Section 1

Q: Why did the War of Independence break out?

The British introduced Doctrine of Lapse according to which they could confiscate the territory of
any local ruler who did not have a real male heir. This did not please the Indian landlords as they
were being deprived of their lands and therefore they rebelled.

The British introduced greased cartridges made up of cow and pig fat which the Indian soldiers had
to open with their mouths before loading the guns. As cow is considered sacred by Hindus and pig
is forbidden in Islam, this created an uprising in the army because they considered this as an insult
to their religion.

Satti was a Hindu tradition in which the widow had to burn herself with the dead body of her
husband. British banned Satti. Although this custom was inhuman and cruel but Hindu emotions
were attached to it and they were very annoyed when it was banned. They felt that the British
were foreign invaders but were trying to interfere in their religion and customs and created
bitterness for British.

Q: Was the issue of greased cartridges the most important reason for the outbreak
of the War of Independence? Explain your answer. [14]

The British introduced greased cartridges made up of cow and pig fat which the Indian soldiers had
to open with their mouths before loading the guns. As cow is considered sacred by Hindus and pig
is forbidden in Islam, this created an uprising in the army because they considered this as an insult
to their religion.

As the Indians refused to use the grease cartridges, they were punished severely. They would be
shot with a cannon-ball alive. Therefore, as a retaliation to such a treatment, the sepoys started
the War of Independence.

There was an issue of job opportunities among the Indians. The Indians were either unemployed
or had extremely low-ranked jobs while the British sepoys were offered higher and well paid jobs.
Thus in order to avoid a financial crisis in India, they started the War of Independence.

The British introduced Doctrine of Lapse according to which they could confiscate the territory of
any local ruler who did not have a real male heir. This did not please the Indian landlords as they
were being deprived of their lands and therefore they rebelled.

There was an issue of the activities carried out by the British Christian missionaries, who came to
India to convert the local population. If they were to be successful, they would be rewarded land in
India by the British. This severely irritated the Hindus as they thought their religion was now under
threat. Thus, in order to avoid such a threat from going any further, they started the War of
Independence.

The British took actions to dominate Hindu/Muslim culture. The British considered their culture to
be superior to any other. This bothered the Indians as they did not want the British to interfere
with their culture which they had been following for many generations. Hence they revolted
against the British in order to sustain the culture which had been passed down by their ancestors
which led to the outbreak of the War of Independence.

Satti was a Hindu tradition in which the widow had to burn herself with the dead body of her
husband. British banned Satti. Although this custom was inhuman and cruel but Hindu emotions
were attached to it and they were very annoyed when it was banned. They felt that the British
were foreign invaders but were trying to interfere in their religion and customs and created
bitterness for British.
Q: Which of the following was the most important with regard to the revival of
Islam in the subcontinent?
i) Shah Wali Ullah
ii) Syed Ahmed Shaheed Bralvi
iii) Haji Shariat Ullah
Explain your answer with reference to all three of the above. [14]

The Islamic revivalism began in Bengal in the 19th century by HSU. He began his reform movement
known as the ‘Faraizi Movement’, which was started as a reaction to the anti-Islamic policies of the
British and the Hindus. The movement insisted upon the fulfillment of ‘Faraiz’ i.e. religious
obligations imposed by God and His Prophet(s). His followers came to be known as the ‘Faraizis’ on
account of their insistence on the fulfillment of one’s duties. As a consequence, many Muslims
dedicated themselves to the performance of their duties and became staunch followers of Islam.

HSU also brought the Muslim peasantry together against the cruel exploitation by the Hindu
Zamindars. It infused a spirit among the peasants who got together to direct Jihad against them
than religious and social oppression to fight for their rights. This confidence and awakening of the
Bengalis from their slumber prepared the ground for future works of his successors like Titu Mir
and Dadu Mian for the revival of Islam.

HSU also worked towards the elimination of Hindu customs that had crept into Muslim society due
to their continuous interaction. It was significant as he attempted to purify the lives of Muslims so
that they could not only distinguish Islamic rituals and Hindu practices but also follow the true
Islam.

Being a military man, SASB launched the Jihad Movement against the Sikhs in Punjab who were
not letting the Muslims practice their religion freely. He gathered an army and launched war on
them. Although the Mujahedeen’s were later defeated but this shows his commitment to liberate
Muslims from oppressive rules and grant them their due rights.

His ‘Jihad Movement’ not only infused a great deal of moral courage and determination amongst
his followers but also had its far reaching and increasing influence on the future generations as
well who got a source of religious and political guidance and inspiration from SASB’s efforts for the
Islamic cause. As a result, it acted as a forerunner for the upcoming movements including the
Pakistan Movement.

The Jihad Movement involved different Muslims from different tribes in the surrounding of Punjab.
He simpered the Muslims, not only of Punjab, but of the minor tribes living in its surrounding as
well to fight for the sake of Islam. Thus, SASB contributed to the revival of Islam by encouraging
other tribal people to enhance their knowledge of Islam by reviving it through Jihad Movement.
SWU’s efforts to revive Islam in the subcontinent include his translation of the Quran into Persian,
the local language, despite the opposition of the ulema, so that it was much easier for the
common Muslims to understand and act upon golden Islamic teachings hence Islam revived among
through SWU’s efforts as he helped the Muslims of the subcontinent to understand and follow the
true Islamic principles.

This endeavor of his later paved way for translation of the Qur’an into Urdu by his sons who
were inspired by him and made the teachings of the Holy Qur’an accessible to greater number of
people who could only understand Urdu.

SWU also contributed to the revival of Islam by writing 51 books on different aspects of Islam like
Fiqh and Hadis. Among them were Hujjatullah – ul – Baligha and Izalat – ul – Akhfa were
significant. This helped the Muslims to understand the Islamic principles and therefore act upon
them.

SWU also taught at Madrassa – e – Rahimiya for many years. This was important as it meant that
SWU paved way for the youth to familiarize themselves with the fundamental principles and the
glorious past of Islam hence inducing solidarity and pride in them regarding their religion which
helped them mold their lives according to the teachings of Islam.
It was also due to his such efforts that SASB, a student of Madrassa – e – Rahimiya, later
worked for the rights of Muslims and founded the Jihad Movement.

He also tried to unite the Muslims against Marathas and Sikhs so that Islam could be both
protected and revived. It was him who invited Ahmed Shah Durrani from Persia. He defeated the
Marathas and therefore the Muslims were saved from the tyrannical rule of Non-Muslims. This
effort of his also induced a sense of Jihad among the Muslims who were ready to fight unitedly for
a common cause.

SWU revived Islam in the prevalent economic system by stressing on social justice and equilibrium.
He made the laborers and craftsmen more aware by stressing that they should be paid justly and
urged the traders and businessmen to adapt a fair Islamic system of trading thus eliminating sense
of corruption in business activities.

SWU recommended the application of Ijtihad i.e. the judgment of an individual on the basis of
Quran and Sunnah as against the blind following of the four Muslim schools of thought. Hence, he
tried to resolve the problems of the Muslims of that time by interpreting Islam in a modernized
way.
Q: Was lack of military training the main reason for the failure of Jihad Movement?
Explain your answer. [14]

Firstly, SASB’s army was not well trained in military tactics. Most of the fighters were teachers or
spiritual leaders. This made it difficult for Muslim forces to fight against the Sikhs and come up
with clever strategies to defeat them. On the other hand, the Sikhs were tough and very well
trained under their strong military ruler, Ranjit Singh. Thus it was easier for the Sikhs to compete
against the untrained Muslims.

