The Legacy of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in the Field of Education

Abstract

It is beyond any doubt that education has been the dire need of any society. Education is a lifelong process. It continues from the cradle to the grave. It equips people with knowledge and skills to enable them to live a prosperous and happy life. Education serves as supra structure of a country. The development of country depends upon the standard and quality of education in the country. Education is a mean through which a man knows himself and his position and duties in this world. It helps individual in self-realization and is a process of exploring of individual's potentiality and tries to enable the individual using his power in positive manner (Khalid, 1998). The arrival of Syed Ahmad Khan on the India educational scene is perhaps the most outstanding event in the 19 th century in the history of Muslim education. This paper will analyze the views, educational philosophy and contribution of Sir Syed in the field of education and the out put of Aligarh Movement initiated by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

The Aligarh Movement's Contributions to the Development of Modern Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

“…The educational systems of England's Cambridge and Oxford universities astonished him by their academic and scientific development. When he returned to India, he decided to establish an educational institution modelled after Oxford and Cambridge Universities (Ali et al, 2011).…”

“…It began as a boys' college, providing western education, and later expanded to include women's education. In addition, a medical college was started (Ali et al, 2011). Some of the Aligarh Movement's most famous figures attended the annual general meeting of the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam.…”

“…He has indicated that he will pay a visit to Mohammadan College in Aligarh. He travelled to Aligarh with Abdul Qayyum Khan to observe the famous seat of learning and speak with a few Pathans studying there (Ali et al, 2011).…”

“…College students served as national leaders and made important sacrifices. The leaders who performed their role in any sphere of freedom movement have come from Aligarh (Ali et al, 2011).…”

“…It is generally believed that In beginning and early part of the nineteenth century, Muslim society had produced no such proponents who could successfully do away with this. subsequently, socioreligious changes among Muslims came late (Ali, Shahzada, & Faqir, 2011).…”