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Book : (Political Science)
Book Name – Indian Political Thought (OP Gauba)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. General Introduction
2. Syed Ahmad Khan
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Significance of Scientific Thinking
2.3. Distinction between Spiritual and Temporal Domains
3. Muhammad Iqbal
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Status of Religion in Politics
3.3. Repudiation of Nationalism
3.4. Critique of Capitalism
3.5. A Critical Appraisal
4. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Attitude Toward Religion and Politics
4.3. Two-Nations Theory
4.4. Conclusion
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Exponents of Islamic Thought
Chapter – 9
General Introduction
Before the arrival of the British colonial rulers, many foreign groups who conquered India had permanently settled in the country and adopted it as their homeland.
Over time, Hindus and Muslims lived together and contributed to the development of a composite Indian culture.
Many Indians who converted to Islam during the period of Muslim rule belonged mainly to the poor and uneducated sections of society.
Although these converts gained some social recognition during Muslim rule, their economic condition did not improve significantly.
Important sectors such as trade, industry, higher education, and government offices remained largely dominated by high-caste Hindus.
As a result, discontent and dissatisfaction grew among sections of the Muslim community.
The British colonial administration exploited this discontent to strengthen their imperial rule in India.
They encouraged Muslims to believe that the Hindu community was responsible for their social and economic backwardness.
This policy contributed to the rise of Muslim communalism.
In reaction to Muslim communalism, Hindu communalism also began to emerge.
The mutual confrontation between the two communal tendencies intensified political divisions in Indian society.
These developments ultimately culminated in the Partition of India in 1947, leading to the creation of India and Pakistan at the time of independence.
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, several Muslim social reformers, intellectuals, and political leaders attempted to reform Islamic thought and guide the Muslim community toward progress.
While many of these reform efforts were constructive and progressive, some communal tendencies also emerged during this process.
Among the most important modern exponents of Islamic political and social thought in India were:
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
Muhammad Iqbal
Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Communalism
Communalism refers to the tendency found in some parts of Indian politics and society which impels the members of one religious community to evolve favourable attitude toward their own community, and hostile attitude toward another community. This tendency has been particularly prominent between Hindu and Muslim communities (although at times other religious communities are also involved). This is sometimes manifested in mandir-masjid dispute, that is the dispute between militant Hindu and Muslim groups whether a particular place belongs to a Hindu temple or a Muslim mosque. Worst form of communalism is manifested in communal violence and riots, involving indiscriminate killing of many innocent people.
Syed Ahmad Khan
Introduction
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898) was a prominent Muslim thinker, social reformer, and intellectual leader of modern India.
He sought to awaken a new consciousness among the Muslim community and guide them toward social and intellectual progress.
For this purpose, he strongly encouraged Muslims to adopt modern education, modern culture, and modern modes of thought.
Sir Syed initiated a unique reform movement and intellectual programme aimed at enlightening the Indian Muslim community.
Through his efforts, he emerged as a pioneer of the modernization of a traditional Muslim society in India.
He believed that the progress and power of Western countries, especially England, were largely due to their advancement in education, arts, and sciences.
According to him, enlightenment through knowledge and scientific learning was the key to national and social advancement.
Therefore, Sir Syed urged the Muslim community to embrace modern Western education in order to achieve intellectual growth and social development.
Significance of Scientific Thinking
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was deeply influenced by modern scientific thinking and sought to reconcile Islamic teachings with scientific knowledge.
He believed that among all revolutionary changes, the most profound changes occur in human ideas, especially religious ideas.
According to him, religious beliefs cannot remain static; they must adapt to changing times.
If religion fails to keep pace with social and intellectual progress, it becomes rigid and lifeless.
Therefore, Sir Syed strongly opposed the orthodox and narrow interpretations of religion.
He attempted to reinterpret the teachings of the Holy Quran in a way that was consistent with rational and scientific knowledge.
He rejected those traditional interpretations of religious texts that contradicted reason and scientific understanding.
Sir Syed argued that the word of God (scripture) cannot contradict the work of God, namely Nature and Reason.
Based on this principle, he criticized several irrational social practices prevalent in Muslim society, including:
slavery
purdah (strict veiling of women)
polygamy
instant divorce on trivial grounds.
He encouraged Muslims to embrace modern scientific knowledge and Western education in order to achieve social and intellectual progress.
To promote these ideas, Sir Syed undertook several practical reform initiatives.
In 1864, he established the Scientific Society at Aligarh.
This society worked in collaboration with Hindu and European scholars to translate Western scientific and literary works into Indian languages.
The aim was to spread scientific knowledge and develop a scientific temperament among Muslims.
In 1870, Sir Syed started a journal titled Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq.
This journal promoted tolerance, broad-mindedness, and acceptance of diverse viewpoints.
It also aimed to awaken the Muslim community from intellectual stagnation and encourage their participation in public life.
In 1877, Sir Syed founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh.
The college was modeled on the educational system of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, which he had observed during his visit to England.
His objective was to establish an institution that combined modern Western education with Islamic cultural values.
Later, Sir Syed worked to transform this college into a full-fledged university.
He was assisted in this effort by his son Syed Mahmood, who had studied at Cambridge University.
In 1920, about twenty-two years after Sir Syed’s death, the college was officially transformed into Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is therefore honored as the founder of Aligarh Muslim University.
Today Aligarh Muslim University is an important Central University of India, known for its high academic standards and contribution to modern education.
The university continues to uphold the ideals of education, intellectual progress, and national unity advocated by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.