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[[File:Department_of_Education,_Aligarh_Muslim_University_2.jpg|thumb|Department of Education, Aligarh Muslim University]]
The '''history of [[Aligarh Muslim University]]''' begins with the [[Aligarh Movement|Aligarh movement]], which was a movement to establish a [[Western world|Western]] style of education for the [[Muslims]] of [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|British India]]. The movement was pioneered by [[Syed Ahmad Khan|Sir Syed Ahmed Khan]], who founded the [[Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College|Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College]] in [[Aligarh]]. Sir Syed retired at Aligarh, and undertook the charge of raising funds for the college, and supervising the construction of the campus.

After Sir Syed's death in 1898, a fund was instituted to convert the college into a university. With the rise of the [[Khilafat Movement|Khilafat movement]] during the first world war, the college became a center of Muslim political activity. In 1920, the college was converted to the Aligarh Muslim University by an [[Aligarh Muslim University|act]] of the British government. In 1935, the engineering college was established. The university remained a center of politics, with both the [[Indian independence movement]] and the [[Pakistan Movement|Pakistan movement]] gaining traction at the university.

After Indian independence and [[Partition of India|partition]] in 1947, a large number of students and staff migrated to the newly created Pakistan. [[Zakir Husain]] was appointed vice-chancellor to steer the university during this tumultuous period. The [[Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh|medical college]] was established in 1962, and the dental college in 1996. In the 21st century, degree-granting centers of the university were established in [[AMU Malappuram Campus|Malappuram]], [[Aligarh Muslim University: Murshidabad Centre|Murshidabad]], and Kishanganj.

== Aligarh movement ==
[[File:Siryedazam.jpg|thumb|Prominent members of the Aligarh movement—[[Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk]], [[Syed Ahmad Khan]], [[Syed Mahmood]]]]
{{Main|Aligarh Movement}}

=== Background ===
The failure of the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Mutiny of 1857]] against [[Company rule in India|company rule]] in India led to the collapse of the last vestige of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] empire. In the post-mutiny period, the Muslim upper classes and [[Ulama|''ulema'']] (scholars) in India were increasingly conservative, and suspicious and hostile towards the [[British Raj|British government]], as well as Western-style education introduced by the British.<ref name=":4" />

[[Syed Ahmad Khan|Sir Syed Ahmed Khan]], a who was a scholar and judge, was convinced that adopting Western education and fostering loyalty to the British empire was imperative to improve the situation of the Muslims of India. He started a movement, which would later be termed as the [[Aligarh Movement|Aligarh movement]], to reform Muslim society and remove the antagonism towards Western education and government service. He established a schools at [[Muradabad]] and [[Ghazipur]], and in 1863, established [[Scientific Society of Aligarh|scientific society]] for Muslims at [[Aligarh]]. The movement attracted prominent scholars including [[Jai Kishan Das]], [[Moulvi Samee Ullah Khan]], [[Khwaja Muhammad Yusuf]], and [[Zakaullah Dehlvi]].<ref name=":4" />

=== Setting up of a college at Aligarh ===
On 26 December 1870, the "Committee for the Better Diffusion and Advancement of Learning among the Muhammadans of India" was set up, with Sir Syed as its secretary. The members of this committee included several ruling [[Princely state|princes]], government officials, and wealthy landowners. The committee solicited essays written by Muslims in [[Urdu]] to summarize the reasons for the underrepresentation of Muslims among government schools and colleges, decline of the [[Madrasa|old systems]] of education, and the lack of modern [[Science education|scientific]] education among the Muslims.<ref name=":4" />

In 1872, Sir Syed presented a report, known as the Benares Committee Report, which consisted of the findings of the committee. The initial sections outlined the essay competition, and contained discussions by the members of the committee about the points in the essays. In the third part, among other suggestions, it was proposed that a large college, with three departments— the departments of English, Urdu, and Arabic and Persian. This college would function along the lines of the universities of [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] and [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]]. Copies of the report were sent to government officials and other influential persons, and drew praise from the [[Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook|Governor General]] and the [[William Muir|Lieutenant Governor of the North-Western Provinces]], both of whom contributed to the college fund. The orthodox Muslims and the ''ulema'' remained opposed to the idea, and issued [[fatwa]]s ruling it [[haram|unlawful]] to contribute to the fund.<ref name=":4" />