Secondly, there was lack of unity between Muslims as the force contained of Muslims from
different backgrounds. Soldiers often mistrusted each other and were often reluctant to agree with
other. As a result, due to internal conflicts, there wasn’t always full support from everybody, which
weakened the Muslim forces.

Also the Pathans could not tolerate being in an army that they themselves weren’t ruling. They
weren’t ready to compromise which strained their relationship with other Muslims. This weakened
the Muslims forces as there was less support from the Pathan tribes, making the Muslims more
vulnerable to their defeat.

Since SASB imposed taxes on the local population to bear military costs which many people
resented to pay, the funds became limited and therefore not all military cost could be afforded. As
a result, SASB’s army did not have new and improved war equipment that could make it easier for
them to fight the Sikhs. Thus it contributed to the failure of the Jihad Movement.

Moreover, SASB’s army was not as sincere to him. Firstly there were attempts by Yar Muhammad
Khan, one of his commanders, to assassinate SASB. Hence, now SASB also had to tackle with
internal threats in addition to the external ones. Thus, diverted SASB’s attention from his major
goal, which was to defeat the Sikhs.
Later, when fighting Sikhs in Skora, Yar Muhammad left the battle field in mid fighting. As a
result, SASB’s forces became increasingly weaker and were thus defeated.

Later, when SASB was moving his forces to Balakot, traitors informed Sikhs of the Muslims route.
This provided the Sikhs with an opportunity to prepare themselves and strengthen their forces
which made it easier for them to defeat the Muslims. So, when they launched their surprise attack
at Balakot, Muslims unprepared for this unexpected event, found it difficult to fight and were
defeated.

Also, at this battle the Sikhs greatly outnumbered the Muslims. Therefore they were stronger than
Mujahedeen enabling them to defeat the “few” Muslims.
Moreover, SASB was killed in this battle. This meant that the Jihad movement had almost
come to an end as now the guidance of a strong military leader was missing.

Q: “War of Independence achieved nothing.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain

your answer. [14]

The War of Independence ended in a disaster and I would agree that it resulted in many failures.
The Indians failed in their main objective of putting an end to the British rule and driving them out
of the subcontinent. The Indians failed not only in their immediate cause but as a result of the war
they became the slaves of the British. The British attained complete autonomy of the country and
established a tyrannical rule over the Indians.
Although the rebels succeeded in putting an end to the “East India Corporation”, however
the country came under the direct British Crown by the famous proclamation of Queen Victoria in
1858 and to the great dismay of Muslims; the Mughal Empire was removed from the Indian
political scene forever. So for the Muslims this war brought them immediate failure.

The war left in its trail trace of mutual fear and distrust in the minds of the ruler and the ruled. The
British became cautious, rigid and reactionary in their attitude towards the Indians especially the
Muslims. They considered the Muslims to be solely responsible for the revolt who wanted to
restore the supremacy of Mughal Empire in the subcontinent. The Hindus on the other hand had
no zeal for national regeneration and had joined the movement for the sake of local patriotism.
Therefore the British policy of suppressing the Muslims in every walk of life, as a result of this
hatred, continued for about half a century.

The army that took the initiative in the War of Independence was thoroughly revised. The number
of European soldiers was increased in the army, to the great dismay of Indian soldiers who took
part in the revolt for their promotions and better salaries but instead they were ousted.

The war brought about important changes in the policy and administration of the British
government in the subcontinent. The most important one was the end of ‘British East India
Company’ to the happiness of the Indians who were relieved of the tyranny of the company’s rule.
It was an achievement on the behalf of Indians who succeeded in getting rid of the company.
New reforms and constitutional changes were introduced. An act for the better government of
India was passed and this act introduced the post of Secretary of State for indo-pak with a council
of 15 members to help him. The policy of centralization in the act of 1833 was changed and new
principles of decentralization and indianisation were recognized. To the great achievement of
Indians they could then be elected in many provincial councils and attain power at provincial level.

Moreover, the act of 1861 restored legislative power to the governments of Bombay and Madras.
Similarly, new legislative councils were established in many provinces such as Punjab, Bengal, etc.
Therefore Indians were given some political say.

To the great content and satisfaction of landlords, princes and many other property holders, the
British changed their policy of annexations. The Queen declared that they desired no extension of
their than present territorial possessions. More importantly, the long hated ‘doctrine of lapse’ was
once for all abandoned and now the Indians could inherit their ancestral lands with ease.

The rifle cartridges that were wrapped in cow and pig fat had aroused deep revolt and anger
among the Indian sepoys were removed and their supply was stopped by the British. Thus the
issue that became the immediate cause of the war was put to an end when the authorities realized
their mistakes. The Indian soldiers were now greatly relieved of a very sensitive religious issue. And
this was a big success for them.

Different pattern questions

Q: Was Shah Wali Ullah the most important reformer during the 18th and early 19th
century? Explain your answer.
Q: “The issue of greased cartridges was the most important reason for the
outbreak of the War of Independence.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain your
answer.
Q: “Shah Wali Ullah was the most important reformer during the 18th and early
19th century.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
Q: How important was Shah Wali Ullah to the revival of Islam in the subcontinent?
Explain your answer.
Q: “Political reasons were more important than the military factors in the outbreak
of the War of Independence.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
Q: “War of Independence of 1857 achieved nothing.” Do you agree or disagree?
Explain your answer.
Q: “The hatred of Indians towards the British during the first half of the 19th
century was justified.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
Q: “Political reasons were more important for the outbreak of the War of
Independence than military factors.” Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons. [14]

The British introduced Doctrine of Lapse according to which they could confiscate the territory of
any local ruler who did not have a real male heir. This did not please the Indian landlords as they
were being deprived of their lands and therefore they rebelled.

By 1857, the Mughal emperor had little power left but was still an important symbolic figure. The
British moved the Royal family from the Red Ford of Delhi to a more obscure Qutub Sahib. The
Indians saw this act as disrespectful for their leaders and hence such a mistreatment resulted in
unrest.

Furthermore, at a lower level in society there was also resentment at the lack of opportunities for
native Indians in the Civil Service. This resulted in more hatred for the British as their rights were
not considered. Hence, this finally resulted in rebellion against the British.

In addition, in 1834 English replaced Persian as the official language of administration. This created
resentment because it was not only seen as cultural intervention but also increased
unemployment for Indians as most of them did not know English.

British introduced greased cartridges made up of cow and pig fat which the Indian soldiers had to
open with their mouths before loading the guns. As cow is considered sacred by Hindus and pig is
forbidden in Islam, this created an uprising in the army because they considered this as an insult of
their religions.
Also, most of the sepoys in the army were Indians whereas officer posts were almost exclusively
British. This again annoyed the Indians as they believed they were being unfairly treated.

The British also sent Indian troops to fight in Afghanistan. This proved to be unpopular as Hindu
soldiers did not want to leave mother India. Also this was unacceptable to Muslim soldiers who did
not want to fight against their Muslim brothers in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, there were also regular rumors that Muslim, Hindu and Sikh soldiers would be forced
to convert to Christianity. This angered the Indian soldiers who felt that their religions were under
threat and therefore for the protection of their beliefs, they rebelled.

Q: “Economic reasons were more important than the social reasons for the
outbreak of the War of Independence.” Explain why you might both agree and
disagree with the statement. [14]

British officers used to tax Indians very heavily. The economic condition of Indians was already
poor and was worsened by such taxations. The tenants especially could not afford to pay the taxes
and this caused resentment among them and caused unrest later because the Indians felt
overburdened.

