Sir Syed Ahmad Khan - Improving British-Muslim Relations

Reasons for this Work

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan believed that the positions of the Muslims in the subcontinent could only be improved if relations with the British were improved and Muslims gained higher-quality education. There were two major obstacles to good relations:

• The British had put the entire responsibility for the War of Independence 1857-58 on the Muslims. As a result, they carried out policies of repression against the Muslims after 1857. Sir Syed wanted to ensure that this false view was corrected.
• There was a deep-seated resentment of the British among many in the Muslim community. This was sometimes based on the fact that the British were seen as foreign invaders and sometimes because they were thought to be trying to replace Islam with Christianity. Other Muslims rejected all Western ideas because they were often not in line with Islamic beliefs. Sir Syed wanted to ensure that the benefits and advantages of British Rule, particularly in the areas of science and technology, were embraced by the Muslim community to improve the lives of the masses.

Achievements

• The Loyal Muhammadans of India:

In 1860, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan wrote a journal, called ‘The Loyal Muhammadans of India’. Its aims were to bring about better relations between the British and the Muslim community. In this work, he defended the Muslims from the British accusation that they were disloyal. He gave a detailed account of the loyal service which Muslims had given and named various Muslims who had shown particular loyalty to the British. At the same time, he called on the British to end their hostility towards the Muslim community.

• The Causes of the Indian Revolt:

In order to convince the British that they were wrong to put the full blame for the events of 1857 on the Muslims, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan wrote a booklet, called ‘The Causes of the Indian Revolt’. In this, he pointed out the main reasons for the uprising were:

• The lack of representation for Indians in the government of the country.
• The forcible conversion of Muslims to Christianity.
• The poor management of the Indian army.

He also listed many other measures taken by the British which created dissatisfaction and led to resentment among the Muslim community. It was circulated free amongst the British officials in India and was also sent to members of parliament in England. Even members of the Royal Family received its copies. Some British officials were angered by what Sir Syed Ahmad Khan wrote as he seemed to be blaming them for the uprising. Others read what he wrote with sympathy and accepted that there was truth in his words.

• The Issue of Nadarath:

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan also tried to clear up a misunderstanding amongst the British who resented being called ‘Nadarath’ by the Muslims. The British thought that this was an insult. However, Sir Syed pointed out that the word came from ‘Nasir’, an Arabic word meaning helper. So, the term was a reflection of the positive image Muslims had of the British, not an insult.

• Convincing the Muslims:

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was aware that the British knew very little about Islam. Indeed, on a visit to England, he was so offended by an English book on the Life of the Prophet (PBUH) that he immediately wrote his own work correcting the many errors. However, it was also true that the Muslims in India knew very little about Christianity. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan tried to overcome this by writing ‘Tabyin-ul-Kalam, in which he pointed out the similarities between Islam and Christianity. Due to lack of resources, the work was not finished, but it showed Sir Syed’s commitment to improving relations.