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{{Use Pakistani English|date=May 2018}}
{{Short description|Indian jurist (1849–1928)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox philosopher
{{Infobox philosopher
|  region          = [[List of modern-day Muslim scholars|Muslim scholar]] in [[British India]] and United Kingdom
|  region          = [[List of modern-day Muslim scholars|Muslim scholar]] in [[British India]] and United Kingdom
|  era              = Modern era
|  image            =
|  image            = SyedAmeerAli.jpg
|  caption          =
|  caption          =
|  name            = '''Syed Ameer Ali''' <br /> [[Order of the Star of India|CSI]]
|  name            = '''Syed Ameer Ali''' <br /> [[Order of the Star of India|CSI]]
|  birth_date      = 6 April 1849<ref name=findpk>[http://www.findpk.com/pof/syed_ameer_ali.html Profile of Syed Ameer Ali on findpk.com website] Retrieved 28 May 2018</ref>
|  birth_date      = 6 April 1849
|  birth_place  = Chimsura, [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British Raj]] (now [[West Bengal]], [[India]])
|  birth_place  = [[Cuttack]], [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]], [[Company rule in India|British India]]<ref name="britannica">{{Britannica|20785|Sayyid Amir Ali}}. "Sayyid Amir Ali, (born April 6, 1849, Cuttack, India—died Aug. 3, 1928, Sussex, Eng.), jurist, writer, and Muslim leader who favoured British rule in India rather than possible Hindu domination of an independent India."</ref><ref name="Banglapedia" /><ref name="ia">{{cite web |title=Emir Ali, Sayyid |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/emir-ali-seyyid |website=[[Islam Ansiklopedisi]] |author=Abdullah Ahsan |quote=He was born on April 8, 1849 in Cuttack, Orissa, India.}}</ref>
|  death_date      = 3 August 1928<ref name=findpk/>
|  death_date      = {{death date and age|df=yes|1928|08|03|1849|04|06}}
|  death_place  = [[Sussex]], United Kingdom
|  death_place  = [[Sussex]], England, United Kingdom
| influences      =
| spouse            = {{marriage|Isabelle Ida Konstam|1884}}<ref name="ia"/>
| influenced      =
| children          = 2<ref name="Banglapedia" />
|  notable_ideas   = The book titled ''The Spirit of Islam''<ref name=storyofpakistan/>
|  notable_works   = ''The Spirit of Islam''<ref name=storyofpakistan/>
| alma_mater        = [[University of Calcutta]]
| era          = [[Islamic modernism]]
| relatives        = [[Mahbub Ali Khan]] (grandnephew)
| relatives        = [[Mahbub Ali Khan]] (grandnephew)
}}
}}
'''Syed Ameer Ali''' [[Order of the Star of India]]<ref>Ali, Syed Ameer. ''The Legal Position of Women in Islâm''. University of London Press. Title page.</ref> (1849–1928) was an Indian/[[British Indian]] jurist hailing from the state of [[Oudh]] from where his father moved and settled down at [[Bengal|Bengal Presidency]]. He was a prominent political leader, and author of a number of influential books on [[Muslim history]] and the modern development of Islam, who is credited for his contributions to the [[Law of India]], particularly [[Sharia|Muslim Personal Law]], as well as the development of political philosophy for Muslims, during the [[British Raj]]. He was a signatory to the 1906 Petition to the Viceroy and was thus a founding-member of the [[All India Muslim League]].<ref name=storyofpakistan/><ref name=findpk/> He played a key role in securing separate [[electoral district|electorates]] for the Muslims in South Asia and promoting the cause of the [[Khilafat Movement]].<ref name="Muslims in Britain">{{cite news|title=Muslims in Britain|work=Lancashire Council of Mosques|url=http://www.lancashiremosques.com/discovery_muslims_in_britain.asp|date=29 March 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070417131610/http://lancashiremosques.com/discovery_muslims_in_britain.asp|archive-date=17 April 2007}}</ref><ref name=cis/><ref name=storyofpakistan/>
'''Syed Ameer Ali''' {{post nominals|post-noms=[[Order of the Star of India|CSI]]}}<ref>Ali, Syed Ameer. ''The Legal Position of Women in Islâm''. University of London Press. Title page.</ref> (6 April 1849 – 3 August 1928) was an Indian jurist, a prominent political leader, and the author of a number of influential books on [[Muslim history]] and the modern development of Islam.<ref name="britannica"/><ref name="Banglapedia" /><ref name="ia"/><ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=ALI, SYED AMEER |url=https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/syed-ameer-ali_(Dizionario-di-Storia) |website=[[Treccani]] |quote=Indian Muslim jurist and politician ([[Mohan, Uttar Pradesh|Mohan]] 1849-[[Rudgwick, Sussex]], 1928)}}.</ref>
 
He hailed from the [[Oudh State|State of Oudh]], from where his father moved and settled down in the [[Bengal Presidency]], and is credited for his contributions to the [[Law of India]], particularly [[Muslim personal law]], as well as the development of political philosophy for Muslims, during the [[British Raj]].
 
