Section One History Long Notes by Sir Shahid

ABSTRACT
The demand for the creation of Pakistan

was based on a historical narrative built
around the centrality of the Muslim
community in India and its distinctiveness
in terms of religious beliefs, cultural traits,
and historical traditions. A particular
understanding of the past was, in other
words, central to the idea of Pakistan.
HISTORY AND CULTURE OF

PAKISTAN
Section One
By: Mian Shahid Mahmood
World Distinction Pak Studies CAIE 2022
Teacher
O- Level Pakistan Studies (GCE 2059/IGCSE 0448)
Beaconhouse Margalla Islamabad(BMI)
Contact: 03336610587
MIAN SHAHID MAHMOOD World Distinction Pak Studies CAIE 2022 BMI 03336610587
History and Culture of Pakistan
Section One
Chapter Number Chapter Name Page Number
One Decline of the Mughal 02-09

Empire
The East India Company

10-20
Two The Religious 21-35

Reformers
Three The War of 36-44

Independence 1857
Four Sir Syed Ahmed Khan 45-51
Five Languages 52-56
Teacher
MIAN SHAHID MAHMOOD
World Distinction Pak Studies CAIE 2022
O- Level Pakistan Studies (GCE 2059/IGCSE 0448)
Beaconhouse Margalla Islamabad(BMI)
Contact: 03336610587
1|Page
Chapter One: Causes of the Mughal Decline
What was practice of Sutti or Satti? [4]
Suttee, Sanskrit sati (“good woman” or “chaste wife”), the Indian custom of a
wife immolating herself either on the funeral pyre of her dead husband or in some
other fashion soon after his death. Although never widely practiced, suttee was
the ideal of womanly devotion held by certain Brahman and royal castes. It is
sometimes linked to the myth of the Hindu goddess Sati, who burned herself to
death in a fire. Suttee became a central issue under the British Raj, which first
tolerated it, then inadvertently legalized it by legislating conditions under which
it could be done, and then finally, in 1829, outlawed it.
Who was Ahmed Shah Abdali? [4]
He was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the
modern Afghanistan. In July 1747, Ahmad Shah was appointed as King of the
Afghans. From 1748 to 1767, he invaded Hindustan eight times. He first crossed
the Indus River in 1748, the year after his ascension his forces sacked and
absorbed Lahore. In 1749, Ahmad Shah captured the area
of Punjab around Lahore. In the same year, the Mughal ruler was induced to
cede Sindh and all of the Punjab including the vital trans-Indus River to him, in
order to save his capital from being attacked by the forces of the Durrani Empire.
Who was Nadir Shah Durrani? [4]
He was one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of1 Iran
(Persia) from 1736 to 1747. Nader Shah crushed the Mughal army in less than
three hours at the huge Battle of Karnal on 13 February 1739. After this
spectacular victory, Nader captured Mohammad Shah and entered Delhi. Nader
Shah agreed to withdraw, but Mohammad Shah paid him in handing over the keys
of his royal treasury, and losing even the fabled Peacock Throne to the Iranian
emperor. The Peacock Throne, thereafter, served as a symbol of Iranian imperial
might. It is estimated that Nader took away with him treasures worth as much as
seven hundred million rupees. He also looted the Koh-i-Noor.
What was Jizya? [4]
It was an Islamic Tax charged from non-Muslim for their protection by Muslim
rulers, Mughals also charged it in their Empire later abolished by Emperor Akbar
2|Page
but Aurangzeb introduced it again in India, Mughals lost loyalty of non-Muslim

population due to Jizya collection, later abandoned by Shah Alam 1. The Hindus
refused to pay the taxes because they thought it would be used against them in
wars due to Aurangzeb’s policy of expansion.
What was Mansabdari system? [4]
Mughal emperor Akbar introduced a new system officially called mansabdars

who were responsible for civil and military administration. As they were
appointed by the King himself so they were directly answerable to him. Akbar
ensured that they were not local land lords who had power in their own right.
Instead they owned their position simply because they were appointed by him.
They would easily be dismissed or lose power so it was in their power to remain
loyal. To stop them building up too much power in one area, he often transfers
them to jobs in other areas. When they die their wealth and property goes to the
emperor. This stops them from accumulating wealth but makes them
extravagant.
Who was Shivaji? [4]
Shivaji established his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilshahi
sultanate of Bijapur which formed the start of the Maratha Empire . He was
engaged in both alliances and hostilities with the Mughal Empire, the Sultanate
of Golkonda, Sultanate of Bijapur and the European colonial powers. His
military forces expanded the Maratha sphere of influence, capturing and building
forts, and forming a Maratha navy. Shivaji established a competent and
progressive civil rule with well-structured administrative organisations. He
revived ancient Hindu political traditions, court conventions and promoted the
usage of the Marathi and Sanskrit languages, replacing Persian in court and
administration.
Who were Zamindars? [4]
They were Landlords or tax collectors of the areas. They were Wealthy and
influential and some of them had private armies. After death of Aurangzeb they
were increasingly unwilling to accept rule of any new emperor or to make
payments to government in Delhi. Some Hindu Zamindars imposed beard tax
which annoyed Muslims in Bengal. Muslims were oppressed by zamindars from
the 1800’s onwards, especially in East Bengal.
3|Page
Why was imposition of Jizya tax opposed by the Hindus? [7]
There were number of reasons to oppose the tax by the Hindus during rule of
Aurangzeb. One of the important reason was that the tax was imposed only on the
Hindus parallel to zakat given by the Muslims. Most of the time the amount of Jizya
was bigger than the amount of Zakat which was primarily due to corruption of tax
collectors. The Hindus regraded it unfair tax because they felt sense of alienation from
the Muslim kings. It created panic and anger in the Hindus against Mughal kings and
they refused to pay the tax.
Another important reason to oppose the tax was Aurangzeb started policy of expansion
in India and starting annexing Hindu independent areas. The Hindus from other parts
of India refused to pay the tax because they knew that the Mughals need financial
resources to carry out campaigns against their Hindu brothers. The Hindus refused to
pay the tax to save them from the Mughal armies.
Last but not the least reason to oppose the tax was exemption of the tax for those
Hindus who would accept Islam. It created unparalleled hatred in Hindus against
Aurangzeb. They blamed that the King was using the tax as bribe to Hindus for
changing their religion. There were number of examples where the Hindus changed
their religion because they were unable to pay the tax. Now many Hindus started
opposing the tax and refused to pay it.
Explain why Aurangzeb was blamed for the Mughal decline? [7]
There were many reasons under Aurangzeb which led to the Mughal decline. The
first and foremost was his intolerant attitude towards other religions. When he re-
introduced Jizya tax the Hindus showed strong resentment and opposition against the
tax. They felt being victim of discrimination and no more equal partner to fellow
Muslim subject under the king. He also banned many religious rituals like Sattee
which became another source of irritation for thr Hindus. There were number of sikh
gurus like Teg Bahadur Singh were killed. He was also blamed for demolishing many
Hindu temples during wars. These intolerant religious policies alienated Hindus from
the Mughal king which later on contributed in Mughal decline.
Another important reason was his failure attempt in Deccan wars against Marathas.
He became very unpopular because despite spending twenty-five long years staying
away from the capital he could not defeated the Marathas completed. This long
absence from the capital encouraged local mansabdars in developing corruption
4|Page
networks and after his death same mansabdars started rebellions against the
Mughals and announced independent states. So, right after his death the Mughal
empire had to face speedy downfall.
Last but not the least reason was imposition of strict sharia laws under his rule. He
was orthodox Muslim in favour of imposition of strict sharia laws in the state which
made him controversial in India. He wanted to convert India into Dar-ul-Islam by
imposing Islam India which was a Hindu majority state. It means that every person
had to follow Islamic laws which was unacceptable for Hindus. It was taken as an
attempt to convert Hindus into Islam forcefully. Now the king lost support of Hindus
who started opposing him which led to the decline of the Mughal dynasty in India.
Explain why the Mughal Empire declined following the reign of Aurangzeb. [7]
OR
Explain why the successors of Aurangzeb failed to prevent the decline of
Mughal Empire? [7]
OR
Explain three reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire. [7]
There were many reasons of Mughal decline in India under successors of Aurangzeb.
The most important was incompetency of successors of Aurangzeb to run
administration of vast empire with same strength and political sagacity. The Mughal
kings had become weak, greedy for power and pleasure loving. They were spending
more on their pleasure and luxurious life style. They were so busy in merry makings
that they had left administration of the state on the shoulders of nobles who were
misusing them in the name of king. This inability to control the state effectively
contributed in Mughal decline.
Another important reason of Mughal decline was frequent wars of succession after
death of the king. The Mughals had no well-defined law of succession to replace
deceased king. The only claim to be king was every candidate to throne had to prove
his ability in battleground. These fights were expensive and drained already depleted
financial resources of the Mughals. These wars not only wasted huge amount of
money but also created division in Mughal army and the Indian masses. In this way
these wars triggered process of Mughal decline.
Last but not the least reason of Mughal decline under successor of Aurangzeb was
declining military expertise of the Mughal army. Long era of peace and prosperity
eroded military strength and expertise of the Mughal army. Once the army famous
5|Page
for its military strength and power to counter internal and external threats started to
decline due to absence of able general and old fighting methods. When this
incompetent military faced their competent and well-organized rivals, it could not
protect the empire. It also encouraged invaders from outside India to attack and
plunder which further weaken the Mughal empire.
The spread of Marathan power was the main reason for the decline of the
Mughal Empire.’ Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer. [14]
One of the significant cause of the Mughal decline was growing military power of
Marathas od Deccan under their vibrant leader Shavaji Rao. They had unique military
techniques especially guerrilla war fighting against their enemies. They also adopted
this military strategy against the Mughals who were unfamiliar to it. The more
disciplined army, their fighting spirit and loyalty to their cause outnumbered Mughal
armies almost in every front. Consequently, the southern and central part of India
went under their control which led to the Mughal decline in India.
Furthermore, this spread of the Marathan empire severely impacted and drained
financial resources of the Mughals because whole of the southern and central India
had stopped giving taxes to the state. Tax collection had decreased significantly and
the wars were becoming more expensive with each passing day. The Mughals need
more financial resources to maintain huge Mughal army. These expensive Maratha
campaigns drained Mughal treasury completely. So, the empty treasury triggered the
Mughal decline even faster than usual.
However, the rise of Marathan empire was not the sole cause of the Mughal decline,
there were many other factors that equally contributed in the decline, like,
incompetency of successors of Aurangzeb to run administration of vast empire with
same strength and political sagacity. The Mughal kings had become weak, greedy for
power and pleasure loving. They were spending more on their pleasure and luxurious
life style. They were so busy in merry makings that they had left administration of
the state on the shoulders of nobles who were misusing them in the name of king.
This inability to control the state effectively contributed in Mughal decline.
6|Page
Similarly, declining military expertise of the Mughal army under successor of

