• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was born on 17 October 1817 in Delhi.
• He was born to an influential family which held important positions in the reign of Mughal Emperor’s.
• Sir Syed was the pioneer of Aligarh Movement that was a socio-political venture to uplift the status of Muslims (after war of Independence 1857).
• He was an educationist, reformer, writer (even the pioneer of two Nation theory).
• Initially he got a job in the court at Agra as an assistant clerk in 1838 (promoted to munshi in 1840).
• He became chief judge in 1846 and retired from the services in 1876.
• • His famous book “Asrar ul Sanadeed” (Monument of the Great) was published in 1847 on the antiquities of Delhi.
• He was in Bijnor when cataclysm of 1857 occurred that impacted Sir Syed very greatly.
• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had written pamphlet titled “The Causes of Indian Revolt” to explain the reasons of mutiny.
• He established first school at Moradabad in 1859 to plorable conditions of Muslims.
• “Scientific Society” was established at Ghazipur in 1864 (it’s purpose was to translate English books to Urdu).
• In 1866, Scientific Society published “Aligarh Institute Gazette” both in English and Urdu.
• The sole purpose of this Gazette was to mitigate misconception between Muslims & British after 1857 Mutiny.
• “Urdu-Hindi Controversy” started in Banaras in 1867, (it was a forerunner of partition of British India).
• In 1869, both Sir Syed and his son visited England for studying modern education from Oxford.
•In 1875, he established “Mohammadan Anglo Oriental” school at Aligarh.
• This school was upgraded to MA0 College in 1877 and inaugurated by Lord Lytton (it offered both western & eastern education).
• In 1920, after the death of Sir Syed, this MAO College was upgraded to the level of university.
• Sir Syed married to Parsa Begum Alias Mubarak Begum in 1836 (they have 3 children).
• He wrote 12 essays in Urdu named “Khutbat-e-Ahmadia” in response to Sir William Muirs book “The life of Mohamet”.
• This “Khutbat e Ahmadia” Was translated into English and published from London in 1870. • In 1866, Sir Syed established “The British Indian Association” at Aligarh.
• Indian National Congress was established by A.O Hume in 1885 & Sir Syed asked Muslims not to join Indian National Congress.
• In 1886, Sir Syed founded Mohammadan Educational Conference (for promoting education & common platform to Muslims).
• He was the first Muslim to write a commentary on Bible (he explained that Islam was very close to Christianity).
• He was nominated as a member of Civil Service Commission in 1887 by Lord Dufferin.
• He was given the title of “Knighthood” by Britain in 1888.
• Sir Syed was awarded the “Order of Star” from Britain on 6 August 1869.
• University of Edinburgh had awarded Sir Syed the Honorary Degree of LLB for his services. • In 1888, he established “United Patriotic Association” at Aligarh (for promoting political cooperation with British & Muslims in India).
• He died on 27 March 1898 and was buried right along with Sir Syed Masjid in Aligarh university.
• Hayat e Javed is the biography of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (this biography was written by Altaf Hussain Hali).
• Sir Syed University of engineering & technology was established in Karachi.
• He was pioneer of Aligarh Movement and first one to give Two Nation Theory.
• All India Muslim League (AIML) was established from Aligarh Platform in 1906.