He was a signatory to the [[Simla Deputation|1906 Petition to the Viceroy]] and was thus a founding member of the [[All India Muslim League]].<ref name="storyofpakistan">{{cite web |url=https://storyofpakistan.com/syed-ameer-ali/#google_vignette |title=Profile of Syed Ameer Ali |website=Storyofpakistan.com website |archive-date=21 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821214915/https://storyofpakistan.com/syed-ameer-ali/#google_vignette |url-status=dead |access-date=29 January 2024}}</ref> He played a key role in securing separate [[electoral district|electorates]] for the Muslims in [[British India]] and promoting the cause of the [[Khilafat Movement]].<ref name=cis/><ref name=storyofpakistan/>


==Family background==
==Family background==
He was born on 6 April 1849, toward the end of [[Mughal empire]] in India, at [[Cuttack]] in [[Odisha]] as the fourth of five sons of Syed Saadat Ali.<ref name=storyofpakistan>[http://storyofpakistan.com/syed-ameer-ali Profile of Syed Ameer Ali on storyofpakistan.com website] Retrieved 28 May 2018</ref> His father moved the family to [[Calcutta]], and then to [[Chinsura]] where they settled more permanently. His family took advantage of the educational facilities provided by the [[British government]] but otherwise shunned by the Muslim community. With the assistance of his British teachers and supported by several competitive [[scholarship]]s, he achieved outstanding examination results, graduating from [[Calcutta University]] in 1867, and gaining an MA degree with Honours in history in 1868. The [[LLB]] degree followed quickly in 1869. He then began legal practice in Calcutta. By this time, he was already one of the few outstanding Muslim achievers of his generation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Powell |first=Avril A. |year=2012 |chapter=Ali, Syed Ameer |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Ali,_Syed_Ameer |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>
He was born on 6 April 1849, toward the end of the [[Mughal Empire]] in India, at [[Cuttack]] in [[Odisha]] as the fourth of five sons of Syed Saadat Ali (d. 1856) from [[Mohan, Uttar Pradesh|Mohan]] in [[Unnao district|Unnao]] of [[Oudh State]].<ref name="storyofpakistan" /><ref name=":0" /> The [[Shia Islam|Shiite]] family [[Sayyid|traced its descent]] to [[Muhammad]] through his daughter [[Fatima]] from [[Ali al-Rida|Imam Ali al-Rida]], his great-grandfather having moved to India from [[Khurasan|Khorasan]] in 1739, during [[Nader Shah's invasion of India|Nadir Shah's Indian campaign]].<ref name="ia" />
 
His father settled in Cuttack after Ameer Ali's grandfather (who worked in the service of [[Asaf-ud-Daulah]] - the [[Nawab of Awadh]]) died in 1820. There he married the daughter of Shamsuddin Khan, one of the nobles of [[Sambalpur]].<ref name="ia" /> He would later move the family to [[Calcutta]], and then to [[Chinsura]] where they settled more permanently. His family took advantage of the educational facilities provided by the [[British government]] but was otherwise shunned by the Muslim community. He received his initial education at [[Hooghly Mohsin College]], and with the assistance of his British teachers and supported by several competitive scholarships, he achieved outstanding examination results, graduating from [[Calcutta University]] in 1867, and gaining an MA degree with Honours in history in 1868. The [[LLB]] degree followed quickly in 1869. He then began legal practice in Calcutta. By this time, he was already one of the few outstanding Muslim achievers of his generation.<ref name="Banglapedia">{{cite book |last=Powell |first=Avril A. |year=2012 |chapter=Ali, Syed Ameer |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Ali,_Syed_Ameer |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |quote=Ali, Syed Ameer (1849-1928) lawyer, spokesman on Indian Muslim concerns, and writer on Islamic history and society, was born on 6 April 1849 at Cuttack in Orissa.}}</ref><ref name="ia" />