Aurangzeb was another cause of Mughal decline. Long era of peace and prosperity
Last but not the least reason of Mughal decline was arrival of the British who was
one the most well-organized and experienced rival. At first they came for trade but
gradually became involved in political matters of India due to incompetency of
Mughal kings. They had well-trained and well-equipped army under most
experienced military leadership. The military strength of the British not only enabled
them to occupy India but also helped them to manage administration effectively.
Hence, the military strength of British helped them in defeating Mughals and other
potential local strong rival in India.
Logical Conclusion.
Select any one reason to justify the conclusion
Polices of Aurangzeb were the only reasons for the Mughal decline. Do you
agree? Discuss. [14]
There were many reasons under Aurangzeb which led to the Mughal decline. The
first and foremost was his intolerant attitude towards other religions. When he re-
introduced Jizya tax the Hindus showed strong resentment and opposition against the
tax. They felt being victim of discrimination and no more equal partner to fellow
Muslim subject under the king. He also banned many religious rituals like Sattee
which became another source of irritation for thr Hindus. There were number of sikh
gurus like Teg Bahadur Singh were killed. He was also blamed for demolishing many
Hindu temples during wars. These intolerant religious policies alienated Hindus from
the Mughal king which later on contributed in Mughal decline.
Another important reason was his failure attempt in Deccan wars against Marathas.
He became very unpopular because despite spending twenty-five long years staying
7|Page
away from the capital he could not defeated the Marathas completed. This long
absence from the capital encouraged local mansabdars in developing corruption
networks and after his death same mansabdars started rebellions against the
Mughals and announced independent states. So, right after his death the Mughal
empire had to face speedy downfall.
Similarly, imposition of strict sharia laws under his rule was another important reason
of the decline. He was orthodox Muslim in favour of imposition of strict sharia laws
in the state which made him controversial in India. He wanted to convert India into
Dar-ul-Islam by imposing Islam India which was a Hindu majority state. It means
that every person had to follow Islamic laws which was unacceptable for Hindus. It
was taken as an attempt to convert Hindus into Islam forcefully. Now the king lost
support of Hindus who started opposing him which led to the decline of the Mughal
dynasty in India.
However, policies of Aurangzeb were not the sole cause of the Mughal decline, there
were many other factors that equally contributed in the decline, like, incompetency
of successors of Aurangzeb to run administration of vast empire with same strength
and political sagacity. The Mughal kings had become weak, greedy for power and
pleasure loving. They were spending more on their pleasure and luxurious life style.
They were so busy in merry makings that they had left administration of the state on
the shoulders of nobles who were misusing them in the name of king. This inability
to control the state effectively contributed in Mughal decline
One of the significant cause of the Mughal decline was growing military power of
Marathas od Deccan under their vibrant leader Shavaji Rao. They had unique military
techniques especially guerrilla war fighting against their enemies. They also adopted
this military strategy against the Mughals who were unfamiliar to it. The more
disciplined army, their fighting spirit and loyalty to their cause outnumbered Mughal
armies almost in every front. Consequently, the southern and central part of India
went under their control which led to the Mughal decline in India.
8|Page
Last but not the least reason of Mughal decline under successor of Aurangzeb was
declining military expertise of the Mughal army. Long era of peace and prosperity
Logical Conclusion.
Select any one reason to justify the conclusion
9|Page
The East India Company(EIC)
What was East India company? [4]
East India Company was a trading company founded by a group of British

merchants. In 1600 the Company was granted permission by British government
to trade with Eastern countries. The first traded trading ship landed at Surat in
1608, but the permission from Mughal was given in 1612.The trade proved very
profitable and trading posts were setup at Madras, Bombay and at Calcutta. The
Company started keeping an army of Indian soldiers to protect their trading
interest. During the 18th Century the East India Company gradually grew into a
military and political power.
Who was Roberet Clive? [4]
Roberet Clive was commander of E.I.C army which defeated Nawab Siraj-ud-
Daula in battle of Plassey in 1757 and became governor of Bengal. His opponents
carried on an investigation on corruption charges but he was not found guilty. He
was a soldier and first British administrator of Bengal, who was one of the
creators of British power in India. In his first governorship (1755–60) he won the
Battles against powerful Indian rulers and in his second governorship (1764–67)
he reorganized the British colony.
What was battle of Plassey 1757? [4]
In this battle the forces of the East India Company under Robert Clive met the
army of Siraj-ud-Doula, the Nawab of Bengal. Clive had 800 Europeans and 2200
Indians whereas Siraj-ud-doula in his camp at Plassey was said to have about
50,000 men with a train of heavy artillery. Unfortunately, Mir Jafar commander
of Nawab’s army met with Clive, and the greater number of the Nawab’s soldiers
were bribed to throw away their weapons, surrender prematurely, and even turn
their arms against their own army. Siraj-ud-Doula was defeated. Battle of Plassey
marked the first major military success for British East India Company.
What was Black Hole incident of Calcutta? [4]
Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula attacked Fort William, Calcutta in 1756 with help of

French soldiers. Some 64 prisoners including two women and several wounded
soldiers were marched at sword point to the filthy dungeon at Fort William. This
was a little cell, measuring 18 feet by 14 feet 10 inches, designed for no more
than three petty criminals. The heat at this time of year was suffocating. Prisoners
10 | P a g e
trampled on each other to get nearer one of the two tiny windows or to the small
amount of water they had been left. Their guards mocked them as the prisoners
gasped for air and pleaded for mercy. At 6am the next morning, when the door
was opened, dead bodies were piled up inside. Its known as Black Hole of
Calcutta.
Who was Mir Qasim? [4]
Mir Qasim was the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1763. He was installed as
Nawab with the support of the British East India Company, replacing Mir Jafar,
his father-in-law, who had himself been supported earlier by the East India
Company after his role in winning the Battle of Plassey for the British. In battle
of Buxar in 1764 E.I.C army defeated combine army of Nawab of Bengal Mir
Qasim, Nawab of Oudh and Mughal emperor Shah Alam II at Buxar. British
influence increased. British captured Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and extended its
influence in Oudh by dissolving him as Nawab of Bengal.
Who was Hyder Ali? [4]
Hyder Ali was ruler of Mysore state which organized a strong army with the help
of French and defeated British in two battles of Mysore. He was the innovator of
military use of the iron-cased Mysorean rockets. In 1766 the Marathas, ʿAlī Khān,
Nizam of Hyderabad, and the British entered a triple alliance against him but he
soon bought off the Marathas. In April 1769 he secured from the British a promise
of aid in an attack, but when the Marathas invaded his territories in 1771, the
British did not send assistance.
Who was Tipu Sulatan? [4]
Tipu Sultan also known as the Tiger of Mysore was a ruler of the Kingdom of
Mysore and a scholar, soldier, and poet. Tipu introduced a number of
administrative innovations during his rule, including his coinage, and a new land
revenue system which initiated the growth of Mysore silk industry. Tipu
expanded the iron-cased Mysorean rockets and wrote the military manual Fathul
Mujahidin, considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery. In the Fourth
Anglo-Mysore War, the combined forces of the British East India Company and
the Nizam of Hyderabad defeated Tipu, and he was killed on 4 May 1799 while
defending his fort of Sriangapatam.
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Who was Lord Wellesley? [4]

Lord Wellesley (as Governor General) came to India in 1798 at a time when the
British were locked in a life and death struggle with France all over the world.
Wellesley persuaded local princes / rulers to sign subsidiary alliances. Local
rulers were also forbidden to make any other alliances. In 1799 Wellesley invaded
Mysore killing Tipu Sultan and gaining control of his lands. Wellesley also
defeated the Nawab of Oudh and took control of their territory.
Describe Subsidiary Alliances. [4]
The doctrine of subsidiary alliance was introduced by Lord Wellesley. Under the
subsidiary alliance system, the ruler of the allying Indian State was compelled to
accept the permanent stationing of a British force within his territory and to pay
a subsidy for its maintenance. As a consequence of Subsidiary Alliance, number
of soldiers and officers were deprived of their hereditary livelihood, spreading
misery and degradation in the country. The Subsidiary Alliance system was, on
the other hand, extremely advantageous to the British. They could now maintain
a large army at the cost of the Indian states.
What was regulating act of 1773? [4]
First step taken by the British government to regulate and control the company's
affairs in India. It prohibited the servants of company from engaging in any
private trade or accepting presents or bribes from the "natives". The Act raised
Governor of Bengal, Warren Hastings to Governor-General of Bengal and
included the presidencies of Madras and Bombay under Bengal's control. It laid
the foundations for a centralized administration in India. Governor of Bengal
became the Governor General of Bengal with an executive council of four to
assist him.
Who were Zamindars? [4]
They were Landlords or tax collectors of different areas. They were very wealthy
and influential and some had private armies. After death of Aurangzeb they were
increasingly unwilling to accept rule of any new emperor or to make payments to
government in Delhi. Zamindars from Bengal imposed Beard tax on Miuslims
which annoyed them. Muslims were oppressed by zamindars from the 1800’s
onwards, especially in East Bengal.
12 | P a g e
What was India Pitts Act 1784? [4]
Pitt’s India Act proved to be a landmark because it gave the British government
control of policy on Indian matters. The dual system developed into an alternate
arrangement of give and take, becoming ever stronger on the government side as
greater ability of influence and power. The act gave direct control of British
Government on Indian possessions of land controlled by EIC by appointing of
Governor General to administer administrative matters of India. It also appointed
Commander-in-Chief and Provincial Governors and now EIC company could
continue with Trade only.
Who was Warren Hastings? [4]
He was first Governor General or Viceroy of India. He Introduced a number of

reforms in administration, revenue, finance, commerce and the judiciary. He also
developed policies relating to Oudh and Rohilla. He was involved in several wars
including the Anglo-Maratha and the Anglo-Mysore. He moved the central
government to Calcutta under direct British control and remodelled the justice
system. In 1774 he acquired the new title of governor-general, with
responsibilities for supervising other British settlements in India.
What was Treaty of Lahore? [4]
The Treaty of Lahore was a peace-treaty marking the end of the First Anglo-Sikh
War in 1846. The Treaty was concluded, for the British, by the Governor-General
Sir Henry Hardinge and the seven-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh Bahadur. The
territory to the south of the river Sutlej and the forts and territory in the Jalandhar
Doab between the rivers Sutlej and Beas were handed over to British. The control
of the rivers Sutlej and Beas and part of the Indus passed to the British.
What was Doctrine of Lapse? [4]
The doctrine of lapse was a policy of annexation initiated by the East India
Company in the Indian subcontinent about the princely states, and applied until
the year 1858, the year after Company rule was succeeded by the British
Raj under the British Crown. According to the doctrine, any Indian princely
state under the suzerainty of the East India Company (EIC))would have its
princely status abolished (and therefore be annexed into British India) if the ruler
was either "manifestly incompetent or died without a male heir". The latter
replaced the long-established right of an Indian sovereign without an heir to
13 | P a g e
choose a successor. In addition, the EIC decided whether potential rulers were
competent enough. The doctrine and its applications were widely regarded as
illegitimate by many Indians, leading to resentment against the EIC. Sitara,
Jhansi, Nagpur and Oudh states were captured by British under this doctrine.
What was annexation of Sindh? [4]
In 1843 E.I.C army under Charles Napier captured Sindh after two battles with
Amirs of Sindh. British were worried due to expansion policy of Sikh ruler of
Punjab Ranjit Singh. In 1841 Afghanistan invasion due to growing Russian
influence in the area but humiliated defeat of British forces at the hands of the
Afghans. The British wanted to restore her pride by taking Sindh which was ruled
by Amirs who had treaty of friendship with Sindh. Sir Charles Napier provoked
the Amirs to break the treaty and resultantly annexed Sindh. It is considered
shameful act of British.
What was Queen's proclamation of 1858? [4]
It was read on Nov 1858 at Allahabad after failure of War of Independence 1857.
Pardon was given to all expect those who were involved in murder of British.
Doctrine of Lapse and annexation policy was abolished and religious freedom
was ensured. It was promised not to interfere in the religious beliefs of the people
and due regard to ancient property rights and customs. The British government
would abide by all treaty obligations and agreed to no further territorial
acquisition. Guarantee the right to appointments in public service were also given.
Who were Thugees? [4]
Thuggees were actions and crimes carried out by Thugs of India during 18th and
mid-19th century. They were organised gangs of professional robbers and
murderers in India. This term, describing the murder and robbery of travellers by
a group of Kali worshippers who were popular in the northern and eastern regions
of India. Thugs were said to have travelled in groups across the Indian
subcontinent operating as gangs of highway robbers, tricking and
later strangling their victims. During the 1830s, the thugs were targeted for
eradication by the Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, and his
chief captain William Henry Sleeman.
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Why were the British able to replace the Mughals as the dominant force in the
Sub-Continent by 1850? [7]
There were number of reasons which made British to replace the Mughals as dominant
force of India, first and the foremost was their best military strategy and well-trained
army. The army was not only well-equipped but also highly motivated with their cause
to spread British rule. One the other hand Mughal army was disunited and ill-trained.
So, every time whenever both armies met the British outnumbered them. The lack of
vision to fight, inexperienced soldiers and ill-planning made Mughal army
unproductive against British army. This ineffectiveness of the Mughals made British
easy to replace them as dominant force of the sub-continent.
Similarly, effective British administrative system was another important reason for the
British to replace them as dominant force of India. They introduced one of the best and
effective administrative system in Indian occupied areas like, Bengal, Oudh and other
areas. They introduced strict system of checks and balances on government officials.
They also introduced hierarchy of administrators like governor-general, provincial
governors, civil servants and highly organised police system to control the areas. The
British restored peace and economic stability which helped them in winning hearts of
Indian people. these steps strengthened British control over India.
Last but not the least, fastest and the most modern transportation and communication
system was another reason to replace British as dominant force of India. They
constructed a vast network of roads and railways in 1850s in all major parts of India.
This network was well-connected to almost all port cities. It benefitted British trade on
one hand as they could transport Indian raw material more easily and political
dominancy in India on the other because now they could mobilise their troops timely
during any emergency. This speedy transportation of raw materials and British armies
helped them to dominate Mughals in India.
Explain why the East India Company got involved in the sub-continent
during the seventeenth century. [7]
There were many factors that motivated British in taking interest in India. The
most important was its natural resources and raw materials. India was known as
Golden Sparrow which had abundance of natural resources, like, Jute, silk, cotton
and gypsum. These resources were available at lower prices in India while had
great demand in European markets. The British had been told stories of Indian
15 | P a g e
wealth and blessings of its profitable trade. So, British decided to try their luck
inn India and got attracted to it.
Another important reason to get involved in India by the British was industrial
revolution. There was mushrooming of industries in England. They need raw
materials to fulfil industrial needs on the one hand and big markets to sell their
furnished goods on the other. They also need Indian spices to preserve and dry
their meat. India was one of the best spice producing country in the world. It was
also one of the biggest market which could consume huge amount of British
goods. In this way spice trade and profitable trade motived British to take interest
in India.
Last but not the least was British trade rivalry with other European trade
competitors like French, Dutch and Spanish. In the beginning British decided to
trade in Indonesia but local rulers were weak and European traders were more
strong so British badly defeated and expelled by the Dutch. Now British had only
one option that was India because local rulers were very strong there and there
were equal chances for British to get their share in Indian trade. India’s strategic
location was vital due to sea trade routes like Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and
Indian Ocean. So, significant strategic location was one of the important reason
of British attraction in India.
How successful were the British attempts to take control of lands in the sub-
continent between 1750 and 1856? [14]
OR
How successful was Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of
lands in the subcontinent? Explain your answer. [14]
British Success/ Indian Failure

