Syed Ahmad Khan: Difference between revisions

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[[Sir]] '''Syed Ahmad Khan''' <small>[[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]]</small> {{post-nominals|country=GBR|list=[[Fellows of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|FRAS]]}} (17 October 1817 – 27 March 1898; also '''Sayyid Ahmad Khan''') was an [[Indian people|Indian]] Muslim [[Islamic modernist|reformer]],<ref name="Glasse, Cyril, (2001)" /><ref>''Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World,'' Thomson Gale (2004)</ref> [[philosopher]], and educationist<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e83?_hi=1&_pos=1|title=Ahmad Khan, Sayyid – Oxford Islamic Studies Online|website=www.oxfordislamicstudies.com|language=en|access-date=30 January 2021}}</ref> in nineteenth-century [[British Raj|British India]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Misreading Sir Syed |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/misreading-sir-syed-ahmad-khan-aligarh-muslim-university-4893795/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207020143/https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/misreading-sir-syed-ahmad-khan-aligarh-muslim-university-4893795/ |archive-date=7 February 2019 |access-date=4 February 2019 |website=The Indian Express |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref name="Tribune">{{Cite news |title=Two-nation theory: Aligarh boys remember Sir Syed Ahmed Khan |language=en-US |work=The Express Tribune (newspaper) |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/276988/two-nation-theory-aligarh-boys-remember-sir-syed-ahmed-khan/ |url-status=live |access-date=24 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327092233/https://tribune.com.pk/story/276988/two-nation-theory-aligarh-boys-remember-sir-syed-ahmed-khan/ |archive-date=27 March 2019}}</ref> Though initially espousing [[Hindu–Muslim unity]], he became the pioneer of [[Muslim nationalism in South Asia|Muslim nationalism in India]] and is widely credited as the father of the [[two-nation theory]], which formed the basis of the [[Pakistan movement]].<ref name="Shirali"/><ref name="Tribune1">{{Cite news |title=Beacon in the dark: Father of the two-nation theory remembered |language=en-US |work=The Express Tribune (newspaper) |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/781617/beacon-in-the-dark-father-of-the-two-nation-theory-remembered/ |url-status=live |access-date=24 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327094232/https://tribune.com.pk/story/781617/beacon-in-the-dark-father-of-the-two-nation-theory-remembered/ |archive-date=27 March 2019}}</ref><ref name=Dawn/><ref name=Nation/> Born into a family with strong debts  to the [[Durbar (court)|Mughal court]], Ahmad studied [[science]] and the [[Quran]] within the court. He was awarded an honorary [[LLD]] from the [[University of Edinburgh]] in 1889.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir Syed Ahmad Khan-Man with a Great Vision |url=http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_401_450/sir_syed_ahmad_khanman_with_a_g.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029053748/http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_401_450/sir_syed_ahmad_khanman_with_a_g.htm |archive-date=29 October 2016 |access-date=13 September 2016 |website=www.irfi.org}}</ref><ref name=Tribune1/><ref name=Tribune/>

In 1859, Syed established Gulshan School at [[Muradabad]], Victoria School at [[Ghazipur]] in 1863, and [[Scientific Society of Aligarh|a scientific society]] for Muslims in 1863.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grad |first=Prospect |title=Aligarh Muslim University |url=https://gradprospect.com/institute/Aligarh-Muslim-University/ |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=GradProspect.com}}</ref> In 1875, founded the [[Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College]], the first Muslim university in Southern Asia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir Syed Ahmad Khan {{!}} The greatest Muslim reformer and statesman of the 19th Century. |url=http://storyofpakistan.com/sir-syed-ahmad-khan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912173338/http://storyofpakistan.com/sir-syed-ahmad-khan |archive-date=12 September 2016 |access-date=11 September 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> During his career, Syed repeatedly called upon Muslims to loyally serve the [[British Empire|British Raj]] and promoted the adoption of Urdu as the ''[[lingua franca]]'' of all [[Indian Muslim]]s. Syed criticized the [[Indian National Congress]].<ref name=brit/>

