Book & Author
Professor Noor ul Hasan Naqvi: Muhammadan College Say Muslim University Tak — 1875 – 2000 (From Muhammadan College to the Muslim University — 1875 - 2000)
By Dr Ahmed S. Khan
Chicago, IL
“From the seed which we sow today, there may spring up a mighty tree, whose branches, like those of the banyan of the soil, shall in their turn strike firm roots into the earth, and themselves send forth new and vigorous saplings; that this College may expand into a University, whose sons shall go forth throughout the length and breadth of land to preach the gospel of free inquiry, of large hearted tolerance, and pure mortality.” - Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
The first war of Independence — also known as Sepoy mutiny, Indian mutiny, Revolt of 1857, Jang-e-Azaadi or Ghadir — was a major, but unsuccessful struggle against the British Raj in India. It began in Meerut, near Delhi, by the Indian troops (Sepoys) serving the British East India Company, and spread to other areas like Delhi, Thana Bhawan, Kanpur and Lucknow, finally erupting into other revolts and uprisings all over India. The lack of organized central leadership and technological warfare resources led to the defeat of the freedom fighters in Gwalior on June 20, 1858, and thus, the revolt ended on July 8, 1858.
After the failure of the revolt, the facade of the East India Company ended, and the British Crown took complete control over India. Queen Victoria became the Empress of India. The British held Muslims as the main actors of the revolt and thus Muslims became the prime target of British wrath and vengeance. The British implemented policies to curb Muslim influence in society.
The Muslims were denied government jobs, and their political power was curbed. The British confiscated properties of Muslims and brought newly manufactured products from England to crush local Muslim businesses. They also imposed their own educational system highlighting British norms and cultural values. The use of Urdu and Persian was abolished. The missionaries also got active and started attacking Islam with an intention to attenuate the faith of Muslim youth. This new environment was a major shock for Muslims — they refused to accept it and considered it a threat to their faith — hence, they started to lag behind in all walks of life.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (17 October 1817 – 27 March 1898) realized that the main reason for Muslims’ backwardness was lack of modern education viz a viz science and technology, and for Muslims to excel and advance they have to acquire modern education — the cure for all social ills which were so prevalent in the Indian society. He had observed: "The purpose of education has always been to enable a man to develop his intellectual powers to the full so that he may grasp the significance of any situation that arises". Sir Syed faced two major challenges: (1) How to change Muslim mindset to adopt a rationalist approach, rather than emotional, for progress, and (2) How to collect enormous capital required to transform his vision into reality.
Muhammadan College Say Muslim University Tak — 1875 - 2000 (From Muhammadan College to the Muslim University — 1875 - 2000) by Professor Noor ul Hasan Naqvi (published by Educational Book House, Aligarh, 2001) chronicles the evolution of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) — from a Madrassah to a College and finally to a University.
Noor ul Hasan Naqvi sahib, former Professor of Urdu, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and former editor of prestigious literary magazines Tahzibul Akhlaq and Fikr-o-Nazar, has authored a number of important titles which include Ghalib: Shair-o-Maktoob Nigar, Fun-e-Tanqeed aur Urdu Tanqeed Nigari, Falsafa-e-Jamal aur Urdu shairi, Char DarveshooN ka Qissa, Nazeer Ahmad, Iqbal: Shair-o-Mufakkir, Iqbal Fun aur Falsafa, Tareekh-e-Adab-e-Urdu, Sir Syed aur unke Karnamay, and Sir Syed aur Hindustani Musalman.
Professor Noor ul Hasan Naqvi sahib narrates the story of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in four parts. Part I presents profiles of Sir Syed’s helpers and his associates which include Mohsin ul Mulk Syed Mehdi Ali Khan, Waqar ul Mulk Nawab Mushtaq Hussain, Shamsul Ulmah Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali, Shamsul Ulmah Shibli Nomani, Shamsul Ulmah Maulvi Nazir Ahmed, Maulvi Sami Ullah Khan, Justice Syed Mahmood, Raja Jai Kishan Das, Maulvi Syed Zain ul Abideen, Shamsul Ulmah Maulvi Zakaullah Khan, Maulvi Chirag Ali, Principal Theodore Beck, Principal Theodore Morrison, and Professor Thomas Walker Arnold.