British were successful in expanding their rule in India from 1750 to 1857 in
different ways. The first opportunity came in 1757 when battle of Plassey took
place. In this battle the forces of the East India Company under Robert Clive met
the army of Siraj-ud-Doula, the Nawabs of Bengal. Clive had 800 Europeans and
2200 Indians whereas Siraj-ud-doula in his entrenched camp at Plassey was said
to have about 50,000 men with a train of heavy artillery. Unfortunately, Mir Jafar,
met with Clive, and the greater number of the Nawabs soldiers were bribed to
throw away their weapons, surrender prematurely, and even turn their arms
against their own army. Siraj-ud-Doula was defeated. Battle of Plassey marked
16 | P a g e
the first major military success for British East India Company in expanding their
rule in India.
It was followed by battle of Buxar. Mir Kasim the Nawab of Bengal took help
from Nawab Shuja-ud– daulah and the Emperor Shah Alam II. But the English
under the General Major Hector Munro at Buxar defeated the combined army on
22 October, 1764. Mir Kasim fled and died in 1777. After winning the Battle of
Buxar, the British had earned the right to collect land revenue in Bengal, Bihar
and Orissa. This development set the foundations of British political rule in India.
After the victory of the English in Buxar, Robert Clive was appointed the
governor and commander in chief of the English army in Bengal in 1765. He is
claimed as the founder of the British political dominion in India. Robert Clive
also brought reforms in the administration of the company and the organization
of the army which helped British greatly in expanding their influence in India.
Similarly, British wanted to make sure that Afghanistan didn’t fall into Russian
hands. British agreed with Ranjit Singh (ruler of Punjab) that Afghanistan should
remain independent. A rebellion broke out in Afghanistan in 1841 in which
British troops were killed. British felt that their pride had been hurt in Afghanistan
and decided to turn in Sindh. Sindh was ruled by collection of Amirs who had
signed a treaty with British in 1809.British General Sir Charles Napier provoked
the Amirs of Sindh so much that they attacked British residency in 1843.Amirs
were defeated and Sindh was annexed by British.
Besides, Marathas were also defeated and Maratha power destroyed by British in
several wars during 1817- 1818. Holkar’s forces were routed at Mahidpur
December 21, 1817 and Baji Rao II, who was trying to consolidate Marathas,
finally surrendered in June 1818. British abolished the position of Peshwa and
Marathas were limited to the small kingdom of Satara. This ended the mighty
Maratha power.
Indian Success/British Failures
There is no doubt that British defeated Indians and took over India at the end but
this is also an established fact that they had to face sever resistance by strong
Indian independent rulers. One of them was Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daula
who made military alliance with French and attacked at Calcutta a British trade
post. He successfully defeated British and took over the area. This successful
attempt of the Nawab showed British that taking over India was not easy task. It
17 | P a g e
also showed that the Indians were ready in giving tough resistance to British in
protecting their lands.
Another important Indian success to protect their lands was strong and
independent Sikh rule in the areas of Punjab, modern day KPK and Kashmir
under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. British had no dare to attack on his areas. They
offered peace to Raja Ranjit Singh and signed Treaty of Perpetual Friendship with
him by accepting his authority on the areas. This was another success of local
Indian against British to protect his lands.
Logical Conclusion
Do agree with one fact of your choice
India Pitts Act 1784 was the most important event of British expansion till
1857. Do you agree? Discuss. [14]
Pitt’s India Act proved to be a landmark act inn extending British rule in India
because it gave the British government control of policy without patronage. The
dual system developed into an alternate arrangement of give and take, becoming
ever stronger on the government side as greater ability of influence, and power.
The inquiry provision produced a national inquiry on Indian affairs every 20
years, marking successive stages in the reduction of the company’s political
power. The act gave direct control of British Government on Indian possessions
of land controlled by EIC by appointing of Governor General to administer
administrative matters of India. It also appointed Commander-in-Chief and
Provincial Governors and now EIC company could continue with Trade only.
Another, opportunity came in 1757 when battle of Plassey took place. In this
battle the forces of the East India Company under Robert Clive met the army of
Siraj-ud-Doula, the Nawabs of Bengal. Clive had 800 Europeans and 2200
Indians whereas Siraj-ud-doula in his entrenched camp at Plassey was said to
have about 50,000 men with a train of heavy artillery. Unfortunately, Mir Jafar,
met with Clive, and the greater number of the Nawabs soldiers were bribed to
throw away their weapons, surrender prematurely, and even turn their arms
against their own army. Siraj-ud-Doula was defeated. Battle of Plassey marked
the first major military success for British East India Company.
Similarly, British wanted to make sure that Afghanistan didn’t fall into Russian
hands. British agreed with Ranjit Singh (ruler of Punjab) that Afghanistan should
18 | P a g e
remain independent. A rebellion broke out in Afghanistan in 1841 in which

British troops were killed. British felt that their pride had been hurt in Afghanistan
and decided to turn in Sindh. Sindh was ruled by collection of Amirs who had
signed a treaty with British in 1809.British General Sir Charles Napier provoked
the Amirs of Sindh so much that they attacked British residency in 1843.Amirs
were defeated and Sindh was annexed by British.
It was followed by battle of Buxar. Mir Kasim the Nawab of Bengal took help
from Nawab Shuja-ud– daulah and the Emperor Shah Alam II. But the English
under the General Major Hector Munro at Buxar defeated the combined army on
22 October, 1764. Mir Kasim fled and died in 1777. After winning the Battle of
Buxar, the British had earned the right to collect land revenue in Bengal, Bihar
and Orissa. This development set the foundations of British political rule in India.
After the victory of the English in Buxar, Robert Clive was appointed the
governor and commander in chief of the English army in Bengal in 1765. He is
claimed as the founder of the British political dominion in India. Robert Clive
also brought reforms in the administration of the company and the organization
of the army.
The British wanted full control of south India to ensure their spice trade. Lord
Wellesley became the Governor General of India in 1798. Tipu Sultan tried to
secure an alliance with the French against the English in India. Wellesley
questioned Tipu’s relationship with the French and attacked Mysore in 1799. The
fourth Anglo-Mysore War was of short duration and decisive and ended with
Tipu’s death on May 4, 1799 who was killed fighting to save his capital.
Besides that, Marathas were also defeated and Maratha power destroyed by
British in several wars during 1817- 1818. Holkar’s forces were routed at
Mahidpur December 21, 1817 and Baji Rao II, who was trying to consolidate
Marathas, finally surrendered in June 1818. British abolished the position of
Peshwa and Marathas were limited to the small kingdom of Satara. This ended
the mighty Maratha power.
Punjab was the next target. Ranjit Singh had signed a perpetual friendship in 1809
but after his death in 1839, the rival chiefs argued themselves over who should
be a king. Army attacked British possessions south of River Sutlej and provoked
the British to invade Punjab. War began but British remained victorious. Gulab
Singh Dogra, a chief who helped the British and was given Kashmir as a reward.
In 1849, after a revolt against British, Punjab, NWFP were annexed and became
19 | P a g e
part of British Empire on 30 March 1849.Hyderabad, Deccan, Oudh and the local
Nawabs had been forced to sign treaties with EIC; this gave their external affairs
to Britain.
Logical Conclusion
Do agree with one fact of your choice
20 | P a g e
Chapter 02: Religious Reformers
Shah Waliullah(1703-1762)
Who was Shah Walliullah? [4]
He was a Muslim religious scholar who worked for revival of Islam in India after
death of Aurangzeb. He believed that most of the problems of Muslims were due
to their incomplete Knowledge and understanding of the Holy Quran. He tried to
stop the Muslims dividing into sects. He Studied the differences between Sunni
and Shia sects objectively and wrote an account of the first four caliphs in a way
acceptable to both groups. He tried to revive Islam in the prevalent economic
system by stressing on social justice for peasants and the labour class.
Why were there attempts to revive Islam in the sub-continent during the
eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries? [7]
There were number of reasons which forced reformers to come forward for
religious and social reformation of Indian Muslim society. Most of them believed
that the problems of Muslims were due to their incomplete Knowledge and
understanding of the Holy Quran. As the Holy Quran is in Arabic whereas
common Muslims had little understanding of the language and knew Persian
instead. Shah Waliullah wanted that the Quranic teachings be made accessible to
the common people so they may act on them.
Another important reason was that Muslim community was divided into sects,
such as Sunni and Shia. They were vulnerable to attacks on their religion. This
had created disunity in Indian Muslims. There was a great need of unity to protect
the Muslims from other communities. Thus the reformers wanted them to put
aside their differences so that a more united and strong community could be
created. This noble cause of Muslim unity inspired the reformers to reform the
society.
Last but not the least reason to reform Indian Muslim Society was many un-
Islamic practices had crept in Indian Muslims due to constant interaction with
Hindus and other non- Muslim communities. The Muslims had forgotten the
moral and spiritual principles of Islam. There was no clear cut distinction between
Islamic and un-Islamic culture. Many Muslims were following practices of both
religions. Now it was need of the time to take steps to reform Muslims of India.
Hence the reformers wished to revive Islam to purify the Islamic Society.
21 | P a g e
Why did Shah Waliullah wish to revive Islam in the sub-continent? [7]
There were number of reasons which forced Shah Waliullah to come forward for
religious and social reformation of Indian Muslim society. He had strong belief
that the problems of Muslims were due to their incomplete Knowledge and poor
understanding of the Holy Quran. As the Holy Quran is in Arabic whereas
common Muslims had little understanding of the language and knew Persian
instead. Shah Waliullah wanted that the Quranic teachings be made accessible to
the common people so they may act on them.
Another important reason was that Muslim community was divided into sects,
such as Sunni and Shia. They were vulnerable to attacks on their religion. This
had created disunity in Indian Muslims. There was a great need of unity to protect
the Muslims from other communities. Thus the reformers wanted them to put
aside their differences so that a more united and strong community could be
created. This noble cause of Muslim unity inspired the reformer to reform the
society.
Last but not the least reason to reform Indian Muslim Society was many un-
Islamic practices had crept in Indian Muslims due to constant interaction with
Hindus and other non- Muslim communities. The Muslims had forgotten the
moral and spiritual principles of Islam. There was no clear cut distinction between
Islamic and un-Islamic culture. Many Muslims were following practices of both
religions. Now it was need of the time to take steps to reform Muslims of India.
So, Shah Waliullah wished to revive Islam to purify the Islamic Society.
Why did Haji Shah Walliullah have such a major influence on the revival of
Islam in the subcontinent? [7]
Shah Waliullah had major influence on revival of Islam in the sub-continent for
his many valuable services for the Muslim community. To begin with, translation
of Holy Quran into Persian was his most notable service for the Indian Muslims.
This translation into the local language improved understanding of true teachings
of Holy Quran despite sever opposition of the Ulemas. Now it was easier for
common Muslims to act on Islamic teachings. Thus Islam was revived among the
locals. This also paved way for his sons to translate it into Urdu, making it
available to even more people.
Another valuable service of Shah Waliuulah was that he tried to stop the Muslims
dividing into sects. He deeply studied the differences between Sunni and Shia
22 | P a g e
sects objectively and wrote an account of the first four caliphs in a way acceptable
to both groups. He wrote 51 books on different aspects of Islam like Fiqha and
Hadis. Significant among them were the Hujjatullah ul Baligha and Izalat ul
Akhfa. This helped Muslim understand Islamic principles and act on them.
Moreover, he tried to unite the Muslims against the Marathas and Sikhs so Islam
could be protected and revived. The Marathas had become a nightmare for the
Muslims. It was he who wrote letters to invite Ahmed shah Durrani from Persia
and strong independent Muslim nobles of Indian to form military alliance against
the Marathas. This alliance defeated the Marathas and the Muslim empire was
saved from the tyranny of the Marahthas and it survived further for around 100
years.
Creation of peaceful co-existence between Muslim sects was more important