In a meeting held on 8 November 1872, [[Aligarh]] was chosen as the site for the college. The committee identified a plot troops from the old cantonment used to parade, which was long abandoned. In 1874, [[John Strachey (politician)|John Strachey]] was made governor of the United Provinces. He allotted the plot, on the condition that the college buildings would be taken over by the government in case the college shut down. With the land allotted, [[Moulvi Samee Ullah Khan]] made necessary arrangements, and the college was founded in 1875.<ref name=":4" />

== Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College (1875-1920) ==
{{Main|Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College}}
[[File:AMU_Masjid_-_panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Sir Syed Mosque]] and Strachey Hall.]]

The official opening ceremony of the school took place on the birthday of [[Queen Victoria]], on May 24, 1875. In 1876, Sir Syed retired and permanently settled down at Aligarh. The foundation stone was laid by Lord Lytton on January 8, 1877.<ref name=":4" /> [[Henry George Impey Siddons]] was appointed as the first principal of the college.

Sir Syed traveled across India in order to raise funds for the college, and by 1880, had secured considerable grants from the [[Mahboob Ali Khan|Nizam of Hyderabad]], [[Rajinder Singh of Patiala|Maharaja of Patiala]], [[Muhammad Mushtaq Ali Khan|Nawab of Rampur]], and [[Mir Turab Ali Khan, Salar Jung I|Salar Jung I]]. He also personally oversaw the construction of buildings at the campus. Construction of the [[Sir Syed Mosque|Jama Masjid]], designed in a [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]] style, began in 1879 although it wouldn't be inaugurated until 1915.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Taj Mahal and Aligarh's Jama Masjid – Built 250 Years Apart – Share a Calligrapher |url=https://thewire.in/history/how-taj-mahal-and-aligarhs-jama-masjid-built-250-years-apart-share-a-calligrapher |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=The Wire}}</ref>

Efforts were made to inculcate Western mannerisms among the boarders. The use of [[dentrifice]], laced or thin clothing, the use of [[henna]] to dye palms, and long curls, were banned. The [[Cricket Club, Aligarh Muslim University|cricket club]] was established in 1878, and the [[Siddons Union Club]] in 1884 modeled after [[Cambridge Union]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Hasan |first=Rahmani B.M.R. |year=1959 |title=The educational movement of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, 1858-1898 |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/29491/1/10731647.pdf}}</ref>

In 1898, Sir Syed died, and was buried at a tomb near the mosque on campus. Two factions emerged after his death,
[[File:Student_Union_Hall,_Aligarh_Muslim_University.jpg|thumb|Student Union Hall.]]
After Beck's death in 1899, [[Theodore Morison|Theodore Morrison]] succeeded him as principal. He outlined a proposal to convert the institution into an Arabic college, with the intention to recruit from Aligarh candidates to fill positions in the British possessions in the Middle East. The proposal ended in the creation of a chair in Arabic.

<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Akhtar |first=Shamim |date=2018 |title=Aligarh: From College to University, 1898-1920 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26906300 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=79 |pages=620–624 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ahmed |first=Nasreen |last2=Ahmad |first2=Nasreen |date=2005 |title=Muslim Female Education: Role of Sheikh Abdullah Vis-À-Vis the Aligarh Movement-(1906-1942) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44145935 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=66 |pages=1228–1240 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref>

=== Women's education ===
Sir Syed was opposed to modern education for Muslim women.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ahmed |first=Nasreen |date=2007 |title=Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Muslim Female Education: A Study in Contradictions |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44147914 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=68 |pages=1104–1111 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref> After his death, [[Sheikh Abdullah (educationalist)|Sheikh Abdullah]] raised the issue of establishing a girls' school.

