413: The sitting Chief Minister of Bengal A. K. Fazlul Huq , was adopted on 23 March 1940, and its principles formed the foundation for Pakistan's first constitution. In the Indian provincial elections of 1946, the Muslim League won 425 out of 476 seats reserved for Muslims (and about 89.2% of Muslim votes) on a policy of creating the independent state of Pakistan, and with an implied threat of secession if this

12384-620: The steady decline in Mughal political power, Sir Syed decided to enter the service of the East India Company . He could not enter the colonial civil service because it was only in the 1860s that Indians were admitted. His first appointment was as a Serestadar (lit. Clerk) of the Criminal Department in the Sadr Amin's office in Delhi, responsible for record-keeping and managing court affairs. In February 1839, he

12513-407: The study of medicine for several years under Hakim Ghulam Haider Khan. Sir Syed was also adept at swimming , shooting and other sports. He took an active part in the Mughal court's cultural activities and attended parties, festivals and recitations. Syed Ahmad's elder brother launched a weekly, “Syedul Akhbar”, from Delhi, which was one of the earliest Urdu newspapers in northern India. Until

12642-567: The successive periods of Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League went on to be one of the ruling parties holding alternating power within the nation. After the partition of India in 1947, the All-India Muslim League was disbanded. It was succeeded by Indian Union Muslim League in the new India. Indian Union Muslim League contests Indian General Elections under the Indian Constitution. The party has always had

12771-804: The title Tabin al-al-kalam Fi tafsir altawrat Wa ‘I-injil’ala millat al Islam ( Elucidation of the World in Commentary of the Torah and Gospel According to the Religion of Islam ). While the first part deals with the Islamic approach towards biblical writings, the second and third part contains commentary on the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of Matthew respectively. In 1869 he wrote Al-Khutbat al-Ahmadiya fi'l Arab wa'I Sirat al-Muhammadiya ( A Series of Essays on

12900-528: The violence. Although he succeeded in rescuing his mother from the turmoil, she died in Meerut , owing to the privations she had experienced. In 1858, he was appointed as Sadarus Sudoor , a high-ranking post at the court in Muradabad , where he began working on his most famous literary work, The Cause of the Indian Revolt . In 1862, he was transferred to Ghazipur , and later to Aligarh in 1864. In 1864 he

13029-569: The whole people of this country — ought to pursue in political matters. I will treat in regular sequence of the political questions of India, in order that you may have full opportunity of giving your attention to them. The first of all is this — In whose hands shall the administration and the Empire of India rest? Now, suppose that all English, and the whole English army, were to leave India, taking with them all their cannon and their splendid weapons and everything, then who would be rulers of India? Is it possible that under these circumstances two nations —

13158-436: The work to his satisfaction, and believing that Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib was a person who would appreciate his labours, Syed Ahmad approached the great Ghalib to write a taqriz (in the convention of the times, a laudatory foreword) for it. Ghalib obliged, but what he did produce was a short Persian poem castigating the A'in-e Akbari, and by implication, the imperial, sumptuous, literate and learned Mughal culture of which it

13287-651: Was a lack of uniform political voice by the League during the 1938–1939 Madhe Sahaba riots in Lucknow. From 1937 onwards, the Muslim League and Jinnah attracted large crowds throughout India in its processions and strikes. At a League conference in Lahore in 1940, Jinnah said: Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious philosophies, social customs, literature... It is quite clear that Hindus and Mussalmans derive their inspiration from different sources of history. They have different epics, different heroes and different episodes ... To yoke together two such nations under

13416-505: Was a long-time editor of the English-language daily newspaper The Nation but resigned due to differences with his uncle Majid Nizami before his uncle's death in 2014. Magazines and newspapers published by this company are: All India Muslim League The All-India Muslim League ( AIML ), simply called the Muslim League , was a political party established in Dhaka in 1906 when some well-known Muslim politicians met

13545-533: Was a product. The least that could be said against it was that the book had little value even as an antique document. Ghalib practically reprimanded Syed Ahmad Khan for wasting his talents and time on dead things. Worse, he praised sky-high the "sahibs of England" who at that time held all the keys to all the a’ins in this world. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan never again wrote a word in praise of the A'in-e Akbari and in fact gave up taking an active interest in history and archaeology. He did edit another two historical texts over

13674-507: Was about five times than the attendance at the League meeting." The All-India Muslim League worked to try to silence those Muslims who stood against the partition of India, often using "intimidation and coercion". For example, Deobandi scholar Maulana Syed Husain Ahmad Madani traveled across British India, spreading the idea he wrote about in his book, Composite Nationalism and Islam , which stood for Hindu-Muslim unity and opposed