==Political career==
==Political career==
After moving to London, where he stayed between 1869 and 1873,<ref name=cis/> he joined the [[Inner Temple]] (professional associations for [[barrister]]s and judges) and made contacts with some people of London.<ref name=storyofpakistan/> He absorbed the influence of contemporary [[liberalism]]. He had contacts with almost all the administrators concerned with India and with leading English liberals such as [[John Bright]] and the Fawcetts, [[Henry Fawcett|Henry]] (1831–1898) and his wife, [[Millicent Fawcett]] (1847–1929.)<ref name=MilliGazette>{{cite news |title=Profile: Syed Ameer Ali [1849–1928] |url=http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/15-8-2000/Art19.htm |work=The Milli Gazette |date=15 August 2000 |access-date=26 May 2018}}</ref>
After moving to London, where he stayed between 1869 and 1873,<ref name=cis/> he joined the [[Inner Temple]] (one of four professional associations for [[barrister]]s and judges) and made contacts with some people of London.<ref name=storyofpakistan/> He absorbed the influence of contemporary liberalism. He had contacts with almost all the administrators concerned with India and with leading English liberals such as [[John Bright]] and the Fawcetts, [[Henry Fawcett|Henry]] (1831–1898) and his wife, [[Millicent Fawcett]] (1847–1929.)<ref name=MilliGazette>{{cite news |title=Profile: Syed Ameer Ali [1849–1928] |url=http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/15-8-2000/Art19.htm |newspaper=The Milli Gazette |date=15 August 2000 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226084324/https://www.milligazette.com/Archives/15-8-2000/Art19.htm|archive-date=26 December 2021|access-date=29 January 2024}}</ref>


Syed Ameer Ali resumed his legal practice at [[Calcutta High Court]] on his return to India in 1873. The year after, he was elected as a [[Fellow]] of Calcutta University as well as being appointed as a lecturer in [[Islamic Law]] at the [[Presidency College, Kolkata]]. In 1878, he was appointed as the member of the Bengal Legislative Council. He revisited England in 1880 for one year.
Syed Ameer Ali resumed his legal practice at [[Calcutta High Court]] on his return to India in 1873. The year after, he was elected as a [[Fellow]] of Calcutta University as well as being appointed as a lecturer in [[Islamic Law]] at the [[Presidency College, Kolkata]]. In 1878, he was appointed as a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. He revisited England in 1880 for one year.


He became a professor of law in Calcutta University in 1881. In 1883, he was nominated to the membership of the Governor General Council. In 1890 he was made a judge in the [[Calcutta High Court]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Muhammad |first=Shan |year=1991 |title=The Right Honourable Syed Ameer Ali: Personality and Achievements |publisher=Updal Publishing House |location=Delhi, India |pages=66 |isbn=978-81-85024-94-3}}</ref> Earlier he had founded the political organisation, Central National Muhammedan Association, in Calcutta in 1877. This association later spread nationwide with 34 branches from [[Madras]] to [[Karachi]].<ref name=cis/> This made him the first Muslim leader to put into practice the need for such an organisation due to the belief that efforts directed through an organisation would be more effective than those originating from an individual leader. The Association played an important role in the [[modernisation]] of Muslims and in arousing their political consciousness.<ref>{{cite book |last=Khaleque |first=Md Abdul |year=2012 |chapter=Central National Muhamedan Association |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Central_National_Muhamedan_Association |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> He was associated with it for over 25 years, and worked for the political advancement of the Muslims. Syed Amir Ali became the second Indian to hold the post of law member of the government of India, assuming the position after Satyendra P. Sinha resigned in November 1910.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wolpert |first=Stanley |year=1984 |title=Jinnah of Pakistan |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=30 |isbn=978-0-19-503412-7}}</ref>
He became a professor of law at Calcutta University in 1881. In 1883, he was nominated to the membership of the Governor General Council. In 1890, he was made a judge in the Calcutta High Court.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Muhammad |first=Shan |year=1991 |title=The Right Honourable Syed Ameer Ali: Personality and Achievements |publisher=Updal Publishing House |location=Delhi, India |pages=66 |isbn=978-81-85024-94-3}}</ref> Earlier he had founded the political organization, Central National Muhammedan Association, in Calcutta in 1877. This association later spread nationwide, with 34 branches from [[Madras]] to [[Karachi]].<ref name=cis/> This made him the first Muslim leader to put into practice the need for such an organisation due to the belief that efforts directed through an organisation would be more effective than those originating from an individual leader. The Association played an important role in the modernization of Muslims and in arousing their political consciousness.<ref>{{cite book |last=Khaleque |first=Md Abdul |year=2012 |chapter=Central National Muhamedan Association |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Central_National_Muhamedan_Association |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> He was associated with it for over 25 years and worked for the political advancement of the Muslims.
[[File:Syed Ameer Ali Grave Brookwood.jpg|thumb|right|Syed Ameer Ali's grave in [[Brookwood Cemetery]]]]
[[File:Syed Ameer Ali Grave Brookwood.jpg|thumb|right|Syed Ameer Ali's grave in [[Brookwood Cemetery]]]]
Syed Ameer Ali established the London Muslim League in 1908.<ref name=cis/> This organisation was an independent body and not a branch of [[All India Muslim League]]. In 1909, he became the first Indian to sit as a member of the [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]] on which he would serve till his death in 1928.<ref name=cis/> On appointment to the [[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|Privy Council]] he became entitled to be addressed as [[The Right Honourable]].
Syed Ameer Ali established the London Muslim League in 1908.<ref name=cis/> This organisation was an independent body and not a branch of the [[All India Muslim League]]. In 1909, he became the first Indian to sit as a member of the [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]], on which he would serve till his death in 1928.<ref name=cis/> On appointment to the [[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|Privy Council]], he became entitled to be addressed as [[The Right Honourable]].