Sir Syed maintains a strong legacy in Pakistan and among [[Indian Muslims]]. He strongly influenced other Muslim leaders including [[Allama Iqbal]] and [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]]. His advocacy of Islam's rationalist tradition, and at broader, radical reinterpretation of the [[Quran]] to make it compatible with science and modernity, continues to influence the global [[Liberalism and progressivism within Islam|Islamic reformation]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Sir Syed loses and Allama Iqbal wins in Pakistan – The Express Tribune |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/504576/why-sir-syed-loses-and-allama-iqbal-wins-in-pakistan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701182019/http://tribune.com.pk/story/504576/why-sir-syed-loses-and-allama-iqbal-wins-in-pakistan/ |archive-date=1 July 2016 |access-date=11 September 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> Many universities and public buildings in Pakistan bear Sir Syed's name.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Commercialisation of Sir Syed's name': Court seeks input from city's top managers – The Express Tribune |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/329971/commercialisation-of-sir-syeds-name-court-seeks-input-from-citys-top-managers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411000821/http://tribune.com.pk/story/329971/commercialisation-of-sir-syeds-name-court-seeks-input-from-citys-top-managers/ |archive-date=11 April 2016 |access-date=11 September 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref>

 

[[Aligarh Muslim University]] celebrated Sir Syed's 200th birth centenary with much enthusiasm on 17 October 2017. Former [[President of India]] [[Pranab Mukherjee]] was the chief guest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir Syed Day: Why October 17 Is Important For AMU And Its Alumni |url=https://www.ndtv.com/education/sir-syed-day-why-october-17-is-important-for-amu-and-its-alumni-1763878 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017082736/https://www.ndtv.com/education/sir-syed-day-why-october-17-is-important-for-amu-and-its-alumni-1763878 |archive-date=17 October 2017 |access-date=17 October 2017 |publisher=NDTV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Mukherjee calls for research at AMU celebration |work=The New Indian Express |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/pti-news/2017/oct/17/mukherjee-calls-for-research-at-amu-celebration-1676788.html |url-status=live |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028042317/http://www.newindianexpress.com/pti-news/2017/oct/17/mukherjee-calls-for-research-at-amu-celebration-1676788.html |archive-date=28 October 2017}}</ref>

{{Rquote|right|Do not show the face of Islam to others; instead show your face as the follower of true Islam representing character, knowledge, tolerance and piety.|Sir Syed Ahmad Khan}}

Sir Syed supported the [[East India Company]] during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|1857 uprising]], a role which has been criticised by some nationalists such as [[Jamaluddin Afghani]]. In 1859 Sir Syed published the booklet ''Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind'' (''The Causes of the Indian Revolt'') in Urdu in which he studied the causes of the Indian revolt. In this, his most famous work, he rejected the common notion that the conspiracy was planned by Muslim elites, who resented the diminishing influence of Muslim monarchs. He blamed the East India Company for its [[Company rule in India|aggressive expansion]] as well as the ignorance of British politicians regarding Indian culture. Sir Syed advised the British to appoint Muslims to assist in administration, to prevent what he called ‘haramzadgi’ (a vulgar deed) such as the mutiny.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hoodbhoy |first=Pervez |title=Why Sir Syed loses and Allama Iqbal wins in Pakistan |publisher=The Pakistan Tribune |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/504576/why-sir-syed-loses-and-allama-iqbal-wins-in-pakistan/ |url-status=live |access-date=30 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717120927/http://tribune.com.pk/story/504576/why-sir-syed-loses-and-allama-iqbal-wins-in-pakistan/ |archive-date=17 July 2015}}</ref>

When the government of India had the book translated and presented before the council, Lord Canning, the governor-general, and [[Sir Bartle Frere]] accepted it as a sincere and friendly report. The foreign secretary [[Cecil Beadon]], however, severely attacked it, calling it 'an extremely seditious pamphlet'. He wanted a proper inquiry into the matter and said that the author, unless he could give a satisfactory explanation, should be harshly dealt with. Since no other member of the Council agreed with his opinion, his attack did no harm.<ref>{{Cite book|last=K̲h̲ān̲|first=Sir Sayyid Aḥmad|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l8nfAQAACAAJ|title=Writings and Speeches of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan|publisher=Nachiketa Publications|language=en|page=15}}</ref>

