[On the founding of Aligarh MAO College]
 

Plans for Collecting Contributions

Sir Sayyid's greatest problem was how to collect sufficient money for his plans. In the first place, the people whose sons would benefit most from a College of this kind were often the greatest opponents of Western education. Secondly, the articles in the [reformist journal] Tahzib ul-Akhlaq, which began to appear when the movement for the College started, were on the whole disliked by the majority of the Muslims. For these reasons, people thought that it would be sinful to make donations to such a cause. On top of all this, many of the newspapers and magazines were violently opposed to the College and fatwas had been issued accusing Sir Sayyid of heresy, while many maulvis ordered the people not to contribute. However, the rumour that got about that money had been collected under official pressure is quite false. Indeed, before Sir Sayyid's retirement, which took place one year after the foundation of the College, the bulk of the money had been collected in such towns as Aligarh, Lahore, Patna, Mirzapur, Patiala and so on. While Sir Sayyid was working for the Government in Benares, he never asked anyone, apart from a few of his most intimate Hindu and Muslim friends, for money.

Another great problem was that the Indians, and especially the Indian Muslims, had no conception of [[221]] what contributing to a national cause meant. Unless they were actually ordered to do so by some official, it was impossible to get anything out of them. I have heard that Sir Sayyid once asked a relation of his, Navvab Ammu Jan, whether he thought that the Muslims might be called upon to donate a million rupees to a cause for their own education. The Navvab exclaimed, 'Are you in your right mind? You won't even get a million pice [pennies] from them!'

From all we have said above, it will be clear what people thought about contributing to any cause. It is therefore amazing that in the space of twenty years the efforts of one man made it possible to have buildings erected at a cost of 8,00,000 rupees and to secure an income for the College great enough to provide it with an annual expenditure of a further 80,000 rupees. I remember hearing an Iranian visitor to the College exclaim, 'My God, it is a miracle! How could one man manage to complete something that could not even be accomplished by his Government?'

It is, we believe, wrong to describe Sir Sayyid's success as a miracle, for if we carefully examine the reasons for his success, we shall find that an intelligent man with enough effort and determination can triumph over any difficulty which may confront him. Sir Sayyid set about his task so vigorously that he soon won over the more discerning section of the Muslim community and also gained the support of many worthy members of the Government. As time [[222]] went on, more and more influential people were attracted to the cause, and although its opponents did all they could to hinder its progress, the integrity of the supporters of the movement and, even more important, Sir Sayyid's own tenacity overcame all opposition. The articles in the Tahzib ul-Akhlaq had convinced the Muslims of their own weakness and of the importance of Western education. When this was fully realised, religious bigotry and prejudice, the greatest obstacles in the way of progress, began to fall away. Moreover, Sir Sayyid's insistence that the money contributed by the people would be spent only on the project for which it was intended was one of the major causes of an increase in the donations.

Sir Sayyid's plan to have the College and the boarding houses built on the grandest possible scale made a great impression on people's minds and convinced them of the importance of the College itself. When they saw how fine the buildings were, they recalled forgotten dreams of Muslim nationhood, the leaders of the community began to see the value of the College, and everyone was encouraged to contribute his share. The income from rents steadily increased and within 23 years it reached the sum of 10,000 rupees a year, but much more than this was needed for the largest buildings. Therefore an estimate of the sum required was made, and each building was divided into several parts. It was then announced that whoever donated sufficient money to complete one part would have his name inscribed on the building. [[223]] For example, Strachey Hall was divided into several parts. The cost of the completion of each part was estimated at 500 rupees, and everyone who donated that sum for the  building, had his name inscribed on a marble plaque. In this way, many of the magnificent buildings of the College were named after various benefactors. On the other hand, many of the student-houses were built by means of loans, and the interest was paid from the rent. When the debt was finally paid, the income from the rents was put into the general fund.

