A STUDY OF SIR SYED’S ALIGARH MOVEMENT: FROM VISION TO MISSION

The Aligarh Movement was launched by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan along with his associates for the renaissance of Indian Muslims in the second half of the 19th century. Though this movement was multi-dimensional with respect to social, political, economic and educational issues of Muslim community but it was more inclined to the educational aspect. According to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, it is education which could minimize the sufferings of Indians particularly Muslims. Sir Syed was always secular in his approach but well aware of the fact that it was his community who had suffered most after the defeat in the Revolt of 1857. In Delhi alone, thousands of Ulama (Islamic religious scholars) were hanged and thousands were abandoned who had a glorious past in the Mughal era. Many of the Muslims educational institutions (maktabs and madrasas) were destroyed by the British on the account of the uprising led by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. In this paper, an attempt has been made to identify the influences on ideology of Syed Ahmad Khan which had broadened his vision leading to launch the mission for the betterment of his community from backwardness in the changed scenario.