Upon his transfer to [[Aligarh]] in 1864, Sir Syed began working wholeheartedly as an educator. The Scientific Society was transferred from Ghazipur to Aligarh and rechristened as the [[Scientific Society of Aligarh]].<ref>[[#Kidwai 2020|Kidwai 2020]], p. 46</ref> Modelling it after the [[Royal Society]] and the [[Royal Asiatic Society]],<ref name="Bio">{{Cite book |title=Encyclopedia of World Biography |publisher=Gale Research |year=1997 |edition=Second |pages=17 vols |chapter=Sir Syed Ahmed Khan}}</ref> Sir Syed assembled Muslim scholars from different parts of the country. The Society held annual conferences, disbursed funds for educational causes and regularly published a journal on scientific subjects in English and Urdu. Sir Syed felt that the socio-economic future of Muslims was threatened by their orthodox aversions to modern science and technology.<ref name="EPMI" /> He published many writings promoting liberal, rational interpretations of [[Islamic Holy Books|Islamic scriptures]], struggling to find rational interpretations for [[jinn]], [[Angels in Islam|angels]], and miracles of the prophets.<ref name="OO-2018">{{cite web |title=A balanced view on Sir Syed Ahmed khan-Dr Israr's holistic approach |url=https://oracleopinions.com/2018/10/26/a-balanced-view-on-sir-syed-ahmed-khan-dr-isrars-holistic-approach/ |website=Oracle Opinions |access-date=3 December 2020 }}</ref>  

<blockquote>I may appear to be dreaming and talking like Shaikh Chilli, but we aim to turn this MAO College into a University similar to that of [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] or Cambridge. Like the churches of Oxford and Cambridge, there will be [[mosque]]s attached to each College... The College will have a dispensary with a Doctor and a compounder, besides a ''[[Unani]] [[Hakim (title)|Hakim]]''. It will be mandatory on boys in residence to join the congregational prayers ([[salat|namaz]]) at all the five times. Students of other religions will be exempted from this religious observance. Muslim students will have a uniform consisting of a black alpaca, half-sleeved ''chugha'' and a red ''[[Fez (clothing)|Fez]]'' cap... Bad and abusive words which boys generally pick up and get used to, will be strictly prohibited. Even such a word as a "liar" will be treated as an abuse to be prohibited. They will have food either on tables of [[table manners|European style]] or on chaukis in the manner of the [[Arab cuisine#Culture|Arabs]]... Smoking of cigarette or ''[[hookah|huqqa]]'' and the chewing of [[betel]]s shall be strictly prohibited. No [[corporal punishment]] or any such punishment as is likely to injure a student's self-respect will be permissible... It will be strictly enforced that [[Shia Islam|Shia]] and [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] boys shall not discuss their religious differences in the College or in the boarding house. At present it is like a day dream. I pray to God that this dream may come true."{{Citation needed}}</blockquote>

He began publishing the journal ''[[Tehzeeb-ul-Akhlaq]]'' (''Social Reformer'') on 24 December 1870 to spread awareness and knowledge on modern subjects and promote reforms in Muslim society.<ref>[http://aligarhmovement.com/Chronology_of_Aligarh_Movement A Brief Chronology of Aligarh Movement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215124954/http://aligarhmovement.com/Chronology_of_Aligarh_Movement }}. aligarhmovement.com</ref> Sir Syed worked to promote reinterpretation of Muslim ideology in order to reconcile tradition with Western education. He argued in several books on Islam that the Qur'an rested on an appreciation of reason and natural law, making scientific inquiry important to being a good Muslim.

By 1873, the committee under Sir Syed issued proposals for the construction of a college in Aligarh. Maulvi Samiullah Khan was appointed as the secretary of the sub-committee of the proposed school.<ref name="Hasan 2006, p. 43"/> Members of the committee toured the country in order to raise funds for the school which was finally  established on 24 May 1875 in Aligarh as the [[Minto Circle|Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental Collegiate School]]. Two years later, in 1877, the school was converted into the [[Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College]].<ref>[[#Hasan 2006|Hasan 2006]], p. 43, 44</ref> He retired from his career as a jurist the following year, concentrating entirely on developing the college and on religious reform.<ref name="Bio" /> Sir Syed's pioneering work received support from the British.<ref>[[#Kidwai 2020|Kidwai 2020]], p. 48</ref> Although intensely criticised by orthodox religious leaders hostile to modern influences, Sir Syed's new institution attracted a large student body, mainly drawn from the Muslim gentry and middle classes.<ref name="Islam">{{Cite book |last=Nazeer Ahmed |title=Islam in Global History |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-7388-5966-8 |page=231}}</ref>{{self-published inline}} However, MAO College was open to all communities, and had a sizeable number of Hindu students. The first graduate of the college was a Hindu.<ref name="ReferenceJ">[[#Kidwai 2020|Kidwai 2020]], p. 49</ref> The curriculum at the college involved scientific and Western subjects, as well as Oriental subjects and religious education.<ref name="Bio" /> The first [[chancellor (education)|chancellor]] was [[Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal|Sultan Shah Jahan Begum]], a prominent Muslim noblewoman, and Sir Syed invited an Englishman, [[Theodore Beck]], to serve as the first college principal.<ref name="Islam" /> The college was originally affiliated with [[Calcutta University]] but was transferred to the [[Allahabad University]] in 1885. Near the turn of the 20th century, it began publishing its own magazine and established a law school. In 1920, the college was transformed into [[Aligarh Muslim University]].<ref name="ReferenceJ"/>