service of Shah Waliullah than any other. Do you agree? Discuss. [14]
Shah Waliullah had major influence on revival of Islam in the sub-continent for
his many valuable services for the Muslim community. To begin with, translation
of Holy Quran into Persian was his most notable service for the Indian Muslims.
This translation into the local language improved understanding of true teachings
of Holy Quran despite sever opposition of the Ulemas. Now it was easier for
common Muslims to act on Islamic teachings. Thus Islam was revived among the
locals. This also paved way for his sons to translate it into Urdu, making it
available to even more people.
objectively and wrote an account of the first four caliphs in a way acceptable to
both groups. He wrote 51 books on different aspects of Islam like Fiqha and
Similarly, he taught at the Madrassa Rahimiya for many years. It was so important
because it paved a pay for the youth to familiarize themselves with the
fundamental principles of Islam and glorious past of Muslim civilization. He
brought solidarity and pride in them regarding their religion. He became beacon
of hope for many forthcoming leading lights i.e. Haji Shariatullah and Syed
Ahmed had studied from the same Madrassa.
23 | P a g e
years.
Last but not the least notable service of Shah Waliullah for Islam was correction
in the prevalent economic system by stressing on social justice and equal
treatment for the peasants and the labourers. He made labourers and craftsmen
more aware by stressing that they should be paid justly and urged traders and
business to adapt a fair Islamic system of trading. He encouraged Muslim traders
to adopt Islamic economic principles by eliminating corruption in business
activities.
Logical Conclusion
Agree with one fact
24 | P a g e
Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barailvi (1786-1831)
Who was Syed Ahmed Barailvi Shaheed? [4]
He was a Muslim religious reformer and man of action who launched Jihad
Movement to liberate Muslim majority areas of Punjab and NWFP from Sikh rule
under Raja Ranjeet Singh. The movement was aimed at the rejuvenation and
restoration of Muslim power in India. He joined a Pathan military force led by
Amir Khan where he learnt about European weaponry including use of Artillery.
He travelled Rajastan, NWFP, Sindh, Balochistan and Afghanistan to raise
Mujahiden force for the movement. He was martyred at Battle of Balakot in 1831
due to treachery of the local tribes.
What was the Jihad Movement? [4]
Syed Ahmed Barailvi founded the Jihad Movement, which Called for armed
struggle to overthrow non-Muslim oppression and restore Muslim Power. Main
objective of the movement was to liberate Muslim majority areas of Punjab and
NWFP from Sikh rule under Raja Ranjeet Singh. The movement was aimed at
the rejuvenation and restoration of Muslim power in India. He believed that once
this was done Islam could be revived and saved from beliefs and customs contrary
to Islamic beliefs which had crept into everyday Life. He travelled Rajastan,
NWFP, Sindh, Balochistan and Afghanistan to raise Mujahiden force for the
movement. He was martyred at Battle of Balakot in 1831 due to treachery of the
local tribes. Although the movement could not achieve its immediate objective
yet it left long term impacts on Indian Muslims.
Who was Maharaja Ranjeet Singh? [4]
Ranjit Singh was a strong Sikh ruler of Punjab, Kashmir and parts of NWFP. He
was able to modernize his army with the help of French. He was so powerful ruler
that the British had to sign treaty of friendship by accepting his empire till river
Sutlej. Muslim of Punjab were not allowed to perform Azan and cow slaughtering
during his rule. The Sikh rule came to an end soon after his death in 1839.
Why did Syed Ahmed Barailvi Shaheed wish to revive Islam in the sub-
continent? [7]
Syed Ahmad Barelvi Shaheed was born in 1786. He was greatly impressed by the
preaching and thoughts of Shah Waliullah. He joined the private army of Nawab
25 | P a g e
Amir Khan of Tonk state where he learnt the art of war. He also learnt about the
European weaponry including the art of artillery. Syed Ahmad Shaheed started
preaching true Islam. However, he was of the opinion that there should be a
political power behind the preaching for the revival of Islam and Muslim power
in India. He founded the Jihad Movement for the restoration and revival of
Muslim power in India.
Similarly, he wanted to establish an Islamic state based on Islamic principles. In

addition, the aim of the Jihad Movement was to liberate the Muslims of the
Punjab and N.W.F.P from the Sikh rule. At that time Punjab and N.W.F.P were
under the Sikh rule of Ranjit Singh. Muslims were facing great difficulty in
following their religion in this area. Therefore, Syed Ahmad chose Punjab and
N.W.F.P for his activities. He also expected help from the Afghan and Pathan
tribes of N.W.F.P.
Last but not the least, he was a man of action and an ideal person to act as leader
to work against the British power in India. He wanted to ensure that the Muslims
should be ruled by fellow Muslims. He believed that the freedom of the Muslims
could only come because of armed struggle against the non-Muslim forces which
were oppressing them. He believed that there was a need to end the evils that had
corrupted Islamic society. He founded the Jihad Movement, which Called for
armed struggle to overthrow non-Muslim oppression and restore Muslim Power.
He believed that once this was done Islam could be rejuvenated and rescued from
beliefs and customs contrary to Islamic beliefs.
How successful was Jihad Movement in achieving its objectives? [14]
OR
Was the Jihad Movement a complete failure? Discuss. [14]
Failures:
There were number of failures of the Jihad Movement but the most important was
the movement could not achieve its prime objective of independence of Muslim
majority areas of Punjab, NWFP and Kashmir from Sikh rule. The Muslims were
still under oppressive Sikh rule where they were denied to practice their religion
freely. The Sikhs were now even more strong after defeating Syed Ahmed
Shaheed in Battle of Balakot in 1831. In this way the Jihad movement had failed
to get its prime objective of independence of Muslim areas.
26 | P a g e
Similarly, the Jihad Movement had failed in establishing independent Muslim

state based on Islamic principles. The movement had to face betrayal even from
the Muslim fellows just for worldly benefits. Raja Ranjeet Singh used his agents
to spread misunderstandings between mujahideens and supporters of the
movement from local Pathan tribes. Ranjeet Singh secured a religious decree
from the scholars who were against teachings of Shah Waliullah. He spread the
decree through his agent by declaring the Jihad Un-Islamic because it was started
on the teachings of Shah Waliullah. So the movement couldn’t create
Independent Muslim state.
In addition, the mujaheedins captured many areas of Peshawar and Attock. Two
early victories at Hazroth and Okara raised morale of the Mujahideenis, but, they
could not hold firmly captured areas and one by one the Sikh armies recaptured
all the areas. Syed Ahmed Shaheed had also failed to impress local Pathan tribes
due to very strict Sharia laws. These tribes turned against the Mujaheedins and as
a result these areas became a battleground between them. So resultantly Syed
Ahmed Shaheed had to leave the area. It showed weak administrative ability of
Syed Ahmed which resulted in failure of the movement.
Another important failure of the movement was that the Mujaheedins could not
maintain unity among themselves. The army was combination of different
cultures, races and backgrounds. Only religion was a common binding force in
the army of Syed Ahmed. They had differences even on minor things which
mostly turned into serious disagreements. This disunity resulted in drastic defeats
at the hands of the Sikh armies because mostly the Mujaheedins had serious
differences war strategy and issue of command. So results were drastic as it
weakened the whole concept of Jihad Movement.
Successes:
One of the important success of Jihad Movement was its brave challenge to Sikh
rule under Raja Ranjeet Singh who was the strongest ruler of the time. He was so
strong that even the British had to sign treaty of friendship with him. Only Syed
Ahmed dared to challenge Sikh cruelties and tried to save fellow Muslims. The
Jihad Movement also gave courage to the oppressed Muslims to challenge Sikh
hostilities courageously. So, it was a Success of the movement that took practical
step against the Sikh rule.
27 | P a g e
Another success of the movement was it created unity in Indian Muslims in the
time when almost everyone was deeply divided and motivated by his personal
interests. The noble character, piety and strong knowledge of Quran and Sunnah
of Syed Ahmed was great motivating factor for the Muslims to join him. It was
his character that inspired the Muslims and in very short span of time Mujahideen
army reached around 80,000 soldiers. The collection of such a huge Muslim army
was great success of the movement.
Last but not the least success of the movement was it gave hope, courage and
inspiration to future movements launched for protecting rights of the Indian
Muslims. The Indian Muslims got inspiration from devotion and determination
of the Mujahideens. The same devotion was shown by the Indian Muslims in
1947 when they passed a resolution calling for independent Muslim state based
on ideology of Islam. It was a great success of the movement that it became
forerunner of Pakistan Movement.
Disunity between Mujahideens was the most important reason for failure of
Jihad Movement. Do you agree? Discuss. [14]
There were many reasons that contributed in failure of the movement. The most
important one was SASB was not well trained in military tactics. He was a
religious scholar and most of the fighters were teachers, or spiritual leaders. This
made it difficult for the Mujahideen forces to fight against the Sikhs and come up
with clever strategies to defeat them. On the other hand, the Sikhs were tough and
well trained under Ranjit Singh who was a strong military ruler.
Another reason for the failure that the Muslim army was disunited. The
Mujahideens were of different cultures and backgrounds. The soldiers often
mistrusted each other and were reluctant to agree with one another. As a result,
due to internal conflicts there wasn’t always full support from everybody which
resultantly weakened the Muslim forces. There were often fights among
Mujahideens after defeat and every group tried to put blame of the defeat on the
others. This disunity weakened the movement
Furthermore, elders of local Pathan tribes did not tolerate being in an army that
they weren’t ruining themselves. Early victories of Syed Ahmed increased his
popularity and influence around the tribes which created jealousy among the
tribal heads. They weren’t ready to compromise on their authority on the tribes
28 | P a g e
which strained their relations with Syed Ahmed. This weakened the Muslim
forces as there was less support from the local sardars followed by their tribes.
In addition, SASB imposed high taxes on locals to bear military costs and
maintenance of huge army. They local people were expecting a tax free area under
Muslim rule. They were shocked by the taxes and resented to pay. Thus, he started
punishing those people who refused to pay taxes. As a result, SASB lost support
of the local people which further weakened his forces and resulted in failure of
the Movement.
Moreover, SASB’s army was not as sincere to him. There were attempts by Yar
Muhamad Khan the governor of Peshawar to assassinate SASB. He thus had to
tackle with internal threats as well as external ones. Thus, his attention was
diverted from his main goal, which was to defeat the Sikhs. Yar Muhammad’s
army betrayed him in battle in Akora, weakened his fighting and causing his
defeat. He also tried to poison SASB but the failed attempt got him killed at hands
of Mujahideens. It further created disunity in the army.
When SASB was moving to Balakot, traitors informed Sikhs of the Muslim’s
route. Thus, the Sikhs prepared themselves and strengthened their forces which
made it easier for them to defeat the Muslims. So, when they launched their
surprise attack at Balakot, the Muslims were unprepared for this unexpected
attack, and were defeated. Sikhs outnumbered the Muslims in this battle. The
weaker Mujahideen lost, and SASB was killed.
29 | P a g e
Was SASB the most important thinker to revive Islam in India by 1850?
Give reasons for your answer. [14]
OR
How Successful were religious reformers in reforming Muslim society of

