How Well Do You Know Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and the Aligarh Movement?

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and his Contributions to the Aligarh Movement

• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was born in Delhi in 1817 and received his education in Arabic, Persian, history, mathematics and medicine.
• He served in government positions before becoming Chief Judge in Delhi in 1846.
• During the War of Independence in 1857, he saved many British lives and refused an estate for his services.
• Sir Syed felt aggrieved by the social and economic conditions of Indian Muslims and desired to revive their past position of glory and eminence.
• He founded the Aligarh Movement to guide Muslims in their struggle for renaissance.
• He believed that Muslims' extremist and conservative attitude contributed to their deplorable condition.
• Sir Syed emphasized that Muslims should cooperate with British rulers to counter Hindu and Congress propaganda.
• He wrote a pamphlet on the causes of the Indian revolt to remove misunderstanding between Muslims and the British.
• The pamphlet explained that Muslims were not solely responsible for the war and that the government's dictatorial and oppressive policies contributed to the uprising.
• Sir Syed's work included Tabaeen al Kalam, which pointed out similarities between Islam and Christianity.
• He also wrote Loyal Mohammedans of India, which detailed the services Muslims rendered to the British rulers.
• Sir Syed's contributions to the Aligarh Movement aimed to restore mutual trust between Muslims and the British and improve the condition of Indian Muslims.