Sir Syed & Aligarh Movement

Following the failed 1857 war, the Muslims of the subcontinent faced severe social, economic, and political challenges. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898) emerged as a visionary leader who believed that the survival and prosperity of Muslims depended on modern education and a policy of non-confrontation with the British. His efforts, collectively known as the Aligarh Movement, laid the intellectual foundation for the Two-Nation Theory.

• Educational Reform: Establishment of schools and the MAO College to provide modern scientific education.
• Religious Reform: Promoting a rational interpretation of Islam to bridge the gap between religious and modern knowledge.
• Political Vision: Advising Muslims to stay away from agitational politics (like the Indian National Congress) and focus on self-improvement.
• Literary Reform: Using the Urdu language as a tool for social change through publications like Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq.

• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is famously known as the first proponent of the Two-Nation Theory in the modern era, especially after the Urdu-Hindi controversy in Banaras (1867).
• "Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq" (Social Reformer) was the influential journal started by Sir Syed to improve the social and moral conduct of Muslims.
• "Asar-us-Sanadid" is one of Sir Syed’s most famous historical works, documenting the ancient buildings of Delhi.
• "Risala Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind" (The Causes of the Indian Revolt) was written by Sir Syed to explain to the British that their own policies had led to the 1857 uprising.
• MAO College was modeled after the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

• Q: Who is the founder of the Aligarh Movement?
• A: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
• Q: When was the Scientific Society established?
• A: 1864 (in Ghazipur).
• Q: What is the title of the journal started by Sir Syed for social reform?
• A: Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq.
• Q: In which year was the MAO College established in Aligarh?
• A: 1877.

"Sir Syed Ahmad Khan first expressed the idea of the 'Two-Nation Theory' following which event in 1867?"

A) Formation of the Indian National Congress

B) Urdu-Hindi Controversy in Banaras

C) Partition of Bengal

D) Simla Deputation

(Correct: B - Urdu-Hindi Controversy in Banaras)