India in 18th and 19th century? [14]
OR
Did Shah Waliullah contribute more to the spread of Islam than anyone else
in the sub-continent before 1850? Explain your answer. [14]
OR
Did Syed Ahmed Shaheed contribute more to the spread of Islam than
anyone else in the sub-continent before 1850? Explain your answer. [14]
OR
Did Haji Shariat Ullah contribute more to the spread of Islam than anyone
else in the sub-continent before 1850? Explain your answer. [14]
One of the important success of Jihad Movement was its brave challenge to Sikh
rule under Raja Ranjeet Singh who was the strongest ruler of the time. He was so
strong that even the British had to sign treaty of friendship with him. Only Syed
Ahmed dared to challenge Sikh cruelties and tried to save fellow Muslims. The
Jihad Movement also gave courage to the oppressed Muslims to challenge Sikh
hostilities courageously. So, it was a Success of the movement that took practical
step against the Sikh rule.
Another success of the movement was it created unity in Indian Muslims in the
time when almost everyone was deeply divided and motivated by his personal
interests. The noble character, piety and strong knowledge of Quran and Sunnah
of Syed Ahmed was great motivating factor for the Muslims to join him. It was
his character that inspired the Muslims and in very short span of time Mujahideen
army reached around 80,000 soldiers. The collection of such a huge Muslim army
was great success of the movement.
Another important contribution of SASB was he gave hope, courage and

inspiration to future movements launched for protecting rights of the Indian
Muslims. The Indian Muslims got inspiration from devotion and determination
of the Mujahideens. The same devotion was shown by the Indian Muslims in
30 | P a g e
1947 when they passed a resolution calling for independent Muslim state based
on ideology of Islam. It was a great success of the movement that it became
forerunner of Pakistan Movement.
Similarly, by the end of 18th century and start of 19th century, most of the parts
of Mughals Empire had been captured by non-Muslims like the British and the
Sikhs. SASB wanted restoration of Muslim rule in India and for this purpose, he
founded Jihad movement. He decided to liberate the Punjab from the dreadful
role of Ranjit Singh. He made Nowshera his head quarter in 1826 and was able
to defeat the Sikhs in a few battles. He was defeated and killed in the battle of
Balakot in 1831. Although he could not restore the Muslims rule in India but he
kindled a flame of freedom in the heart of Muslims who continued their struggle
for the independence.
Another important religious reformer was Shah Waliullah who had major
influence on revival of Islam in the sub-continent for his many valuable services
for the Muslim community. To begin with, translation of Holy Quran into Persian
was his most notable service for the Indian Muslims. This translation into the
local language improved understanding of true teachings of Holy Quran despite
sever opposition of the Ulemas. Now it was easier for common Muslims to act
on Islamic teachings. Thus Islam was revived among the locals. This also paved
way for his sons to translate it into Urdu, making it available to even more people.
objectively and wrote an account of the first four caliphs in a way acceptable to
both groups. He wrote 51 books on different aspects of Islam like Fiqha and
Similarly, he taught at the Madrassa Rahimiya for many years. It was so important
because it paved a pay for the youth to familiarize themselves with the
fundamental principles of Islam and glorious past of Muslim civilization. He
brought solidarity and pride in them regarding their religion. He became beacon
of hope for many forthcoming leading lights i.e. Haji Shariatullah and Syed
Ahmed had studied from the same Madrassa.
31 | P a g e
years.
Another important religious reformer who had great influence on the Indian
Muslims was Haji Shariat Ullah. By the start of 19th century the Muslims of
Bengal had also gone away from Islam by living with the non-Muslims. They had
accepted their rituals and practices and had lost inclusive identity of Islam. He
was highly grieved and disturbed by seeing the Muslims. He laid foundation of
Faraizi movement, which put stress in the performance of duties and a pious life
after Tauba. He advised the Muslims to shun all the superstitions and un-Islamic
customs and practice. His efforts brought visible change and many Muslims
shaped their lives according to Islam.
Similarly, during the days the peasants were living a miserable life in Bengal.
Most of the property owners in the Bengal were Hindus who had terrible
treatment with the Muslims. They had usurped the rights of Muslim peasants. The
Muslims were denied equal share in the production. He awoke the Muslims and
advised them not to be silent for their rights. He played a vital role in creating
awaking and awareness among the poor Muslim peasants for the protection of
their rights.
Logical Conclusion
Agree with one reformer of your choice.
32 | P a g e
Haji Shariatullah (1781-1840)
Who was Haji Shariatullah? [4]
Haji Shariat Ullah was born in Faridpur district of Bengal in 1781. He left for
Mecca at an early age and stayed there for a very long period. His stay in Hejaz
was an opportunity for him to learn the true ideal of Islam. He decided to improve
the conditions of poor Muslims by reviving the true spirit of Islam. On his return,
he called upon Bengali Muslims to follow the basics of IslamHis first message
was to give up un-Islamic practices and to stick to duties towards religion. His
followers were called Faraizi by virtue of his emphasis on duties towards religion
(Faraiz). He was deadly against relationship between Mystics and their disciples
(Pirs and Murids). He asked Muslims to replace this with relationship between
Teacher and his Students
Who was Mohsin-ud-Din or Dodhu Mian? [4]
He was son of Haji Shariatullah who took leadership of Faraizi movement and
spread it on more organised way. He divided East Bengal into areas called circles
and put each circle under Khalifas. They were responsible for the social and
spiritual welfare of the people in their areas. He also helped the peasants to oppose
the excessive taxes imposed by the Hindu and British landlords. When unrest
spread in Bengal, he threatened to declare Jihad against the British government.
He was arrested and died in prison.
Who was Titu Mir? [4]
Mir Nasir known as Titu Mir was a great freedom fighter and follower of the
Faraizi Movement from Bengal. He launched his Struggle against oppression of
Hindu Zamindars and the British colonial system. He formed army to fight with
Hindu landlords the British. He built bamboo fort to protect his army from his
enemies and defeated British forces many times. The British used full might of
her Cavalry and modern weaponry to defeat him.
What was the Faraizi Movement? [4]
It was a religious reformation movement started by Haji Shariat Ullah to reform

Muslim society of Bengal. It Emphasized on performing of only Faraiz of Islam.
It asked Muslims to give up all un-Islamic practices which had crept in them. The
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followers of the movement came to be known as Faraizi’. The movement rejected

the expressions of Pir (Master) and Murid (Disciple) and advised Muslims to be
replaced with the title of Ustad (Teacher) & Shagird (Student). It also encouraged
the Muslims tyo adopt ‘Tauba’ as a manifestation of repentance for all the past
sins and a pledge to lead a righteous and God-fearing life in future.
Why did Haji Shariatullah wish to revive Islam in the sub-continent? [7]
There were many reasons which motivated Haji Shariat Ullah to reform Muslims
of Bengal. Early eighteenth century was a miserable period for the Bengali
Muslims. They were economically, socially and educationally crippled under the
British rule. They were also oppressed and tortured by Hindu landlords. These
landlords had imposed heavy taxes on poor Muslim peasants. The Muslins even
had to pay many unfair religious taxes like beard tax and marriage tax. He wanted
to save poor Muslim peasants from these cruel taxes.
Another important reason which motivated him was that religious belief had gone
weak as Islam was badly influenced by Hinduism. There was no clear distinction
between Islamic and un-Islamic practices. Majority of the Muslims were
performing both practices at a same time. These Muslims had become
superstitious and were far from the true ideal of Islam. This was very disturbing
for him and he decided to reform Muslim society of Bengal.
He was belonged to prominent religious family of Bengal. He left for Mecca at

an early age and stayed there for a very long period. His stay in Hejaz was an
opportunity for him to learn the true ideal of Islam. He decided to improve the
conditions of poor Muslims by reviving the true spirit of Islam. On his return, he
called upon Bengali Muslims to follow the basics of Islam. His first message was
to give up un-Islamic practices and to stick to duties towards religion. So he
started Faraizi Movement.
Why did Haji Shariatullah have such an important influence on the revival
of Islam in the sub-continent? [7]
He was a religious reformer who had great influence on the Indian Muslims. By
the start of 19th century the Muslims of Bengal had also gone away from Islam
by living with the non-Muslims. They had accepted their rituals and practices and
had lost inclusive identity of Islam. He was highly grieved and disturbed by
seeing the Muslims. He laid foundation of Faraizi movement, which put stress in
the performance of duties and a pious life after Tauba. He advised the Muslims
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to shun all the superstitions and un-Islamic customs and practice. His efforts
brought visible change and many Muslims shaped their lives according to Islam.
Similarly, during the days the peasants were living a miserable life in Bengal.
Most of the property owners in the Bengal were Hindus who had terrible
treatment with the Muslims. They had usurped the rights of Muslim peasants. The
Muslims were denied equal share in the production. He awoke the Muslims and
advised them not to be silent for their rights. He played a vital role in creating
awaking and awareness among the poor Muslim peasants for the protection of
their rights.
Last but not the least Faraizi Movement in the nineteenth century was major
attempt aimed at the revival of Islam. A great many people were influenced by
the teachings of both Haji Shariat Ullah and his son Mohsin-ud-Din Ahmad. They
very successfully helped Bengali Muslims set their religious belief right. It was
surely through this movement that Islam returned to its original form. It made
them conscious of their religious identity and created a spirit in them for the
fighting of holy war (Jihad).
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Chapter:03
The War of Independence 1857
What happened at the battle of Kanpur? [4]
Nana Shab was adopted son of the last Peshwa Baji Rao II. He revolted against
British at Cawnpore, Nana Shab defeated general Wheeler’s forces. He offered
safe exit to the British soldiers if they would surrender their weapons. He also
agreed that British women and children could go unharmed by boat to Allahabad.
but rebels fired on them causing death of 200 British women and children as soon
as they got out of the fort.
Who was Lakshmi Bai or Rani of Jhansi? [4]
Rani of Jhansi Lakshmibai was adopted daughter of ruler of Jhansi. she was not
accepted as ruler and the state of Jhansi was captured by British under doctrine
of Lapse. She refused to accept the decision and revolted against the British. She
joined the War of Independence with support of another prominent Indian leader
Tantia Tope. She fought with bravery in disguise of male commander. She was
killed by British in battle of Gawalior.
What was greased cartridge issue? [4]
In Jan 1857 British introduced a new cartridge of En-field rifle. The soldiers had
to chew it before use. Soon a rumour spread in India that the cartridges were
greased with pig and cow fats. Indian soldiers refused to use the cartridges
because pig was forbidden for Muslim and cow was sacred for Hindus. The
British were so angry on this refusal so they started punishing the Indian soldiers.
Mangel Pandey an Indian soldier was executed which led to the revolt in Meerut
in May 1857.
Describe India Act of 1858. [4]
It was a proclamation of Queen in which pardon was given to all expect those
who were involved in murder of British. In the Act Doctrine of Lapse and
annexation policy was abolished. It was stated that the government would pay
due regard to ancient property rights and customs of the Indians. The government
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would abide by all treaty obligations and agreed to no further territorial

