Aligarh Movement

4. Movements within other communities (History, Teachings, Activities and Impact)

a) Islam

I. Aligarh Movement

The movement of Muslim awakening associated with Syed Ahmad Khan and Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College (M.A.O. College) came to be known as Aligarh Movement. The founder Syed Ahmad Khan was born in 1817 in Delhi in an ancient noble family which had connections with the government. He found a position in the British administration. Syed’s contribution to the Muslim community and the cause of progress covered four areas of reform.

Political Reforms: The Muslims thought India is Dar-ul-harh (house of war) since it has become a non-Muslim state. But Syed insisted that India is Dar-ul-Islam (house of Islam) since Muslims under the British rule were free to practice their religion. He was convinced that the well-being of the Muslims in India lay in a new attitude towards the British and the scientific influences of the West. He understood that the Bristish rule was valuable to India.

            During the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, Syed remained faithful to the British and saved the lives of many Europeans. In 1866 Syed founded the “British Indian Association” in order to focus Indian opinions on political questions and represent them in the British parliament. He also hoped that the English would understand Indian views and sympathize with Indian aspirations. Syed won the confidence of the British government and became a member of the Viceroy’s Legislative Council and was knighted.

Educational Reforms: Syed knew that if the Muslims are to make any progress they should absorb the education and science of the West and introduce social reforms among themselves. He was the first Indian to start a scientific society which promoted the methods of reason, dialogue, experimentation and testing of hypotheses. He boldly said, “all religious learning in Mohammedan libraries is of no avail.” He tried to convince his community about the need for learning English and absorbing the culture of the West.

            In order to further his educational and political plans, he visited England in 1869 and spent 17 months there, studying English life and politics, but giving the major part of his time to education. He got himself acquainted with the English system of education and made a detailed study of the working of schools and colleges. When he returned to India, he started a magazine in Urdu called Tahzibul Akhlaq (reform of morals) which dealt with religious, social and educational subjects. He fought against the Muslim prejudice with regard to Western science; advocated social freedom; tried to rouse the Muslims to self confidence and vigorous activities.

            In 1875, he opened a school in Aligarh which was raised to a college in 1877. It was called Mohammedan Anglo-oriental College. There Syed reproduced what he saw in Oxford and Cambridge universities in England. Both Islamic studies as well as Western sciences were taught there. Several members of the staff were Europeans. It was a residential institution. M.A.O. College became a centre of enlightenment and progressive thought. Though M.A.O. College was founded primarily to educate Muslims and to get them out of their isolation and backwardness, from the beginning the college was opened to all communities. The earliest teachers and graduates were Hindus. Hindi and Sanskrit were also taught there.

            Though Sir Syed was not well versant in English, he made English the medium of instruction in the M.A.O. College, so that the students could grasp the scientific attitude of the West. In 1886, Syed began the All India Mohammedan Educational Conference which aroused the Muslims to a sense of their educational backwardness. It promoted Western learning among Muslims.

Religious Reforms: Syed began to spread modern ideas about religion within the Muslim community. He did not think that Christians corrupted the Bible as many Muslims believe. He told the Muslims not to consider the Christians as “infidels” and “enemies”. He said that the Quran and the Bible do not contradict each other when they were properly interpreted. He wrote a commentary on the first 11 chapters of the book of Genesis.

            Syed rejected the view held by some Muslims that Hindus are “infidels”. According to him, the difference between those who affirmed faith in the Quran and others who did not was merely verbal and not real. He stood for social accommodation and coordination between Muslims, Hindus and Christians.

            Sir Syed was an advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity and formed the Indian United Patriotic Association. One of its objectives was to bring about Hindu Muslim unity. He believed in national solidarity. He encouraged people to have social dealings, mutual affection, love and sympathy between various religious communities. He said that Islam is the truly rationalistic religion, since the founder did not claim any miraculous powers. He made much of reason and said that “Reason alone is a sufficient guide”.

            Syed spoke and wrote much in favour of natural religion, hence his followers were called “Naturis”, subsequently corrupted to “Neeharis”. Conservative Muslims insisted on blind acceptance of all the traditions. Syed felt that there should be change in the attitude of the Muslims towards religion.

Social Reforms: Syed challenged two ideas held by orthodox Muslims. The first was that Purdah was a necessity for Muslim women while education was not. He worked as a champion of the cause of women. This latter effort resulted in the opening of a separate college for women in Aligarh. Secondly, he opposed the practice of polygamy among Muslims. He wrote in favour of liberating women. He exhorted the Muslims to abandon medieval thinking and customs.

Impacts of Aligarh Movement: The Aligarh Movement was the drive for modern Muslim education made a weighty and lasting contribution to the political emancipation of Indian Muslims. Till the emergence of a Muslim elite with Western education from the M.A.O. College, the British rulers were pursuing an anti-Muslim policy as they thought that the Muslims were a threat to their power since they had seized power from the Muslim rulers, and also because the Muslims had participated in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The Aligarh Movement brought about a shift in the government policy towards the Muslims.

The Aligarh Movement had its profound impact on the Indian society, particularly on the Muslim society compared to the other powerful but less adaptable movements of 19th century. It influenced a number of other contemporary movements to a great extent that it caused the emergence of other socio-religious movements during 19th century. The impact of Aligarh Movement was not confined to the Northern India only but its expansion could be seen on the other regions of the Indian sub-continent during 20th century.

The Aligarh Movement introduced a new trend in Urdu literature. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and his association left the old style of writing in the Urdu language, which was rhetorical and academic, and started a simple style which helped Muslims to understand the main purpose of the movement.

The Aligarh Movement helped poets and writers to leave the romantic style of prose and poetry, and suggested the adoption of a moral, cultural, historical and political attitude which influenced the common life of the Indian Muslim. Urdu Defence Association is regarded as an offshoot of the Aligarh Movement. Aligarh Muslim University is the creation of the movement.

Sir Syed was a great nationalist who advocated secular state and wanted  separation of religion and politics. Although he was a great nationalist, he preferred to stay way from active politics. He did not advocate separatism. However, in 1906, the Muslim league the political party responsible for the demand for Pakistan was born in one of the sessions of the Mohammedan Educational Conference founded by Sir Syed. This was after his in death (in 1898). In 1920, the M.A.O. College was raised to the status of a university known as Aligarh Muslim University. Later it became the intellectual centre for the demand for Pakistan. However, Sir Syed cannot be held responsible for any of these later developments. Nevertheless, they are the impacts of the Aligarh Movement.