Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, one of the architects of modern India was an Anglophile Indian Muslim pragmatist, Islamic modernist, philosopher and social activist of nineteenth century India. In 1875, Syed Ahmad Khan established the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh and expressed the hope “that this college may expand into a university whose sons shall go forth throughout the length and breadth of the land to preach the gospel of free enquiry, of large hearted toleration and of pure morality.” Twenty two years after his deaths, his dream was realized and the M.A.O. College developed into the Aligarh Muslim University.“ Today, the university is ranks among the top universities in India.

Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-1898 AC) is a legendary leader in his own capacity. The nineteenth century politics of India is a sad tale in which the Muslim subjects of the British Raj almost reached the brink of their fall from the height of a ruling race to the depth of a fallen community. Hardly had a century of the English East India Company’s rule passed when came the stiff phase of resistance in the form of the so-called Sepoy Mutiny among so many other movements. It was in reality the first phase of the war of Indian Independence from the yoke of English domination. The sure success of the English subjugation of India was effected by following a consistent policy of ‘divide and rule’ applied towards the two dominant communities of colonial India –viz. the Muslims and the Hindus. The liberal policy of the Muslim rulers of India starting right from Sultan Qutbuddin Aibek of Delhi 1206-1210 AC. down to Badshah Bahadur Shah Zafar (1858) which had brought about an effective reconciliation between the two major communities, was thrown to the winds by the astute and mischievous administrative policy of the alien English rulers who were out to see it that their domination over the subject peoples perpetuate to their great relief. Thus started the long-drawn sad tale of the Indian Muslims. However, it was in the mass eruption of the deep indignation of the teeming millions of India that culminated in the ‘Revolt of 1857,’ which both the communities shared enthusiastically. However, History holds it on record that instead of solving their problems to the slightest degree, this revolt cast the Muslims from the frying pan to the blazing fire. By pursuing an unjust policy of discrimination the Hindu community was patronized by the ruling masters at the cost of the interest of the Muslims community whom the British Raj identified as the only party at fault. A policy of severe repression was unremittingly followed against the Muslims. They were branded as traitors guilty of sedition and treason. A conscious policy mass scale persecution was about to strangulate the Muslim community to its utter surprise. The situation had come to such a sorry pass that it clearly heard its death-sentence being pronounced by their masters. When the tension between the Raj and the Muslim community assumed its furthest limit, a beam of light appeared on the horizon in the person of Jonab Syed Ahmad Khan –then in the service of the Anglo-Indian Government. Pertinently it should be mentioned here that Syed Ahmad Khan had started his career in the Law department of the Company in 1839. later he rose to the position of a Munsif in 1841 and made his mark as an efficient judge to have been transferred to Moradabad by 1858 when India was brought under the British imperial canopy.