acquisition.
Who was Mangel Pandey? [4]
Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier who played a key part in the events
immediately preceding the outbreak of the Indian rebellion of 1857. He was a
sepoy (infantryman) in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) regiment of the
British East India Company. He was first Indian soldier who refused to use
greased cartridge and encouraged other Indian soldiers to do the same. He also
attacked his British officer to kill him but could not succeed. He was arrested and
later on executed. His execution triggered events of War of Independence 1857.
Who was Nana Sahib? [4]
Nana Saheb was an Indian Peshwa of the Maratha empire, aristocrat and fighter,
who led the rebellion in Kanpur (Cawnpore) during the Great Revolt of 1857. As
the adopted son of the exiled Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao II, Nana Saheb believed
that he was entitled to a pension from the East India Company. The Company's
refusal to accept him as ruler and continue the pension after his father's death led
him to join the rebellion. He forced the British garrison in Kanpur to surrender.
He murdered the survivors, gaining control of Kanpur for a few days. He later
disappeared, after his forces were defeated by a British force that recaptured
Kanpur.
Why did the war of Independence 1857 break out? [7]
The British introduced the new Greased cartridges and it was rumored that they
were made of cow and pig fats. The Indian soldiers had to open those cartridges
with mouth before loading them into the rifles. As cow was considered sacred by
the Hindus and the pig is forbidden in Islam so it created resentment among the
Hindu and Muslim soldiers. Hence it created uprising in the army because the
soldiers considered it an insult to their religion.
The British had also introduced the Doctrine of Lapse in 1852 according to which
the British could confiscate the territory of any local ruler if he didn’t have any
natural real heir. Due to this they took the lands of Nagpur, Sitara, Jhansi and
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even Oudh although its ruler had the real heir. This didn’t please the Indian
landlords because they felt that their lands were forcefully being taken away by
the British so they rebelled.
Last but not the least, Satti was a Hindu tradition in which the widow was burnt
alive along with the dead body of her husband. The British banned it being
considering inhuman practice. Although it was an inhuman tradition, yet the
Hindu emotions were deeply attached to it. They felt that their religion as well as
their culture was at stake. They got annoyed by this and felt that the British were
trying to interfere in their religion and culture. Thus, they rebelled and started the
war of independence against the British.
Other Reasons of the War of Independence 1857
Political Reasons:
First of all, the Doctrine of Lapse was one of the main political reason for the
outbreak of the WOI. The British had introduced a policy called the Doctrine of
Lapse. It stated that if any local raja died without having any male heir the British
themselves would appoint a new Nawab in his place. Thus in 1856, despite
knowing that the Nawab of Oudh had many sons the British took over the control
of Oudh on this lame excuse that the Nawab had not ruled the people properly
and that the Nawab was not good to his people. Moreover, the states of Nagpur,
Sitara and Jhansi also fell in the hands of the British due to this doctrine. The
Indians got resented and they felt that the British were simply the greedy land-
grabbers. The hatred against the British boiled up so much due to this that the
people rebelled and took arms against them.
Similarly, no-one from the Indians was being appointed as an officer on the high
posts under the British Raj. This was extremely unfair to the Indians and they
were not given any say in the administrative affairs. No matter how hard the
Indians worked they were not rewarded properly. Due to this the anger grew
among the Indians and they wanted to take action against the British. Therefore,
they started the WOI.
Further by the 1857, the Mughal emperor had little power left but still was an
important symbolic figure. The British moved the Royal family from the Red Fort
of Delhi to a more obscure Qutub Sahib. The Indians saw this as an act of
disrespect for their leader and hence such a mistreatment resulted in unrest.
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Economic Reasons:
Agrarian Policy: - The new agrarian policy introduced by the British Government
shook the foundations of the village communities. The Zamindars were now
asked to provide documents to proof about their land holdings. If they failed to
do so, then their properties were confiscated. In addition, the rates of taxes on the
lands were also increased by abolishing land division of agriculture lands due to
which thousands of zamindars were in great problem.
Destruction of Local Industries: - As a result of the industrial revolution in

England, cheaper and superior goods now flooded in Indian markets. The skilled
workers were banned to work in Indian industries. The Indian farmers could only
sale cotton to British traders. So, the local industries could not compete with the
imported goods, as a result the local industries badly suffered.
Unemployment: - The British did not trust the Indians due to this factor Indians
were not appointed on important jobs especially on the higher posts. The higher
posts were now reserved for the British only. This policy resulted in unemployed
and many educated Indians were now without a job. Due to destruction of local
industries (cottage industries) left millions of people jobless especially among
lower classes.
Military Reasons:
First of all, most of the soldiers in the East India Company’s army were the native
Indians. The sepoys and sawars were particularly Indians but the officer class was
exclusively the British. These officers usually treated the Indian sepoys just like
slaves. This caused great resentment as the Indians thought the British wanted to
show themselves as superior class and that they have control over the Indians.
The Indians despite having the required criterion for being the army officers were
ignored. It angered them so much that they started the WOI.
Furthermore, there were regular rumours that the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh
soldiers would be forced to convert to Christianity. This was extremely offensive
to all of the soldiers belonging to these religious classes. This caused confusion
and fear among the Indians who thought the British were in India to convert them
to Christianity. Therefore, the soldiers revolted and started the mutiny of 1857.
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Similarly, the British had introduced the Greased Cartridge which was the
immediate military reason for the outbreak of the WOI. Before the cartridge could
be loaded its end had to be bitten off. It was rumoured that the cartridges were
made up of the fats of pig and the cow. Pig is forbidden in Islam and the cow is
holy animal in the Hinduism. Thus the Muslim and the Hindu soldiers refused to
bite them off due to which they were forced to do so. It created so much anger
that the soldiers revolted and started the WOI.
Moreover, the British were sending the Indians outside India. This was especially
objectionable for the Hindus who were not willing to go to Afghanistan. They
wanted to stay inside Mother-India. The Muslims were also not ready to fight
against their fellow Muslims. Thus they disliked it and decided to fight against
the British.
Social Reasons:
First and the foremost was that the British had replaced the Persian with the
English as the official language of the administration and the language in which
the education should be instructed. The Indians especially the Muslims were very
angry due to this because this language had a political affinity with their glorious
past and history. Therefore, they decided to take an armed uprising against the
British and started the WOI.
Another reason of the WOI was forced modernisation of India. The British
government introduced modern educational schools where co-education was
given. The education was also based on secular ideas whereas traditional Indian
education was based on religious ideas. Observing of Pardah was also stopped
which was a popular custom in India. It created sever anger against the British
and they took arms against the British.
Similarly, Arrogant attitude of the British towards the Indians. They considered
Indians the slave and inferior and considered themselves educated and superior
and didn’t use to get mixed with the Indians. Due to this they gave Indians low
jobs and it created resentment.
Religious Reasons:
Propagation of Christianity: - Although in the beginning the English had shown

respect towards all religions, yet with the passage of time they changed their
mind and devised ways of propagation of Christianity in India. The missionaries
40 | P a g e
were sent to India from England for preaching. They did their preaching mainly
on the public places with the support of British Government. Bible was included
in the syllabus of different school. The British Government now passed a law
according to which the converts were allowed to keep their ancestral properties.
Anti-religious Laws: - The British Government introduced certain laws which

were against the prevailing religions of the sub-continent. For example, the
windows were allowed to remarry which greatly offended the Hindus. so, did
the banning of the sati custom in 1829. The British Government banned Pardah
which created unparalleled anger in Indians against the British.
Was the lack of unity and co-ordination the main reason for the failure of
WOI? Explain. (14)
The Indians started the WOI with great zeal but as greater the enthusiasm there
was, the lesser the unity was there among t hem. They were bent upon driving the
British out of the sub-continent however they didn’t show any co-ordination
among them to win this war.
First of all, some local rajas didn’t take part at all in this war. Instead of helping
the Indians they actually helped the British troops. Such rajas were more
interested in extending their own control over their territories and their rule
actually depended upon supporting the British. Therefore, such rajas extended
full support to the British for example the Raja of Kashmir sent 2000 troops to
help the British. This showed the British strength and the disunity among the
Indians due to which it was quite easier for the British to win the war.
Similarly, there was lack of solid unanimous aim behind this war. Each of the
communities i.e Hindus, Sikhs and the Muslims were fighting for their own
respective purposes and had no common aim. Since there was no unanimous aim
to fight among them therefore the Indians didn’t co-operate with each other
properly and fought in different groups e.g. Nana Sahib and Lakshmi Bai of
Jhansi had their own purposes. It became easier for the British to finish the
Indians this way. That’s why the British were successful and the WOI failed.
Furthermore, it was an unplanned war with lack of proper co-ordination on the

part of Indians which gave enough time to the British to recover themselves. The
war took one year to end giving a lot of time to the British to recover and to plan
well. Hence, the British planned properly and fought gallantly against the natives
who had no proper planning and won this war easily.
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However, there were some other reasons as well which contributed in the failure
of the WOI.
The Industrial Revolution had modernized and strengthened the British. They had
modern weapons as compared to the traditional weapons of the Indians. This
made it easier for the British to reduce the Indian strength to insignificance as the
Indians had not used or experienced such weapons before. Therefore, the Indian
traditional weapons could not compete modern British weaponry and failed to
win the war.
Then, the British officers were fighting the war with concrete experience of
fighting throughout the world. The British officers and soldiers were thus well-
trained, well-equipped, well-planned and well-united as compared to the poorly-
equipped, less-united and poorly-trained Indians. The supreme commander of the
war was last Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar II who was more than 90 years old
with zero fighting experience. Therefore, the chances for winning the WOI for
the Indians were less than the British.
Moreover, the British army members were clear with an aim to win and rule.
They had an air of confidence to win this war. Their confidence and clarity along
with their experience and disunity of the Indians helped them a lot and made them
superior in this war over the confused Indians.
Furthermore, the lack of public support for the Mughal army commander Bakht
Khan was another reason. Most of Indians especially the educated people showed
lack of interest to him in common and to war in general. They were rather loyal
to the British.
Another reason was the lack of funds which was not available to fulfil various
requirements. Most of the rebels fighting in this war were unaware of the war
techniques. On the other hand, the British were far better than the Indians in the
war affairs. The policies of Lord Canning were very effective that he was able to
control the Indians in a limited time and area.
Thus, it is easy to conclude that the lack of unity and co-ordination of the Indians
on one side and the British proper planning, unity, experience and their
superiority on the other hand were the main reason why the Indians were unable
to win the war of independence.
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The War of Independence 1857 achieved nothing. Do you agree? (14)
The war of independence was although a complete failure regarding the

independence point of view yet it gave certain benefits to the natives as well. First
of all, it brought important changes in the policy and administration of the British
government in the sub-continent. The most important was that the Indians were
able to get rid of the East India Company’s tyrannical rule. Now India directly
became a colony of Britain according to the proclamation of 1858.
Similarly, to the great content and satisfaction of landlords, princes and many
other property holders, the British changed their policy of annexations. The queen
declared them their present territorial possessions. As a result, now the Indians
could have their ancestral lands with ease. In this way the policy of annexation
through Doctrine of Lapse was abolished. Thus it was one of the significant
advantage which was the result of mutiny of 1857.
Furthermore, the greased cartridges due to which the revolt started were removed
and their supply was stopped. Also the policy of forceful conversion of people to
Christianity was also stopped by the British. Thus the anger due to which the war
had caused, came to an end and the Indians were successful in reminding the
British not to interfere in their religion. Thus it was a great achievement.
Moreover, new reforms and constitutional changes were introduced. The