In 1908, he was an advisory member to the Muhammadan Art and Life in Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Morocco and India exhibition held at the Whitechapel Gallery. The Autumn Exhibition was held from 23 October to 6 December. The opening day to the public was on 27th Ramadan.
In 1908, he was an advisory member to the Muhammadan Art and Life in Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Morocco and India exhibition held at the Whitechapel Gallery. The Autumn Exhibition was held from 23 October to 6 December. The opening day for the public was on 27th Ramadan.


In 1910, he formally co-established the London Mosque Fund, alongside a group of prominent [[British Muslims]], to finance the building of the first mosque in the capital: [[East London Mosque]], today one of the largest mosques in Europe. His field of activities was now broadened and he stood for Muslim welfare all over the world. He played an important role in securing separate [[electoral district|electorates]] for the Muslims in South Asia and promoting the cause of the [[Khilafat Movement]].<ref name="Muslims in Britain"/><ref name=cis/><ref name=storyofpakistan/>
In 1910, he formally co-established the London Mosque Fund, alongside a group of prominent [[British Muslims]], to finance the building of the first mosque in the capital: [[East London Mosque]], today one of the largest mosques in Europe. His field of activities was now broadened, and he stood for Muslim welfare all over the world. He played an important role in securing separate [[electoral district|electorates]] for the Muslims in India and promoting the cause of the [[Khilafat Movement]].<ref name=cis/><ref name=storyofpakistan/>


He retired from Bengal High Court in 1904 and decided to settle down, with his English wife (Isabelle Ida Konstam) in England where he was somewhat isolated from the main current of Muslim political life.<ref name=cis/> Throughout his career, he was known as a [[jurist]] and a well-known [[Islamic scholar]]. He died on 4 August 1928 in [[Sussex]] and was buried in [[Brookwood Cemetery]].<ref name=cis>[http://cis-ca.org/voices/a/AmeerAli.htm Profile of Syed Ameer Ali on The Center for Islamic Sciences (Canada) website] Retrieved 26 May 2018</ref>
He retired from Calcutta High Court in 1904 and decided to settle down with his English wife (Isabelle Ida Konstam) in England, where he was somewhat isolated from the main current of Muslim political life.<ref name=cis/> Throughout his career, he was known as a [[jurist]] and a well-known [[Islamic scholar]]. He died on 4 August 1928 in [[Sussex]] ([[Rudgwick]]) and was buried in [[Brookwood Cemetery]].<ref name="cis">{{cite web |title=Profile of Syed Ameer Ali |url=http://cis-ca.org/voices/a/AmeerAli.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117152628/http://cis-ca.org/voices/a/AmeerAli.htm |archive-date=17 January 2020 |access-date=29 January 2024 |website=The Center for Islamic Sciences (Canada)}}</ref><ref name=cybercity/>


