Topic:

Major Political, Social and Religious

Movements in the Subcontinent (1858-1924)
 SLOs
Discuss the reasons that led to the start of Aligarh Movement in 1858.
Points to know:
A reformist movement by S.S.A.K with 4 important
goals:
1. Educating Indian Muslims (modern education)
• What was Ali Garh movement 2.
3.
Creating good relations with the British
To persuade Muslims to stay away from politics
4. To produce an intellectual class from amongst the Muslim
community.
storyofpakistan.com/Aligarh-movement
• Why was it launched?

Reasons:
• To educate Muslims (schools, scientific society established to this end)
• To improve the social and economic conditions of Muslims by being loyal to the British (WoI
over, Muslims no longer rulers…need to recognize British power…. Need to be loyal to
them to benefit from the British)
• To ask Muslims to stay away from politics specially INC. he asked Muslims to first get
modern education and learn the British political norms/values.
Generally Misunderstood notions:

Ali Garh movement was launched to:

• To return the past power/glory to Muslims which they had lost
Discuss the role of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as a
reformer (educational, social and political);
• Launched Ali Garh movement: Trinity of ideas
1. Modern education
• Schools and colleges
• Scientific society
2. Tahzib ul akhlaq: ulemas who agreed with sir Syed’s views wrote articles in it to emphasize the
need to get modern education
2. Improvement in relations between British and Muslims (TWO-WAY APPROACH)
A. Asked Muslims to be loyal to British
• Armed ressisstance to British no solution …….
• Hindus were benefitting from British modern education and their loyalty to British, Muslims bound to more failure if they did
not improve their relations with British as British likely are to stay in India for long time
B. LOYAL MUHAMMADANS OF INDIA
3. Political awareness and aloofness
• Asked Muslims to get political awareness and avoid participation in Congress because it will protect only Hindu interests
• Muslims should stay away from politics (aloofness)till they get modern education
• Muslims need to understand the ground realities that they were no longer masters
• Armed ressistance to British no solution
• Gave the concept of two nations in India (two-nation theory) during Hindi-Urdu controversy
• Established scientific society: to translate books from English, Persian and Arabic into Urdu
• British to live in India for many years, Muslims need to adopt a positive approach to British
• Wrote many books such as:
• 1.Tabayin ul Kalam: aim was to improve relations between Muslims and the British by
showing similarities between Islam and Christianity
2. causes of Indian revolt (a pamphlet): wrote the factors that caused war of independence
3. The loyal Muhammadans of India: to tell British that Muslims were loyal to British
Analyse the contribution of Aligarh
Movement towards the political and
social upliftment of the Indian Muslims;
Contributions made by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
• He eradicated misunderstandings
between the Muslims and the British
that had taken place after the war of
independence. This improved British-
Muslim relations and benefited Muslims
politically as can be seen from the
success of Simla Deputation. (S.E) • He called Muslims a nation and sowed
the seeds of two-nation theory which
• His biggest contribution for the Muslims
later on proved a guiding force for
of Sub-Continent lies in educating
Muslims in getting united against INC’s
Muslims through his educational
politics. This very theory proposed by
services such as Ali Garh College,
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan resulted in the
Muhammadan Educational Conference,
demand and finally in the making of
and Scientific society.
Pakistan.
• He had asked Muslims to stay away
• SIR SYED’S WORKS: TEAM WORK
from the confrontational politics and to
stay away from Congress. He provided
a Platform in the form of The Patriotic
Association to counter INC’s
propaganda.
 QUESTIONS

• Describe Sir Syed’s Ali Garh movement.

• Describe the educational role of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.
• Describe the social and political role of Sir Syed.
• Why did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan emphasize Muslims to be loyal to British?
• How did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan try to convince the British that Muslims were loyal to them
and not responsible for the events of 1857?
• List the factors that caused the war of independence of 1857 as outlined by Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan in his pamphlet the causes of Indian revolt (Asbab e Baghawate Hind)
• Had there been no sir Syed Ahmed Khan, there would have been no Pakistan. Substantiate
this statement by giving any two reasons.
• Describe any three effects of Sir Syed’s Ali Garh movement on the Muslims of Sub-
continent
 MCQs
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had urged the Muslims of sub-continent
to stay away from politics. He also asked them to stay away
from Indian National Congress (INC).
His opposition to Muslim’s participation in politics was based
on the reason that:

A. Muslims were not competent to run the government

institutions
B. Muslims were not loyal to British rule in sub-continent
✔
C. Muslims were unaware of the European manners and social
life
D. Muslims were legging behind in economic and educational
fields/development
The two nation theory has its roots in:

A.The war of independence

✔
B. The Hindi-Urdu controversy
C. non-representation in councils
D. the civil service examinations
 MCQs
Sir Syed’s aim behind introducing modern
education was:
✔
A. To uplift Muslims
B. to return empire to Muslims Which of the following is not the part of Sir Syed
C. to promote Islamic values Ahmed Khan’s movement?
D. to make Muslims tolerant
A.Aloofness from politics
Muslims of Sub-continent owe their identity as a ✔
B. unity with Hindus
separate country to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan due to C. loyalty to British
his: D. getting modern education
✔
A. Political role
B. educational role
C. religious role
D. economic role
One of the major objectives of Ali Garh movement was:
Muslim re-awakening
To get a separate homeland
To get rid of colonizers
Political recovery

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