SIR SYED AHMED

KHAN:

INTRODUCTION:

PAKISTAN STUDIES
CONTIBUTIONS OF SIR SYED AHMEED KHAN AND
EVOLUTION OF TWO NATION THEORY

ZEESHAN HASSAN SAEED F18A 743

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINERING IIUI

SUBMITTED TO: SIR NAWAZ QAISERANI

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was born on October 17, 1817, to an illustrious family that was
particularly known for sophistication and piety. His parents Syed Muhammad Muttaqi and Aziz-
un-Nisa were from the lineage of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He got nurtured in an
educational milieu. He was formally educated in Arabic, Persian, Mathematics and Medicine.
However, the death of his father in 1883 left the family tottering, and ultimately the onus of its
upkeep fell on Sir Syed’s shoulders.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was one of the Muslim reformers. He carefully studied and analysed 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.

EDUCATIONAL REFORMS:

The supreme interest of Sir Syed's life was education in its widest sense. He wanted to create a
scientific temperament among the Muslims of India and to make the modern knowledge of
Science available to them. He championed the cause of modern education at a time when all the
Indians in general and Indian Muslims in particular considered it a sin to get modern education
and that too through English language.
 He began establishing schools, at Muradabad in 1858 and Ghazipur in 1863.
 A more ambitious undertaking was the foundation of the Scientific Society, which
published translations of many educational texts and issued a bilingual journal in Urdu
and English. It was for the use of all citizens and were jointly operated by the Hindus and
Muslims.
 In the late 1860s there occurred some developments that were challenges to his activities.
In 1867 he was transferred to Benares, a city on the Ganges with great religious
significance for Hindus. At about the same time a movement started at Benares to replace
Urdu, the language spoken by the Muslims, with Hindi. This movement and the attempts
to substitute Hindi for Urdu publications of the Scientific Society convinced Syed that he
should do something. Thus during a visit to England (1869-70) he prepared plans for a
great educational institution.
 Sir Syed perceived Urdu as the lingua franca of the United Provinces. Having been
developed by during the Mughal period, Urdu was used as a secondary language to
Persian, the official language of the Mughal court.
 They were "a Muslim Cambridge." On his return he set up a committee for the purpose
and also started an influential journal, Tahzib al-Akhlaq "Social Reform" for the uplift
and reforms of the Muslims.
 A Muslim school was established at Aligarh in May 1875.
 After his retirement in 1876, Sir Syed dedicated himself to make it a college.
 In January 1877, the Viceroy laid the foundation stone of the college. In spite of
opposition to Syed's projects, the college made rapid progress.
 In 1886 Syed organised the All-India Mohammadan Educational Conference, which met
annually at different places to promote education and to provide the Muslims with a
common platform.
 Syed advised the Muslims against joining active politics and to concentrate instead on
education. Muslims generally followed his advice and abstained from politics. This
advice is applicable even today. We have to concentrate our attention more on education
for the uplift of the backward Muslim community. Many reports have clearly noted that
the Muslims are educationally and economically more backward.
  These themes, mixed with a call for Muslim education, regularly appeared in his journals,
the Mohammedan Social Reformer and the Aligarh Institute Gazette.

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.
 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.

 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.    

LITERARY WORKS

Sir Syed was a government civil servant and s scholar.

The 1857 revolt was a turning point in his life. The following are his important works:

1) ASARUS SANADEED:

It is an archaeological masterpiece providing a wealth of information on countless historical

monuments in Delhi from the eight hundred long Muslim rule. This book was published in
1847.

2) ASBAB-E-BAGHAWAT-E-HIND- (The causes of Indian Revolt).

This book was published in 1859 after the 1857 revolt after witnessing the atrocities committed
by the British on the inhabitants of Delhi.

In this, his most famous work, he rejected the common notion that the conspiracy was planned
by Muslim élites, who resented the diminishing influence of Muslim monarchs. He blamed the
British 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.

3) THE ALIGARH INSTITUTE GAZETTE –

It was an organ of the Scientific Society started in 1866. It made the people think and use their
wisdom.