==Personal beliefs==
==Personal beliefs==
Syed Ameer Ali believed that the Muslims as a downtrodden nation could get more benefit from loyalty to the British rather than from any opposition to them. For this reason, he called upon his followers to devote their energy and attention to popularising English education among the Muslims. This perception and consequent activism have been known as the [[Aligarh Movement]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bangladesh: Political Parties|work=South Asian Media Net|url=http://www.southasianmedia.net/profile/Bangladesh/bangladesh_politicalparties.cfm|date=29 March 2007}}</ref>
Syed Ameer Ali believed that the Muslims, as a downtrodden nation, could get more benefit from loyalty to the British rather than from any opposition to them. For this reason, he called upon his followers to devote their energy and attention to popularising English education among the Muslims. This perception and consequent activism have been known as the [[Aligarh Movement]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Bangladesh: Political Parties |work=South Asian Media Net |url=http://www.southasianmedia.net/profile/Bangladesh/bangladesh_politicalparties.cfm |date=29 March 2007 |access-date=29 January 2024 |archive-date=16 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616083416/http://www.southasianmedia.net/profile/Bangladesh/bangladesh_politicalparties.cfm |url-status=usurped}}</ref>


Referring to the concept of progressive social laws, Syed Ameer Ali wrote:
Referring to polygamy, Syed Ameer Ali wrote:
{{quote|text=Each age has its own standard. What is suited for one time is not suited for the other.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ali |first=Syed Ameer |title=The Spirit of Islam: A History of the Evolution and Ideals of Islam: With a Life of the Prophet |year=1948 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.46351 |publisher=Christophers |isbn=978-0-391-00341-5}}</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2020}}}}
{{blockquote|text=Each age has its own standard. What is suited for one time is not suited for the other.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ali |first=Syed Ameer |title=The Spirit of Islam: A History of the Evolution and Ideals of Islam: With a Life of the Prophet |year=1946 |orig-year=First published 1922 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.53103/page/n312/mode/1up |publisher=Christophers |page=240 |oclc=6464194}}</ref>
}}


==Opinions and legacy==
==Opinions and legacy==
[[David Samuel Margoliouth]] in the preface of his book ''Mohammed and the Rise of Islam'' wrote:
[[David Samuel Margoliouth]], in the preface of his book ''Mohammed and the Rise of Islam'', wrote:
{{quote|text=The charming and eloquent treatise of Syed Ameer Ali, ''The Spirit of Islam'', is probably the best achievement in the way of an apology for Mohammed that is ever likely to be composed in a European language.<ref>{{cite book |last=Margoliouth |first=D.S |author-link=David Samuel Margoliouth |year=2003 |title=Mohammed and the Rise of Islam |publisher=Gorgias Press LLC |isbn=978-1-931956-74-1}}</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2020}}}}
{{blockquote|text=The charming and eloquent treatise of Syed Ameer Ali [''The Spirit of Islam''] is probably the best achievement in the way of an apology for Mohammed that is ever likely to be composed in a European language.<ref>{{cite book |last=Margoliouth |first=D.S |author-link=David Samuel Margoliouth |year=2003 |orig-year=First published 1905 |title=Mohammed and the Rise of Islam |publisher=Gorgias Press |page=vii |isbn=978-1-931956-74-1}}</ref>}}


Syed Ameer Ali belongs to that generation of Indian Muslims who tried to defend their faith, [[Islam]], at a time when [[Mughal empire]] had only recently collapsed in 1857 and the Muslims were generally out of favour with the British rulers. The prevailing environment was generally hostile to Islam and Muslims. That's why, to some people, he may appear somewhat apologetic in his narration of Muslim history. Like some other authors of that time, he tried to show that Islam was a rational religion. At that time, very little was being published about Islam that was positive. His works created a sense of hope for the Muslim youth and provided a much needed feeling of historical context in the colonized [[British India]].<ref name=cis/>
Syed Ameer Ali, like some other authors of his time, tried to show that Islam was a rational religion.<ref name=cis/>


==Honors and recognition==
==Honors and recognition==
There is a very famous Hall in the [[University of Rajshahi]] the second largest university of Bangladesh which is named in his honour The "Sayed Ameer Ali Hall".
The Sayed Ameer Ali Hall in the [[University of Rajshahi]] in Bangladesh is named for him.
In recognition of his services, [[Pakistan Post|Pakistan Postal Service]] issued a commemorative postage stamp in 1990 to honor him in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' series.<ref name=findpk/>
 
[[Pakistan Post|Pakistan Postal Service]] issued a commemorative postage stamp in 1990 to honor him in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' series.<ref name="cybercity">{{cite web |title=Syed Ameer Ali Profile |url=http://www.cybercity-online.net/pof/syed_ameer_ali.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807234738/http://www.cybercity-online.net/pof/syed_ameer_ali.html |archive-date=7 August 2011 |access-date=29 January 2024 |website=Cybercity.net}}</ref>
 
