Aligarh Muslim University
|
Victoria gate, a prominent building at the university |
Aligarh Muslim University is located in the city of
Aligarh,
Uttar Pradesh, Northern India. Modelled on the
University of Cambridge, it was among the first institutions of higher learning set up in
British India . Many prominent
Muslim leaders, and
Urdu writers and scholars of the subcontinent have graduated from the University.
The University grew out of the work of
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who in the aftermath of the
Indian Rebellion of 1857 felt that it was important for Muslims to gain a modern education and become involved in the public life and Government Services in India at that time. Raja Jai Kishan helped Sir Syed a lot in establishing this university. The British decisions to replace the use of the knowledge of
Persian in the
1830s for Government employment and as the language of Courts of Law caused deep anxiety among Muslims of the sub-continent. Sir Syed then clearly foresaw the imperative need for the Muslims to acquire proficiency in the English language and "Western Sciences" if the community were to maintain its social and political clout, particularly in Northern India. He began to prepare the road map for the formation of a Muslim University by starting various schools. In
1864, the Scientific Society of Aligarh was set up to disseminate Western works into native languages as a prelude to prepare the community to accept "Western Education".
In
1875, Sir Syed founded the
Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College in Aligarh and patterned the college after
Oxford and
Cambridge universities that he had visited on a trip to
England. His objective was to build a college in tune with the British education system but without compromising its Islamic values.
It was the first purely residential educational institution set up either by the Government or the public in India. Over the years it gave rise to a new educated class of Muslims who were active in the political system of the British Raj, and who would serve as a catalyst for change among not only the Muslim population of India, but of the entire subcontinent.
The college was originally affiliated with
Calcutta University, and was transferred to the
Allahabad University in 1885. Near the turn of the century it began publishing its own magazine, and established a law school. It was also around this time that a movement began to have it develop into a university to stand on its own. To achieve this goal, many expansions were made with more and more programs added to the curriculum. A school for girls was established in
1907. In
1920, the College was transformed into a university, and it was named Muslim University. Its growth continued. The first chancellor of the university was a female,
Sultan Shah Jahan Begum. In
1927, a school for the blind was established, and the following year, a Medical School was attached to the university. By the end of the 1930s, the university had also developed its Engineering faculty.During the Partition of India ,this university was widely believed to be the "university that created Pakistan".
Currently the University has almost thirty thousand students, and over two thousand faculty members with over eighty departments of study. It continues to function as an important education institution in India, and draws many foreign students.Very recently the university got into a legal battle when it announced a fifty percent reservation for Muslims for some of its courses .The Division bench of Allahabad High Court struck down two sections of Aligarh Muslim University (Amendment) Act, 1981 and also rejected the claims of minority status of AMU as it was set up by an act of Parliament.
Religious reservation and AMU .But Supreme Court of India ,later enforced "status quo" and ordered AMU not to go forward with religious reservation
Status Quo on minority status.
*
Aligarh Alumni: A List of important Alumni from Aligarh
*
Ch.Abdul Hameed Khan, Rehabilitational Commissioner of East and West Pakistan.
*
Ziauddin Ahmed,
former Vice-Chancellor*
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan*
Aligarh movement*
AMU alumni directory, at Amudirectory.com
*
Aligarh Nama - A blog of AMU Old Boys, at Aligarhnama
*
Adil Asad Khan*
Discussion Forum for AMU Alumni*
The Hadifolks*
Complete AMU portal Cyberamu*
Aligarhnama, Aligarh.blogspot
*
AMU Alumni directory, Amudirectory
*
Medbeats.com*
Official Website*
AMU Alumni Directory*
The Federation of Aligarh Alumni Associations*
AMU Alumni Association of California*
AMU Network*
AMU Canada*
AMU portal Cyberamu*
National Informatics Centre site*
Google search*
Indian Educational Resources