At the start of his career, Syed Ahmad Khan advocated for [[Hindu–Muslim unity]] in Colonial India.<ref name="Shirali"/> He stated: "India is a beautiful bride and Hindus and Muslims are her two eyes. If one of them is lost, this beautiful bride will become ugly."<ref name="Shirali">{{cite web |last1=Shirali |first1=Aresh |title=The Enigma of Aligarh |url=https://openthemagazine.com/freedom-issue-2017/freedom-issue-2017-dispatches-from-history/the-enigma-of-aligarh/ |website=[[Open (Indian magazine)|Open Magazine]] }}</ref> Being raised in the diverse city of [[Delhi]], Syed Ahmad Khan was exposed to the festivals of both Hindus and Muslims.<ref name="Shirali"/> He collected Hindu scriptures and "had a commitment to the country's composite culture", being close friends with [[Swami Vivekanand]] to [[Debendranath Tagore]].<ref name="Shirali"/> In the 19th century, he opposed cow slaughter, even stopping a fellow Muslim from sacrificing one for [[Eid al-Adha]] to promote peace between Muslims and Hindus.<ref name="Shirali"/> Addressing a large gathering in [[Gurdaspur]] on 27 January 1884, Sir Syed said:

The onset of the [[Hindi–Urdu controversy]] of 1867 saw the emergence of Sir Syed as a champion for cause of the Urdu language. He became a leading Muslim voice opposing the adoption of [[Hindi]] as a second official language of the [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United Provinces]] (now [[Uttar Pradesh]]). Sir Syed perceived Urdu as the ''lingua franca'' of the United Provinces which was created as a confluence of Muslim and Hindu contributions in India.<ref name="Shirali"/> Having been developed during the Mughal period, Urdu was used as a secondary language to Persian, the official language of the Mughal court. Since the decline of the Mughal dynasty, Sir Syed promoted the use of Urdu through his own writings. Under Sir Syed, the Scientific Society translated Western works only into Urdu. The schools established by Sir Syed imparted education in the Urdu medium. The demand for Hindi, led largely by Hindus, was to Sir Syed an erosion of the centuries-old Muslim cultural domination of India. Testifying before the British-appointed education commission, Sir Syed controversially exclaimed that "Urdu was the language of [[gentry]] and Hindi that of the vulgar."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fmnpssOM_3kC&dq=Urdu+was+the+language+of+gentry+and+Hindi+that+of+the+vulgar&pg=PA41 Hindi Nationalism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507085324/https://books.google.com/books?id=fmnpssOM_3kC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=Urdu+was+the+language+of+gentry+and+Hindi+that+of+the+vulgar&source=bl&ots=qYJzARaHiI&sig=sUvDhRokxc7PfrU6dm4TdZpX1bw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=varoUYTLNKbG0AX1uIGwDA&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Urdu%20was%20the%20language%20of%20gentry%20and%20Hindi%20that%20of%20the%20vulgar&f=false }}, Alok Rai, Orient Blackswan, 2001</ref> His remarks provoked a hostile response from Hindu leaders, who unified across the nation to demand the recognition of Hindi.