Part II discusses the Aligarh movement viz a viz the freedom struggle, social uplift, Sir Syed’s religious thoughts, educational plans, and Urdu language and literature.
Part III covers the evolution of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) during the period 1875 to 2000, starting as a madrassa in first phase and then in second phase, formation of Muhammadan College, and finally in the third phase developing into a university. The author provides details about the establishment of various departments and faculties, construction of Maulana Azad Library, hostels and other buildings, formation of student clubs and cultural organizations, and a list and profiles of its famous alumni which include President of Pakistan Muhammed Ayub Khan, President of India Dr Zakir Husain, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Mansoor Ali, President of Maldives Amin Halmi Dedi, Governor general of Pakistan Khwaja Nazimuddin, Governor General of Pakistan Ghulam Muhammed, Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan, Wali e Riyasat e Bhopal Muhammed Hameed Ullah Khan, Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Maulana Muahmmed Ali Johar, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Abdur Rab Nishtar, Chaudhary Khaleeq uz Zaman, Syed Rauf Pasha (Palestine), Ghaus Bux Bazinjo, Abdur Rehman Sindhi, Qazi Shafiqur Rehman Qidwai, Nawab Ahmed Saeed of Chattari, Shaikh Muhammed Abdullah, Ghulam Farooq, Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Nawab Hasan Askari, Khawaja Shahabuddin, Pir Elhi Bux, Sir Ras Masood, Professor Abu Bakar Haleem, Dr Ibn e Raza, Professor Ehsan Rasheed, Professor Masoom Ali Tirmizi, Justice Abul Haleem, Justice Inam ullah, Justice Abdul Haleem Khan, Ali Sardar Jafri, Maulvi Abdul Haq, Sajad Haider Yaldrum, Qurratulain Haider, Azeem Baig Chagatai, Mushtaq Yusufai, Ibrahim Jalees and numerous others.
Part IV provides profiles of the benefactors of university which include Sir Agha Khan, Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum, Maharaja Muhammed Ali Khan of Mahmudabad, Sahibzada Aftab Ahmed Khan, Nawab Sir Muzammil Khan Sherwani, Dr Sir Ziauddin, Sir Ras Masood, Maulana Habib ur Rehman Khan Sherwani, Babu Jadu Chunder Chakravarty, Justice Syed Karamat Husain, Baba e Urdu Maulvi Abdul Haq, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, Maulana Muhammed Ali Johar, Raja Mohinder Pratap Singh, Chaudhry Khaleeq uz Zaman, Khawaja Nazimuddin, Liaquat Ali Khan, Professor Rashid Ahmed Siddiqui, Professor Abu Bakr Haleem, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, Professor Nazeer Ahmed, Shaikh Hasan Atta, Zul Ahmed Nizami and many others.
The author states that to establish a modern education system in India Sir Syed travelled to England and examined the educational practices at Oxford and Cambridge. There were two objectives of Sir Syed’s visit to England: (1) He wanted to defend the honor of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) by writing a reply to Sir William Muir's book on Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and, (2) to examine the education system at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He wrote Khutbat-e-Ahmadiya to refute the accusations of William Muir's book on the life of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). He visited Oxford and Cambridge Universities, observed and recorded all aspects of the education system; he even asked British civil engineers to prepare the blueprints of various academic buildings, which were later used for the construction of various AMU campus buildings.
After his return from England Sir Syed worked zealously for the educational advancement of Muslims in India, and on May 24, 1875, he established Madrasatul Uloom Musalmanan-e-Hind (a primary school) which proved to be the steppingstone for modern education for Muslims in India. This started a movement for the renaissance of Muslims – known as the Aligarh Movement – to excel Muslims in social, religious, cultural and economic domains.