Many British officers were corrupt. The tax collectors often cheated and kept most of the tax
money for themselves. This offended the Indians as they felt exploited.

The British promoted their own trade in the subcontinent. British policies favored the British
goods. British goods were sold in large quantities whereas Indian goods were deemed to be
substandard. Thus local market went into loss and this affected the Indian economy. Economic
situation of Indians worsened and bitterness for the British in the heart of the Indians increased.

Satti was a Hindu tradition in which the widow had to burn herself with the dead body of her
husband. British banned Satti. Although this custom was inhuman and cruel but Hindu emotions
were attached with it and they were very annoyed when it was banned. They felt that the British
were foreign invaders but were trying to interfere in their religion and customs and created
bitterness for the British.
British introduced coeducation system in the subcontinent. Indians, generally Muslims, did not like
this concept because Muslims observe purdah for women and that could not be observed when
boys and girls both study together. Thus Muslims viewed this as interference in their religion and
they were greatly displeased.

British did racial discrimination between themselves and the Indians. British families and officials
considered their culture and themselves superior to those of Indians. Economic and social
discrimination was common. This hurt the feelings of the Indians and they felt humiliated.

British supported the Christian missionaries who used to do forceful conversions from other
religions to Christianity. They used to teach Christianity in schools also. This annoyed the Indians as
they feared that their religions were threatened by the British.

The British replaced Persian with English as the official language of India. Indian culture was mostly
preserved in Persian and they felt that a foreign language was a threat for their cultural identity
and they started hating the British or their lack of concern for Indians.

Q: “Lack of unity was the only reason for the failure of the War of Independence.”
Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer. [14]

Disunity among the rebels was an important reason for the failure of the War of Independence.
Firstly the rebels had no common purpose. Everyone was fighting for personal interests and
nobody took part in the revolt unless personally harmed e.g. Nana Sahib was only interested to get
the Doctrine of Lapse reversed and was ready to come to terms if his demand was accepted. As a
result there wasn’t always a common cause to fight from the Indians which weakened their unity
and made them more vulnerable to their defeat.

Secondly, the Hindus and Sikhs saw the war as an attempt by Muslims to restore the Mughal
Empire. Since they didn’t want to be ruled by the Muslims, they did not support them.
Consequently, the rebel force wasn’t strong enough to compete against the British and was thus
defeated.

Thirdly, Punjab and Sindh had been conquered by the British through troops from Bengal and
Central India. So when these troops rebelled against the British in 1857, the Punjabis and Sindhis
did not support them till the end. This further reduced the number of rebels which made it difficult
for them to fight against the mighty British.

Lord Canning, the Governor General, adapted a conciliatory policy towards the rebels. He allowed
many concessions for them and announced that the rebels who gave up their arms would be
forgiven. Therefore the War of Independence failed in its objective as many leaders left the
battlefield to join the table for negotiations with the government.

Also the British, due to industrial revolution, had efficient war equipment and modern technology.
So they found it easier to combat against the Indians who made use of outdated and traditional
weapons.

The British army was well trained in military tactics. They could fight efficiently and could come up
with clever strategies to defeat opposition. The Indians on the other hand were not well trained.
As a result the British were victorious.

The British being the super power at that time had more confident soldiers. Their political belief
was to only succeed and never to fail and therefore the army was more eager and determined to
defeat the Indians.

Due to the war, there had been great deal of vandalism (destruction of public property). Due to
this, the local population was harmed and became angry with the rebels. As a result they stopped
supporting the rebels which weakened their strength. Not only had this but now they sided the
British who stood for the law and order. As a result, the British were further strengthened.

Furthermore, Bahadur Shah, who was considered as the main leader of the rebels, showed
incompetence during this war situation. He was more interested in poetry and neglected affairs of
the combat. Thus this sort of poor administration led to inefficient control and thus turned out to
be a worse nightmare.

Decline of Mughal Empire

Aurangzeb’s policies Reasons after Aurangzeb

Deccan wars Absence of any law of succession
Suttee banned Vast empire
Jizya imposed Weak control
Temples destroyed Luxurious lifestyle
Extravagance Foreign invasions
Did not train his sons how to rule British encroachment
Maratha’s enemies increased, high taxes, Drain of wealth, rebels became stronger,
costly, administration overlooked admin ignored, military loses, disunity
Hindus displeased Difficult to administer
Non-Muslims displeased Countries more powerful than emperors so
disintegration
Hindus annoyed Economy eroded, admin ignored
Financial decline Nadir Shah, Ahmed Shah ,financial loss,
prestige loss, disintegration
Could not govern effectively after the death of Trained soldiers on modern lines, modern
Aurangzeb weapons due to industrial revolution,
superpower so confident.

7 marks
Q: Why did the Mughal Empire decline?
Q: Why is Aurangzeb blamed for the decline of Mughals?
Q: Why did the Mughal Empire decline following the reign of Aurangzeb?
Q: Why were the successors or Aurangzeb unable to prevent the decline of
Mughals?
Q: Why were the British able to replace Mughals as a dominant force in India?
Q: Why were the Deccan or Maratha wars important in decline of Mughal Empire?
Q: Why were the succession disputes important in decline of Mughals?
Q: Why did Nadir Shah invade the subcontinent in 1738 – 1739?
14 marks
Q: Was arrival of the British the most important reason in the downfall of the
Mughal Empire following the reign of Aurangzeb? Explain your answer.
Q: “Deccan / Maratha wars were the most important reason why Aurangzeb was
blamed for the decline of Mughal Empire.” Do you agree or disagree? Give
reasons.
Q: “Aurangzeb’s policies were the most important reason in the decline of Mughal
Empire than any other.” Do you agree / disagree? Explain your answer.

East India Company

7 marks
Q: Why did the EIC become involved in the Indian subcontinent?
Q: Why were the European traders attracted towards India in late 16th and early
17th century?
Q: Why did the British government take control of the affairs of the EIC in early
19th century?
Q: Why did the British annex (capture) Sindh in 1843?
Q: Why was the British rule highly unpopular during the first half of the 19th
century?
Q: Why were the British able to increase their influence in India from 1750 – 1850?

14 marks
Q: How successful was Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of the
lands of the subcontinent? Explain your answer.
Q: Was the success in battle of Plessey the most important factor which helped the
British to increase their influence in India? Explain your answer.
Q: The hatred of Indians towards the British policies during the first half of the 19th
century was justified.” Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons.

Q: Were Aurangzeb’s policies the most important factors for the decline of the
Mughals? Explain your answer. [14]

Aurangzeb started wars against Marathas. This firstly led to enmity of Marathas. This meant that
Mughals had enemies in the south as well who harmed them in the future e.g. Marathas defeated
the Mughal army in 1737 outside Delhi and also captured an important town of Malwa.
Secondly, the war against Marathas continued for 25 years. This was a great wastage of
time which led to the affairs of the state left unattended. This weakened the administration and
thus the empire itself.
Thirdly, these wars were very costly. The war against the Marathas almost emptied the
treasury. The major downfall of the economy led to the downfall of the empire.
Fourthly, he increased the taxes in order to cover up the expense of the wars. This made
him unpopular among his empire as people resented to pay for the useless adventures of
Aurangzeb. Therefore not only Aurangzeb became unpopular, but the Mughal Empire also lost the
support of the locals / natives.

According to some historians, Aurangzeb was also intolerant towards other religions. This was
glanced in his actions of re imposing Jizya tax and the destruction of some temples and also the
banning of Satti (a traditional Hindu practice). This led to hatred for him among other religious
communities especially Hindus who were in majority. This decreased support for the empire and
thus weakened it.

