The Reforms and Religious Ideas of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan - Baljon

8/3/2019 The Reforms and Religious Ideas of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan - Baljon

1/55

-----------,


2/55


3/55

PREFACEWhile European literature on Islamic Modernists in Egyptdaily is increasing, the informations about their colleaguesin India,supplied by Western Orientalists, remain defective. and insufficient. This applies in particular to Sir Sayyid Ahmad Kban.In t8SS. still dUringhis life time, a biography of Ahmad Khan 1)appeared from the pen of Lieut. Col. G. F. 1. Graham who wasan English friend. This work was written with much appreciationfor the IIIdian reformer, but as its author keeps too closely tothe chronical order, its contents are little surveyable. And a moreessential defect is that inadequate attention is paid to the

significance which Ahmad Khan had for his own people, whileall the stress is laid On his loyalty towards the British.However, this is the only existing biographical work, easilyaccessible to Europeans. There arc various articles about him andsketches of him of which the fine article of H. Kraemer in tbe

Moslem World{I9JI} and the interesting picture of him by W. C.Smith in his ModernIslam in India (1943) deservespecialmention,but all these writings are based on Graham's biography and thoseof the works of Ahmad Khan which had been t rans la ted intoEnglish.In t hi s thesis we have t ri ed to give an objective account ofAhmad Khan as a social. educational and religious reformer.Besides the primary sources. Le. Ahmad Khan's own writings,ample use is made of the lJayat i ja'flJitl{Eternal Life}. the Urdubiograph y of M ~ a . f l;Iusain, better known under his nom d jlZUtnl,

l;Iali . published in IgOI. This work of one of the nearest co-workersof Atlmad Khan. is a splendid storehouse full of possible data onemay want to know. Only one ought to keep in mind that manifestly it possesses a tendentious character: it is one long uninterrupted eulogy. in which its writer handles a rich vocabulary ofsuperlatives, but whereby purposely the weak sides of the greatman are glossed over, as It is done in funeral orations. Yet the

J) Life and wart< pf Sye4 Ahmed Kban.


4/55


5/55

Essay on . . . : That means that the quoted essay is taken IromAhmad Khan's book. Essays on the L i / ~ of Mohammed.Majmuca: x-Leclurr.s M. majmuCa {x8go), collection of lectures.comp, by Mutt. S i r ~ j alDin; 2-Majmti'a lectures, (18Q2),compo by Sir! j al-Dtn Al)mad; 3- Mukammat maimti'a leelflres wa speeehes (1900), comp. by Mui.l. Im!m ai-Din.

Graham: G. F. I. Graham, LileandWork ojS." Syed Ahmld Khtm(2nd. ed. x901).

XII TRANSLITERATION AND ABBREVI,\nONS-..

-'.

CHAPTER ONEMILIEU AND NATURAL ABILITIES OF

AHMAD KHANSa.yyid Ahmad Khan J) was born on the X1th October, i8I1,

at Delhi. At that time the conditions of this capital of the M'-lghalEmpire were comparatively good. at any rate from the outside.As the city during the eighteenth century had been a favouriteplace for loot ing and devastating by hosts of rebel ling vassals.whose attacks culminated in the raids of the barbarous Marhaitas,at this [uncture the benefits of the so-called English Peace weregradually conceivable. In x803Wellesley had captured Delhi fromthe Marhauas. and a firm rule was established. So for trade andagriculture the circumstances were rather favourable, and thegeneral prosperity was raised. The city regained its gay atmosphere: "Fest ivals were common, and they were kept with greatpomp and ceremonial. Processions through the city were almostdaily occurrences during the marriage season, and immense sumsof money were spent in wedding festivities and decorations. thedaily intercourse and intenninglmg of the citizens in tbe s tree tsWere fun of colour. variety and charm" t}.The British bad "been wise in allowing the Mughal EmperorShAh Alam to retain his sovereignty within the a re a of his bigpala ce. the 'Red Fort '. Also a large income was left to him, bywhich he could maintain an imaginary royal dignity. And everything was done to preserve artificially 'the grand manner' of the

'SdYY10' deno le, hI$ IS_I frOm Moh.m lned . He lIicned hiJIIstU always 'SayyidAhm ad" : b ill lOuse this designat ion m ~ ' i o n t u n a e l l l l o ~ Ind ian \VahhablSayvid Ahmad (' 78(" 1831) a lready bears Ibis nam e. Th e Muslims 01 IlIcba till \0-1111/like (0 e.1I hun ott er his two tit les of bOllourS' " $ayy id Ille was krugbte d in 1888).:) C. F. And"ws.Z. uus IJI J).11ri (1929). p. s-Tile temp orar y nviVit of Indian lile in th is second qu art er allhe Dineltenlb century:d\ust certainly Dol be overstressed. 1'1 WAS merely gilding whicb concealed Ute Itlualllate 01 " ffai-, . And on_ a s the storm of the Mutiny came to rage over India. tbebare facts Wetl!manifested ' 0 th e


6/55


7/55


8/55


9/55


10/55


11/55


12/55


13/55


14/55


15/55


16/55


17/55


18/55


19/55


20/55


21/55


22/55


23/55


24/55


25/55


26/55


27/55


28/55


29/55


30/55


31/55


32/55


33/55


34/55


35/55


36/55


37/55


38/55


39/55


40/55


41/55


42/55


43/55


44/55


45/55


46/55


47/55


48/55


49/55


50/55


51/55


52/55


53/55


54/55


55/55

The Reforms and Religious Ideas of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan - Baljon

Documents

Transcript of The Reforms and Religious Ideas of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan - Baljon