Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Legend of Aligarh Muslim University.
Gopal Subramanium, former Solicitor General of India with the author.
Dr. Zakir Hussain, former President of India (maternal grandfather of Salman Khurshid).
Iconic film maker, social revolutionary & activist Muzaffar Ali
Tazbi and Holy Quran: Spiritual life.
Ex Chief Justice: Patna High Court, Justice Iqbal A. Ansari
Prof. Neelam Mahajan Singh
☆ Salaam to the struggle of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, a reformist of Muslim community for his lifetime contribution in empowering the Muslim community through education, economic and political self reliability. He was born on 17th October 1817, and died on 27th March 1898 at the age of 80 years. He is the founder of Aligarh Muslim University.
He obtained his doctorate from Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan started the Aligarh Movement, M.A.O. College, Scientific Society of Aligarh, S.T.S. School (Minto Circle), United Patriotic Association etc.
He worked as a 'Munsif' in British empire. He studied at East India Company College. His sons Dr. Syed Mahmood and Syed Hamid carried forward the legacy of their illustrious father. Sir Syed Ahmad's brother, Syed Mohammad Khan launched a weekly, 'Syedul Akhbar', which was one of the earliest Urdu newspapers.
Bahar U. Barqi, Akhtar Adil, Arif Hussain
Postage stamp issued to honour Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
Celebrations of the foundation day of Aligarh Muslim University take place on his birthday. Global tributes are paid to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in different formats; lectures, symposiums, workshops, theatre or literary contests in schools. 'Aligarians' are people who've worked in the direction of educating the society. 'AMU Alumni International', is formed. under the auspices of ex-chief justice of the Supreme Court of India, Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, Gopal Subramanium, former Solicitor General of India and Bahar U. Barqi, senior advocate. Bahar U. Barqi says, "the task of consolidation of a legal status of Aligarh Muslim University as a minority institution continues to be a be a subject of legal jurisprudence in the Supreme Court of India".
Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, ex Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India welcomed by Advocate Bahar U. Barqi
Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, ex Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India at IICC
The role played by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and his son, Dr. Mahmud in highlighting the importance of education to the Muslim community is undeniably historic. Bahar U. Barqi, further says, "if the Muslim community is educated and enriched with 'Ilm', it will empower us financially, economically and politically".
Salman Khurshid, former Minister of External Affairs, President of India Islamic Cultural Centre, Sr. Advocate, Supreme Court of India, author and philanthropist quotes his grandfather Dr. Zakir Hussain, former President of India, giving utmost importance to education. Dr. Zakir Hussain stated in one of his speeches: "In Aligarh I learnt a lot. I learnt to feel sad in learning a little, I learnt the value of friendship and team spirit. I learnt the ways of tolerance despite differences. I observed all flaws of my community life and felt my eyes full of tears. I realized obedience and respect of others; respect of elders, respect of fellows, respect of youngers and respect of myself. For me, memory of attachment with this prestigious institution is the best gift of my life". This was read out by Salman Khurshid.
Salman Khurshid being welcomed by AMU Alumni International
Prof. Tariq Mansoor, M.P. (Rajya Sabha, nominated by the President of India) Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University said, "It gives me immense pleasure that Sir Syed Academy has taken up the responsibility of publishing this monograph on Aligarh Muslim University and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan which can widely be circulated among the Alig fraternity, to make yonger generation aware about the life and achievements of our founder, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan".
Prof. Tariq Mansoor, MS (Surgeon) FICS, MP, Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University with author Prof. Neelam Mahajan Singh
Muzaffar Ali, film maker is welcomed by Asif Zaidi
Brilliant filmmaker, Muzaffar Ali is from the royal, ancestral family of Aligarh. Rahat Abrar, an encyclopedic author on AMU has captured it's history in several books. The distinguished alumni of Aligarh Muslim University include; Altaf Hussain Hali, Hazrat Mohani, Majid Daryabadi, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Begum Abida Ahmed, Sardar Ali Jaffri, Justice Bahrul Islam, actor Raj Kumar, poet Shahryar, Jawed Qasim and innumerable more ... Until the death of his father in 1838, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan lived a life, customary for an affluent young Muslim noble. Upon his father's death, he inherited the titles of his grandfather and father and was awarded the title of 'Arif Jung' given by emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Justice Syed Mahmood, were the first amongst Muslim community to serve as a High Court judges in the British Raj.