4) TEHZIB-UL-AKHLAQ

It succeeded in making people realise the value of modern knowledge. It also gave new
directions to Muslim social and political thoughts.

5) THE LOYAL MOHAMMADANS OF INDIA

In the year 1860 Sir Syed launch this magazine. In this magazine he started highlight the services
of those Muslim nobles who had put their lives in danger to save the lives of the British officials
and citizen.
RELIGIOUS REFORMS:
 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 realised the threat to Muslims so united
them and gave them good education. 

 POLITICAL REFORMS:
 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. 
 In 1883, he founded the Muhammadan Civil Service Fund Association to encourage and
support the entry of Muslim graduates into the Indian Civil Service (ICS) 

MUSLIM REFORMER

 Through the 1850s, Syed Ahmed Khan began developing a strong passion for education.
While pursuing studies of different subjects including European jurisprudence, Sir Syed
began to realize the advantages of Western-style education, which was being offered at
newly established colleges across India.
 The animosity between the British and Muslims before and after the rebellion
(Independence War) of 1857 threatened to marginalize 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.

EVOLUTION OF TWO NATION THEORY:

TWO NATION THEROY:

The two nation theory in its simplest way means the cultural, political, religious, and economical
and social dissimilarity between to major communities, i.e. Hindus and Muslims of sub-continent

Impact of this theory:

 Two-Nation theory is the basis of creation of Pakistan. It states that Muslims and Hindus
are two separate nations from every definition; therefore Muslims should have a separate
homeland in the Muslim majority areas of India, where they can spend their lives
according to the glorious teachings of Islam.
 If Muslims of the sub-continent comprise an Islamic nation then they have the right to
have separate homeland as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, (in his address to the annual session
of Muslim League) mentioned and I quote:
 History has presented to us many examples, such as the Union of Great Britain and
Ireland, of Czechoslovakia and Poland. History has also shown to us many geographical
tracts, much smaller than the sub-continent of India, which otherwise might have been
called one country, but which have been divided into as many seven or eight sovereign
states. Like-wise, the Portuguese and the Spanish stand divided in the Iberian Peninsula.

But, what the history reveals is something different. Two-Nation theory was not at all as new
phenomenon.
History of Two Nation Theory

The ideology of Pakistan stems from the instinct of the Muslim community of South Asia
to maintain their individuality by resisting all attempts by the Hindu society to absorb it.
Muslims of South Asia believe that Islam and Hinduism are not only two religions, but also two
social orders that have given birth to two distinct cultures with no similarities. A deep study of
the history of this land proves that the differences between Hindus and Muslims were not
confined to the struggle for political supremacy, but were also manifested in the clash of two
social orders. Despite living together for more than a thousand years, they continued to develop
different cultures and traditions. Their eating habits, music, architecture and script, are all poles
apart. Even the language they speak and the dresses they wear are entirely different.

The ideology of Pakistan took shape through an evolutionary process. Historical experience
provided the base; with Sir Syed Ahmad Khan began the period of Muslim self-awakening;
Allama Iqbal provided the philosophical explanation; Quaid-I-Azam translated it into a political
reality; and the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, by passing Objectives Resolution in March
1949, gave it legal sanction.

The Muslims of South Asia believe that they are a nation in the modern sense of the word. The
basis of their nationhood is neither territorial, racial, linguistic nor ethnic; rather they are a nation
because they belong to the same faith, Islam. On this basis they consider it their fundamental
right to be entitled to self-determination. They demanded that areas where they were in majority
should be constituted into a sovereign state, wherein they would be enabled to order their lives in
individual and collective spheres in accordance with the teachings of Holy Quran and Sunnah of
the Holy Prophet (S. A. W.). They further want their state to strengthen the bonds of unity
among Muslim countries.

The Ideology of Pakistan has its roots deep in history. The history of South Asia is
largely a history of rivalry and conflict between the Hindus and Muslims of the region. Both
communities have been living together in the same area since the early 8th century, since the
advent of Islam in India. Yet, the two have failed to develop harmonious relations. In the
beginning, one could find the Muslims and Hindus struggling for supremacy in the battlefield.