The success of the Hindi movement led Sir Syed to further advocate Urdu as the symbol of Muslim heritage and as the language of all Indian Muslims. His educational and political work grew increasingly centred around and exclusively for Muslim interests. He also sought to persuade the British to give Urdu extensive official use and patronage. His colleagues such as [[Mohsin-ul-Mulk]] and [[Maulvi Abdul Haq]] developed organisations such as the [[Urdu Defence Association]] and the [[Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu]], committed to the perpetuation of Urdu.{{Citation needed}} All these colleagues led efforts that resulted in the adoption of Urdu as the official language of the [[Hyderabad State]] and as the medium of instruction in the [[Osmania University]].{{Citation needed}}<ref name="Yusuf">{{Cite book |last=ABBASI |first=Yusuf |title=Muslim Politics and Leadership in the South Asian Sub-continent |publisher=Institute of Islamic History, Culture and Civilization, Islamic University ([[Islamabad]]) |year=1981 |page=90}}</ref> To Muslims in northern and western India, Urdu had become an integral part of political and cultural identity. However, the division over the use of Hindi or Urdu further provoked communal conflict between Muslims and Hindus in India.{{Citation needed}}

Sir Syed is considered as the first person to theorize the idea of separate nationhood for Muslims in subcontinent.<ref name = DergiPark>{{Cite journal|last=Şahbaz|first=Davut|title=The Two Nations Theory and {{sic|I|t's|nolink=y}} Role In The Establishment of Pakistan|url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/1033923|journal=Academic Journal of History and Idea|volume=7|pages=1, 9|via=Dergi Park}}</ref><ref name="Nation">{{Cite web |title=Jinnah's two nation theory |url=https://nation.com.pk/27-Feb-2020/jinnah-s-two-nation-theory |access-date=18 October 2020 |website=The Nation |language=en}}</ref> In a speech at [[Meerut]] in 1888 he presented on overall scenario of post colonial phase in which he described Muslims and Hindus as two nations.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Sir Syed Ahmed on the present state of Indian politics (consisting of speeches and letters)|publisher=Pioneer Press|year=1888|isbn=|location=|pages=29}}</ref> He's regarded as the father of [[two-nation theory]] and the pioneer of [[Muslim nationalism in South Asia|Muslim nationalism]] which led to the [[partition of India]].<ref name = Tribune1/><ref name="Dawn">{{Cite web |last=Paracha |first=Nadeem F. |title=The forgotten future: Sir Syed and the birth of Muslim nationalism in South Asia |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1277341 |access-date=18 October 2020 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref>

Is it possible that under these circumstances two nations—the Mohammedans and the Hindus—could sit on the same throne and remain equal in power? Most certainly not. It is necessary that one of them should conquer the other. To hope that both could remain equal is to desire the impossible and the inconceivable. But until one nation has conquered the other and made it obedient, peace cannot reign in the land."<ref>Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817–1898), Speech in March 1888, Quoted by Dilip Hiro, "The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry Between India and Pakistan"[https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/longest-august-unflinching-rivalry-between-india-and-pakistan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315003313/https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/longest-august-unflinching-rivalry-between-india-and-pakistan}}</ref></blockquote>

Several educational institutions in India and Pakistan such as [[Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology]], [[Sir Syed CASE Institute of Technology]] and [[Sir Syed College (Taliparamba)|Sir Syed College, Taliparamba]] are named after him.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Newspaper|first=From the|title=Remembering Sir Syed|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1327041|access-date=15 September 2021|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Sir Syed College|url=http://www.sirsyedcollege.ac.in/AboutUs/Item.aspx?Option=2&Sub=4|access-date=15 September 2021|website=www.sirsyedcollege.ac.in}}</ref>

On 2 June 1869, Syed Ahmad Khan was appointed a Companion of the [[Order of the Star of India]] (CSI), for his service as Principal ''Sadr Amin''.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=23504|page=3181|supp=}}</ref> He was appointed a fellow of the Calcutta and Allahabad Universities by the Viceroy in the years 1876 and 1887 respectively.<ref>[[#Kidwai 2020|Kidwai 2020]], p. 43</ref>

Syed Ahmad was later bestowed with the suffix of 'Khan Bahadur' and was subsequently [[knight]]ed by the British government in the 1888 New Year Honours as a [[Order of the Star of India|Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India]] (KCSI).<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25772|page=14|supp=}}</ref><ref name="brit">{{Cite book |last=Ikram |first=S.S. |url=http://www.britannica.com/biography/Sayyid-Ahmad-Khan |title=Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan: Muslim Scholar |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=30 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905165522/http://www.britannica.com/biography/Sayyid-Ahmad-Khan |archive-date=5 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> for his loyalty to the British crown, through his membership of the Imperial Legislative Council<ref>{{Cite web |last=Puja Mondal |title=Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and the Aligarh Movement |url=http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/history/sir-syed-ahmed-khan-and-the-aligarh-movement/23145/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922121824/http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/history/sir-syed-ahmed-khan-and-the-aligarh-movement/23145 |archive-date=22 September 2017 |access-date=30 July 2015}}</ref> and in the following year he received an [[Doctor of Laws|LL.D.]] ''honoris causa'' from the [[Edinburgh University]].<ref name="Bio" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=C.M. Naim |title=A Musafir To London |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/a-musafir-to-london/278673 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116142402/https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/a-musafir-to-london/278673 |archive-date=16 November 2018 |access-date=29 May 2016}}</ref>