13803-473: Was also presented to the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland in London, which made him an honorary fellow. In 1855, he finished his scholarly, and illustrated edition of Abul Fazl 's A'in-e Akbari . The first and the third volume of the work were both published in 1855. The second volume, sent to the publisher in 1857, was destroyed in the rebellion that took place that year. Having finished

13932-519: Was also translated by the government of India and several members of parliament, but no version was offered to the public. A translation which had been started by Auckland Colvin , a government official was finished by Sir Syed's friend, Colonel G.F.I. Graham, and finally published in 1873. In 1860, Sir Syed wrote a series of bilingual pamphlets called the Risala Khair Khwahan-e Musalmanan-e-Hind (An Account of

14061-540: Was an Indian Muslim reformer , philosopher , and educationist in nineteenth-century British India . Though initially espousing Hindu–Muslim unity , he later became the pioneer of Muslim nationalism in India and is widely credited as the father of the two-nation theory , which formed the basis of the Pakistan movement . Born into a family with strong ties to the Mughal court , Ahmad studied science and

14190-530: Was at large connected to the peculiar socio economic order in which the Hindus in Sind dominated with their high socioeconomic status, while the Muslims remained marginalized. The historian Ayesha Jalal describes the actions that the pro-separatist Muslim League used in order to further spread communal division and undermine the elected government of Allah Bakhsh Soomro, which stood for a united India: Even before

14319-564: Was awarded the Order of the Star of India from the British government on 6 August. Travelling across England, he visited its colleges and was inspired by the culture of learning established after the Renaissance . Sir Syed returned to India in the following year determined to build a school modelled on Cambridge and Oxford imparting modern education to Indians. Upon his return, he established

14448-487: Was born at a time when his father was involved in regional insurrections aided and led by the East India Company , which had replaced the power traditionally held by the Mughal state, reducing its monarch to a figurehead . Syed Ahmad was the youngest of three siblings. With his elder brother Syed Muhammad bin Muttaqi Khan and elder sister Safiyatun Nisa, Sir Syed was raised in the house of his maternal grandfather in

14577-613: Was formed, which continues to have a presence in the Indian parliament to this day. With the sincere efforts by the pioneers of the Congress to attract Muslims to their sessions, the majority of the Islamic leadership, with the exception of few scholars (like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Syed Ameer Ali who focused more on Islamic education and scientific developments), rejected the notion that India has two distinct communities to be represented separately in Congress sessions. Syed Ahmad Khan , in 1888, at Meerut, said, "After this long preface I wish to explain what method my nation — nay, rather

14706-634: Was his teacher and friend in Agra, Nur al Hasan of Kandhala, a teacher in Arabic at Agra College in the early 1840s who encouraged and corrected his early works. He was also influenced by the works of the Tunisian reformer Hayreddin Pasha and adopted his approach of utilising freedom of expression for bringing reforms in the Muslim community. The western writers who most influenced his political thoughts were

14835-401: Was imposed. The Muslim League remained as a minor party in East Pakistan but participated with full rigour during the Pakistan general elections in 1970. It won 10 seats from East Pakistan and 7 seats from other parts of Pakistan. After the independence of Bangladesh, the Muslim League was revived in 1976 but its size was reduced, rendering it insignificant in the political arena. During

14964-407: Was launched by Syed Sibte Hassan , Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Dr. Ashraf who were close friends of Dr. Shabbar Hasan. On December 15, 1942 the fortnightly was turned into a weekly and finally into a daily on July 19, 1944. The group which is owned by Majid Nizami Trust has several publications including the flagship Nawa-i-Waqt newspaper in Urdu and The Nation newspaper in English, Nida-i-Millat ,

15093-428: Was made up and nothing could be done to change it, he wept and remained silent. After performing a supplementary prayer and asking God's blessing, Sir Syed sent almost all the 500 copies of his pamphlet to England, one to the government, and kept the rest himself. When the government of India had the book translated and presented before the council, Lord Canning, the governor-general, and Sir Bartle Frere accepted it as

15222-513: Was not convinced and asked Sir Syed over and over again if he was sure that no other copy had been distributed in India. Sir Syed reassured him on this matter, and Beadon never mentioned it again. Later he became one of Sir Syed's strongest supporters. Many official translations were made of the Urdu text of The Causes of the Indian Revolt . The one undertaken by the India Office formed the subject of many discussions and debates. The pamphlet

