4.1.1 CAUSES BEHIND THE DEOBAND MOVEMENT

The following motives, incidents and causes gave birth to the Deoband Movement, namely:

• Revival of Religious Spirit
• Preaching of Islam
• Curriculum

I) Revival of Religious Spirit

Different religious movements were launched in India for the reformation of religious and collective life of the Muslims of the Sub-continent. These movements also aimed at extermination of innovation religious thought and restoration of Islamic morality among the Muslims. Hence, the basic underlying idea was the revival of the religious spirit, renaissance of the Islamic thought and preservation and propagation of the religious sciences.

II) Preaching of Islam

The Christian missionaries were endeavouring hard, to spread their religion under the patronage of the Government. Therefore, it was essential to train and create and effective body of Ulama who could promote Islamic education and stop the onslaught of Christianity. So. it was the Deoband Movement which rose to the occasion.

III) Curriculum

At the time, the Dars-e-Nizami was in practice in Islamic academies in general. The Ulama who were inspired by the Shah Sahib's movement, preferred the Quranic Sciences and Hadith. Therefore, the six books of true Hadith "Sihah Sit- tah" were included in the curriculum. Arabic literature and History also won one place in the curriculum.

The Deoband curriculum consisted of accidence and Syntax, Arabic literature, institution of the Holy Quran, Hadith, Philosophy, Scholastic Philosophy, logic, Islamic, Jurisprudence, Rhetoric and Rules of Metaphorical Language, Beliefs and Poetical Works, The Prevalent Arts, Phonetics and Calligraphy. For the purpose, different books were made to study. This curriculum of the Dar-ul-Uloom covering Elementary, Secondary, Higher Secondary and Degree classes, was to be studies in nine years.