Sir Sayyid was always thinking of new ways to raise money for the other expenses of the College. It may surprise some people to learn that he even organized a lottery from which he made 20,000 rupees profit after the prizes had been distributed. Of course, many Muslims objected to a lottery being organized, but Sir Sayyid paid no attention to them. Once two Muslim nobles came to explain to Sir Sayyid that a lottery of this kind was forbidden by Islam. Sir Sayyid replied, 'Since we allow ourselves so many unlawful things, we might allow one for the good of the community.' A friend of Sir Sayyid's who happened to be present at the time added that the unlawful action which holding a lottery constituted should really be blamed on the rich men of the community who were now complaining, for if they had helped the College a little more, there would have been no need to hold a lottery in the first place.

[[224]] To raise more money for the College, Sir Sayyid sold his books and even copies of his own picture. When a grandson was born to Khalifa Sayyid Muhammad, the Chief Minister of Patiala, Sir Sayyid asked him to give five rupees for the health of the child. The Minister was so happy, he donated a handsome sum of money. Once a friend returned to Aligarh from a long overland journey to the frontier. Immediately Sir Sayyid went to ask him for the imam zamin money [given in gratitude for a safe return] and was given an ashrafi and a few rupees besides. Indeed, when it came to collecting money, Sir Sayyid never stopped to consider his own position. He set up shop in the Aligarh Exhibition, where he sat selling his books. He became a national volunteer and, hanging a bag around his neck, joined in the penny raiding which was organized to help pay grants to poor students. He even went on the stage and sang lyrics to the audience.

When Sir Sayyid's friends heard of this, they asked him to stop. They told him that people would taunt him for being a showman and said that the newspapers would make fun of him. Sir Sayyid replied that if he had cared what people said about him, he could never have accomplished so much, and told them that the criticism of others was far less important than the welfare of his people. When he went up on to the stage, he made an impressive speech, from which we quote the following few words:

[[225]] 'If anyone is surprised to see me on the stage, then he has no regard for his people. He is nothing more than a hypocrite. I am truly sorry for the people of this community who hold disgraceful things to be the cause of their honour and glory but consider anything done in good faith for the benefit of their fellowmen to be a cause for shame. I am sorry for the people of this community who mislead others by covering up their faces with a veil of sanctity woven with black threads of deceit and arrogance, but never think how they might wipe out the ugliness and evil of their own hearts. I am sorry for him who sits in safety on the shore laughing while his people are floundering in the ocean of disgrace and adversity, who openly does such shameful and dishonourable deeds that immodesty itself blushes to witness them, but who thinks that anything done for the good of his people is ignominious and hateful.

'You nobles, you wealthy men, you who take pride in your riches and honour! Do you imagine that our children can profit from what you have, while our community is in such a poor state? This is what your fathers believed, and their children have found themselves in such a miserable plight, that we have to come up on to the stage to help them. Gentlemen! Everyone knows that the suffering of our people is increasing because of the lack of education. If our children cannot afford to pay for their studies, they will fall deeper and deeper into disgrace. I have done everything in my power to [[226]] raise money for the education our children must have. I have left no way untried. But my efforts have been to no avail. I have begged but gained little. I have tried to recruit volunteers, but the few who came forward have not been able to accomplish much. It is for this reason that I am standing on this stage, trying to do what I can for the education of our children.'

In 1874, Sir Sayyid made his first visit to Lahore. His lecture was attended by some 12,000 people including the most influential Government officials and many Muslim and Hindu nobles of the city, as well as men of all professions and classes. In the course of his lecture, he referred to the religious opposition against him in these words:

'You may call me an unbeliever if you like, but let me put one question to you. If an infidel or an apostate exerts himself on behalf of your community, do you not consider him your local sevant? When you build the houses in which you take your rest and bring up your children, or when you erect a mosque to the glory of the one true God, do you not employ Hindu labourers and coolies, who are infidels and idol-worshippers, for the work? Of course you do. But you do not find fault with your house because of this. You do not go and demolish your mosque. Now just imagine I am the labourer, [[227]] the coolie who has been engaged to build a College for you. Let me use my labour and my skill to put up your house, and just because your mason is of low caste, I beg you, do not pull down what he has built.'

