Essay No.1: Pakistan Affairs 'Trek to Pakistan' (March 8, 2021)
Book: Trek to Pakistan by Ahmad Saeed
Chapters Covered:
Upon opening and reading the history books of Russia, France,
or America, we would come across words such as ‘Empires’ ‘World Wars’ ‘Revolutions’.
Independence there came through newer discoveries of geography, or rebellious revolutions
that freed them from their dictating rulers, or through the succession of peace
among the enemies after the bloody wars. Pakistan, however, is a different
story; independence here came through a different kind of struggle. The history
of Pakistan can be divided from the point of its partition from the United India,
into pre and post partition. Pakistan was non-existence, neither her name nor her
idea, until the united nations of Hindu, Muslim, and Sikhs lived mostly prosperous
lives under the Moghul Empire. Although a kingdom ruled by kings, the common
people of the Moghul Empire were content since their cultures were preserved
and the rulers were from their own blood and flesh. The movement of
independence, which will ultimately lead to the great partition between India and
Pakistan, begins when the cherished harmony among these opposite nations turns to
disrest upon the arrival of Englishmen. Traveled to the subcontinent with the
intention of trade, England soon saw opportunity to implement their philosophy
of Orientalism to the Moghul Empire and form more colonies under their name.
Their wit, knowledge, and shrewdness gave them edge over the innocent,
unbothering, and ignorant people of the Moghul Empire. Englishmen would succeed
not by conquering the Moghul Empire, but by rotting it through the hands of their
own residents. Ahmad Saeed’s book ‘Trek to Pakistan’ tries to highlight these
early uprising at the downfall of one of the greatest empires of human history.
Starting from 1857 War of Independence where the Muslims of the Moghul Empire fought
against the United Kingdom for their rights, Saeed then follows through numerous
events, movements, and political figures that would ultimately bear the idea,
start the struggle for, and finally achieve the independence of a separate state
for the Muslims, Pakistan.
The War of Independence 1857, as it would be later called, was
the accumulated struggle and uprising from the oppressed Muslims from many
years prior. As the rule of the British people spread and gained dominance, the
Moghul Empire became more and more powerless and obsolete. Although, as mentioned
before, the British never wanted to conquer the subcontinent through wars which
would be considered stupid for many reasons, but rather their aim was to rule
over them by dividing them into different colonies. Living beside and over the
Hindus and Muslims of the empire, the British managed not only befall the Moghul
Empire, but much more importantly, they did it through the hands of their residents.
So clever were the British, and on the contrary, so blind-sighted the people of
subcontinent, that they won over the kingdom, gained the authority, and ruled
over Hindus and Muslims without getting their hands dirty. They made them do it
on their own. Only when it got too late and the oppression started to feel more
intensely by the residents, did the Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs muster up some
courage and started to fight for their rights. To call it ‘War of Independence’
without any investigation would be premature, since it could well be called ‘mutiny’
or ‘rebellion’. However so, it is two sides of the same coin: war of
independence for the oppressed and mutiny for the oppressors.
The causes for the 1857 war are understandable since the
British people were showing not only indifference but disrespect for the
liberty of the native people. Their religious beliefs were met with scolding,
while their religious differences were given more heat. Economically too, the
natives were denied much of the basic privileges that the British enjoyed abundantly.
Daily wages were the prime sources of income for the native, since their illiteracy
wouldn’t qualify them for the newer jobs created by the British rulers. Yet education,
too, was denied. Though here, the native were as much guilty as the rulers. Reluctance
towards the broader knowledge and intellect would harm the natives, especially
Muslims, far more than British could ever do. On the political side, the
natives were beaten down as well, since most of the higher seats were taken the
British rulers, and native were given only the lower jobs on the hierarchy,
knowing they would be ruled from the above. Yet despite the promisingly valid causes
and the strong effects that materialized into the uprising of the prior riots and
the war of 1857, the natives, as before, would face defeat at their own hands.
