Professional Documents
Culture Documents
OF
SIR SYED AHMAD KHAN
Foreword by
RAM GOPAL
NACHIKETA
6
SIR SYED AND THE EDUCATION COMMISSION
In 1882 the Government of India appointed an Education
Commission under the Chairmanship of Sir W. W. Hunter to
ascertain views of responsible Indians, Sir Syed was also one of
the witnesses who appeared before the Education Commission.
The proceedings of the Education Commission commenced in
the Hall of the Aligarh Institute. Sir Syed appeared as a witness>
The cross-examination is as follows:
Question: Are you acquainted with the state of private and
public instruction in Upper India, and more especially in the
North-Western Provinces and Oudh?
Answer: Yes, I have such an acquaintance. But I am better
acquainted with the state of education in the North-Western
Provinces than with that in Oudh or the Panjab.
Question: With reference to high and primary indigenous
schools, will you please describe what kind of schools they are,
and how are they established?
Answer: In the North-Western Provinces and Oudh and the
Panjab the high and primary indigenous schools were, and are
still, found to be of four classes as specified below:
(I) Private SchoolsThis class consists of those schools which
are kept by private individuals at their own houses: when a
person engages a teacher primarily for the instruction of his own
children, and allots a separate place for the purpose. But it not
infrequently happens that the children of his relatives and of
his neighbours are also admitted to it, each paying a trifling
fee to the teacher; and thus a small school is established. Such a
school lasts as long as the teacher, or any successor of that teacher,
continues in office.
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
Total
Number of
graduates
Number of
University
graduates
Doctor in Law
Honors in Law
Bachelor in Law
6
4
705
None
None
8
Licentiates in Law
Bachelor in Civil Engg.
Licentiates in Civil Engg.
Masters in Arts
235
36
51
326
5
None
None
5
1,343
4
2
58
30
None
None
1
Bachelor of Arts
Doctor in Medicine
Honors in
Bachelor in
Licentiates in Med. & Sur.
Total
385
3,155
~W
91
Remarks
No Mohammadan
has passed either
in English or
science.
92
93
94
this object a periodical, named the Muhammadan Social Reformer? was issued, in which the more advanced Muhammadans
from time to time wrote articles on the subject of education and
social reform, and, in spite of the vigorous opposition from the
bigoted and conservative Muhammadans, made public speeches
in various parts of Upper India to rouse the Muhammadans to
make exertions to educate themselves and to realise their duties
as citizens. The advocates of the cause of reform and enlightenr
ment had, of course, anticipated the opposition with which they
had to contend before undertaking so momentous a task and
had prepared themselves for the worst consequences to their
personal popularity among the common people. They did not
mind the difficulties and obstacles which bigotry and ignorance
placed in their way, but persevered in their endeavours; and
I am glad to notice that my co-religionists have now begun to
yield to reason and to acknowledge and amend their errors. The
number of Muhammadan students in English-teaching institutions is now much greater than what it was ten years ago. The
Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh has some two
hundred and twenty-five Muhammadan pupils at present, most
of whom belong to good families, and have travelled from
various parts of India to study European science and literature
along with their own religion, languages, and literature. The
Musalmans are now everywhere relaxing their undue prejudices,
and reconciling themselves to modern thoughts and conditions
of life. Time is no doubt a great reformer, but I think the
endeavours above alluded to, which have been going on for the
last twelve years, have in no small degree contributed to the
present state of things. The remedy therefore lies in no hands
but those of the Muhammadans themselves, and the evils can
be removed by their efforts alone.
Question: What course would, in your opinion, be best calculated to secure the co-operation of private individuals and
local corporations in the diffusion of knowledge and the enlightenment of the country?
Answer: The object would, in my opinion, be best secured by
2 Sir Syed started it in 1870 and is popularly known in Persian and Urdu as
Tabzeeb-ul-Akhlaq. It was modelled after the style of the Tatler and the
Spectator started by Sir Richard Steele and Addison in 1709 and 1711
respectively.
95
96
The Muhammadans were proud of their socio-political position and their keeping aloof from English education may in
some measure be ascribed to the fact that the Government
colleges and schools included among their pupils some of those
whom the Muhammadans, with an undue pride and unreasonable self-conceit and vanity, regarded with social contempt, and
under this vain impression they did not think it worth their
while to associate with persons whom they considered inferior to
themselves in social position. The same vanity, self-conceit and
prejudice of the Muhammadans led them to attach an undue
importance to their own literature, metaphysics, philosophy,
and logic; and in the same spirit they regarded the English
literature and modern science as quite worthless, and productive of no mental and moral good. They did not tolerate those
persons being called learned men who had acquired a respectable knowledge of European literature or science. They could
never be brought to admit that sound and useful learning
existed in any language except Arabic and Persian. They had
given peculiar form to moral philosophy and had based it on
religious principles which they believed to be infallible; and this
circumstance had dispensed, as they thought, with the necessity
of European science and literature. I still remember the days
when in respectable families the study of English, with the object
of obtaining a post in Government service or of securing any
other lucrative employment, was considered highly discreditable.
The prejudice has now, however, much slackened.
The religious aspect of the question I have already described.
The poverty of the Muhammadan community is only too obvious
to require any comment. I am, however, of opinion that the
above-mentioned socio-political causes, though still extant, have
been mitigated to considerable extent, and the Muhammadans
are gradually freeing themselves of old prejudices, and taking
to the study of English literature and science,
Question: What has been the result of the attitude of Muhammadans.towards English education?
Answer: The importance of a knowledge of English in this
country cannot be questioned. The Government has justly
rendered the possession of that knowledge indispensable to
Natives who are placed in charge of high and responsible offices
97
98
ment of the Musalman community were adopted by the Government of Madras during the administration of Lord Hobart.
Small schools were also established in the North-Western Provinces for the same purpose; but I am not aware of the effect
which these schools had upon primary and secondary education.
I can only say that the measures have produced no material effect
upon high education among Muhammadans, or upon their social
and moral condition.
Question: Please state whether, in your opinion, Government
should take any further special measures for the advance of
English education among Muhammadans?
Answer: I am decidedly of opinion that the Musalman community has no right to expect Government to adopt any denominational measure for them. The system of education established
by Government is equally open to all sections of the population,
and it cannot, and should not, show any partiality for a particular
class or section. The failure of the Muhammadans to derive an
adequate share of benefit from it is their own fault. They should
now abide by the consequences of that failure, and must thank
themselves for their backwardness in the race of progress. In
consideration, however, of the exceptionally unfortunate condition of the Muhammadans and of their deplorable ignorance
and poverty, Government would only be according an indulgence
to them if it should be pleased to consider the subject of Muhammadan education as a special case; and in doing so the best plan
for the Government would, in my opinion, be to use every
endeavour to induce the influential and well-to-do classes of the
Muhammadans to establish schools and colleges for the intellectual and moral advancement of their co-religionists to encourage
and support the endeavours of such men by a more liberal and
extended system of grant-in-aid, and to cause such European
officials as have hitherto viewed such affairs with discouraging
coldness to take a more indulgent interest in them. The
Muhammadans have undoubtedly a just and natural claim to all
endowments which have been made by men of their own race
expressly for the education of the Muhammadan community, and
the disposal of some of which at present rests with Government.
But I regret to say that I am unable to regard the uses to which
those endowments are at present applied as calculated to do any
substantial good.