One of the other wrong acts of Aurangzeb was his extravagance. He built luxurious palaces and
mosques e.g. pearl mosque which eh built for his own personal use. Such acts weakened the
economy and pushed the empire towards its decline.

One of the important reasons for the downfall were the succession disputes. Time to time when
the emperors died, their sons fought for the throne as there was no law of succession in the
Mughal house. Firstly, it led to the expenditure of great sums of money. This eroded the economy,
having an adverse effect on the empire’s stability.
Secondly, the disputes decreased the unity in the empire as it divided Mughals and their
supporters into different groups, thus the empire fell into a worse decline.
The succession disputes also led to the decline in the military expertise as this divided the
military into different factions supporting different princes. This not only created disunity among
the forces of the empire but also wastage of arms. This made the military and thus the empire
more vulnerable to invaders like Nadir Shah and the rebels who played a vital part in the decline of
the empire.

Administrative weakness was also an important factor that contributed to the decline of the
Mughals. Firstly, due to the huge size of the empire, emperors could not know what was going on
in each part of his empire. Decisions often had to be relayed over thousands of miles. When
rebellions broke out, it was often many months before emperors could take decisive actions, thus
the empire started to disintegrate.

Weak control was also a very important factor that contributed to its decline. In some cases,
courtiers proved to be more powerful than the emperor themselves. Such was glanced in the
assassination of Alamgir II by his courtier. This proved that the system had failed to work properly.
With weak control in the center, the other administrative institutions like the Mansabdari
system also failed to work which added problems for the emperor and the empire.

Pleasure seeking also contributed to the downfall of the empire. The Mughals had become more
ease loving. They used to wear fine and expensive clothes and jewelry. Firstly they spent more
time in such activities than administration. This also led to the extravagance in the emperors which
eroded the already struggling Mughal economy and pushing it towards bankruptcy.

Invaders were also continually weakening the empire. Some like Ahmed Shah Durrani conquered
Punjab and Kashmir. This meant that many of the areas of the subcontinent was now in foreign
hands. This was one of the other signs of the disintegration of the Empire.
 Others like Nadir Shah were also significant in the decline of the Empire. Firstly, his success
against the Mughals exposed the weakness of the Mughal army in front of the British who were
encouraged to take over the empire and eventually conquered it in 1857. Nadir Shah also played
an important role in weakening the empire since he took a lot of wealth and the precious peacock
throne thus be pushed the empire to its decline.

But the British also held great importance in the downfall of the Mughal Empire. Firstly, the British
economic and military strength was greater due to the industrial revolution. British industries were
producing cheap manufactured goods which were sold around the world. With the wealth this
created, British could afford military strength (e.g. modern weapons) which the Mughals could not
match therefore when the British encroached into the empire, its end was inevitable.

The British army was also well trained in military tactics. They could fight efficiently and could
come up with clever strategies to defeat opposition. The Mughals on the other hand were already
militarily weak and had poor training. As a result the British were able to seize the control of the
Empire.

The British being the super power of that time had more confident soldiers. Their political belief
was to only succeed and to never to fail and therefore the army was more eager and determined
to defeat the scattered Indians.

Q: Why did Nadir Shah invade the subcontinent from 1738 – 1739?

Muhammad Shah, the Mughal emperor, gave refuge to some Persian rebels which angered the
Persian Emperor, Nadir Shah, who then attacked the subcontinent not only to get hold over his
enemies but also to ‘punish’ Muhammad Shah for sheltering his enemies.

Nadir Shah was well aware that the Mughal Empire was in decline and its military had become too
weak. So he attacked the subcontinent as he was sure of his success.

Although the Mughal Empire was in decline, but still it was a wealthy empire and so the breed of
Nadir Shah encouraged him to attack the subcontinent to mint money through plundering and
looting which is quite evident from the fact that he took the expensive peacock throne with him
when he returned to Persia.

Q: Why did the EIC become involved in the India subcontinent?

India was a country which was rich in many materials like indigo, spices and cotton which were in
high demand in Britain. The EIC were well aware of their demand and saw this as an opportunity to
earn great profit. Thus they went to India to indulge in trade of these products as these materials
would make their merchants very rich.

The Dutch and Portuguese had already established trade in India due to their high demand in
trade. They were already earning high profits due to their trade. The Dutch and Portuguese were a
rival of the British. The British considered this as unacceptable due to their rivalry with them and
because they were earning huge profits. Thus the EIC was established in order to oust their rivals
and to establish a large monopoly amongst the subcontinent.

The British were considered a superpower and they considered that due to this their religion and
culture was superior to others. There was little to no sign of Christianity to be known among the
Indians even though India had a huge population and there were a lot of religions among Indians.
The British wanted their religion and culture to be known throughout the globe and thus sent
missionaries and established EIC to spread Christianity among the subcontinent.

Q: Why were the European traders attracted towards India in late 16th and early
17th century?

During the early 16th century, the Dutch and Portuguese had established a trading center in the
subcontinent due to the high demand of products and were earning high profits. These two
nations were rivals of the British and thus they found it unacceptable to leave this situation as they
were flourishing in a monopoly in the subcontinent. Thus the European traders established EIC in
India to indulge in this great monopoly.

India was a country in which materials such as indigo, silk, cotton and spices were in high demand.
The European traders saw this as an opportunity to establish a huge monopoly within India. Thus
the European traders were attracted towards the subcontinent to establish huge profit

The Europeans were considered a superpower and they considered that due to this their religion
and culture was superior to others. There was little to no sign of Christianity to be known among
the Indians even though India had a huge population and there were a lot of religions among
Indians. The Europeans wanted their religion and culture to be known throughout the globe and
thus sent missionaries and established EIC to spread Christianity among the subcontinent.

Q: How successful was Indian resistance to British attempts to take control of

Indian lands? Explain your answer. [14]
In 1686, Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor, sent strong forces against the EIC as they refused to pay
the taxes to the Mughal Empire. As a result of this war, the British were defeated and they had to
pay heavy fine to Aurangzeb to continue their trade in the subcontinent. This victory of the Indians
shows that the Mughal Empire at that time were strong enough to curtail the powers of the EIC.

In 1756, Nawab of Bengal, Siraj – ud – Daulah, attacked the EIC base in Calcutta in an attempt to
oust the British. He was successful in capturing the city and therefore it shows that even the local
princely rulers were strong enough to defeat the British.

In 1757, the British defeated Siraj – ud – Daulah, the ruler of Bengal, in the Battle of Plessey. Due to
this success, the British were able to increase their influence as Bengal was the largest and the
richest province of the subcontinent which strengthened their possession both economically and
politically.

In 1764, the British defeated the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II, along with the rulers of Bengal,
Bihar and Orissa. This strengthened their position even more in the subcontinent as now they had
complete financial control of the areas they conquered like Bengal and Bihar which gave them
enough resources to maintain a strong army.

In 1782, the first Governor – General, Warren Hastings, signed an agreement with the Maratha’s
ending the first Maratha War between the British and Marathas. This helped the, to increase their
influence elsewhere as Maratha threat was now over for them.
However, it also shows that some of the Indian nations like Marathas were still powerful
who did not allow the British to capture their land, rather force them to negotiate with them.

Another resistance for the EIC was Ranjit Singh, the strong Sikh ruler of Punjab. During his
presence, the British dared not to enter Punjab, but signed an agreement of perpetual friendship
with him in 1809. This shows that although he did not fight, but his mere presence was a threat
and resistance for the EIC.

