A Short Note on Aligarh Movement

In the later years of the 19th century, the Aligarh movement was an initiative to set up a system of Western-style scientific education in British India for the Muslim population. The origin of the movement is from Aligarh, which is where it has derived its name from. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was the founder of Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College and some institutions that developed from it. The chief person leading the Aligarh movement objectives was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. This Muslim renaissance movement has profound implications for the culture, society, politics, and religion of the Indian subcontinent. 

History of the Aligarh Movement

The Muslim society was deteriorating during the mutiny period after the failure of the Revolt of 1857. The condition of the Muslim society was found to be culturally, socially, and educationally backward by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. This movement was initiated to regenerate Muslim society and initiate intellectual upliftment in Muslim society. 

The Aligarh movement introduced a new trend in Urdu literature. The movement’s main purpose was imparted in the following way – the old method of writing Urdu was left behind, and a simpler style of writing was adopted. The academic and rhetorical style of writing was left behind. This movement was led by a major figure, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.

Aligarh Movement Objectives

The chief Aligarh Movement objectives included convincing the section of Muslim individuals to gain the recent English language and knowledge. The other objectives of the Aligarh movement include:

• To promote and maintain the economic and political significance of the Muslim community
• To build a sense of trust between the Muslim community and the government

Outcomes of the Aligarh Movement

The political emancipation of the Muslims in India was highly contributed due to the Aligarh Movement. As compared to the other movements of the 19th century, this movement had more influence on the Muslim society of India. Many socio-religious movements grew in the 19th century as a result of the Aligarh movement. During the 20th century, the influence of this movement was visible in the other regions of the Indian sub-continent other than North India. The growth of institutes including Osmania University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Dacca University, and Aligarh Muslim University was promoted by the annual Educational conferences that took place in different parts of the country

Role of the Aligarh Movement in Politics

Separate politics was encouraged by the Aligarh Movement even though it began as a reform movement. This movement created a division between Muslims and Hindus. The Indian National movement was weakened by the sense of separation among Muslims. 

The Muslim community was guided to keep a distance from the nationalistic movements. These nationalistic movements were initiated in 1885 by the National Congress of India. 

The aspirations of the Muslim community of India were voiced by some of the graduated of Aligarh College in the Muslim League. Communalism grew in India as a result of the Aligarh movement. Instead of positively affecting politics, it turned to promoting communalism in India.

Impact of the Aligarh Movement on Society and Eucation

One of the most important reformers of Muslims, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, caused the upliftment of Muslims by favouring modern scientific education. He was against narrow-mindedness and fanaticism. He prompted the Muslim community to the tolerant and broadminded. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wanted the Muslim community to create freedom of thought and develop a critical approach that he realised would not come from religious education alone. He wanted his community to upgrade themselves. 

He wanted Muslims to adopt western learning methods since it was the only way toward achieving enlightenment. Throughout Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s life, the promotion of western education among the Muslim community was one of his chief concerns.

The Opposition to the Aligarh Movement

The conservative Ulemas were the critics of the Aligarh movement. Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī, who was a Pan-Islamist thinker, opposed the Aligarh movement. Munshi Sajjad Hussain, Akbar Allahabadi, and Pandit Ratan Nath Sarshar ridiculed this movement in the Awadh Punch. They were against Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s idea of promoting westernised customs and ethics among their community. Another group of individuals who opposed the Aligarh Movement was the Deoband school.

Conclusion

This article comprises information on the Aligarh movement led by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. The movement was initiated to uplift the Muslim community by indulging them in western education and learning methods. The above-written article begins with information on the history and initiation of the Aligarh movement. After that, information on the objectives, the role of the movement in politics, and the impact of the movement on society and education are mentioned. The article ended with the details of individuals who opposed the initiation, working, and objectives of the Aligarh movement.