A: Aligarh Movement

As we know that, after the war of independence the condition of the Muslims of India were very miserable as the British fell more on the
Muslims than on Hindus.

They considered that Muslims were responsible for all the wrongs and the war held just because of their harsh and rude behavior.
After 1857, the Muslims emerged as a backward nation; they were illiterate and hopelessly ignorant in every walk of life. They
were deprived of their basic rights and were neglected in every sphere of life.
Nevertheless, they were economically, politically, socially and to be more exact religiously made the subject of ruthless
punishment.
They were helpless before the British and their combine lobby with Hindus; so, in these conditions they neither trusted Hindus
nor British, who spared no effort to tortured Muslims.

In such conditions, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan came forward and tried to help the Muslims come out from such deplorable and miserable conditions.
He started a movement known as Aligarh Movement in order to give respectable position to Muslims in society. Aligarh Movement is, in fact, the
name of continuous struggle of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan that he launched for the betterment of Muslims. This movement performed the educational, social,
religious and literary services for the Muslims, so Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Aligarh Movement are the two names of one and the same thing . Sir Syed and his
colleagues by their combined efforts tried to equip the Muslims community of Sub-Continent with modern knowledge and English language. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
was a visionary leader and he envisioned that without acquiring modern knowledge the Muslims cannot compete with the Hindus. Thats why he advised the
Muslims to acquire modern language to regain their lost glory in the Sub-Continent.
B: Main Purpose of the movement

The main focus of the Aligarh movement was:

1. To create an atmosphere of mutual understanding between the British government and the Muslims.
2. To persuade Muslims to learn English education.
3. To persuade Muslims to abstain from politics of agitation.
4. To produce an intellectual class from amongst the Muslim community.

C: Significance of Aligarh Movement in History

The contribution and significance of Aligarh Movement for the revival and regeneration of the Muslims of Sub-Continent are commendable
1. Aligarh developed as the most important center of the intellectual development for the Muslims of South Asia and its students those who studied at Aligarh
College came from all over India from different parts of India.
2. In addition to this there were a lot of intellectual activities going on for example publication of different books and the activities of Scientific Society.
3. Then this movement created students who were combined to different traditions. The students learned modern knowledge English language, modern western
philosophy and they also acquired Islamic knowledge and this was a significant feature of this Aligarh College.
4. The 4th major achievement of the Aligarh Education System was that it brought forward a group of students who were very conscious of what was happening
in India and outside India.

a. This educated class that developed in India was instrumental in promoting Muslim identity and also advocating the Muslim demands to the govt and
to others.
5. Another, important contribution of this movement was that it inspired other educational movements in India.
6. The major contribution of this movement was that the Mohammedan Educational Conference that was created by these Muslim leaders had become a kind of
a forum where Muslims from different parts of India would come together and they would discuss not only education but all those issues which were of great
concern to Muslims.
7. The Aligarh Movement helped poets and writers to leave the romantic style of prose and poetry, and suggested the adoption of a moral, cultural, historical
and political attitude which influenced the common life of the life of the Indian Muslim.

Aligarh Movement after the death of sir Syed:

Effects of Aligarh Movement
a. Introduction:
Aligarh Movement maintained its legacy as it produced a number of Muslim leaders who worked for the betterment of their coreligionists
during and after the death of its founder Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Aligarh Movement trained the Muslims how to deal with the prevailing

new circumstances. It guided the Muslims in every field of life.

b. Freedom fighter produced by Aligarh:
Aligarh Movement worked to awaken the Muslims of South Asia. A number of Muslim leaders like Nawab Viqar ul Muluk,
Nawab Mohsin ul Mulk, Moulana Shibli Naumani, and Moulana Altaf Hussain Hali played not only an important role in the
success of Aligarh Movement but also in the success of Pakistan movement.
c. British People-Muslim Reconciliation
Due to Aligarh Movement the feelings of hatred against Muslims started diminishing from the hearts of the English. The British
people started coming closer to the Muslims.
d. Protection of Rights and demand of separate electorate
Aligarh Movement created an awareness of the protection of rights among the Muslims. Sir Syed spent whole of his life in

improving the educational, social, economic and political affairs of the Muslims. Aligarh College was the biggest educational
institution of the Muslims. Its educated persons presented the problems of the masses before the government that considered
from favourably. In 1906 the demand for separate electorate forwarded through the Simla Deputation was accepted.
e. Supply of Political Leadership
The Muslims got education from Aligarh Movement and made themselves capable to face Hindus and the English. Muslim
League was established by the educated political leadership that also owed to Aligarh Movement. Political awareness was created
among the masses by Aligarh Movement. In fact the struggle for the establishment was originated from this movement.

f. Concept of Separate Nation

Aligarh Movement made the Muslims realized that they were a separate nation having a glorious past, and also made it clear that
Hindus and Muslims were two nations and could not unite together. Moreover Hindus were not the well-wishers of Muslims. This
two nation theory was made the basis of Pakistan Movement by Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who got
a separate homeland for Muslims.
g. Acquisition of Western Education
Muslims were afraid of western education but they could not make progress without it. As the source of modern sciences was the
English language so it was necessary for them to learn it. Therefore arrangements of western sciences side by side with Islamic
education were made in Aligarh College that motivated a large number of Muslims to get education. Aligarh Movement also
persuaded other affluent Muslims to start educational institutions; and in a short time the Muslims became prominent in the fields
of English and modern education.
h. Economic Progress
Aligarh Movement attracted the Muslims towards education and made them enabled to improve their economic conditions. By
getting the share in government jobs, the Muslims rose to the higher positions, and in this way the economic condition of the
Muslims improved a lot.
i. Muslim Unity
Aligarh Movement created a sense of Muslims nationality. A Muslim wherever he lives in the world is a member of Muslim
Nation. In 1919 the educated youth of Aligarh College launched Khilafat Movement for the Muslims of Turkey. They created a
sense of unity among the Muslims. Hence feelings of union, relationship and brotherhood were developed among them.
j. Aligarh movement was the base of Pakistan movement:
The Pakistan Movement was the result of a series of social, political, and intellectual transformations in subcontinent. However, the first organized
political movement that was led by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan known as Aligarh movement built the genesis of the Pakistan movement. The Muslim
reformers like Nawab Waqar Mulq took the Aligarh movement to the political stage in the form of establishing the mainstream and then newly
formed All-India Muslim League (AIML), with prominent moderate leaders seeking to protect the basic rights of Muslims in the British Raj