In order to collect donations, Sir Sayyid visited towns such as Patna, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Mirzapur, Lahore, Amritsar, Patiala, Hyderabad, Nilgiri, Bhopal and Jabalpur. In fact he visited Lahore and Hyderabad several times in this connexion. Such journeys obviously cost a great deal of money, and although different people accompanied him on different trips, he was obliged to go on every one. The journeys were usually made by train and each person paid his own expenses. A whole compartment in the train often had to be reserved and if the number of passengers fell short of the number of reservations made, Sir Sayyid had to make up the difference from his own pocket. Once, when a friend asked him to make a tour of Rajputana, Sir Sayyid replied that he did not have enough money for the journey. His [[228]] friend suggested that since he was making the journey on behalf of the College, the committee ought to pay his expenses. Sir Sayyid would not hear of it, and said that he would only go when he could pay for himself.

When he was travelling, he raised funds by taking money from people in lieu of hospitality. Before his second visit to the Punjab, he wrote the following letter to Khan Bahadur Barkat 'Ali Khan:

'I request you and all my friends to pay me in cash the money you would have spent on entertaining me. I have already accepted money from others in lieu of hospitality and have put it towards the College funds. The best thing about this method is that I can be invited by rich and poor alike. Once someone sent me one rupee as an "invitation". This provided employment for several labourers in the College and at the same time our social obligations were discharged. I think I ought to warn you that I have a few friends with me and if you insist on inviting us to a party, we shall eat you out of house and home!'

When Sir Sayyid returned to Aligarh after his first trip to Hyderabad in 1882, his friends collected 220 rupees for a party as a token of their gratitude for all he had done for the College. When Sir Sayyid was told, he said that he would personally take charge of the arrangements. He took their money and adding 20 rupees of his own founded two scholarships for poor students. His friends suggested that since he had deprived them of a feast, he should return their [[229]] invitation. At this, Maulvi Muhammad Khan Karim arranged a sumptuous reception for them all on Sir Sayyid's behalf.

When Sayyid Mahmud was married, Navvab lntisar-i Jang presented 100 rupees to the College. Sir Sayyid was extremely happy with the gift and wrote in a newspaper that although some of his friends were angry with him for refusing their invitation, he was always prepared to accept theirs so long as they were given in the form of contributions to the College. He went on:

'Some of my friends have complained that no wedding-feast was given for Sayyid Mahmud. Since I am neither a landowner nor a rich man, if the wedding-feast had taken place, I would have spent 500 rupees at the most on it. Therefore, I have contributed 500 rupees to the College fund.'

Sir Sayyid made a further donation of 500 rupees after the bismillah ceremony of his grandson in 1893.

The way in which Sir Sayyid drew the attention of Navvab Mukhtar ul-Mulk Turab 'Ali Khan to the needs of the College also deserves to be mentioned. He had a picture painted in which the miserable plight and decline of the Muslims was most graphically depicted. In the picture Sir Sayyid is shown on the sea-shore leaning against a tree, with a worried and anxious expression on his face. A storm is brewing over the ocean on which there is a crowded ship with [[230]] a broken mast. The ship is sinking; some of the passengers are falling overboard and are drowning, A small boat is heading towards the sinking vessel to save the people; on its standard are written the English words 'one lakh rupees', but Sir Sayyid is desperately crying out, 'not sufficient'. In the sky hovers an angel. With one hand the angel is gripping Sir Sayyid's arm and with the other is pointing to Navvab Mukhtar ul-Mulk and is saying to Sir Sayyid. 'Look at this nobleman',

In this picture, the sea represents the age in which we are living and the sinking ship is the Muslim community. The small boat which is putting out to rescue the passengers is, of course, the Aligarh College and the words painted on its standard indicate the 1,00,000 (one lakh) rupees already collected. Seeing the misery of his fellow Muslims, Sir Sayyid is saying that this sum is not sufficient to raise them from the depths into which they have sunk and the angel pointing down towards Navvab Mukhtar ul-Mulk shows that Sir Sayyid is being inspired by God to enlist his help.

When this picture was presented to the Navvab, he was greatly moved by it. I have myself heard him say this was the finest possible way in which to make him contribute to the College funds. He made a personal donation of 100 rupees and an official donation of 300, and afterwards 500, rupees a month. When he finally became Nizam of Hyderabad, the [[231]] monthly sum of 500 rupees was doubled. In 1891, Sir Sayyid visited Hyderabad once more and the Nizam increased the monthly grant, making a permanent settlement of 2,000 rupees which was to be managed by Sir Sayyid.