15351-606: Was not granted. Congress, led by Gandhi and Nehru, remained adamantly opposed to dividing India . In opposition to the Lahore Resolution, the All India Azad Muslim Conference gathered in Delhi in April 1940 to voice its support for a united India. Its members included several Islamic organisations in India, as well as 1400 nationalist Muslim delegates; the "attendance at the Nationalist meeting

15480-491: Was officially succeeded by the Pakistan Muslim League , which eventually split into several political parties . Other groups diminished to a minor party, that too only in Kerala state of India. In Bangladesh , the Muslim League was revived in 1976, but it was reduced in size, rendering it insignificant in the political arena. In India, a separate independent entity called the Indian Union Muslim League

15609-541: Was one of the early advocates of Pakistan and yet he appears to have realised its inherent danger and absurdity. Edward Thompson has written that in the course of a conversation, Iqbal told him that he had advocated Pakistan because of his position as President of Muslim League session, but he felt sure that it would be injurious to India as a whole and to Muslims especially. Until 1937, the Muslim League had remained an organisation of elite Indian Muslims. The Muslim League leadership then began mass mobilisation and it then became

15738-851: Was one of the first religious schools to impart scientific education. Sir Syed also worked on social causes, helping to organise relief for the famine-struck people of North-West Province in 1860. While posted in Ghazipur in 1863, he established a madrasa which later became the Victoria High school. He also formed the Scientific Society in Ghazipur to promote educational reforms across the country. He wrote an insightful tract on education titled Iltimas Ba Khidmat-e-Sakinan-e-Hind Dar Bab-e- Taraqqi Taleem in Ahl-e-Hind ( Address to

15867-444: Was published in 1849. It is a critique of the prevalent Sufi practices around pir – murid relationships. The first part of the work is devoted to the concept of piri . In this part, he argues that Muhammad is the only valid pir. The work's second part is focused on muridi and the notion of bay'ah . He calls for reforms in the pir-murid relationship and the associated practises. Rah i Sunna dar radd i Bid'a ( The Sunna and

15996-741: Was rejected by the Congress leaders, who favoured a united India based on composite national identity. Congress at all times rejected "communalism" — that is, basing politics on religious identity. Iqbal's policy of uniting the North-West Frontier Province, Baluchistan, Punjab, and Sindh into a new Muslim majority state became part of the League's political platform. The League rejected the Committee report (the Nehru Report ), arguing that it gave too little representation (only one quarter) to Muslims, established Devanagari as

16125-538: Was sent to Banaras and elevated to the position of a Sub-Judge of Small Causes. In April 1869, he accompanied his two sons Syed Hamid and Syed Mahmood to England, the latter had obtained a scholarship to study in England. Sir Syed retired from government service in 1876 and settled in Aligarh. In 1878, he was nominated as an additional member of the Imperial Legislative Council, which he served from July 1878 to July 1880. He also served

16254-513: Was the chief guest. Do not show the face of Islam to others; instead show your face as the follower of true Islam representing character, knowledge, tolerance and piety. Syed Ahmad Taqvi 'Khan Bahadur' was born on 17 October 1817 to Syed Muhammad Muttaqi and Aziz-un-Nisa in Delhi , which was the capital of the Mughal Empire during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar II . Many generations of his family had been highly connected with

16383-538: Was the temple of Saad Bela, sacred space for the large number of Hindus settled on the banks of the Indus at Sukkur. The symbolic convergence of the identity and sovereignty over a forgotten mosque provided ammunition for those seeking office at the provincial level. Making an issue out of a non-issue, the Sind Muslim League in early June 1939 formally reclaimed the mosque. Once its deadline of 1 October 1939 for

16512-495: Was to advocate for British education, especially science and literature , among India's Muslims . The conference, in addition to generating funds for Sir Syed 's Aligarh Muslim University , motivated the Muslim upper class to propose an expansion of educational uplift elsewhere, known as the Aligarh Movement . In turn, this new awareness of Muslim needs helped stimulate a political consciousness among Muslim elites, For

16641-677: Was transferred to Agra and promoted to the title of Naib Munshi or deputy reader in the office of the Commissioner. In 1841 he was appointed as the Munsif or Sub-Judge of Fatehpur Sikri and later transferred to Delhi in 1846. He remained in Delhi until 1854 except for two short-term postings to Rohtak as officiating Sadr Amin in 1850 and 1853. In 1855 he was promoted to the post of Sadr Amin in Bijnor . Acquainted with high-ranking British officials, Sir Syed obtained close knowledge about British colonial politics during his service at

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