Pakistan Notes
The Aligarh Movement
The War of Independence 1857 ended in a disaster for the Muslims. The British believed that the Muslims were responsible for the war of 1857 and therefore,
they were subjected to ruthless punishment and merciless revenge. The British had always looked upon the Muslims as their enemies because they had ousted
them from power. With the war of 1857 this feeling was intensified and every attempt was made to ruin and suppress the Muslims forever. Thus the Mughal rule
came to an end and the sub- continent went directly under the British crown.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan made modern education the way to progress
After the Muslim rule, the new rulers, the British, implemented a new educational policy with drastic changes. The policy restricted Arabic, Persian and
religious education in schools and made English as the only medium of instruction as well as the official language in 1835. A wrong attitude of everything
modern and Western, and disinclination to make use of the opportunities opening under the new regime was created among the Muslims. This tendency, had it
continued long, would have proved disastrous for the Muslim community.
Such were the days of despair and despondency when Sir Syed appeared on the horizon of Muslim India to rescue them. Sir Syed had the conviction that
regeneration of the Indian Muslims had not at all visualized that mankind had entered a very important phase of its existence, i.e. an era of science and
learning which was the source of progress and prosperity for the British. Therefore, modern education became the pivot of his movement for the regeneration
of the Indian Muslims, which brought a complete orientation in their lives. He tried to transform Muslim minds from medieval outlook to a modern one.
Hali and Shibli were also associated with the Aligarh Movement.
Sir Syed’s first and foremost objective was to modernize the Muslims following the Western cultural values that
The War of Independence 1857 ended in a disaster for the Muslims. The British believed that the Muslims were responsible for the war of 1857 and therefore,
they were subjected to ruthless punishment and merciless revenge. The British had always looked upon the Muslims as their enemies because they had ousted
them from power. With the war of 1857 this feeling was intensified and every attempt was made to ruin and suppress the Muslims forever. Thus the Mughal rule
came to an end and the sub- continent went directly under the British crown.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan made modern education the way to progress
After the Muslim rule, the new rulers, the British, implemented a new educational policy with drastic changes. The policy restricted Arabic, Persian and
religious education in schools and made English as the only medium of instruction as well as the official language in 1835. A wrong attitude of everything
modern and Western, and disinclination to make use of the opportunities opening under the new regime was created among the Muslims. This tendency, had it
continued long, would have proved disastrous for the Muslim community.
Such were the days of despair and despondency when Sir Syed appeared on the horizon of Muslim India to rescue them. Sir Syed had the conviction that
regeneration of the Indian Muslims had not at all visualized that mankind had entered a very important phase of its existence, i.e. an era of science and
learning which was the source of progress and prosperity for the British. Therefore, modern education became the pivot of his movement for the regeneration
of the Indian Muslims, which brought a complete orientation in their lives. He tried to transform Muslim minds from medieval outlook to a modern one.
Hali and Shibli were also associated with the Aligarh Movement.
Sir Syed’s first and foremost objective was to modernize the Muslims following the Western cultural values that