=== Campaign to establish a Muslim university ===
In 1898, on the recommendation of [[Sahibzada Aftab Ahmad Khan]], the Sir Syed Memorial Fund was established with the objective of clearing the college's debts and ultimately converting the college into a university.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Minault |first=Gail |last2=Lelyveld |first2=David |date=1974 |title=The Campaign for a Muslim University, 1898-1920 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/311636 |journal=Modern Asian Studies |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=145–189 |issn=0026-749X}}</ref>

== Colonial period (1920-1947) ==
[[File:Civil_Department.JPG|thumb|The engineering college was established in 1935.]]
On 1 December 1920, the [[Aligarh Muslim University Act]] came into effect, converting the college into the Aligarh Muslim University. The [[Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan|Raja of Mahmudabad]] was the inaugural vice-chancellor, while [[Sultan Jahan, Begum of Bhopal]] and [[Aga Khan III]] were made chancellor and pro-chancellor respectively. The government made an annual grant of Rs. 100,000 for the university.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-04-27 |title=History of Aligarh Muslim University |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/history-of-aligarh-muslim-university/article23594137.ece |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Politics ===
In 1920, the [[non-cooperation movement]] was launched by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi delivered a speech at the university on 12 October. Subsequently, members of the [[Khilafat Movement|Khilafat movement]] including [[Shaukat Ali (politician)|Shaukat Ali]], [[Mohammad Ali Jauhar]], and [[Abul Kalam Azad]] arrived at the university, and a number of students (estimates ranging from 200 to 700) joined the movement and left Aligarh to enroll themselves at [[Jamia Millia Islamia|Jamia Milia Islamia]]. Throughout the 1920s and until the mid-1930s, Indian nationalism remained popular at the university and the student union was largely pro-[[Indian National Congress|Congress]].<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />

In 1937, the [[All India Muslim Students Federation]] was established. Support for the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] had grown at the university. Teachers with "socialistic" and "atheistic" ideas were dismissed, [[purdah]] was reintroduced at campus, and "dangerous" books on rationalism and religion were removed from the Lytton Library. By the 1940s, with the passing of the [[Lahore Resolution|Lahore resolution]] and several speeches given by [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]] and [[Liaquat Ali Khan|Liaqat Ali Khan]] at the campus, the student body became overwhelmingly sympathetic to the Pakistan movement. The student magazine regularly carried articles in favor of Jinnah and [[Pakistan]].<ref name=":5" /> In 1941, [[Ziauddin Ahmad]], who had joined the Muslim League, was elected vice-chancellor.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last=Akhtar |first=Shamim |date=2008 |title=Aligarh Muslim University and National Politics 1927-47 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44147222 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=69 |pages=587–591 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref>

== Post-independence (1947-present) ==

=== Financial crisis and modernization ===
[[File:DR. ZAKIR HUSAIN - PICTORIAL BIOGRAPHY 0005.jpg|thumb|[[Zakir Husain]] was the vice-chancellor between 1948 and 1956]]
By 1947, the university had come to primarily depend on students' fees for funding, with some additional funding coming from the British government and Muslim [[princely state]]s such as [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]]. With Indian independence and [[Partition of India|partition]] in 1947, a large number of students and staff, including vice-chancellor [[Zahid Husain (banker)|Zahid Husain]] migrated to Pakistan. The number of students, which had been in excess of 5000 in 1946–7, had fallen to 1000 in 1949. The princely states were also integrated into India and Pakistan, with their rulers losing power. As such, the university fell into considerable financial crisis.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Akhtar |first=Shamim |date=2005 |title=University in Transition Under Freedom: A.M.U., 1947-1960 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44145983 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=66 |pages=1476–1480 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref>

The university's image was tainted by the association with the Pakistan movement.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Hasan |first=Mushirul |date=2002 |title=Aligarh Muslim University: recalling radical days |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23005816 |journal=India International Centre Quarterly |volume=29 |issue=3/4 |pages=47–59 |issn=0376-9771}}</ref> Rumors were circulated of Pakistani officials recruiting students at Aligarh, and of arms and ammunition stored on the campus. Demands were also made in the [[Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly]] and in parliament to shut down the university.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Hasan |first=Mushirul |title=The Local Roots of the Pakistan Movement: The Aligarh Muslim University |journal=}}</ref> On campus, discipline suffered and hooliganism became rife, and the university administration, in an effort to display loyalty to the government, suppressed political dissent. Communist students and faculty members, including notable professors [[Zahida Zaidi]] and Iqtidar Alam Khan, were arrested.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Akhtar |first=Shamim |date=2016 |title=Aligarh Muslim University: A Study of the Critical Period of Transition |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24890317 |journal=Social Scientist |volume=44 |issue=7/8 |pages=79–85 |issn=0970-0293}}</ref>

