Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: education and the Aligarh Movement

O Level Pakistan Studies History · Cultural and historical background to the Pakistan Movement: 1857, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and languages. A short explanation of the idea, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid, a worked example and practice questions with answers.

Test this topic freeAll O Level Pakistan Studies History topics

The idea

After 1857 Muslims were poor, distrusted by the British and behind in education. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817 to 1898) believed the answer was modern education. If Muslims learned English and science, they could compete for government jobs and regain their position.

He opened schools at Moradabad and Ghazipur, set up the Scientific Society to translate Western books into Urdu, and used his journal Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq to urge social reform.

His greatest work was the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental school at Aligarh in 1875, which became a college. It was modelled on Oxford and Cambridge and taught Western subjects in English alongside Islamic teaching. This work is called the Aligarh Movement.

Rules to remember

Common mistake

Sir Syed did not want Western learning to replace Islam. Aligarh taught Western subjects together with Islamic teaching.

Worked example

How was the aim of the Scientific Society different from the aim of the Muhammadan Educational Conference?

  1. The Scientific Society (1863) worked with books: it translated Western works into Urdu so Muslims could read modern knowledge.
  2. The Educational Conference (1886) worked with people: it met in different cities to spread the message of modern education.
  3. Both served the same larger goal of the Aligarh Movement.

Answer: The Society translated Western learning into Urdu; the Conference carried the call for modern education to Muslims across India.

Practice questions

Try each one, then open the answer.

1. Where did Sir Syed open schools before his work at Aligarh?

  1. A
    Lahore and Peshawar
  2. B
    Moradabad and Ghazipur
  3. C
    Dhaka and Calcutta
  4. D
    Delhi and Lucknow
Show answer

Answer: B. He founded schools while posted as a judicial officer at Moradabad and then Ghazipur.

2. Which group strongly opposed Sir Syed's educational and religious ideas?

  1. A
    the British government
  2. B
    conservative ulama
  3. C
    Hindu zamindars of Bengal
  4. D
    the Faraizi leaders
Show answer

Answer: B. Some ulama feared Western learning would weaken faith, called him a 'Nechari' and issued fatwas against him. The British supported the college.

3. Why did Sir Syed set up the Muhammadan Educational Conference in 1886?

  1. A
    to prepare Muslim candidates to stand in elections
  2. B
    to fight the Hindi-Urdu case in the law courts
  3. C
    to spread modern education among Muslims across India
  4. D
    to raise money in India for the Ottoman Caliph
Show answer

Answer: C. The Conference met in different cities each year to promote education beyond Aligarh. The Muslim League was founded at its 1906 session.

More questions on this topic

Read the full notes

Keep going

← Consequences of the War of IndependenceSir Syed Ahmad Khan: religion, politics and the Two-Nation Theory →All rules on one pageStuck? Ask a question