The Nawabs of Maysore, Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali, greatly curtailed the powers of the EIC by
fighting against its forces and defeating them. Hence they proved to be a successful resistance as
they did not allow the British to capture their lands for quite some time.

In 1799, Governor General, Wellesley, invaded Maysore and killed its ruler Tipu Sultan. This was
beneficial for the British because not only a strong enemy was killed but his lands were now under
British control which strengthened the British possessions even more.

In 1903, the British entered Delhi and forced the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam that he was ruling
under British protection. This meant that the British were now the indirect rulers of India as Delhi,
its capital, was under their control and the Mughal Emperor was just a ‘puppet’ in their hands.

The British had experienced industrial revolution which made them technologically more superior.
Therefore, they had the advance weapons which gave them an edge over the Indians who made
use of traditional and outdated weaponry and so with the help of these weapons, they captured
the Indian land quite easily.
Q: Why did the British annex Sindh in 1843?

Firstly, the British wanted to make sure that Afghanistan did not fall into Russian hands so they
tried to capture Afghanistan. However, a rebellion in Afghanistan in 1841 led to all British troops in
the country being killed. The British felt that their pride as a superpower had been hurt by this loss
and decided to return to Sindh to restore their image.

Secondly, the British feared after their defeat in Afghanistan, the Indians might also rise against
them in rebellion by considering them too weak. Therefore they immediately captured Sindh to
show the Indians that they were still powerful.

Thirdly, the Sikh rulers of Punjab were following the policies of extending their kingdom. This
worried the British as they wanted to make India a British colony. Therefore, they captured Sindh
before the Sikhs could do so.

Q: Why was the British rule in India unpopular during the first half of the 19th
century?

The British were blamed for much of the warfare that occurred in India. This warfare had damaged
many of the great monuments of the past and had also disrupted trade and agriculture. This
created resentment among Indians as they believed that the British not only destroyed their
cultural heritage but also gave them economic loss which contributed to making the British rule
unpopular in India

Some areas of India such as Bengal had great wealth but little of it was shared with the ordinary
India people. Instead, it went into pockets of the British ruler. This annoyed the Indians who felt
exploited and thus contributed to the unpopularity of the British rule in India.

The industrial revolution in British made it possible for textiles to be produced by machine in large
amounts. Soon cheap British textiles were being imported to India. Many Indian weavers lost their
jobs as their hand-made cloths were expensive.

Satti was a Hindu tradition in which the widow had to burn herself with the dead body of her
husband. British banned Satti. Although this custom was inhuman and cruel but Hindu emotions
were attached to it and they were very annoyed when it was banned. They felt that the British
were foreign invaders but were trying to interfere in their religion and customs and created
bitterness for the British rule.

British introduced coeducation system in the subcontinent. Indians, generally Muslims, did not like
this concept because Muslims observe purdah for women and that could not be observed when
boys and girls both study together. Thus Muslims viewed this as interference in their religion and
they were greatly displeased which contributed to the unpopularity of the British rule.

Christian missionaries came to India to convert the local population as well as to setup school. In
these schools, the missionaries taught Christianity and expected other religions to be dropped,
which was opposed by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs alike as they felt religiously threatened and so
opposed the British rule.
 British policies
One of the reason was the introduction of English education and the replacement of Persian with
English as the primary language. This allowed the Hindus to not only learn a new language but also
gave them an opportunity for British government jobs as English was an essential part in receiving
a government job. Thus due to the introduction of English education for the sake of the Hindus,
their hatred was not just not justified, but also won the support of the Hindus and improved the
economic status of the Indians.

Another reason was the banning of Satti, in which a widow woman would be burnt alive along with
her dead husband. Although this was an inhuman act, this was requested by the modern Hindus to
the British to ban its practices. Even though a large part of the population was against this ban, one
more civilized sector had proposed this for the betterment of the Hindu population. Thus, due to
the British banning on inhuman act and improving the humanitarian standard of the Hindus, they
won the support of the Hindus later on when they came to realize of their mistakes and gave an
opportunity to the women of India to excel.

Another reason was the introduction of imports of cloth which was made by the British through
their modern machinery. The cloth produced was very cheap as compared to the traditional cloth.
This pleased the Hindus due to them having to save their already not so high salaries due to the
cheap price. Thus, this act of the British not only benefited them but also the majority of the Hindu
population.

Q: Why did the British government take control of the affairs of the EIC during the
early 19th century?

The EIC officials in Bengal were involved in corruption which hurt the British prestige
internationally as a civilized nation. Therefore the British government started to intervene to stop
this mismanagement.

The volume of trade became so significant that the British government felt it was too valuable an
asset to leave in the hands of a private company. Therefore it intervened to have a share in the
profits of the EIC which could then be utilized for the welfare of the people in Britain.

Also the fear of Russian expansion in central Asia worried the government and so Britain decided
to shape its foreign policy by further expansion towards Afghanistan to counter this threat.

Q: Why were the British able to increase their influence in India from 1750 – 1850?

The British were successful in the Battle of Plessey and Buxar. Through this, it gave those fair
trading rights and more riches with the Nawabs which would increase their influence economically
as well due to them maintaining their control.
Another reason was the industrial revolution in weaponry. This gave them an edge over the Indians
who were making use of old and traditional weaponry which increased their influence as they
were modernized in warfare.

The British appointed governors under areas in control such as Calcutta and Madrassa. The
governors were trained on modern lines to govern the areas. Thus due to them having a better and
stronger drip on administration, it helped to increase their influence.

Religious reformers
7 marks
Q: Why did SWU / SASB / HSU wish to revive Islam in the subcontinent?
Q: Why was SWU / SASB / HSU important for the revival of Islam?
Q: Why was Jihad movement started?
Q: why did HSU establish the Faraizi movement?
Q: Why did SASB launch Jihad against the Sikhs of Punjab?
Q: Why did the Jihad movement fail?

14 marks
Q: Was translation of the Holy Qur’an the most important contribution of SWU for
the Muslims of the subcontinent? Explain your answer.
Q: “SWU was more important to the revival of Islam than HSU / SASB.” Do you
agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
Q: “SASB was more important in the revival of Islam than HSU.” Do you agree?
Give reasons.
Q: How important was SWU / SASB / HSU to the revival of Islam in the
subcontinent?
Q: “SWU / SASB / HSU was the most important reformer during the 18th and 19th
century.” Do you agree? Give reasons.
Q: Who of the following was the most important reformer?
i) SWU
ii) HSU
iii) SASB
Explain your answer with reference to all three of the above.

Q: Was lack of military training the most important reason for the failure of the
Jihad Movement? Explain your answer.
Q: Why did SWU wish to revive Islam in the subcontinent?

SWU believed that many of the problems of the Muslims of India were due to their incomplete
knowledge of the Holy Qur’an. As the Holy Qur’an is in Arabic whereas common Muslims knew
Persian, he wanted that the Quranic teachings should be accessible to the common people so that
they could act upon them.

Secondly, the Muslim community was divided into sectarian groups such as Sunnis and Shi’as and
therefore vulnerable to attacks on their religion. SWU wanted them to put aside their differences
so that a more united and strong community could be created.

Thirdly, many unislamic practices had crept into Muslim society due to its constant interaction with
the Hindus and other non – Muslim communities. Therefore, not only did the social, political and
economic aspects of the lives of the Muslims were polluted, but they had also forgotten the moral
and spiritual principles of Islam. Hence, SWU wished to receive Islam to purify the Islamic society.

Q: Why did SASB wish to revive Islam in the subcontinent?

