..........................................Course Developed by Dr. Sambit Mallick

The Aligarh Scientific Society

An attempt in the direction of democratising modern science was made by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. The attempt was in the form of establishment of the Aligarh Scientific Society in 1864. It was not only an attempt in imparting scientific knowledge but also an effort in the direction of socio-cultural change in India.

Sir Syed started his career as a clerk with the East India Company in 1838. He qualified three years later as a sub-judge and served in the judicial department at various places. Sir Syed had a versatile personality, and his position in the judicial department left him time to be active in many fields. His career as an author (in Urdu) started at the age of 23 with religious tracts. In 1847, he brought out a noteworthy book, Athar Assanadid (“Monuments of the Great”), on the antiquities of Delhi. Even more important was his pamphlet, The Causes of the Indian Revolt . In this booklet, he ably and fearlessly laid bare the weaknesses and errors of the British administration that had led to dissatisfaction and a countrywide explosion. Widely read by British officials, it had considerable influence on British policy.

The supreme interest of Sir Syed's life was education, in its widest sense. He began by establishing schools, at Muradabad (1858) and Ghazipur (1863). A more ambitious undertaking was the foundation of the Aligarh Scientific Society, which published translations of many educational texts and issued a bilingual journal, in Urdu and English.