Having recognised the steady decline in Mughal's political power, Sir Syed decided to enter the service of East India Company. He could not enter the colonial civil service because it was only in the 1860s that Indians were admitted. His first appointment was as a 'Serestadar' (Clerk) of the Criminal Department in the 'Sadr Amin's' office in Delhi, responsible for record-keeping and managing court affairs. In February 1839, he was transferred to Agra and promoted to the title of 'Naib Munshi' or deputy reader in the office of the Commissionerate. In 1841 he was appointed as the Munsif (Sub-Judge) of Fatehpur Sikri and later transferred to Delhi in 1846. He remained in Delhi until 1854. In 1855 he was promoted to the post of 'Sadr Amin' in Bijnor. Acquainted with high-ranking British officials, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, obtained close knowledge about British colonial politics. At the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny, on 10th May 1857, Sir Syed was serving as the chief assessment officer in Bijnor. He saved the lives of many officers and their family members from the revolution. Erstwhile centres of Muslim power such as Delhi, Agra, Lucknow and Kanpur were severely affected. Although Sir Syed succeeded in rescuing his mother, but she died in Meerut owing to the privations she'd experienced. In 1858, he was appointed as 'Sadar-us-Sudoor', a high-ranking post at the court in Muradabad, where he began working on his literary work, 'The Cause of the Indian Revolt' (Mutiny of 1857).
In 1864 he went to Banaras and elevated to the position of a 'Sub-Judge of Small Causes'. In April 1869, he accompanied his two sons Dr. Syed Hamid and Dr. Syed Mahmood to England, where the latter obtained a scholarship to study in England . Sir Syed retired from government service in 1876 and settled in Aligarh. In 1878, he was nominated as an additional member of the 'Imperial Legislative Council', where he served from July 1878 to July 1883. He served the Legislative Council of the Lieutenant Governor of the North- Western Provinces for two terms from 1887 until 1893. Sir Syed's early influences were his mother, Begum Aziz-un-Nisa and maternal grandfather, Khwaja Fariduddin, both of whom took special interest in his education. Apart from serving as a 'Wazir' in the Mughal court, Khwaja Fariduddin was also a teacher, mathematician and astronomer. Sir Syed was disposed towards Sufism.
Khwaja Zainuddin Ahmad was an expert in music and mathematics, who influenced him in his early days. Sir Syed's early theological writings are influenced by three school of religious thought, 'Naqshbandi tradition of Shah Ghulam Ali Dahlavi', Shah Waliullah Dehlavi, and the 'Mujahidin movement' of Syed Ahmad Barelvi.
Sufism connects us to the Almighty God.
During his formative years in Delhi he was influenced by 'Ghalib and Zauq' whose exquisite style of prose and poetry influenced Sir Syed's style of writing.
He often visited Imam Baksh Sahbai and Sadruddin Khan Azurda Dehlawi. Another influence on him was his teacher, Nurul Hasan of Kandhala, a scholar of Arabic at Agra College in early 1840s. The works of Tunisian reformer, Hayreddin Pasha impacted his approach of utilising freedom of expression for bringing reforms in the Muslim community. Western writers whom Sir Syed's loved are utilitarians, John Stuart Mill, Joseph Addison and Richard Steele etc.
Justice Iqbal A. Ansari, former Chief Justice of Patna High Court, Sirajuddin Qureshi, Arif Hussain, and Akhtar Adil, are carrying forward the legacy of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
Salman Khurshid, President: IICC, Sr. Advocate
Bahar U. Barqi, Sirajuddin Qureshi, Neelam Mahajan Singh
Author with Advocate Bahar U. Barqi and Sirajuddin Qureshi
Let's salute this marvelous personality: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, who lives forever.
Prof. Neelam Mahajan Singh (IIS)
(LL.B. M. Phil. M.A. B.A. History. Hons. St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Television News Production, Film and TV Institute of India, Pune).
(Sr. Journalist, Author, Doordarshan personality, Solicitor for Human Rights Protection, political analyst, academician and philanthropist).
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