These are the various ways in which Sir Sayyid managed to raise money for the College. After his return from England, for the remaining twenty-eight years of his life, he was constantly occupied in trying to find new methods of raising funds so that his fellow Muslims might have the finest education possible in the College. Research into this period of his life reveals that as soon as he began to think in terms of higher Muslim education, he set himself a number of standards to which he rigidly adhered. He never allowed himself any kind of extravagance; with the exception of the College, he never contributed to any other public cause nor spent money on any other occasion, joyful or sad; apart from cases where his own relatives were involved, he never gave financial assistance to other poor or needy people; he took donations from his friends and relations and contributed from his own pocket on every possible occasion; he regarded anyone who made a gift to the College as a personal friend. The last principle applied even to total strangers, while friends who refused to contribute were treated as strangers by him. On one occasion, he told a close, childhood friend of his, who, though a rich man, had refused to make a [[232]] donation, that no one who would not support his cause had any claim to his friendship.

As soon as he began to collect money for the College, he totally disregarded the values and customs he had observed all his life. For instance, he would add the names of his best friends to the donation-list without first obtaining their permission. They would only find out about it when they were actually asked to pay their dues. If people refused, Sir Sayyid would insist that they part with their money and would sometimes become angry with them. When they realised that all argument was useless, they were finally obliged to pay. Sir Sayyid's friends soon became tired of giving, but he never became tired of asking. Once he wrote:

'Even my friends are afraid to meet me these days lest I ask them for money. I must have a beggar's face! As I told a friend of mine, since it was my fate to be a beggar, I have no choice but to do what my destiny bids me. At least, I am thankful that I have to beg for my people and not for myself. There is a famous saying of Shaikh Sa'adi that if a beggar went before the armies of Islam, the infidels would flee to China, terrified of what was following him. These days we might say that if a beggar went before the armies of Islam, the Muslims themselves would run off to China, frightened of what they might be asked to give!'

Sir Sayyid never let the opportunity of getting what he could out of his friends escape him. He followed the advice of the Persian proverb: Sweep clean the house of a friend, but never knock at the door of an enemy. Once when Mr. Theodore Beck's father was visiting India, he offered a gold coin to Sayyid Zain ul-'Abidin Khan as a token of his respect. The latter, however, refused to accept it. Finally they both went to Sir Sayyid to ask him to settle the matter. Sir Sayyid was annoyed with his friend and reminded him that it was extremely bad manners to refuse a present in this way. Thereupon, he asked to see what kind of coin it was, and taking it, promptly put it towards the College funds.

One day, Sayyid Mahmud made a bet with Qazi Riza Husain. They agreed that whoever lost the bet should pay 50 rupees to the College. As it happened, Sayyid Mahmud lost and producing a 100-rupee note asked his friend to change it for him. The other answered that it was only a joke and, besides, betting was unlawful. Sir Sayyid came along and [[234]] when he heard that the money was destined for the College declared that a bet which did not involve personal gain was quite lawful. He produced 50 rupees from his box and handing the money to Sayyid Mahmud took the note in return.

Hundreds of incidents like those we have described took place every day. If any of our readers wonder what our purpose is in reporting so many facts in such minute detail, it is to show that in a country like our own, where the majority of people are uneducated, where everything depends upon personal effort, where people are unaware of the advantages which come from the advancement and prosperity of their community, where the rich are uninterested, the wealthy wasteful, the doctors of religion oblivious to the needs of the time, and the general public lazy and ignorant, something from which everyone can benefit can only be done by a man who, like Sir Sayyid, is willing to use every ounce of energy he possesses to make the fullest possible use of the advantages he has acquired through his own intelligence, repute, abilities, connexions and hard work and who, moreover, is willing to sacrifice his own personal ambitions for the good of the people as a whole.