proclamation of 1858 was also passed which said the Indians would be allowed
to become a part of Indian government. This ensured that the Indians would now
get a chance to be part of Indian government and would have a political say as
well. Then, the act of 1861 also restored the legislative powers to the governors
of Madras and Bombay. In this way lack of communication between the British
and the Indians ended. Similarly, new legislative councils were also established
in many provinces such as Punjab and Bengal. Thus Indians were given some
political say as well which was the result of the mutiny of 1857.
Apart from that educational works were also started for the betterment of the
Indians e.g. the British made three universities in Madras, Calcutta and Bombay.
It showed that the Indians were successful in reminding that instead of imposing
their powers, the British should share their progress through the knowledge and
science and technology.
43 | P a g e
However, failure of WOI also brought certain negative measures for the Indians.
Foe governing India, the secretary of state a member of British cabinet was now
incharge of the Indian affairs. He was called viceroy and Indians had little say in
it. He was helped by the Indian Civil service in which mostly the British were
working because by 1870 there was only one Indian in ICS.
The number of Indian soldiers were reduced in the army from 1:5 to 1:2 and many
British were employed. Even recruitment from less trustworthy areas like Oudh
was stopped. Moreover, the higher posts to the Indians were refused.
Further Viceroy Lord Lytton ended import duties on the British cotton goods
entering India. These duties earlier had made British goods costly and local cotton
was popular but abolition of these duties meant that the British cotton was now
cheaper and their wealth and business further grew.
The British became strict in their policies after the WOI. The reactionary attitude
of the British was especially towards the Muslims because they were considering
them as responsible for the WOI. Mostly the British stopped recruiting them and
they stopped funding the Muslim institutes which shows that they wanted to keep
them illiterate. It favoured the Hindus and soon they found themselves at
advantage because they started accepting the British education.
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Chapter 04
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
What was the Scientific Society? [4]
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan founded a scientist society at Ghazi Pur in 1863. Main
work of the society was translation of scientific writings from English, Persian or
Arabic into Urdu the main language of the Muslims. Muslims knew knowledge
of science was being improved. It also helped in reducing Muslim hatred towards
British as they read about scientific works and realized that they were more than
just invaders but had done a lot for humanity through scientific inventions.
What was Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq? [4]
It was a journal written by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. This journal included articles
from influential Muslims who agreed with Sir Syed that there was a need for new
approach regarding education. Some Ulemas refused to accept services of the
journal and criticised it. It played a major part in bringing about an intellectual
revolution amongst the Muslim thinkers.
What was Tabyin-ul-Kalam? [4]
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wrote Tabyin-ul-Kalam to explain Bible. He pointed out
the similarities between the Islam and Christianity. The Muslims had a fear that
the British would replace Islam with Christianity so he wrote this book to
remove religious misunderstandings between both communities.
What was the Mohammaden Educational Conference? [4]
It was established by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Main aim of the conference was to
publicize the new educational Methods being used at MAO. This helped improve
Muslim education standards. It also played a major role in establishing a Muslim
political platform in the days before the League was established as it attracted
famous orators and writers who discussed the political problems of the Muslims
in India. It was after the 29th session of the same organization in December 1906
at Dhaka that major leaders gathered to form the Muslim League, which was the
founding party of Pakistan.
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What was the Loyal Mohammadens of India? [4]
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wrote Mohammadens of India in which he gave details
of the loyal services of Muslims which they did for British rulers. He tried his
best to convince the British that all the Muslims were not against the them and
the government. He also gave various examples of those Muslims who saved
British families from the revolutionaries. He also gave his example that during
the war he saved British women and children and in return British were giving
him large states with revenue but he rejected the offer.
What was the Urdu-Hindi Controversy? [4]
In 1867, the Urdu-Hindi Controversy arose in which Hindus demanded that

Urdu should be replaced by Hindi. He rejected and opposed the demand started
efforts to protect Urdu. He also established Urdu Defence Association to
protect and promote Urdu. After the controversy he changed his views about
Hindu-Muslim unity and in 1868 he gave his Two Nation Theory in which he
explains that Muslims and Hindus were two different nations. They have
different religion, culture, practices and language therefore Muslims should
have separate homeland where they can easily practice Islam.
Describe importance of educational services of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. [4]
MAO College proved beneficial for the Muslims in many ways. It Provided
quality educations to the Muslims of India and after graduating from this institute
they could get better jobs in the government departments. It became a symbol of
unity for Muslims in the absence of the Muslim League. Many future leaders of
Pakistan such as Liaqat Ali Khan and Ayub Khan were educated there. Many
historians believe that this institution contributed the most for the formation of
Pakistan. It also helped to improve British Muslim relationship.
Why did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan develop his Two Nation Theory? (7)
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was the pioneer of the two nation theory. He developed
the two nation theory due to the following reasons.
First of all, Urdu had been the official language of the sub-continent for the last
many years. But the Hindus wanted to replace it with Hindi. This view wasn’t
shared by the Muslims and their dream of living along with the Hindus as a one
nation was shattered. Urdu was a historic language for the Muslims which
represented their history, culture and their superb past. Therefore, they wanted
46 | P a g e
Urdu to remain as the official language. Although Sir Syed was far from
disputation but this Urdu-Hindi controversy of 1867 had deep effect on him and
he realized that the Muslims and Hindus could never agree on something and had
different views, so he presented the two nation theory.
Similarly, the Hindus wanted to be in the parliamentary system. This idea was
rejected by the Muslims as they were a minority and knew that the Hindus being
a majority would dominate them. Sir Syed observed that the Hindus cared about
their own interests only. He knew that if the parliamentary system was imposed
there, the Muslims would always remain a minority and they would always be
treated as the slaves. Therefore, he presented the two nation theory to stress that
that the Muslims were not a minority but were a separate nation.
Last but not the least, the congress had started demanding the introduction of
competitive exams for the government jobs. Since the Muslims were far away
from English language and the western education as compared to the Hindus so
it clearly meant that only Hindus would get benefits from it. Therefore, he
realized that the Hindu mind set wanted to suppress the Muslims economically
and socially. Due to all of this, Sir Syed presented his two nation theory.
Why did Sir Syed try to improve the British-Muslim relationship? (7)
Sir Syed was a great advocate of the British-Muslim relationships. He wanted to

eliminate their differences and wished to bridge the gap between them. He
worked for their relationships due to the following reasons.
First of all, Sir Syed knew that the British were not there in India for a few days
or weeks only. He knew that the British had become so strong that they would
rule the Indians for a long time. He had this thing in mind that if the Muslims
wanted their demands to be fulfilled from the British then they would have to be
in good terms with the British. He wanted the Muslims to grow and their demands
in all fields to be fulfilled and this aim could be achieved only if they had been in
good terms with the British. Therefore, he tried to improve the relationships
between the Muslims and the British.
Similarly, the British held the Muslims responsible for the WOI of 1857 and were
severely hostile towards them. On contrary they favoured the Hindus a lot. The
Hindus were given jobs in all of the offices on high posts but the Muslims were
ignored e.g.in Indian Civil Services, there were 70 Hindus but 1 Muslim till 1870.
The Hindus were also enjoying large economic benefits as well and were
47 | P a g e
prospering rapidly but no funds were allocated to the Muslims by the British and
their financial situation was extremely deplorable. Thus, Sir Syed tried to improve
the Muslim-British relationships so that the hostility of the British towards the
Muslims be reduced and the Muslims could gain benefits like the Hindus.
Last but not the least, the Muslims viewed the British as foreign invaders. The
Muslims felt themselves to be the true rulers of India and they felt that the British
had grabbed the power from them due to which their prestige was lost. Therefore,
the Muslims were unwilling to acquire their western education. But Sir Syed
wanted to ensure that the benefits and advantages of the British rule particularly
in the areas of education, science and technology be extended towards the
Muslims. Therefore, he wanted to improve the relationship of the British and the
Muslim community and worked hard to achieve this goal.
Why was Sir Syed accused as pro-British? (7)
First of all, during the War of Independence 1857, Sir Syed saved the lives of
some British children and women. In return the British offered him estate with a
large income. Although, he refused the offer yet the other Muslims felt anger that
they were fighting against the British but he was working for the interests of the
British. That’s why he was accused as pro-British.
Similarly, Sir Syed believed that the armed uprising against the British was
pointless as they were the super-power of the time. He knew that they had most
advanced weapons and trained and experienced generals and army and none
could defeat them. He knew that this defeat could harm the Indians in the future
but the Indians especially the Muslims suspected him that he was trying to
establish the British rule upon them. Therefore, he was accused as the pro-British.
Furthermore, Sir Syed was in favour of the western education. He introduced the
western and scientific education in the Muslims so that they couldn’t be
considered as inferior and lower class people. He wanted the Muslims to enjoy
the same benefits which were enjoyed by the Hindus due to their English and
western education. Thus, he wanted them to get this education so that they could
be given jobs in the civil service. However, the Muslims thought it a propaganda
of the British and they felt that he was trying to westernize them by fulfilling their
agenda.
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Was the attempt to achieve a better understanding with the British the most
important contribution that Sir Syed Ahmad Khan made to the Muslim
cause during the nineteenth century? Explain your answer. [14]
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan can be credited for many services he rendered to uplift the
status of Muslims in British India. Some worth mentioning contributions such as
sensitizing Muslims to Western education and his work linked to increasing
political awareness among Muslims all required to enhance understanding
between the rulers and the subjects. This enhanced understanding led to further
political concessions for Muslims and particularly getting rid of the blame of
being sole aggressors in the Indians revolt of 1857.
Sir Syed suggested that the British should try to understand Muslims better. Sir
Syed believed that the position of the Muslims in the Sub-Continent could only
be improved if the relations with the British were improved. Hence Sir Syed made
a two pronged effort to bring the British and Muslims closer. On one side he
advised the Muslims not to think of armed struggle because the British were too
strong. He was aware that the British knew very little about Islam. Indeed, on a
visit to England he was so offended by an English Book on the life of Holy
Prophet (PBUH) that he immediately wrote his own work correcting many errors.
It was also true, however, that Muslims in India knew very little about
Christianity. He tried to overcome this by writing Tabyin-ul-Kalam, in which he
pointed out the similarities between Islam and Christianity and stated not to hate
Christianity because to sit and eat with Christians was not forbidden in Islam
Sir Syed explained to the British that the Muslims were not solely responsible for
the war of Independence 1857. In the book he wrote for this purpose called the
Causes of Indian Revolt. Sir Syed explained that the wrong British policies were
the cause of uprising. He further explained that the British did not understand the
needs and desires of Indian people while making laws and policies because there
were no Indian members in Viceroy’s legislative council. He also explained that
the British Indian army was mismanaged and solders rose up against their
officers.
In another book Sir Syed described at length the loyalty of the Muslims to the
British. Sir Syed also founded the “British Indian association” to bring the British
and Muslims closer. He also tried to clear up the misunderstanding among the
49 | P a g e
British who resented being called “Nadarath” by Muslims. The Britain thought it
was an insult, but Sir Syed pointed out that the word came from “Nasir” an Arabic
word, meaning Helper. So the term was the reflection of the positive image
Muslims had of the British, not an insult. Sir Syed was successful in his effort
and the misunderstanding was greatly removed.
Removal of misunderstanding between the British and the Muslims was very
important service rendered by Sir Syed as it helped revive the social and
economic conditions of the Muslim. Muslims were side-lined because of the
mistrust and suspicion which had developed. They became natural enemies, the
Muslims disliked everything linked to the British, including modern and English
education. Sir Syed’s work was able to reduce this deep-seated resentment which
prevailed against the British among the Muslims.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan took steps to change Muslims attitude towards receiving
British education. He opened schools at several places and started the scientific
society at Ghazipore in 1863. Its main purpose was to make scientific writings
available to a wider market by translating them from English, Persian or Arabic
to Urdu.
He also started publishing a magazine called the Aligarh institute Gazette in 1866.
This was to introduce modern sciences among the Muslim public. Sir Syed went
to England in 1869. He stayed there for 17 months and observed the system of
the British universities so that a university could be established on the same lines.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan opened the school at Aligarh which became M.A.O
(Mohammaden-Anglo Oriental) school in 1875 where English, Modern sciences
and as well as Islamic teachings were taught. It was later raised to the status of
university in 1920. Following the lead for Sir Syed Ahmad many Muslim high
schools and Islamia colleges were opened in many big cities of India for Muslim
students.
Sir Syed established ‘Mohammaden Educational Conference’ which was an