The Muslims knew that implementation of the new order would mean the end of their
separate identity and endless rule of the Hindu majority in the name of nationalism and
democracy. The Muslims refused to go the British way. They claimed that they were a separate
nation and the basis of their nation was the common religion Islam. They refused to accept a
political system that would reduce them to a permanent minority. They first demanded separate
electorates and later a separate state. Religious and cultural differences between
Hindus and Muslims increased due to political rivalry under the British rule.

On March 23, 1940, the Muslims finally abandoned the idea of federalism and defined a separate
homeland as their target. Quaid-I-Azam considered the creation of Pakistan a means to an end
and not the end in itself. He wanted Pakistan to be an Islamic and democratic state. According to
his wishes and in accordance with the inspirations of the people of Pakistan, the Constituent
Assembly of Pakistan passed the Objectives Resolution. The adoption of Objectives Resolution
removed all doubts, if there were any, about the ideology of Pakistan. The Muslims of Pakistan
decided once and for all to make Pakistan a state wherein the Muslims shall be enabled to order
their lives in their individual and collective spheres, in accordance to the teachings and
requirements of Islam as set out in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

From the above very brief but factual analysis of the relationship which had developed
between the two major Communities of India i.e., the Hindus and the Muslims, it should no
longer be a questionable proposition as to why the Muslims insisted on the partition of India and
having a separate Homeland for the Muslims.

Two Nation Theory at Present

Keeping in view the above discussion in light of facts and figures from history, it can be claimed
that the Two Nation Theory is a reality even today. Unfortunately, the Hindu community of the
sub-continent has never accepted this reality from the very beginning and they still want to
convert the Indo-Pak sub-continent to Maha Bharat. They want all non-Hindus to change their
faith to Hinduism. The top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is currently
ruling India, has not only publicly denounced the two-nation theory but has also declared that it
does not accept the partition of the Sub-Continent in 1947 which was based on this theory. On
the same analogy, the BJP claims that Kashmir is an integral part of India. The BJP also advises
the Muslims in India that they must stop looking towards Makkah and Medina as they can live
only by accepting Hindutva. The BJP government, in order to assimilate the Muslim population
in India with the Hindu majority, also intends to amend Muslim personal laws.

The condition of the Indian Muslims after seventy-two years reveals the truth of the so-called
Indian secularism. The Muslims in India are still getting a raw deal in every sphere of life. They
are still living in the curse of poverty and backwardness. And above all they are still fighting the
threats to their religious and cultural identity. In most of the Hindu dominated Indian states
Hindu religious beliefs, philosophy and methodology have been introduced into the text books in
the name of Indian culture. This is to an extent that a glance through the officially prescribed
school textbooks leaves an impression that those responsible for them regard India (a supposedly
multi religious country) as the home of Brahmans and attach value only to their deities, temples,
religious customs and practices. Countless incidents can be cited of the desecration of mosques
by the Hindu communists during the last few decades. The 16th century historic Babri mosque
was razed to ground by thousands of Hindu fanatics in Ayodhya, (UP) on 16th Dec 1992 and the
immense loss of human lives that followed was no secret.

Conclusion

The Two Nation Theory is still alive. Had there been no Two Nation Theory today, the issues
like Kargil, nuclear arms race, and tension on the borders would have never risen. The basic
conflict between India and Pakistani nation is still the same. Indians believe in nationality based
on territory and therefore want to merge Pakistan back into India. While Pakistanis have been
fighting for the last 72 years, to safeguard the Land which they got in the name of Islam. The
Kashmir issue, if alive even after 72 years, in spite of India utmost effort to crush the lovers of
freedom, is crystal clear proof of the reality of the Two Nation Theory.

The significance of the creation of the fortress of Islam was to give the Muslims of the Sub-
Continent in particular and the Muslims of the world in general an idea of brotherhood. A
brotherhood based on irrespective of color or creed. Pakistan wanted to have Unity among the
Muslims from Morocco to Indonesia and to create a sense of spiritual vision that could be left
and understand beyond this materialistic world in which man is fighting with man. The Muslim
brotherhood has disagreements and the world is dominated by imperial powers and destined
according to their wishes.