In 1948, [[Zakir Husain]] was appointed with vice-chancellor and tasked with modernizing the university by [[Maulana Azad|Abul Kalam Azad]], the minister of education. Husain, who took regular charge in 1950 following a long absence due to illness, began the process of restoring discipline. The communist students, on their release from prison, were readmitted. He also began filling the vacancies among teaching positions by inviting eminent professors from all over India to join the university. These appointments included the professors [[Abdul Aleem (professor)|Abdul Aleem]], [[Saiyid Nurul Hasan]], [[DP Mukerji|D. P. Mukerji]], and [[Piara Singh Gill]].<ref name=":2" />

==== Aligarh University (Amendment) Act, 1951 ====
The Aligarh University Amendment Act of 1951 was passed.<ref name=":0" /> The university was brought under direct control of the central government, and

=== Minority status ===
In 1965, a student riot broke out and vice-chancellor [[Ali Yavar Jung]] was injured. On [[M. C. Chagla]]'s recommendations, an ordinance was passed which suspended the university constitution and reduced the university court to an advisory body.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wright |first=Theodore P. |date=1966 |title=Muslim Education in India at the Crossroads: The Case of Aligarh |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2755181 |journal=Pacific Affairs |volume=39 |issue=1/2 |pages=50–63 |doi=10.2307/2755181 |issn=0030-851X}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Akhtar |first=Shamim |date=2009 |title=Aligarh Muslim University, a 'Minority Institution' — Agitation, Legislation and the Law Courts, 1965-2009 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44147761 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=70 |pages=1169–1180 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref>

=== 21st century ===
In 2020, the university [[Centennial|centenary]] celebrations were held, primarily online due to the [[COVID-19]] pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-12-22 |title=PM Modi to attend centenary celebrations of Aligarh Muslim University today |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/pm-modi-to-attend-centenary-celebrations-of-aligarh-muslim-university-today-11608596058026.html |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=mint |language=en}}</ref> The Centenary Gate was built to mark the occasion.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-09-25 |title=AMU VC urged to name centenary gate after Sardar Patel or Ambedkar or Ashfaqullah Khan |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/amu-vc-urged-to-name-centenary-gate-after-sardar-patel-or-ambedkar-or-ashfaqullah-khan/articleshow/78311143.cms |access-date=2023-08-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>[[File:AMU_Malappuram_Centre_law_Department.jpg|thumb|[[AMU Malappuram Campus|AMU Malappuram Centre]]]]

==== Controversies ====
In 2014, the death of professor [[Ramchandra Siras]]. In 2016, [[2016 Aligarh Muslim University campus violence|violence]] broke out between two student groups, resulting in one death. In 2019, during the [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]], the protests at the university were violently quelled, with about 60 students injured.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-12-16 |title=Citizenship Act: University students across country protest in solidarity with Jamia Millia, AMU |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/citizenship-act-university-students-across-country-protest-in-solidarity-with-jamia-millia-amu/article30317449.ece |access-date=2023-07-31 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==== Off-campus centers ====
In 2008, the university submitted a proposal to set up five centers of the university. The government sanctioned funds to set up the centers at [[AMU Malappuram Campus|Malappuram]] and [[Aligarh Muslim University: Murshidabad Centre|Murshidabad]], which were set up in 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-08-14 |title=AMU centre: PM to talk to Sibal |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/amu-centre-pmto-talk-to-sibal/articleshow/15486396.cms |access-date=2023-07-30 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-10-26 |title=A historic moment for Malabar |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/education/A-historic-moment-for-Malabar/article15793115.ece |access-date=2023-07-30 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> In 2013, the center at [[Kishanganj]] was established.

== References ==
{{reflist}}{{Aligarh Muslim University}}

[[Category:Aligarh Muslim University| ]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1875]]
[[Category:Central universities in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Islamic universities and colleges in India]]
[[Category:Pakistan Movement]]
[[Category:1875 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Aligarh]]
[[Category:Aligarh Movement]]

History of Aligarh Muslim University - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article