Sir Sayyid would even ask strangers and foreigners for contributions, if he thought they might be willing to donate something. Even Englishmen were subjected to this treatment. On one occasion, Sir Sayyid asked an Englishman who happened to be staying at the [[235]] official bungalow, and who was a total stranger to him, whether he would like to contribute to the College. When the gentleman in question coldly pointed out that he should confine his requests to his own people, Sir Sayyid replied, 'It is the miserable condition of our people that has driven us to holding out our hands to strangers. I would, however, like to ask you one thing. If our institution is founded without any help from the British, do you not think they should be ashamed that, although they have had untold advantages from their rule in India, they have done nothing at all for the well-being of their subjects?' When he heard this, the Englishman was so ashamed that he gave Sir Sayyid a 20-rupee note.

Sir Sayyid had made it a rule never to work for anything which was not connected with the College. On close examination it will be seen that even what he appeared to do for his own needs benefited the College much more than himself. It is a well-known fact that he never recommended anyone, friend or stranger. The reason for this was that he wanted no one or nothing apart from the College to gain advantage from his personal influence. Muavia, the son of Abu Sufyan, once told a friend, 'Never intercede on anyone's behalf, for by doing so, you will harm your own interests.' Although no generous or noble-minded person could possibly take this advice in the spirit it was given, Sir Sayyid's own interpretation of it testifies to the courage and virtue which he was unique in possessing. Merely for the sake of his [[236]] people he suffered the taunts and reproaches of his friends and relations and cared nothing for the satisfaction and pleasure which men derive from recommending others. Once a respected gentleman from Delhi wished to enlist Sir Sayyid's support for a charity by making him a member of the committee. Sir Sayyid agreed to sit on the committee only so long as it was understood that he would neither contribute himself nor help to raise money for the charity.

We may close this discussion by relating an amusing incident. Once a foolish person wrote to Sir Sayyid asking him for a recommendation. He said he had dreamed of a generous man whom everyone praised and who had spent the whole of his life working for his people. When he awoke, he knew that the man he had seen in his dream was Sir Sayyid and that he alone could help him out of his difficulties. Sir Sayyid answered that he was sorry not to be able to help him and added that the gentleman who had appeared in his dream was probably the Devil.
 

The College Buildings

It was our original intention to write a detailed account of the College buildings. The speed and skill with which they were erected, the effort involved in turning a piece of waste-land into a beautiful garden in the space of just a few years entirely with the help of public subscriptions, the energy required to provide the residential students with all they needed in the [[237]] way of accommodation and educational facilities--all these things certainly deserve to be mentioned, for they constitute one of the greatest labours that Sir Sayyid ever performed. It has come to our notice, however, that Navvab Muhsin ul-Mulk has planned to write a comprehensive history of the College, and since we expect that a full account of the buildings will be contained in his book, it is not necessary for us to go into excessive detail in the present work. We shall therefore restrict ourselves to a discussion of general principles Sir Sayyid laid down for the construction of the buildings, the efforts he made to render this difficult task easier, and the reasons for which he gave precedence to the building programme, often acting contrary to the general opinion of the committee.

Even among the most enthusiastic members of the committee, there were very few who were willing to have large sums spent on the building programme. In the first place, it was difficult to raise sufficient money for the educational requirements of the College; therefore it seemed extravagant to spend thousands of rupees merely on buildings. Sir Sayyid was nevertheless convinced that the entire success of the College, indeed its very existence, depended on building in the grandest possible way. He realised that it would take years for the College to make an impression on the general public and that the excellence of the education it provided would never be appreciated by more than a small section of the community. On the other hand, a building programme [[238]] on a grand scale would make an immediate impact upon everyone. As far as we can tell, Sir Sayyid's opinion was absolutely correct. Indeed it was largely because of the fine buildings that, in spite of strong opposition, the College rapidly became famous all over India and acquired importance in the eyes of the Government and the British--whose interest and attention proved to be of great advantage to the College itself. When the Education Commission met in the hall of the Aligarh Institute in 1882, a member of the Commission's local committee answered the Hindu address by referring to the boarding-house block of the Mohammedan College in these words:

'As soon as I looked at the row of rooms which when completed will be one of the finest buildings of its kind in the world, I felt that no one who saw what had already been accomplished could have any doubts whatsoever about the future.'

