Case study-Sir Ahmad khan(1817-98)and the Aligarh Movement

The greatest Muslim reformor was Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. In the beginning he devoted himself to religious questions. He tried to reinterpret Islam to bring it closer to modern science and to adapt itself to modern times. The supreme interest of Syed's life was education. Sir Syed wanted to create a scientific temperament among the Muslims of India and to make the Western Knowledge of science available to them. His scientific Society translated scientific works in to Urdu so that common people could understand them. He founded many schools. He also championed the cause of modern education at a time when all the Indians in general and Indian Muslims in particular considered it a sin to get modern education and that too through the English language.
Through the Aligarh Institue Gazette,Sir Syed succeeded in agitating the minds of the traditional Muslim society . Some of the orthndox Muslims opposed him to the extent that they called him, mulhid (atheist), kafir, etc. Anyone with a poor level of commitment would have backed off in the face of strong opposition but Sir Syed responded by briging out another journal Tehzibul Akhlaq, which greatly succeed in infusing a new desire amongst Muslims for acquiring modern Knowledge . It also gave a new direction to Muslim social and political thought.
Sir Syed finally reached the conclusion that the lack of education was the main cause of the backwardness of the community . Against all the odds, Sir Syed became successful in his mission and in 1857 he founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College at Aligarh . It had both Hindu and Muslim students and teachers. He also employed European teachers. The reform movemets started by him came to be called the Aligarh Movements. The college set by him grew into Aligarh Muslim University which set new trends in thinking among Muslims. Sir Syed got moral and financial support from a cross section of the society. Amongst the first 120 people who gave valuable donations for the construction of the school building were several Hindus and their names still decorate the old buildings of Aligarh Muslim University .
The Aligarh Muslim University produced intellectuals in large numbers who served the country in various capacities.
Sir Syed wanted MAO College to act as a bridge between the old and the new, the East and the West . He, therefore, decided to keep a fine balance between the two. The college he founded was the visible symbol of reason and progress. His aim was not merely restricted to establishing a college at Aligarh but at spreading a network of Muslim-managed educational institutions throught the length and breadth of the country. To this end,he instituted the All India Muslim Educational Conference. This Conference motivated the Muslims to help open a number of educational institions in India.