Why In News?

On 17th October, India marked the 209th birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

Who Was Sir Syed Ahmad Khan?

Born on 17 October 1817 in Delhi to a family closely connected to the Mughal court, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898) was a 19th-century Islamic reformer, philosopher, jurist, and educationist in British India.

Administrative & Judicial Career: In 1838, he entered the service of the East India Company as a court clerk (Serestadar) and eventually rose to become a sub-judge (Munsif / Sadr Amin). During the Revolt of 1857, he served in Bijnor and saved the lives of several British officers and civilians.

Political & Socio-Economic Writings:

  • Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (The Causes of the Indian Revolt, 1858): Critiqued British administrative failures, aggressive expansion, and ignorance of Indian culture as the root causes of the uprising.

  • Loyal Muhammadans of India (1860) & Review on W.W. Hunter’s Indian Musalmans (1871): Written to counter official suspicion against Muslims and bridge the rift between the community and the colonial administration.

Key Educational & Social Reforms (The Aligarh Movement)

  • Advocated Scientific Temper: He emphasized modern Western science, English education, and empirical inquiry, arguing that national progress depends directly on scientific literacy.

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  • Institutional Landmarks:

    • Scientific Society of Aligarh (1864): Initially established in Ghazipur to translate European scientific and historical works into Urdu.

    • Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College (1875): Founded in Aligarh on the Oxbridge collegiate model to combine Western science with moral education. Admitting students of all faiths (a Hindu student was its first graduate in 1877), it later became Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) under the statutory Aligarh Muslim University Act, 1920.

    • All India Muhammadan Educational Conference (1886): Formed to propagate modern educational reforms across South Asia.

  • Journalistic Interventions:

    • Launched the social reform journal Tehzeeb-ul-Akhlaq (Social Reformer, 1870) to critique blind adherence to tradition (taqlid) and promote rational social norms.

    • Published the Aligarh Institute Gazette (1866) to disavow dogmatism and advance scientific discourse.

Theological Rationalism & Political Philosophy

  • Naturalistic Hermeneutics (Nechari): In his seven-volume commentary Tafsir-ul-Quran (1880–1904), he asserted that the "Word of God" (Qur'anic revelation) cannot contradict the "Work of God" (laws of physical nature). 

    • His reinterpretation of miracles through natural causation drew sharp condemnation from traditionalists, including scholars from the Deoband school and Ahl-i Hadith.

  • Hindu–Muslim Amity: Early in his reformist career, he advocated for inter-community unity, describing India as a bride with Hindus and Muslims as her two eyes.

  • Advocacy of Urdu & Political Stance: Championed Urdu as the lingua franca during the Hindi–Urdu controversy of 1867. He opposed the Indian National Congress (founded in 1885) and established the United Patriotic Association (1888), emphasizing a distinct political identity that laid the early foundation for Muslim political nationalism.

  • Constitutional Relevance: His vision of scientific inquiry directly echoes the fundamental duty codified under Article 51A(h) of the Constitution of India.

Conclusion

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan's core legacy lies in transforming education into an agent of socio-intellectual empowerment by harmonizing religious identity with modern scientific rationalism.

Source: INDIANEXPRESS

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. With reference to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and the Aligarh Movement, consider the following statements:

  1. He established the Scientific Society in 1864 to translate Western scientific and historical works into Urdu and Hindi.

  2. The journal Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq was launched by him to promote social reform and rationalist thinking.

  3. The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College founded by him at Aligarh restricted student admission exclusively to Muslim candidates.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan established the Scientific Society in January 1864 in Ghazipur (later relocated to Aligarh). Its primary objective was to translate Western scientific, historical, and philosophical literature from English and other European languages into vernacular languages, specifically Urdu and Hindi, to instill a modern scientific temperament among the public.

Statement 2 is correct: He launched the social-reform journal Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq (Mohammedan Social Reformer) in 1870 to promote modern rationalist thinking, challenge medieval superstitions, and propagate social and educational reforms within society.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Although the primary objective of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College (founded in 1875) was to provide modern education to the Muslim community, its doors were never restricted exclusively to Muslims. It was open to students of all communities—including Hindus, Christians, and Parsis—and received financial support and patronage from diverse religious groups. In fact, many of its earliest students and teachers were non-Muslims.