When he began his massive building programme, Sir Sayyid was obviously looking to the future. He was of the opinion that a magnificent national institution such as this had a far better chance of [[239]] being preserved by later generations. Asians, unlike Europeans, never think of improving on the work started by their forefathers or of finishing an uncompleted building. In our own country, we can see many half-finished schools and shrines which in the end fall into ruins. Even in Asian countries, however, the beauty and splendour of well constructed buildings have often led people to preserve them and, what is more, use them. I shall always remember the words of a respected Muslim who, on seeing Strachey Hall finished, exclaimed, 'As long as this building stands, the Muslims will be able to claim that even in their last days they accomplished something that others were not capable of at the height of their power.' We might add that if there is any hope of this institution flourishing, it rests entirely on those buildings which, in the event of the College being closed (God forbid that it ever will be!), the committee has agreed to hand over to the Government.

In order to impress later generations, Sir Sayyid had the names of the founders and benefactors of the College, who were mostly Muslims, inscribed on the walls of the various buildings. Many of these buildings have already been completed; some are at present under construction; some have remained half-finished, many are still awaiting the generosity of the people. If there is but a glimmer of life left jn the people of our community, they will surely strive to emulate those revered names and will not allow this College, their own memorial, to be erased from the pages of history. When one European official saw the names inscribed [[240]] on the walls of the enclosure, he remarked that it was as if the Muslims had joined their hands and were standing guard around the College to ward off any danger which might threaten it.

Apart from these inscriptions, the buildings contained many other things to fire the hearts of the Muslims with enthusiasm for the College. For example, most of the arches were built in the saracenic style; on the lintel over the main door of the boarding-house a date palm--an emblem of the Arabs--was carved in relief along with a crescent and a crown, symbolizing Muslim and British friendship: parts of speeches made by English people in honour of the Muslims and their ancestors were inscribed on plaques which were put up in various places; magnificent memorials were erected in honour of the European officers and governors who had helped the College, to remind future generations of Muslims of the gratitude and respect their ancestors showed to those who assisted them.

Some members of the committee wanted a monthly or annual sum of money set aside for the building programme, so that everything would not be spent at one time. This was of course a wise precaution. If their advice had been taken, however, Sir Sayyid would not have been able to accomplish so many brilliant feats, and it would have been many years before people paid any attention to the College. Because of the building programme, the effect was [[241]] immediate in every part of the country. Moreover, no one after Sir Sayyid would have devoted so much energy to the project. It was as if he were building his own palace, and although his major interests were writing and journalism (and it is very rare for people to turn their attention to completely different pursuits) he nevertheless applied himself with the most amazing devotion to developing the plot of land. For many years without fail, however harsh the weather, he would spend his afternoons and even whole days assisting with the work and giving instructions to the masons and builders. In spite of his bulky stature, he would hurry hither and thither in the sun and hot wind supervising the lay-out of the garden, ordering wells to be dug, having fields ploughed and setting out the garden-paths. He ordered all kinds of flowers from far and wide and personally supervised the planting. He also insisted on being consulted about every detail of the construction. There was no engineer or overseer who could be asked for advice; nor was there any craftsman whose opinion could safely be relied upon. Since the peasant builders who were employed on the job had never tackled anything on such a vast scale, Sir Sayyid had to draw up the plans himself and personally had to come to grips with all the problems they presented. He had to sit down and explain the plans to the builders and masons before they started work, and until they were finished he had to make sure that they were doing as they had been instructed. I have heard that many European engineers were greatly impressed with the buildings [[242]] of the College and boarding-house, but when they were told that they had been put up without the advice of a professional architect, they were absolutely astounded. It is possible that a trained engineer could find fault with the buildings; it might even be said that from the point of view of comfort, the students' room leave something to be desired; but could any other engineer be found who would be willing to collect money and build his people such a fine institution without accepting a penny in return for his labour, and apply himself to the task with as much devotion as if he were building his own house?

There was naturally no lack of criticism. Some people said that too much money was being spent on the buildings; some asked why it was necessary to build on such an extravagant scale; some pointed to the scores of buildings that were left unfinished and asked why they were ever started; some said that the buildings should have been planned according to the funds available. All we can say is that it is a pity that they have not been able to do better themselves, or point to a finer building which has been put up merely on the proceeds of charity!

