The Aligarh Scientific Society was set up in 1864 within a certain context. During the nineteenth century, the Government's education policy had a predominantly literary bias. In schools and colleges, the teaching of sciences and of technical and vocational subjects was almost neglected. The emphasis was merely on the study of literature and logic, politics and philosophy. There was a deliberate attempt to keep the Indians bound to traditions and superstitions. Fruits of technological development were a myth for the Indians. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was acutely conscious of this move of the British. He wrote:

Up to the present time the indigenous education of the country has been (like that of Europe at no very distant period) confined to the study of language and metaphysics, which though it undoubtedly serves to increase the mental acuteness of the learner, gives rise to none of those practical results which have been the fruits of the study of positive science amongst European nations.

Besides this, the people, in general, and, the Muslims, in particular, were averse towards English education and modern European sciences. This was particularly true in the case of the North-West-Provinces, the home province of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. In his own words, ‘This Presidency is hitherto much behind in the race of diffusing the light of knowledge among the people occupying it, when compared to the other more enlightened and prosperous presidencies of Bengal, Bombay and Madras.' Sir Syed was convinced that “It requires to make strenuous efforts and throw strong inducements in the way of the people to regenerate them, by repelling and overcoming the many difficulties that defend the present gross ignorance of the people from the useful sciences and arts, and that retard the progress of their mental and social improvement. The declared aim of the Society was “causing the blessed morning of civilisation to dawn on the night of ignorance and darkness which for ages has retarded the advance of this country. The objectives of the Society were:

•  To translate into such languages as may be in common among the people those works on arts and sciences which being in English or other European languages are not intelligible to the natives;

•  To search for and publish rare and valuable Oriental works. No religious work will come under the notice of the Society. Subsequently, in 1867, two more clauses were added to this section;

•  To publish, whenever the Society thinks it desirable, any newspaper, Gazette, journal, periodical or magazine which may be calculated to improve the native mind;

To have delivered in their meetings from time to time, lectures on scientific or other useful subjects, illustrated when possible by scientific instruments.