Many areas of the subcontinent were being ruled by non-Muslims such as Sikhs and the British.
SASB wanted that Muslims should only be ruled by fellow Muslims. Therefore, he launched the
Jihad movement as he believed that the freedom of the Muslims could only come as a result of
armed struggles against non-Muslims.

Secondly, the Sikh rulers of Punjab were not letting Muslims practice their religion freely. They
even banned Azaan. This angered SASB and he launched Jihad against Sikhs for the religious
freedom of the Muslims of Punjab.

Thirdly, many unislamic practices had crept into Muslim society due to its constant interaction with
the Hindus and other non – Muslim communities. Therefore, not only did the social, political and
economic aspects of the lives of the Muslims were polluted, but they had also forgotten the moral
and spiritual principles of Islam. Hence, SWU wished to receive Islam to purify the Islamic society.

Q: Why did SASB wish to revive Islam in the subcontinent?

The Muslims in Bengal were suppressed by the Hindu landlords. HSU wanted to end this tyranny.
Thus he started the Faraizi Movement to create a sense of Jihad in the Muslims so that they could
fight for their rights.
The Muslims of Bengal had forgotten the basic principles of Islam and did not practice their
religious obligations i.e. Faraiz like prayer and fasting. Thus he started the Faraizi Movement to
insist upon them to follow the pillars of Islam.

Thirdly, many unislamic practices had crept into Muslim society due to its constant interaction with
the Hindus and other non – Muslim communities. Therefore, not only did the social, political and
economic aspects of the lives of the Muslims were polluted, but they had also forgotten the moral
and spiritual principles of Islam. Hence, SWU wished to receive Islam to purify the Islamic society.

Q: Why did SASB launch Jihad against the Sikhs of Punjab?

The Sikh rulers of Punjab were not letting Muslims practice their religion freely. They even banned
Azaan. This angered SASB and he launched Jihad against the Sikhs for the religious freedom of the
Muslims of Bengal.

Secondly, SASB knew that he had to launch Jihad movement against the British and the Sikhs. He
knew that the British were a superpower at that time and the Sikhs were relatively weaker as
compared to the British. Thus SASB launched Jihad against the Sikhs as the Muslims had a better
chance of winning against the Sikhs than the British.

Thirdly, SASB also knew that there were Muslim tribes living in the surrounding of Punjab. Thus
SASB launched Jihad against the Sikhs in Punjab as he knew that he would not be surrounded by
the enemy and also thought that the Muslims in Punjab may also help him in his movement.
Q: Why did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan establish the Aligarh Movement?

Muslims were blamed by the British for the War of Independence and therefore they started a
policy of repression against them after the war. Sir Syed wanted an end to this ill-treatment of the
Muslims. So, he established the Aligarh movement to improve British-Muslim relations by
removing British doubts about Muslim loyalty and Muslim doubts about British intention.
He established the Aligarh movement to encourage Muslims to receive western education as he
believed that by doing so, the Muslims would be able to get better jobs in the government
department which would improve their social as well as economic conditions in the subcontinent.
Sir Syed believed that Hindus would get ahead of Muslims due to their cooperation with the
British, which would help them to improve their social, economic and political conditions. So, Sir
Syed established Aligarh movement to create political awareness among the Muslims of India that
eventually they would be dominated by the Hindus and their position would be transported to 3 rd
class position if they refused to cooperate with the British.

Q: Why was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan accused by Muslims of being Pro-British?

Sir Syed has saved the lives of British women and children during the War of Independence.
Muslims accused him on being Pro-British as they thought that he was trying to protect their
enemies which angered them as they were fighting this war against the British.
Sir Syed had asked the Indian Muslims to stop fighting against the British as he knew that the
British were the superpower of that time and would not only win the fight against the Muslims,
but would also punish them after it. However, the Muslims thought that he was trying to take the
side of the British and thus accused him of being Pro-British.
The Indian Muslims believed that the British were nothing more than invaders that had come to
the subcontinent only to increase their influence even more. However, Sir Syed had thought more
rationally towards the British and thought of them as not only being the superpower, but also the
ones excelling in other areas such as education. Sir Syed asked the Muslims to adopt the western
education policy as the Hindus did. This, however, was, once again, in view of Muslims that Sir
Syed was taking the side of the British and thus was accused of being Pro-British.

Q: Why did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan try to improve British-Muslim relationship?
The British considered the Muslims responsible for the War of Independence. Therefore, they
started a policy of repression against them. As Sir Syed wanted an end to this tyranny, therefore,
he tried to improve British-Muslim relations by removing this misconception.
Muslims considered British as foreign invaders and were thus reluctant to acquire western
education, whereas Sir Syed believed that it was vital for the Muslims to receive it in order to lead
a prosperous life. Therefore, he tried to bridge the gap between the two communities so that
Muslims could accept British ideas.
Sir Syed feared that the Hindus would dominate Muslims due to their cooperative attitude towards
the rulers i.e. the British. They were developing economically, socially as well as politically.
Therefore, Sir Syed tried to improve British-Muslim relations so that the Muslims could come in par
with the Hindus.

Q: Why did Sir Syed Ahmed Khan insist upon the Muslims of India to receive west-
ern education?

One of the reason was that he believed that by doing so, Muslims would be able to get better jobs
in the government sector which would improve their social, economic as well as political
conditions. Thus, he insisted upon the Muslims to acquire western education in order to exceed in
these sectors.
Hindus were eagerly receiving western education which improved their confidence and so they
viewed illiterate Muslims with disrespect. This worried Sir Syed and so he urged upon the Muslims
to receive western education so that they should come at par with the Hindus, so that their image
in the subcontinent would improve.
Although the ulema believed that western education was anti-Islamic, but Sir Syed was of the view
that the Holy Quran asked the Muslims to study and explore the universe and in his opinion, these
teachings of the Holy Quran were in line with western education of science and technology. Thus,
he asked the Muslims to get western education in order to understand their religion well.

Q: Why did Sir Syed develop his Two-Nation Theory?

Firstly, Urdu had been the official language of India for many years. However, the Hindus wanted to
change it to Hindi. This view wasn’t shared by the Muslims as Urdu was their main language. This
continuously provoked Sir Syed to give his ‘Two Nation Theory’ as he realized that the Hindus and
Muslims were two different nations because of their opposite demands.
Secondly, the Hindus wanted parliamentary System in India. Sir Syed, however, rejected this by
saying that as Hindus were in majority, they wanted to dominate the Muslim minority. So, Sir Syed
advocated the ‘Two-nation Theory’ as he knew that these nations could not live in harmony.
Thirdly, Congress spoke of open competitive examinations for government jobs. However, Sir Syed
rejected this as Muslims were not educated enough to pass these exams and so most of the posts
would be taken over by the educated Hindus. Hence, Sir Syed developed his ‘Two-Nation Theory’
as he realized that the Hindus wanted to suppress Muslims economically as well as politically.

Q: Why was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan important for Indian-Muslims?

 - Improved British – Muslim relations (Essay on the causes of Indian revolt)

- Educational services (M.A.O college)

- Political services (replacing Urdu with Hindi, Two-Nation Theory).

Q: Which of the following was the most important contribution of Sir Syed Ahmed
Khan for the Muslims in India:

I) His efforts to improve British-Muslim relations

II) His educational services

III) His political services [14]

MAX MARKS

Sir Syed wrote the ‘Loyal Mohammadin of India’. In this, he gave a detailed account of the loyal
services which Muslims had given and named various ways. Thus, he not only defended the
Muslims from the British accusation that they were disloyal but also called on them to end the
hostility towards the Muslim community.

