(Sir Syed Ahmad Khan)

Syed Ahmad Taqvi bin Syed Muhammad Muttaqi commonly known as Sir Syed Ahmed Khan made the remark “Congress, in reality, is a civil war without arms” denouncing congress in blunt terms.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was born on 17th October 1817 in Delhi, Mughal Empire. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan affectionately called as Sir Syed was an Indian Muslim pragmatist, Islamic reformist and a philosopher of the nineteenth century British India. The nationality of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was British Indian. The theory of separate nation of Muhammad Ali Jinnah was termed as ‘Two Nation Theory’ by him. Sir Syed was the first to coin this term. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan studied Quran and science within the Mughal court as his family had strong ties with the court. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan received the LLD (Doctor of Law) degree from the University of Edinburgh.

In the year 1838, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan joined the East India Company and gradually became a judge in 1867 at Small Causes Court. During the rebellion of 1857 (first war of Indian Independence) Sir Syed Ahmed Khan remained loyal to the British Empire and encouraged other Muslims to remain loyal to the British. However, after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan authored the booklet ‘The Causes of the Indian Mutiny’ blaming the British policies to be the cause of the revolt. 

In the year 1863, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan established the Gulshan School at Muradabad, Victoria School at Ghazipur. He also founded the scientific society for Muslims in 1864. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan founded the first Muslim University Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in South Asia in 1875. One of his notable works of Sir Syed was The Mohammadan Commentary on the Holy Bible. He also received the Star of India award. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan retired from his service in 1876. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan passed away at the age of 80 on 27th March 1898 in Aligarh, British India.