Although the real credit for the fine buildings must go to Sir Sayyid alone, it is typical of him that he refused either to have a memorial erected to himself, or to have the College founded in his name. At first, his friends insisted that the College should be called Madrasa-i Ahmadiya [after him]. The same suggestion was even [[243]] made in an article of the Calcutta newspaper, Urdu Guide. In 1881, the honourable Haji Isma'il Khan, without consulting Sir Sayyid first, started a fund to have a building erected as a memorial to him, and proposed that the door of the College should be named after him. Sir Sayyid, however, was quite opposed to the scheme and said that since the Muslims from whom Haji Isma'il Khan was hoping to collect the money for his memorial had absolutely no regard for either him or his work, no one would contribute to the fund. When Haji Isma'il would not yield, Sir Sayyid agreed to the proposal on two conditions; firstly, the door on which the inscription was to be carved should also bear the words, 'The Muslim community has founded this College for the good of its people'; secondly, the names of Maulvi Saami 'Ullah Khan and Haji Isma'il Khan, who were mainly responsible for the building, should also be included in the inscription. The first condition was accepted; but the second was refused on the grounds that whenever a memorial was put up to one individual, other names were not usually included. Since Sir Sayyid insisted that both conditions be fulfilled, finally some Arabic verses, in which no one's name was mentioned, were inscribed on the front of the door and on the back the names of Sir Sayyid and his two friends. The major result of Haji Isma'il's insistence, of course, was that the boarding-house block and the main door of the College, which might have remained unfinished, were completed.

...........

[[246]]
The Opening of the College Classes

At the start, two departments were established in the College; the English department in which normal university courses were taught, and the Oriental department, the courses of which were prescribed by the committee. In the latter, it was decided that all modern subjects should be taught in Urdu along with the traditional Arabic and Persian sciences and literatures, while only one hour would be devoted to teaching English as a foreign language. With this in mind, Sir Sayyid had brought back from England a list of textbooks of each subject, which had been suggested to him by the finest scholars. He intended to have these books translated into Urdu on his return to India for use in the courses offered by the department, but, apart from a few works which were translated by Shams ul-Ulama Maulvi Muhammad Zakaullah, nothing else came of this project.

Both departments remained in existence for some time, but the Oriental department was not very popular. It is no exaggeration to say that, at one time, there were more teachers than students. The reason for this was that there was no real practical advantage in studying an oriental language, and people saw no point in sending their children to study one. Finally, because of the small intake of students, the Oriental department had to be closed. However, the English department, as we shall later show, was far more successful.

[[247]] Classes commenced on the 1st of January, 1878, almost three years after the opening of the attached school, which we have already mentioned above. In the same year the College was affiliated with Calcutta University for the first arts examination. In 1881 the affiliation with Calcutta was extended for B.A. and M.A. examinations and in 1883 for the examination in law. The College was affiliated in the same way with Allahabad University for higher degrees in arts, sciences and law. A more detailed account of the progress of the College over the last 23 years can be found in the relevant College reports. All we need say here is that it was because of this College that the number of Muslim, as opposed to Hindu, graduates in the North West Provinces and Oudhl was considerably increased.

In a speech delivered to the Educational Conference in 1893, Sayyid Mahmud was able to show that, up to that time, the number of Muslim, as opposed to Hindu, graduates in other provinces had become almost negligible. For example, in Bengal, where the percentage of Muslim graduates, proportionate to the number of the inhabitants, should have been 45.9, it was only 3.4; in Madras, instead of 6.8, it was only 0.9, in Bombay instead of 21.5, it was only 1.2, in the Punjab, instead of 51.9, it was only 25. On the other hand, in the North West Provinces and Oudh, where we should have expected to find 11.2 per cent Muslim [[248]] graduates, there were 17.2 per cent. From the above analysis it will be obvious that in a very short space of time, the college had done much to raise the standard of Muslim education. Other great advantages that the Muslims derived from the existence of the college will be fully discussed in the second part of this work.