==See also==
* [[The Nineteenth Century (periodical)|''The Nineteenth Century'' (periodical)]], for which Ameer Ali authored articles
* [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]]
* [[Shia Islam in India]]


==Books==
==Books==
* ''A Critical Examination of the Life and Teachings of Mohammed'' (1873)<ref name=cis/>&nbsp;— His first book, written when he was 24, while in England. The orientalist [[Robert Durie Osborn|Major R. D. Osborn]] (1835–1889) wrote: "Regarded simply as a literary achievement, we have never read anything issuing from the educated classes in this country which could be compared with it; and the Muslims of India are to be congratulated on the possession of so able a man in their rank. It is impossible, if his after-life accords with this early promise that he should not leave his influence for good stamped upon the country in deep and enduring characters."<ref name=MilliGazette/>
* ''A Critical Examination of the Life and Teachings of Mohammed'' (1873)<ref name=cis/> – His first book, written when he was 24, while in England. The orientalist [[Robert Durie Osborn|Major R. D. Osborn]] (1835–1889) wrote: "Regarded simply as a literary achievement, we have never read anything issuing from the educated classes in this country which could be compared with it; and the Muslims of India are to be congratulated on the possession of so able a man in their rank. It is impossible if his after-life accords with this early promise that he should not leave his influence for good stamped upon the country in deep and enduring characters."<ref name=MilliGazette/>
* ''The Personal Law of Muhammedans'' (1880)
* ''The Personal Law of Muhammedans'' (1880)<ref name=cybercity/>
* ''The Spirit of Islam'' (editions in 1891, 1922, 1953)<ref name=cis/> -  A book covering the life of Muhammad, and the political, cultural, literary, scientific, mystic, philosophical, and social history of Islam.
* ''The Spirit of Islam'' (editions in 1891, 1922, 1953)<ref name=cis/> – A book covering the life of Muhammad, and the political, cultural, literary, scientific, mystic, philosophical, and social history of Islam.
* ''Ethics of Islam'' (1893)
* ''Ethics of Islam'' (1893)<ref name=cybercity/>
* ''A Short History of Saracens'' (1899)<ref name=cis/>
* ''A Short History of Saracens'' (1899)<ref name=cis/>
* ''Islam'' (1906)
* ''Islam'' (1906)
* ''The Legal Position of Women in Islam'' (1912)
* ''The Legal Position of Women in Islam'' (1912)<ref name=cybercity/>


==References==
==References==
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{{Wikisource author-inline}}
{{Wikisource author-inline}}
{{Pakistan Movement}}
{{Pakistan Movement}}
* [[s:Dictionary of Indian Biography/Ameer Ali, Syad|Ameer Ali, Syad]] in the ''[[Dictionary of Indian Biography]]''
* [[s:Men-at-the-Bar/Ameer, Ali (Hon. Syed)|Ameer, Ali (Hon. Syed)]] in Men-at-the-Bar by [[Joseph Foster (genealogist)|Joseph Foster]]
* [https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Ali%2C%20Syed%20Ameer%2C%201849-1928 Ali, Syed Ameer, 1849-1928] at [[Online Books Page]]
* {{PM20|FID=pe/000359}}
* {{PM20|FID=pe/000359}}


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[[Category:1849 births]]
[[Category:1849 births]]
[[Category:1928 deaths]]
[[Category:1928 deaths]]
[[Category:Bengali Muslims]]
[[Category:Bengali lawyers]]
[[Category:19th-century Bengali people]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:Aliah University alumni]]
[[Category:Aliah University alumni]]
[[Category:All India Muslim League members]]
[[Category:All-India Muslim League politicians]]
[[Category:Burials at Brookwood Cemetery]]
[[Category:Burials at Brookwood Cemetery]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
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[[Category:Judges of the Calcutta High Court]]
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[[Category:Leaders of the Pakistan Movement]]
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[[Category:Presidency University, Kolkata faculty]]
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[[Category:Shia scholars of Islam]]
[[Category:Shia scholars of Islam]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
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[[Category:Politicians from West Bengal]]
[[Category:People from Cuttack]]

Latest revision as of 00:57, 9 December 2025


Syed Ameer Ali
CSI
Born6 April 1849
Cuttack, Bengal, British India[1][2][3]
Died3 August 1928(1928-08-03) (aged 79)
Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Alma materUniversity of Calcutta
Notable work
The Spirit of Islam[4]
Spouse(s)
Isabelle Ida Konstam
​
(
m. 1884)
[3]
EraIslamic modernism
RegionMuslim scholar in British India and United Kingdom

Syed Ameer Ali Template:Post nominals[5] (6 April 1849 – 3 August 1928) was an Indian jurist, a prominent political leader, and the author of a number of influential books on Muslim history and the modern development of Islam.[1][2][3][6]

He hailed from the State of Oudh, from where his father moved and settled down in the Bengal Presidency, and is credited for his contributions to the Law of India, particularly Muslim personal law, as well as the development of political philosophy for Muslims, during the British Raj.