Sir Syed also wrote the pamphlet called ‘Essay in the cause of Indian Revolt’. In this pamphlet, he
pointed out the main reasons for the War of Independence e.g. poor management of Indian army,
the forcible conversion of Muslims to Christianity, etc. His pamphlet helped to convince the British
that they were wrong to put the full blame of uprising on Muslims. Therefore, some British read it
with sympathy and decreased their hostility towards the Muslims.

Sir Syed tried to remove misunderstanding amongst British who resented being said ‘Nasarah’ by
the Muslims. The British thought that this was an insult to them but Sir Syed pointed out that the
word ‘Nasarah’ meant helper. Thus, the term was a reflection of positive image that Muslims had
of the British and not an insult.

Sir Syed wrote a reply of English book on the life of the Holy Prophet. He corrected the errors
concerning the life of the Holy Prophet about Islam. Thus, he tried to convince the British that their
knowledge about Islam was limited and so they needed to improve it in order to remove
misconception.
Sir Syed wrote a pamphlet called ‘Commentary on the Holy Bible’. In this, he pointed out the
similarities between Islam and Christianity. Although this work remained incomplete, yet it shows
his commitment in improving British-Muslim relationship.

Sir Syed wrote another pamphlet called ‘Food laws of people of The Book’. In this, he told the
Muslims that they were allowed by their religion to dine with the Christians. Thus, he urged upon
the Muslims of India that they were closer to the British than the Hindus who were reluctant to eat
with Muslims.

Sir Syed established ‘British-Indian Association’. It was a platform where members of both the
communities could interact with each other and could discuss various issues. Thus, this helped to
improve the level of understanding between the two communities.

Q: Was the establishment of Mohammadin Anglo Oriental College the most im-
portant educational contribution of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan? Explain your answer.
[14]

Sir Syed established Mohammadin Anglo Oriental School in 1875 which was upgraded to a college
in 1877. It provided western and Islamic education on the pattern of English public school system.
This institution proved beneficial for Muslims in many ways. Firstly, it provided quality education to
the Muslims of India and after graduation from this institute, they could get better job
opportunities in the government department.
Secondly, it became a symbol for unity for Muslims in the absence of Muslim League.

Thirdly, many future leaders of Pakistan such as Liaqat Ali Khan and Ayub Khan were educated
there and many of the historians believe that this institute contributed the most in the formation
of Pakistan.

Fourthly, it also helped to improve British-Muslim relationship as not only many British were
teaching in this institute, which created respect in the hearts of Muslims for British, but also after
receiving English education, now the Muslims were in a better position to communicate with the
British in their language and remove misconceptions between them.

Sir Syed started a journal called ‘Tehzeb-ul-Akhlaq’. This journal included articles from influential
Muslims who agreed with Sir Syed that there was a need for a new approach regarding education.
Although some ulemas attacked this view, yet this journal played a major part in bringing about an
intellectual revolution amongst the Muslim thinkers.

Sir Syed founded a scientific society in Ghazipur in 1863. It translated scientific writings from
English, Persian or Arabic into Urdu; the main language of the India-Muslims. Thus, Muslims
knowledge of science was improved. This also helped to reduce Muslim hatred towards the British
as they read about their scientific works, Muslims realized that they were not just invaders but had
done a lot for humanity through scientific inventions.

Sir Syed also opened schools in Moradabad and Ghazipur. These efforts of Sir Syed show his
commitment towards expanding educational opportunities for Muslims.

Sir Syed also set up Mohammadin Educational Conference. Its aim was to publicize the new
educational methods which were to be used in M.A.O. Thus, this contribution helped to improve
educational standards of Muslims
This conference also played an important role in establishing a Muslim political platform in the
days before the establishment of the Muslim League as it attracted famous orators and writers
who discussed the political problems of the Muslims of India.

It was after the 20th session of the same organization in December 1906 at Dhaka that its major
leaders gathered to form Muslim League which was the founder party of Pakistan.

Political Services
Congress was established in 1885. Although it claimed to be a part of all Indians, it was protecting
Hindu interests only. Thus, Sir Syed asked the Muslims of India not to join congress and so tried to
save them from Hindu exploitation.

Congress demanded political system in India based on British lines. This sounded fair but since
there were four times as many Hindus as Muslims, they would win every election. Thus, Sir Syed
opposed this and suggested that Muslims should be given separate electorates in the council so
that they could have enough political representation.

Congress demanded ‘competitive examinations’ for government jobs. Since Muslims were not
receiving a similar standard of education to that given to the Hindus, this would be a great
disadvantage for the Muslims. Thus, Sir Syed opposed this idea and insisted upon the British that
the Muslims should be given separate seats in the government jobs so that they should not be
politically and economically handicapped.

Sir Syed showed his concern on “Hindu-Muslim Controversy”. In 1867, the Hindus demanded that
Hindi is to be the official language instead of Urdu. Since Urdu was very important for Muslim
culture, Sir Syed realized that Hindus wanted to dominate Muslims and hence he opposed it. This
forced him to give his Two Nation Theory i.e. Hindus and Muslims cannot live together peacefully
which later became the base of Pakistan Movement. For this reason, he is called the Father of the
Pakistani Movement.
Sir Syed established the ‘Mohammadin Defense Association’. This was established to counter
Congress propaganda against Muslims. This helped in protecting Muslim interests in the absence
of Muslim League.

Q: Were educational developments the most important contribution of sir Syed

Ahmed Khan to improve British-Muslim relationship? Explain your answer [14]

One of the reason was that he discovered a scientific society in Ghazipur in 1863. This society
worked on translating the scientific writings from English, Persian or Arabic into Urdu. Thus, this
contributed to improve British-Muslim relations as the Muslims figured out that the British were
more than invaders, that they were more modernized than they themselves were.

Another reason was that he established school in Moradabad and Ghazipur. This effort made the
youth of the Indian Muslims develop a more rational thinking skill which helped to improve British-
Muslim relations.

Another reason was his establishment of Mohammadin Anglo Oriental College in 1877. It provided
western and Islamic education on the basis of English public school system. This provided quality
education for the Muslims and after graduation, they would be able to get better British
government jobs which helped to improve British-Muslim relations.

Secondly, this institute not only contained many British scholars and teachers, who got along and
developed a good relationship with the Muslims, but also that is taught the English language which
removed misconception amongst the Muslims of their language and thus contributed to the
improvement of British-Muslim relations.

One of them was that he tried to remove the ill-treatment of the Muslims who were blamed for
starting War of Independence, by launching Aligarh movement. Thus, Sir Syed not only contributed
to removing this treatment but also helped to improve British-Muslim relations.

Sir Syed believed that Hindus would get ahead of Muslims due to their cooperation with the British
and feared that even the Hindus may start dominating Muslims. This, he launched the Aligarh
movement in order to restore the Muslims social, economic and political status and more
importantly, to improve British-Muslim relations.

Sir Syed wrote a pamphlet called ‘Commentary on the Holy Bible’. This contained information that
pointed out the similarities between Islam and Christianity. Thus, due to this pamphlet, this shows
his commitment to improve British-Muslim relations, which in fact did help, even though it was
incomplete.

Another reason was that Sir Syed established ‘British-Indian Association’. In this, the two parties
would get together and discuss various problems. Thus, due to this, it helped to improve the level
of cooperation between the British and Indian Muslims.

Languages

7 marks

Q: Why did Pakistan choose Urdu as its national language in 1947?

Q: Why have regional language been promoted by the Pakistani government since
1947?

14 marks

Q: "Urdu has been developed more than the regional language between 1947 and
1999". Do you agree? Give reasons.