organization to discuss the problems of the Muslims education in India. This
greatly helped the Muslims who started getting good jobs, improved their
economic condition and improve their status in the society. Infect the propagation
of modern education among Muslims also became a big factor in achieving an
understanding between the British and Muslims and bringing them closer.
50 | P a g e
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan guided the Muslims in political sphere as well. He advised
the Muslims to keep away from congress. He opposed Western type of democracy
because it meant that the Muslims will always be in minority and will be at the
mercy of Hindus. He believed that Muslims would never win any election
because of the Hindu Majority. He, therefore, advocated the separate seats and
separate electorates which was the forerunner of the future demand for a separate
homeland. Sir Syed also strongly opposed the replacement of Urdu by Hindu in
1867 and gave his Two Nations Theory. He always kept the interests of Muslim
supreme in his mind
Therefore, it can be said that Sir Syed’s contributions in education, political

development of Muslims and social betterment of Muslims had very beneficial
effect, however his contributions towards improving the relationship between the
Muslims and the British was a task which impacted the betterment of Muslims
the most. His contributions in politics and education were not only supported by
the improved relations between the British and the Muslims, they got further
directed because of the improvement in the relationship
51 | P a g e
Chapter 05
Languages
What steps were taken to foster the growth of Urdu by the government? [4]
The government has taken steps to foster the growth of Urdu. It is the medium of
instructions in many educational institutions in Pakistan. A dictionary of office
terms in Urdu has been published and steps have been taken to move away from
English as the language of administration. Urdu is the medium for radio and
television programmes. Urdu plays and films are very popular. Urdu novels,
poetry, magazines and newspapers are widely read. Urdu is taught up to MA,
MPhil and PhD in different institutions (such as the Urdu University). Thus
scholars research the language and explore different aspects of its poetry and
prose, modernizing it. It is the compulsory subject to pass grade 10 and 12 in
educational institutions. Therefore, the language is promoted as students get
familiar with its literature and grammar.
What steps were taken to foster the growth of Sindhi by the government? [4]
Sindhi literary board was a step towards Sindhi’s development as it published
different books and magazines in Sindhi and Sindhi literary figures like Fakir
NabiBaksh and G. Allama became well known. Bazm-e-Talibul Mawla was
established to publishe books in Sindhi and have thus become known because of
their services towards Sindhi literature. Sarmast Academy was established as
tribute to Sindhi poets. It also promotes the language by printing his words and
making them available to the common people. The Sindhiology department
teaches Sindhi literature at Jamshero University up to MA level which helps
students learn more about the language.
What steps were taken to foster the growth of Punjabi by the government?
[4]
Books on academic subjects like Law, Medicine, Science, History and
Philosophy published in Punjabi. Thus developed as it’s been used as a means of
imparting education. The Punjabi University teaches it up to master’s level. Thus
the language is promoted as students and scholars do research in different aspects
of its literature, which helps to modernize the language. Radio Pakistan in Lahore,
plus TV shows. These promote it though dramas and serials and news. Punjabi
theatre and films are also widely appreciated by because of their quality. Thus,
by using it as a source of information and entertainment it’s understanding has
52 | P a g e
been improved among the masses. Quran was translated into Punjabi by
Muhammad Ali Faiq. Thus promoted on religious lines as Punjabi Muslims read
it with interest.
What steps were taken to foster the growth of Pashto by the government?
[4]
Establishment of Peshawar University and the post graduate Pashto literature
classes promote the language and literature among the masses and it is thus more
widely known. Academy for the promotion of Pashto Literature was set up in
1954 and this prepared a widely accepted and known Pashto dictionary which
helped creating vocabulary and increasing understanding of Pashto amongst the
people. Pashto tv channels newspapers magazines songs and movies are
introduced which plays an important role for promotion of this language.
What steps were taken to foster the growth of Balochi by the government?
[4]
Broadcasts in Balochi on radio Pakistan Karachi was started to promote the
language. Quetta Television help to make it more important through news,
entertainment programmers. Balochi Literary Association was set up and there
are now weekly and monthly magazines published in the languages under it.
Thus, this association promoted Balochi by encouraging different writers and
helping in gaining more resources. Many notable poets and writers such as Ishaq
Shamim and others are also making Balochi widely available to the interested
people through their works, thus promoting it.
Why did Pakistan choose Urdu as its national language in 1947? [7]
One of the reasons why Urdu became the national language in Pakistan is its long
history. It was widely used in Mughal period and dates back as far as the sultans
of Delhi. In its early stages it was used by the Muslim armies and became widely
spoken and understood in many parts of the sub-continent. So it was natural that
such a well-known and established language would be chosen.
Another reason for Urdu being chosen was its high status. Some of the finest early
poets such as Amir Khusrou wrote in Urdu and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s school
at Aligarh became a centre for Urdu study. Many religious books, including the
Quran, were translated into Urdu. So it was considered an important language
with a rich literary tradition.
53 | P a g e
Perhaps the major reason for Urdu being chosen was the fact that it was so closely
associated with the Pakistan Movement. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan supported it and
the Muslim league was formed not only to defend Muslim interests, but also to
protect Urdu. The Quaid-e-Azam was particularly keen to promote Urdu as he
saw it was it as a unifying force. Since Pakistan was a new country, it was very
appropriate to pick a language which had played a part in unifying Muslims.
Why have regional languages been promoted by the Pakistan government

since 1947? [7]
One of the reasons was that it was felt by the Pakistan government that in order
to preserve the work done by the famous writers and poets in different languages,
the languages should be promoted. The literature they produced must be kept
alive for the coming generations. Works like of Munir Niazi, Atta Shad, Ashfaq
Ahmad and others in areas of regional languages should be protected. So because
of this thinking, govt. of Pakistan had made every possible attempt to promote
the regional languages.
Similarly, some languages played an important role in the history of Pakistan. For
example, Pushto literature had played a very important part in creating opposition
to British rule and in the movement for independence. There to elevate the
standard of such languages, govt. of Pakistan has tried to promote the regional
languages since 1947.
Last but not the least, at the time of partition, there were some languages that
were at the brink of decline. Like Balochi, which was at its decline at the time of
partition. So govt. felt that it should be kept alive and not lost forever. Hence the
language was promoted.
How successful has Pakistan been in promoting its regional languages? [14]
Since 1947, the Pakistan government has taken strong measures for the
development and promotion of its regional languages, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto
and Balochi, though some others like Brohi, Persian, Kashmiri and Siraiki are
also spoken.
Punjabi, which is widely understood in Punjab, Azad Kashmir and few areas of
N.W.F.P, has been promoted by the Govt. through media. Punjabi films, dramas
and theatres have been become very popular. Newspaper, journals and magazines
have also been very significant in promoting Punjabi culture & literature. New
54 | P a g e
poets and writers like Munir Niazi, Ahmad Rahi, S.Kunjahi, Ashfaq Ahmad,
Bano Qudsia and others have produce master pieces of poetry and writings in
Punjabi. The Holy Quran has also been translated into Punjabi by M.Ali Faiq.
Punjabi is taught up to MA level in Punjab University and Punjab Academy has
translated and produced many books in Punjabi. This way round its promotion is
quite significant.
Pashto, language spoken in N.W.F.P, has also been given due important in
promotion and development. Peshawar University was established after 3 year of
independence where Pashto is taught up to MA level. Pashto Academy was set
up in 1954 which has prepared a well-renowned dictionary under Maulana
A.Qadir. Pashto dramas and films have also gained importance. Pashto papers,
journals and books have also helped Pashto language to promote. New writers &
poets have also added to this contribution by producing classic poetry and stories
Pashto typewriter has also been prepared. Hence Pashto has greatly been
promoted over the year.
Sindhi, spoken in Sindh, have also been nourished and nurtured through
promotion and development since 1947. Sindhi literary board was set up in 1948
which had produced many books with coordination of poets like F.N Bux and G.
Allone. Sindhi library in Karachi has helped Sindhi literature spread. Many folk
writings have also been produced. Bazm-e-Talib-ul-Muola have been set up
which translates books into Sindhi. Sindhiology Dept. in Jamshoro University
and development & promotion of Sindhi literature and culture through modern
means. Example: TV, radio, newspapers e.t.c.
Balochi language which was at its decline before partition was given special
attention for its promotion. Radio Pak Karachi now also broadcast in Balochi.
Quetta TV centre have been producing marvelous dramas to help, develop and
translate many books to Balochi and new poets like Atta Shad and writers have
greatly contributed towards its promotion.
Thus, Pakistan has been very successful in promotion of its regional languages.
These languages have developed a lot due to Government policies designed for
this purpose. On the other hand, poets & writers have also aided in this promotion
and development.
55 | P a g e

Section One History Long Notes by Sir Shahid

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Section One History Long Notes by Sir Shahid

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ABSTRACT

The demand for the creation of Pakistan

HISTORY AND CULTURE OF

By: Mian Shahid Mahmood

World Distinction Pak Studies CAIE 2022

History and Culture of Pakistan

Chapter Number Chapter Name Page Number

One Decline of the Mughal 02-09

The East India Company

Two The Religious 21-35

Three The War of 36-44

Four Sir Syed Ahmed Khan 45-51

Five Languages 52-56

Chapter One: Causes of the Mughal Decline

What was practice of Sutti or Satti? [4]

Who was Ahmed Shah Abdali? [4]

Who was Nadir Shah Durrani? [4]

What was Jizya? [4]

but Aurangzeb introduced it again in India, Mughals lost loyalty of non-Muslim

What was Mansabdari system? [4]

Mughal emperor Akbar introduced a new system officially called mansabdars

Who was Shivaji? [4]

Who were Zamindars? [4]

Why was imposition of Jizya tax opposed by the Hindus? [7]

Similarly, declining military expertise of the Mughal army under successor of

Select any one reason to justify the conclusion

Select any one reason to justify the conclusion

The East India Company(EIC)

What was East India company? [4]

East India Company was a trading company founded by a group of British

Who was Roberet Clive? [4]

What was battle of Plassey 1757? [4]

What was Black Hole incident of Calcutta? [4]

Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula attacked Fort William, Calcutta in 1756 with help of

Who was Mir Qasim? [4]

Who was Hyder Ali? [4]

Who was Tipu Sulatan? [4]

Who was Lord Wellesley? [4]

Describe Subsidiary Alliances. [4]

What was regulating act of 1773? [4]

Who were Zamindars? [4]

What was India Pitts Act 1784? [4]

Who was Warren Hastings? [4]

He was first Governor General or Viceroy of India. He Introduced a number of

What was Treaty of Lahore? [4]

What was Doctrine of Lapse? [4]

What was annexation of Sindh? [4]

What was Queen's proclamation of 1858? [4]

Who were Thugees? [4]

British Success/ Indian Failure

Indian Success/British Failures

Do agree with one fact of your choice

remain independent. A rebellion broke out in Afghanistan in 1841 in which

Do agree with one fact of your choice

Chapter 02: Religious Reformers

Creation of peaceful co-existence between Muslim sects was more important

Agree with one fact

Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barailvi (1786-1831)

Who was Syed Ahmed Barailvi Shaheed? [4]

What was the Jihad Movement? [4]

Who was Maharaja Ranjeet Singh? [4]

Similarly, he wanted to establish an Islamic state based on Islamic principles. In

How successful was Jihad Movement in achieving its objectives? [14]