Without any clear and emphatic leader, the rebellion or the
war did not see a promising outcome. And under no leadership, there emerged
shortfalls that would lead to the eventual defeat of the uprisings. A leader
may not be on the front lines, but everything that is being done on the front
line is decided by a leader, and that’s what the fighters lacked: a plan. Either
there was no plan, or rapid change of plans, the fighters never knew what their
end goal was, nor how to get there. The Sikhs too, one of the nations fighting,
betrayed the uprising by taking a step back. Finally, add upon such a broken
strategy the ineffective communication between the native people as well as their
poor economic conditions, and the chances of victory against the mighty British
would dwindle down to almost nothing. People of United India faced defeat in
the 1857 war, nevertheless the message was sent: the native would show no tolerance
against oppressions anymore. The aftermath of the war uplifted the native’s
hope for independence from the British rule, and one man in particular, made
great use of this momentum.
Sir Sayyad Ahmed Khan, as Saeed’s book suggest, was one of
the first Muslims to stand up for their rights and start something from
grassroot level that would gradually become the garden of freedom for the Muslims.
Getting his early education of Islam and general studies from his parents and
domestic maulvis, he then went on to study and work in domestic courts. His
hard work and passion soon earned him a foreign scholarship where he completed
his studies in the field of Law. Upon returning, Ahmad Khan became a judge in a
domestic court, however his real passion was for literary writing. Having been
exposed to west’s incredible progress, he now willed to direct his own nation
onto this path of education, knowledge, and progress. The 1857 defeat has not
discouraged Ahmad Khan, but quite the opposite. He now believed that it is
together with the British people, mainly their education system, their teachers
and mentors, that the Muslims could work towards their freedom. And for this
noble objective, he put up great efforts.
Besides publishing double figure books that were works of
translation of the great science and moral books of his day and publishing his work
writings on the predicament of the Muslim nation in the aftermath of 1857 during
his lifetime, Ahmad Khan also started a ‘Scientific Society’, where issues and magazines
were published carrying translated works of science as well as columns for
intellectual enlightenment of overall Muslims. The chief editor of these issues
was Ahmad Khan himself and he published a lot of essays and columns addressing
the Muslims as well as Hindus. Later on, he also initiated All-India Muhammadan
Educational Conference, AIMEC, which united all the Muslims on one platform
with the objective of educating the Muslims out of poverty, oppression, and ignorance.
AIMEC continued long after the death of Ahmad Khan, and on its way enlightened
many natives. But perhaps what Ahmad Khan is most known for is the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental
MAO ‘Aligarh’ school, which later became college, and then university. This chain
of institution is believed to single-handedly carried the responsibility of not
only Muslims, and the native’s education. While the school was not so hard to
run, the birth of college and university posed great challenges for Ahmad Khan.
However, being an educated man, he knew how to get along with others in
accomplishing his goals; therefore, the success of these institutions came from
Ahmad Khan’s ability to work alongside others, whether Englishmen or Hindus or
Sikhs.
Despite all the ground-level struggle, Ahmad Khan biggest hindrance
was his own people’s reluctance and indifference towards education. Muslims
then, as now, believed too much in the divinity of the Quran and the
practicality of Prophet Muhammad’s lifestyle, but what they lacked vision about
was that the times were changing. And Muslims, quite understandably, had to change
with the times. The clash is never between sticking to the teaching of Islam or
abandoning it, but between the old time interpretations of it and the modern time
circumstances. Ahmad Khan knew that for Muslims to progress, we would need to
use reason as much as revelation. To understand and tackle the issue of
indifference from his own people, Ahmad Khan held an essay competition where
the topic was exactly what Ahmad Khan and his team was facing: the reluctance
and indifference towards modern education from Muslims. This is one of the best
examples of how intelligent people solve every problem intelligently; find out
about the reluctance towards education – through education.
History, or man really, never forgives even the kindest and righteous
of men, and Ahmad Khan, during his lifetime, faced some severe allegations too.
The main allegation on him was about his ill intention towards educating
Muslims with western knowledge and means. Since the head of MAO Aligarh college
was a British man, people accused him of working with the British behind the
curtain by educating Muslims about their ways and in effect make them their
slaves. Absurd as it may sound, Ahmad Khan had to defend himself against these
allegations by constantly proving his pure intentions with his hard works. Regardlessly,
however, Ahmad Khan’s great efforts could never be forgotten, since it was on
his efforts that the chain of events for the ultimate freedom of Muslims started.
History preserves Ahmad Khan verdict of being a true patriot.
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