Q: How successful was Pakistan in promoting Urdu between 1947 and 1999?
Explain your answer.

Q: Was making Urdu the national language the most important factor through
which the government of Pakistan developed it since 1947? Explain you answer.

Development of Urdu

Urdu is the medium of the national media. Since the media is well known to everyone and
people watch television and listen to the radio with interest for information and
entertainment, the language gets promoted as more people get exposed to the language.

Urdu has been made the medium of instruction in many schools. This develops interest in
students towards their national language as all the subjects are taught in Urdu and they
frequently use it in their reading, writing and communication.

Urdu is being taught up to M.A, M.Phil. and PH.D level in different institutions e.g. Urdu
university, Islamabad. Therefore, the scholars research in the language and explore
different aspects of its poetry and prose which helps to modernize Urdu.

Also, Urdu language is a compulsory subject to pass grade 10 and 12 in educational

institutions. Therefore, the language is promoted as students get familiar with its literature
and grammar.

Urdu is the official language of courts along with English. This helps its promotion as it is
then frequently used in judicial proceeding e.g. judges use it in their judgments and
lawyers use it in their argument.

Urdu mushairas; a poetry recitation session, are frequently held in Pakistan where poets
recite their poetry which encourages them to write more in Urdu. They are motivated even
for them when sometimes given awards for their work.

Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and is frequently used in all 4 provinces. Thus, it is
not only a unifying force but is also being promoted by people due to their regular use.

Failures / Disadvantages

When Urdu was made the national language after independence, East Pakistan strongly
protested for Bengali, their language which was spoken by 54% of the total population
whereas Urdu was the language of the minority, to be the national language. This offended
them to the extent that it eventually led to the creation of Bangladesh. So Urdu, instead of
unifying Pakistan, in a way disintegrated it.

The local languages like Punjabi is used by 62% of the total population (after 1971). So
when Urdu was made the national language, which was the language of 8% of the
population, led to resentment among the Punjabis as they were deprived of theirs rights.
This gave rise to the feelings of provincialism.

In urban areas, people prefer English over Urdu and send their children to English Medium
Schools for their better future as they are aware that civil exams are taken in English. So
 Urdu is side-lined, one the other hand, in remote areas people mostly use their own local
languages instead of Urdu. Thus, this hinders the development of Urdu as many of them do
not understand it.

Urdu Sindhi Balochi Punjabi Pashto

Medium of institution Sindhi Literary Radio Pakistan Books on academic Peshawar University
in many schools Board Karachi subjects like Law,
History and
Medicine
Steps to make Urdu Sindhiology Balochi Literary Modern Punjabi Pashto academy
the official language department in Association which poets like Muneer which has published
Sindh university has published Niazi a widely accepted
Jamshoro where monthly and weekly Pashto dictionary
Sindhi is being magazines
taught up to M.A.
level
Medium for media Sarmast Academy, The work of Quetta New melivns Work of Peshawar
which has been television Radio and Peshawar
established in the Television
 great poet Sachal
Sarmast
Urdu literature Bazm – e – Talib – ul Modern literary Taught up to M.A. Pashto films and
- Maula figures like Ishaq Level in Punjab theatres
Shamim and Gul university
Khan Nasir
Urdu plays and films Famous literary Balochi is being Punjabi theatre and
figures like Faqir – taught up to M.A. film
Nabi Bakhs and Level in Balochistan
G.Allana university
The national language Sindhi is the court Versified translation
language of Sindh of the Holy Qur'an
along with Urdu & by Muhammad Ali
English Farq
It is the court language Sindhi is Punjabi poetry
(along with English) compulsory to pass recitations sessions
grade 10 in the
schools of Sindh as
an alternate to Urdu
It is a compulsory Radio & television
subject to pass grade
10 and 12
Urdu is being taught
up to M.A and PH.D
level in different
universities
Urdu mashaira; poetry
recitation sessions
Bengali – Urdu
controversy
Promoted
provincialism even
after (1971)
Civil service exam is in
English
It is not the language
of rural people

Q: 1 "Punjabi has been developed the most in the regional language since 1947". Do you
agree / disagree? Give reasons. [14]
Punjabi VS Other Languages
Q: 2 why have regional languages been promoted by the Pakistan government since
1947? [7]

2. Ans
It was felt that the literature and work undertaken by authors in such areas as Sindh should be kept
alive and so the government set up bodies to promote it such as the Sindhi Literary Board in 1948.

Many languages have played an important role in the history of the region e.g. Pashto literature
had an important role in creating opposition to British rule and the movement for independence.
Thus, it was promoted to preserve this history for future generations.

Balochi had little development before 1947 and its literature was in decline. However, the
government felt that it should be kept alive and not lost forever. Hence, the language was
promoted to bring it at par with the other regional languages.

1. Ans
Books on academic subjects like Law, Medicine, Science, History and Philosophy have been
published in Punjabi language, using it as a mean of imparting education and so contributing to its
development

The Punjabi University also teaches Punjabi up to master’s level. Therefore, the language gets
promoted as students / scholars do research in different aspects of its literature which helps to
modernize the language.

Radio and television have also promoted Punjabi through news and drama serials, etc. Similarly,
Punjabi theatre and films are also widely appreciated by people because of their comedy and
actions. Hence, by using it as a source of entertainment and information, its understanding has
been improved among the masses.

The Holy Qur'an's versified translation by Muhammad Ali Faiq in Punjabi promoted the language
on religious lines as Muslims of Punjab read this unique translation with more interest.

The Punjabi poetry recitation sessions (mushairas) are also held where poets recite their poetry in
front of public. It not only helps to increase the interest of the people in this language but also
encourages the poets to work more in Punjabi as they are appreciated by the audience and
sometimes given awards for their poetry.

However, Sindhi, Balochi and Pashto have also been promoted

The setting up of the Sindhi Literary Board was a step towards Sindhi development as it published
different books and magazines in Sindhi and many pronounced literary figures like Fakir Nabi Buksh
and G.Allana became known because of their services to Sindhi literature

The Bazm – e – Talib – ul – Maula also published books of Sindhi literature which attracts more
readers thus promoting the language.

The Darmast Academy, which was established as a tribute to the great Sindhi poet, Sanchal
Sarmast, also promoted the language by printing his works.

The Sindhiology department, at the Sindh University Jamshoro, also promotes Sindhi as its
literature is taught up to M.A. Level here which helps students to know more about the language
Sindhi is also a compulsory language subject in schools of Sindh as an alternate to Urdu. This
promotes its importance among the students and fosters their interest in Sindhi as they are taught
Sindhi literature and grammar.

Pashto has also been developed. It's being taught up to M.A. Level in Peshawar University helps to
promote the language as not only the students come to know about its literature but they also
explore different aspects of the language, through their research thesis, so modernizing it.

The academy for promotion of Pashto literature was set up in 1954 and this prepared a widely
accepted Pashto dictionary, which created more understanding of this language by improving
Pashto vocabulary among the people.

Balochi has also been developed in Pakistan. Broadcasts in Balochi on radio Pakistan, Karachi and
Quetta television station helped to make the language important through news and entertainment
programs.

The Balochi Literary Association was set up and there are now weekly and monthly magazines
published in the language under it, Nan Kissan and Ollasis being two of them. Thus, this
association promoted Balochi by encouraging different writers and helping in gaining more
readers.

Many notable poets and writers such as Atta Shad, Ishaq Shamimc and others are also making
waves in Balochi poetry and prose making it widely available to the interested people, thus
promoting it.