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PREFACE
While European literature on Islamic Modernists in Egypt
daily is increasing, the informations about their colleagues in India,
supplied by Western Orientalists, remain defective. and insuffi-
cient. 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 was
an English friend. This work was written with much appreciation
for the IIIdian reformer, but as its author keeps too closely to
the chronical order, its contents are little surveyable. And a more
essential defect is that inadequate attention is paid to the
sign ificance which Ahmad Khan had for his own people, while
all the stress is laid On his loyalty towards the British.
However, this is the only existing biographical work, easily
accessible to Europeans. There arc various articles about him and
sketches 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 Modern Islam in India (1943) deserve special mention,
but all these writings are based on Graham's biography and those
of the works of Ahmad Khan which had been translated into
English.
In this thesis we have tried to give an objective account of
Ahmad Khan as a social. educational and religious reformer.
Besides the primary sources. Le. Ahmad Khan's own writ ings,
ample use is made of the lJayat i ja'flJitl {Eternal Life}. the Urdu
biograph 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-workers
of Atlmad Khan. is a splendid storehouse full of possible data one
may want to know. Only one ought to keep in mind that mani-
festly it possesses a tendentious character: it is one long uninter-
rupted eulogy. in which its writer handles a rich vocabulary of
superlatives, but whereby purposely the weak sides of the great
man are glossed over, as It is done in funeral orations. Yet the
J) Life and wart< pf Sye4 Ahmed Kban.
Essay on ... : That means that the quoted essay is taken Irom
Ahmad Khan's book. Essays on the of Mohammed.
Majmuca: x-Leclurr.s M. majmuCa {x8go), collection of lectures.
comp, by Mutt. alDin; 2-Majmti'a lectures, (18Q2),
compo by Sir!j al-Dtn Al)mad; 3- Mukammat maimti'a lee-
lflres 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
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CHAPTER ONE
MILIEU AND NATURAL ABILITIES OF
AHMAD KHAN
Sa.yyid Ahmad Khan J) was born on the X1th October, i8I1,
at Delhi. At that time the conditions of this capital of the M'-lghal
Empire were comparatively good. at any rate from the outside.
As the city during the eighteenth century had been a favourite
place for loot ing and devastating by hosts of rebelling vassals.
whose attacks culminated in the raids of the barbarous Marhaitas,
at this [uncture the benefits of the so-called English Peace were
gradually conceivable. In x803 Wellesley had captured Delhi from
the Marhauas. and a firm rule was established. So for trade and
agriculture the circumstances were rather favourable, and the
general prosperity was raised. The city regained its gay atmos-
phere: "Festivals were common, and they were kept with great
pomp and ceremonial. Processions through the city were almost
daily occurrences during the marriage season, and immense sums
of money were spent in wedding festivities and decorations. the
daily intercourse and int enninglmg of the citizens in tbe streets
Were fun of colour. variety and charm" t}.
The British bad "been wise in allowing the Mughal Emperor
ShAh Alam to retain his sovereignty within the area of his big
palace. the 'Red Fort'. Also a large income was left to him, by
which he could maintain an imaginary royal dignity. And every-
thing was done to preserve artificially 'the grand manner' of the
' SdYY10' denole, hI$ IS_I frOm Moh.mlned. He lIicned hiJIIstU always 'Sayyid
Ahm ad" : bill lOuse this designat ion Indian \Vahh abl
Sayvid Ahmad (' 78(" 1831) already bears Ibis nam e. Th e Muslims 01 IlIcba till \0-1111/
like (0 e.1I hun ott er his two ti t les of bOllourS'" $ayyid Ille was krugbte d in 1888).
:) C. F. And"ws. Z. uus IJI J).11ri (1929) . p. s-
Tile t emporar y nviVit of Indian lile in this seco nd qu art er allhe Dineltenlb century
:d\ust certai nly Dol be overstressed. 1'1 WAS merely gilding whicb concealed Ute Itlual
llate 01 " ffai-,. And on _ a s the storm of the Mutiny came to rage over India. tbe
bare facts Wetl! manifested ' 0 th e <I_loci Indian and (bey had to recognize tbal
for alr ead y some centi mes t hey wttO deuyiDll. alld t hat . 11 the time they bad lived 011 A
&!OtiOl/ll PUI which had lODe for evet.