[[India Post]] issued commemorative postage stamps in his honour in 1973 and 1998.<ref>[http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Alpha/SYED%20AHMAD%20KHAN%20ALIGARH%20UNIVERSITY Syed Ahmad Khan's commemorative postage stamp issued by India Post in 1973 commemorating his 156th birth anniversary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017151643/http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Alpha/SYED%20AHMAD%20KHAN%20ALIGARH%20UNIVERSITY }}, indianpost.com</ref>

[[Pakistan Postal Services]] also issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honour in 1990 in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' series.<ref>[https://findpk.com/pof/sir_syed_ahmad_khan.html Syed Ahmad Khan's commemorative postage stamp issued by Pakistan Postal Services in 1990 in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' series] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805195128/http://www.findpk.com/pof/sir_syed_ahmad_khan.html }} Retrieved 24 August 2019</ref>

On 14 August 2022, marking the diamond jubilee celebrations of Pakistan's independence, [[State Bank of Pakistan]] revealed a commemorative [[Pakistani rupee|Rs.]]75 note featuring Syed Ahmed Khan along with other founding fathers signifying their struggle for [[Pakistan independence|country's independence]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Soomro |first=Kumail |title=State Bank unveils Rs75 commemorative banknote |url=https://www.bolnews.com/business/2022/08/state-bank-unveils-rs75-commemorative-banknote/ |access-date=14 August 2022 |website=BOL News |language=en-US}}</ref>

* {{Cite book|last=Abdullah|first=S. M.|url=http://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.23035|title=The spirit and substance of Urdu prose under the influence of Sir Sayyid Ahamad Khan|publisher=Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, Lahore|ref=Abdullah}}

* {{Cite journal|last=Sherwani|first=H. K.|title=The Political Thought Of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42754317|journal=The Indian Journal of Political Science|volume=5|issue=4|pages=306–328|jstor=42754317|issn=0019-5510|author-link=Haroon Khan Sherwani|ref=Sherwani 1944}}

* {{Cite journal|last=Ahmad|first=Aziz|title=Sayyid Aḥmad Khān, Jamāl al-dīn al-Afghānī and Muslim India|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1595240|journal=Studia Islamica|issue=13|pages=55–78|doi=10.2307/1595240|jstor=1595240|issn=0585-5292|author-link=Aziz Ahmad (writer)|ref=Ahmad 1960}}

* {{Cite book|last=Nizami|first=Khaliq Ahmad|url=http://archive.org/details/sayyidahmadkhan00niza|title=Sayyid Ahmad Khan|isbn= 978-8123025131|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India|others=Public Resource|author-link=Khaliq Ahmad Nizami|ref=Nizami}}

* {{Cite book|last=Shan Muhammad|url=http://archive.org/details/sirsyedahmadkhan0000shan|title=Sir Syed Ahmad Khan; a political biography|publisher=Meerut, Meenaksi Parkashan|others=Internet Archive|ref=Shan Muhammad 1969}}

* {{Cite journal|last=Troll|first=Christian W.|title=A Note on an Early Topographical Work of Sayyid Aḥmad Khān: "Ās̤ār al-Ṣanādīd"|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25203370|journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|issue=2|pages=135–146|doi=10.1017/S0035869X00157508|jstor=25203370|s2cid=163133936 |issn=0035-869X|ref=Troll 1972}}

* {{Cite book|last1=K̲h̲ān̲|first1=Sir Sayyid Aḥmad|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5qymtAEACAAJ|title=Writings and Speeches of Sir Syed Ahmad Rhan|last2=Muhammad|first2=Shan|publisher=Nachiketa Publications|language=en|ref=Shan Muhammad 1973}}

* {{Cite book|last=Troll|first=Christian W.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7QcKAQAAIAAJ&q=sir+syed+christian+troll|title=Sayyid Ahmad Khan: A Reinterpretation of Muslim Theology|publisher=Vikas Publishing House|isbn=978-0-7069-0626-4|language=en|ref=Troll 1978}}