The author notes that a group of very dedicated people — Syed Mahmud (son of Sir Syed), Mohsin-ul-Mulk, Viqar-ul-Mulk, Maulvi Sami-ullah Khan, Altaf Husain Hali and Raja Jai Kishan Das and others — supported Sir Syed’s mission viz a viz Aligarh Movement. The author also highlights the accomplishments of all principals of the M.A.O. College: Henry Siddons (1877–1884), Theodore Beck (1884–1899), Theodore Morison (1899–1905), William Archbold (1905–1909), J. H. Towle (1909–1919), and Ziauddin Ahmad (1919–1920), and all vice chancellors of AMU — Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan Raja sahib of Mahmudabad (1920 – 1923), Nawab Mohammad Muzammil Ullah Khan Sherwani (1927 -1929), Sir Syed Ross Masood (1929 – 1934), Dr. Ziauddin Ahad (1935 – 1938), Zahid Husain ( April-August, 1947), Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khan (October 1947 – November 1948), Dr Zakir Husain (November 1948 – September 1956), Colonel B.H. Zaidi (October 1956 – November 1962), Badruddin Tayyabji (1962 – 1965), Nawab Ali Yavar Jung (1965 – 1968), Professor Abdul Aleem (1968 – 1974), Professor A. M. Khusro (1974 – 1979), Saiyid Hamid Ali (1980 – 1985), Syed Hashim Ali (1985 – 1989), Professor M.N. Faruqui (1990 – 1994), Mahmoodur Rahman (1995 – 2000), and Hamid Ansari (2000 - ).
All his life Sir Syed strived for the advancement of Muslims in India. Some of his major accomplishments are: Establishing a Persian Madrassa in Moradabad (November 5, 1859), organizing a Scientific Society in Ghazipur (January 9, 1864), establishing Victoria School in Ghazipur (March 1864), publishing Tahzibul Akhlaq (December 24, 1870) — a journal to communicate ideas about social reforms, Establishing Madrasatul Uloom Musalmanan-e-Hind (May 24, 1875) — its status was raised to the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (M.A.O.) College (January 8, 1877) [the status of College was raised to the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on December 1, 1920, via passing of an Act by the Indian Legislative Council], Organizing All-India Muslim Educational Conference (December 1886), and writing many books — on a multitude of topics — which include Asar-us-Sanadid (Archaeological History of the Ruins of Delhi), Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (The Reasons for the Indian Revolt), and Khutbaat-e-Ahmadiya (Lectures on Islam).
The author highlights important milestones during various phases of development of AMU: The first phase (1875 - 1898) from the founding of Madrasat-ul-Uloom to the demise of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the second phase (1898 - 1920) from the death of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan to the incorporation of Aligarh Muslim University, the third phase (1920 – 1947) from the incorporation of the Aligarh Muslim University to the independence of India, and the final phase (1947-2001) from independence of the country to the publication of the book.
Today — as Aligarh Muslim University struggles to retain its minority status — it remains an embodiment of Sir Syed’s vision via Aligarh Movement for the renaissance of Muslims in intellectual, educational, social and economic domains. The impact of the Aligarh Movement led to development of a number of Muslim institutions of higher learning in Pakistan, India — Nadvatul Ulema, Lucknow, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and Jamia Hamdard, Delhi — and all over the Muslim world. Commenting on the greatness of Sir Syed, Allama Dr Muhammed Iqbal has observed: "The real greatness of Sir Syed consists in the fact that he was the first Indian Muslim who felt the need of a fresh orientation of Islam and worked for it — his sensitive nature was the first to react to modern age."
Muhammadan College Say Muslim University Tak — 1875 - 2000 (From Muhammadan College to the Muslim University — 1875 - 2000) by Professor Noor ul Hasan Naqvi is an important book. Professor Noor ul Hasan sahib has done an excellent job of narrating the history of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). The book is an essential reading for all students and educators, especially those belonging to Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.