He was a signatory to the 1906 Petition to the Viceroy and was thus a founding member of the All India Muslim League.[4] He played a key role in securing separate electorates for the Muslims in British India and promoting the cause of the Khilafat Movement.[7][4]

Family background[edit | edit source]

He was born on 6 April 1849, toward the end of the Mughal Empire in India, at Cuttack in Odisha as the fourth of five sons of Syed Saadat Ali (d. 1856) from Mohan in Unnao of Oudh State.[4][6] The Shiite family traced its descent to Muhammad through his daughter Fatima from Imam Ali al-Rida, his great-grandfather having moved to India from Khorasan in 1739, during Nadir Shah's Indian campaign.[3]

His father settled in Cuttack after Ameer Ali's grandfather (who worked in the service of Asaf-ud-Daulah - the Nawab of Awadh) died in 1820. There he married the daughter of Shamsuddin Khan, one of the nobles of Sambalpur.[3] He would later move the family to Calcutta, and then to Chinsura where they settled more permanently. His family took advantage of the educational facilities provided by the British government but was otherwise shunned by the Muslim community. He received his initial education at Hooghly Mohsin College, and with the assistance of his British teachers and supported by several competitive scholarships, he achieved outstanding examination results, graduating from Calcutta University in 1867, and gaining an MA degree with Honours in history in 1868. The LLB degree followed quickly in 1869. He then began legal practice in Calcutta. By this time, he was already one of the few outstanding Muslim achievers of his generation.[2][3]

Political career[edit | edit source]

After moving to London, where he stayed between 1869 and 1873,[7] he joined the Inner Temple (one of four professional associations for barristers and judges) and made contacts with some people of London.[4] He absorbed the influence of contemporary liberalism. He had contacts with almost all the administrators concerned with India and with leading English liberals such as John Bright and the Fawcetts, Henry (1831–1898) and his wife, Millicent Fawcett (1847–1929.)[8]

Syed Ameer Ali resumed his legal practice at Calcutta High Court on his return to India in 1873. The year after, he was elected as a Fellow of Calcutta University as well as being appointed as a lecturer in Islamic Law at the Presidency College, Kolkata. In 1878, he was appointed as a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. He revisited England in 1880 for one year.

He became a professor of law at Calcutta University in 1881. In 1883, he was nominated to the membership of the Governor General Council. In 1890, he was made a judge in the Calcutta High Court.[9] Earlier he had founded the political organization, Central National Muhammedan Association, in Calcutta in 1877. This association later spread nationwide, with 34 branches from Madras to Karachi.[7] This made him the first Muslim leader to put into practice the need for such an organisation due to the belief that efforts directed through an organisation would be more effective than those originating from an individual leader. The Association played an important role in the modernization of Muslims and in arousing their political consciousness.[10] He was associated with it for over 25 years and worked for the political advancement of the Muslims.

Syed Ameer Ali's grave in Brookwood Cemetery

Syed Ameer Ali established the London Muslim League in 1908.[7] This organisation was an independent body and not a branch of the All India Muslim League. In 1909, he became the first Indian to sit as a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, on which he would serve till his death in 1928.[7] On appointment to the Privy Council, he became entitled to be addressed as The Right Honourable.

In 1908, he was an advisory member to the Muhammadan Art and Life in Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Morocco and India exhibition held at the Whitechapel Gallery. The Autumn Exhibition was held from 23 October to 6 December. The opening day for the public was on 27th Ramadan.

