sir syed ahmad khan biography

Early Life

Sir Syed was born in Delhi on October 17, 1817. His family belonged to the elite class and were related to the ruling family of Delhi. He received his early education in a Madrasa attached to the Jama Masjid, Delhi. His father Syed Mir Muhammad Muttaqi was a government official, who also served as a legal advisor of Mughal Emperor Akbar II. His income was considerable and the family lived in a comfortable home with servants and gardeners.

Education and Career

Ahmad Khan’s formal education began in 1838 when he enrolled as a student at the mission school of Delhi College, where he studied Urdu, Persian, Arabic and mathematics. After his father’s death in 1840, while still a young boy, Ahmad Khan was brought up by his uncle Syed Hadi in Bhopal. In 1844 Ahmad Khan moved to Agra to study at the Sadullah College. He later joined the Scientific Society and started writing articles for their journal; he also translated articles from European periodicals into Urdu.

After completing his M.A., Sir Syed gained esteem as a scholar of classical Islam and became known for his staunch opposition to Westernisation. He married a lady of noble birth named Sayeeda Begum but died childless after 25 years of marriage due to an undiagnosed disease (suspected tuberculosis). His wife died one year later leaving him deeply saddened and depressed.

During the Mutiny of 1857

As one of the first Muslims to achieve a modern education, Sir Syed had been appointed to the court of directors of East India Company in London. He had also served as a secretary and translator for Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor-General of India. During the Mutiny, he was assigned by the British to quell an uprising in his native region. He acted quickly and effectively to ensure peace in Meerut. His actions included mobilizing local population and capturing rebel leaders who were inciting violence against British officers.

Sir Syed’s efforts during this period earned him recognition from Queen Victoria herself, and he was given a pension from the government for his services, as well as many land grants in Meerut which he used later for supporting schools and educational institutions.

Intellectual Career

Sir Syed’s intellectual career started with the founding of the Scientific Society of Aligarh, which developed a modern science education curriculum and held public lectures by notable scientists and scholars. In 1859, he published a work entitled The Causes of the Indian Revolt—a court-ordered inquiry into the causes behind the rebellion. Sir Syed Ahmed was a well-respected figure in India, both among British officials and his countrymen. In order to reconcile his fellow countrymen with their colonial rulers, he wrote an essay on “The Loyal Mohamedans of India”, supporting the British Raj. He translated the Bible into Urdu and later wrote an exegesis on it entitled Tafsir al-Quran after reading about Christian missionaries’ efforts to convert Indians to Christianity. He made several other contributions to Urdu literature and is credited with formalizing Urdu as one of two major literary languages in South Asia.

He founded many institutions: including a school at Moradabad in 1863, Victoria School at Ghazipur in 1863, Madrasatul Uloom at Aligarh in 1875 (later renamed Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College), Gulshan School at Muradabad of 1868 (later renamed Gulshan College), Muslim High School Aligarh (1870) (later renamed Muhammadan Anglo Oriental Senior Secondary School or MAO Public School).

Aligarh Movement

As a result, Khan established the Aligarh Movement in 1859 and founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (renamed Aligarh Muslim University in 1920), which was instrumental in modernizing Islamic education and attracting Muslims to Western education. The Central Asian Revolution of 1916, the Turkish Revolution of 1908, and the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906 had significant influence on Aligarh and its students.

In addition to the above, he is known as an ardent supporter of women’s education.

In addition to the above, he is known as an ardent supporter of women’s education. This was not in line with the social norms of his times, but also because of popular misconceptions about Islam and its teachings on women’s education. However, Sir Syed strongly advocated for women’s education in the context of Muslim personal law. He believed that educating women would help in the improvement of society as a whole.

He was also a prolific writer who wrote on diverse subjects like history, politics, social issues, religion and science. Several volumes of his letters have been compiled and published as well.

Sir Syed was also a prolific writer who wrote on diverse subjects like history, politics, social issues, religion and science. Several volumes of his letters have been compiled and published as well.

Sir Syed is considered to be one of the most successful Muslim reformers in the world.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was born in Delhi on 17 October 1817. He was one of the most prominent Muslim leaders and social reformers of his time. He was also an educationist and a writer.

Sir Syed is considered to be one of the most successful Muslim reformers in the world. The aim of his life was to transform Muslims into a modern nation which could survive in this competitive world with other communities. He had great concern for the backwardness of Indian Muslims, who were facing religious prejudices at that time.