4.2.2 ACHIEVEMENTS OF ALIGRAH MOVEMENTS IN EDUCATION

In order to accomplish the objectives of the Aligarh Movement Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and his sincere colleagues took the following important initiatives, namely:

• They established a Scientific Society.
• They constituted a committee consisting of those who loved and desired progress and prosperity for the Muslims.
• They launched a movement for educating the Muslims of the Sub-continent.
• They established the Muhammadan Anglo- Oriental College at Aligarh.
• They constituted the Muhammadan Educational Conference.

Now, as regards the Scientific Society, they translated the oriental and western literature into Urdu and then published it. Their magazine 'The Aligarh Institute Gazette' played a very significant and effective role in this regard. The Committee of Progress and Prosperity lovers traced out the causes of the decline and degradation of the Muslim education system in South Asia. Again, to promote his educational philosophy, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan setup the M.A.O High School at Aligarh. on May 27, 1875 A.D. After two years only it was upgraded as a college in 1878 A.D. it succeeded in getting affiliation to the Calcutta University, Calcutta.

The design of the grand building of the Aligarh College was drawn by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan himself. It consisted of a Mosque, many lecture rooms and halls. A hostel for the students was also there in the design. By 1920, twenty hostels had been constructed. The College Library had a large collection on oriental and western sciences. The books mustered upto 18,140. In addition there were orignal Urdu and Persian manuscripts. They numbered 731. In 1921 A.D., the M.A.O, college Aligarh, was elevated to the Muslim University, Aligarh. Hence, formerly the Aligarh college and then the Aligarh University remained the centre of gravity for the Aligarh Movement.

The Muhammadan Educational Conference was a very active organ of the Aligarh Movement which converted this Movement into an Active Practical Political Movement. This organisation which was constituted in 1888 A.D., aimed at introducing and popularising among the Muslims the western sciences and simultaneously at safeguarding and reforming their own religious sciences. Branches of this Conference had spread throughout the Sub-continent. It also arranged big meetings and gatherings in far off places in the Sub-continent. Its continued and tireless efforts helped in establishment of many Muslim educational institutions in South Asia, the greatest achievement of this Conference was that during its historic annual session at Dacca on 31st December, 1906 A.D., it founded All India Muslim League. It is this League that won for the Muslims a separate, independent, sovereign Muslim State of their own, on, August 14, 1947 A.D. It was the political fruit of this movement.