In 1910, he formally co-established the London Mosque Fund, alongside a group of prominent British Muslims, to finance the building of the first mosque in the capital: East London Mosque, today one of the largest mosques in Europe. His field of activities was now broadened, and he stood for Muslim welfare all over the world. He played an important role in securing separate electorates for the Muslims in India and promoting the cause of the Khilafat Movement.[7][4]

He retired from Calcutta High Court in 1904 and decided to settle down with his English wife (Isabelle Ida Konstam) in England, where he was somewhat isolated from the main current of Muslim political life.[7] Throughout his career, he was known as a jurist and a well-known Islamic scholar. He died on 4 August 1928 in Sussex (Rudgwick) and was buried in Brookwood Cemetery.[7][11]

Personal beliefs[edit | edit source]

Syed Ameer Ali believed that the Muslims, as a downtrodden nation, could get more benefit from loyalty to the British rather than from any opposition to them. For this reason, he called upon his followers to devote their energy and attention to popularising English education among the Muslims. This perception and consequent activism have been known as the Aligarh Movement.[12]

Referring to polygamy, Syed Ameer Ali wrote:

Each age has its own standard. What is suited for one time is not suited for the other.[13]

Opinions and legacy[edit | edit source]

David Samuel Margoliouth, in the preface of his book Mohammed and the Rise of Islam, wrote:

The charming and eloquent treatise of Syed Ameer Ali [The Spirit of Islam] is probably the best achievement in the way of an apology for Mohammed that is ever likely to be composed in a European language.[14]

Syed Ameer Ali, like some other authors of his time, tried to show that Islam was a rational religion.[7]

Honors and recognition[edit | edit source]

The Sayed Ameer Ali Hall in the University of Rajshahi in Bangladesh is named for him.

Pakistan Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp in 1990 to honor him in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' series.[11]

See also[edit | edit source]

Books[edit | edit source]

  • A Critical Examination of the Life and Teachings of Mohammed (1873)[7] – His first book, written when he was 24, while in England. The orientalist Major R. D. Osborn (1835–1889) wrote: "Regarded simply as a literary achievement, we have never read anything issuing from the educated classes in this country which could be compared with it; and the Muslims of India are to be congratulated on the possession of so able a man in their rank. It is impossible if his after-life accords with this early promise that he should not leave his influence for good stamped upon the country in deep and enduring characters."[8]
  • The Personal Law of Muhammedans (1880)[11]
  • The Spirit of Islam (editions in 1891, 1922, 1953)[7] – A book covering the life of Muhammad, and the political, cultural, literary, scientific, mystic, philosophical, and social history of Islam.
  • Ethics of Islam (1893)[11]
  • A Short History of Saracens (1899)[7]
  • Islam (1906)
  • The Legal Position of Women in Islam (1912)[11]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sayyid Amir Ali at the Encyclopædia Britannica. "Sayyid Amir Ali, (born April 6, 1849, Cuttack, India—died Aug. 3, 1928, Sussex, Eng.), jurist, writer, and Muslim leader who favoured British rule in India rather than possible Hindu domination of an independent India."
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Powell, Avril A. (2012). "Ali, Syed Ameer". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Ali, Syed Ameer (1849-1928) lawyer, spokesman on Indian Muslim concerns, and writer on Islamic history and society, was born on 6 April 1849 at Cuttack in Orissa.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Abdullah Ahsan. "Emir Ali, Sayyid". Islam Ansiklopedisi. He was born on April 8, 1849 in Cuttack, Orissa, India.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Profile of Syed Ameer Ali". Storyofpakistan.com website. Archived from the original on 21 August 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  5. ↑ Ali, Syed Ameer. The Legal Position of Women in Islâm. University of London Press. Title page.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "ALI, SYED AMEER". Treccani. Indian Muslim jurist and politician (Mohan 1849-Rudgwick, Sussex, 1928).
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 "Profile of Syed Ameer Ali". The Center for Islamic Sciences (Canada). Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Profile: Syed Ameer Ali [1849–1928]". The Milli Gazette. 15 August 2000. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  9. ↑ Muhammad, Shan (1991). The Right Honourable Syed Ameer Ali: Personality and Achievements. Delhi, India: Updal Publishing House. p. 66. ISBN 978-81-85024-94-3.
  10. ↑ Khaleque, Md Abdul (2012). "Central National Muhamedan Association". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "Syed Ameer Ali Profile". Cybercity.net. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "Bangladesh: Political Parties". South Asian Media Net. 29 March 2007. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Ali, Syed Ameer (1946) [First published 1922]. The Spirit of Islam: A History of the Evolution and Ideals of Islam: With a Life of the Prophet. Christophers. p. 240. OCLC 6464194.
  14. ↑ Margoliouth, D.S (2003) [First published 1905]. Mohammed and the Rise of Islam. Gorgias Press. p. vii. ISBN 978-1-931956-74-1.

External links[edit | edit source]

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