* {{Cite journal|last=Ali|first=M. Mohar|title=Hunter's "Indian Musalmans": A Re-Examination of Its Background|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25211084|journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|volume=112|issue=1|pages=30–51|doi=10.1017/S0035869X00135889|jstor=25211084|s2cid=154830629 |issn=0035-869X|author-link=Muhammad Mohar Ali|ref=Ali 1980}}

* {{Cite journal|last=Guenther|first=Alan M.|title=Response Of Sayyid Ahmad Khan To Sir William Muir's Evaluation Of Hadit Literature|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25817822|journal=Oriente Moderno|volume=21 (82)|issue=1|pages=219–254|doi=10.1163/22138617-08201015|jstor=25817822|issn=0030-5472|ref=Guenther 2002}}

* {{Cite book|last1=K̲h̲ān̲|first1=Sir Sayyid Aḥmad|last2=Wilder|first2= John W.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hO_ZAAAAMAAJ|title=Selected Essays by Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan|publisher=Sang-e Meel Publications|isbn=978-969-35-1805-4|language=en|ref=Wilder 2006}}

* {{Cite book|last=Guha|first=Ramachandra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kkyom-cQNecC&q=makes+of+modern+india|title=Makers of Modern India|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-670-08385-5|language=en|author-link=Ramachandra Guha|ref=Guha}}

* {{Cite journal|last=Naim|first=C. M.|title=Syed Ahmad and His Two Books Called 'Asar-al-Sanadid'|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25835695|journal=Modern Asian Studies|volume=45|issue=3|pages=669–708|doi=10.1017/S0026749X10000156|jstor=25835695|s2cid=145216086|issn=0026-749X|author-link=C. M. Naim|ref=Naim 2011}}

* {{Cite book|last=Fuerst|first=Ilyse R. Morgenstein|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bBOMDwAAQBAJ&q=indian+muslim+minorities+in+1857|title=Indian Muslim Minorities and the 1857 Rebellion: Religion, Rebels and Jihad|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-78673-237-8|language=en|ref=Fuerst}}

* {{Cite book|last=Kidwai|first=Shafey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HLIHEAAAQBAJ&q=sir+syed+ahmad+khan+reason+religion|title=Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Reason, Religion and Nation|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-000-29773-7|language=en|author-link=Shafey Kidwai|ref=Kidwai 2020}}

* {{Cite book|last=Alam|first=Muzaffar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uO0gEAAAQBAJ&q=THE+MUGHALS+AND+THE+SUFIS|title=The Mughals and the Sufis: Islam and Political Imagination in India, 1500–1750|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-1-4384-8490-7|language=en|author-link=Muzaffar Alam|ref=Alam 2021}}

* {{Cite book|last=Engineer|first=Asghar Ali|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AALYAAAAMAAJ&q=%22influenced+by+sir+syed%22|title=Rational Approach to Islam|publisher=Gyan Publishing House|isbn=978-81-212-0725-6|language=en|author-link=Asghar Ali Engineer|ref=Engineer 2001}}

* {{Cite book|last=Nyrop|first=Richard F.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y5jTh7DA598C&q=%22influenced+by+sir+syed%22+iqbal&pg=PA176|title=Area Handbook for Pakistan|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|language=en|ref=Nyrop 1975}}

* {{Cite book|last=Kidwai|first=Shafey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kmYjnGDHPFwC&q=Sir+Syed+Ahmad+Khan+akbari+Ghalib|title=Cementing Ethics with Modernism: An Appraisal of Sir Sayyed Ahmed Khan's Writings|publisher=Gyan Publishing House|isbn=978-81-212-1047-8|language=en|author-link=Shafey Kidwai|ref=Kidwai 2010}}

* {{Cite book|last=Malik|first=Hafeez|url=http://archive.org/details/sirsayyidahmadkh00mali|title=Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan and Muslin modernization in India and Pakistan|publisher=New York : Columbia University Press|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-231-04970-2|author-link=Hafeez Malik|ref=Malik 1980}}

* {{Cite book|last=Hasan|first=Tariq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3B1uAAAAMAAJ|title=The Aligarh Movement and the Making of the Indian Muslim Mind, 1857-2002|publisher=Rupa & Company|isbn=978-81-291-0847-0|language=en|ref=Hasan 2006}}

*{{Cite web |title=Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898) |url=http://www.storyofpakistan.com/person.asp?perid=P001 |website=Story of Pakistan}}