Muslim Socio-Religious Reform Movements & Colonial India

Introduction

Elite and educated Muslim Socio-Religious Reform Movements in India experienced a sense of power loss. This is because the British took over the Mughals’ empire, and English replaced Persian as the official language of the new bureaucracy and the means of employment. Nawab Abdul Latif (1828-1893), who formed the Mohammedan Literary Society of Calcutta in 1863, was one of the first groups to move in this approach. It was crucial in advancing education, especially among Bengali Muslims, and in fostering harmony between Hindus and Muslims.

Different Reforms Take Place Among Muslim Socio-Religious Reform Movements.

Wahabi/Waliullah Movement (18th Century)

• Emergence of Revivalist Movements: Inspired by Abdul Wahab of Arabia and Shah Walliullah (1702–63), it emerged as a revivalist reaction to Western influences and the degeneration within Indian Muslims. 
• Expansion of Walliullah’s Teachings: Shah Abdul Aziz and Syed Ahmad Barelvi popularized Walliullah’s teachings, adding a political perspective.
• Principles: It has called for a return to the true spirit of Islam, it emphasized harmony among Muslim jurisprudence schools and the role of individual conscience in religious interpretations.
  • Initially, the movement was directed at the Sikhs in Punjab, but after the British annexation of Punjab (1849), the movement was directed against the British. 
• 1857 Revolt: During the 1857 Revolt, the Wahabis played an important role in spreading anti-British feelings. 

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Titu Mir’s Movement (1831)

• Origin: Syed Mir Nisar Ali, popularly known as Titu Mir, a disciple of Syed Ahmad Barelvi and an adherent follower of Wahabism, led a movement advocating Sharia principles in Bengal. 
• Indigo Rebellion of 1831: Organizing Muslim peasants against Hindu landlords and British indigo planters, the movement, though not as militant as portrayed, witnessed a confrontation with the British police in 1831, resulting in his death.

Faraizi Movement  (1819)

• Origin: Founded by Haji Shariatullah, aimed at eradicating un-Islamic practices in East Bengal. 
• Dudu Mian’s Militant Leadership: Led by Haji’s son, Dudu Mian, the movement turned revolutionary in 1840, organizing a paramilitary force against Hindu landlords and Indigo planters. 
• Structural Transformation: He gave the movement an organisational system from the village to the provincial level with a khalifa or authorised deputy at every level.

Ahmadiyya Movement (1889)

• Origin: Founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, it embraced liberal principles and described itself as the standard-bearer of the Mohammedan Renaissance.
• Ideology: It based itself, like the Brahmo Samaj, on the principles of the universal religion of all humanity; opposed jihad (sacred war against non-Muslims) and promoted Western liberal education. 
  • It believed in separating the mosque from the State, human rights, and tolerance.
• The Ahmadiyya Community: It is the only Islamic sect to believe that the Messiah had come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to end religious wars and bloodshed.  
• However,  just like Bahaism, it also suffered from mysticism.

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Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-98)

• Service to the British Government: He was a loyalist member of the judicial service of the British government. 
  • After retirement in 1876, he became a member of the Imperial Legislative Council in 1878. 
  • His loyalty earned him a knighthood in 1888.
• Vision: His aim was to reconcile Western scientific education with Quranic teachings and adapt religion to contemporary rationalism. However, he also held the Quran to be the final authority.  
• Religious Adaptability and Evolution: He used to say that religion should be adaptable with time or else it would become fossilized, and that religious tenets were not immutable.                                                                                                                                                                                                          
• Advocacy for Women’s Rights and Social Reform: He also struggled to bring about an improvement in the position of women through better education and by opposing purdah and polygamy, advocating easy divorce, and condemning the system of piri and muridi. 
• Religious Unity: He believed in the fundamental underlying unity of religions or ‘practical morality’. 
  • He also preached the basic commonality of Hindu and Muslim interests.       
• Established Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College (Aligarh Muslim University) in 1875, advocated for women’s education, and opposed purdah and polygamy.
• Complicated Legacy: Unfortunately, in his enthusiasm to promote the educational and employment interests of the Muslims, he allowed himself to be used by the colonial government in its policy of divide and rule.
  • In later years, started propagating the divergence of interests of Hindus and Muslims.
• His ideas were propagated through his magazine Tahdhib-ul-Akhlaq (improvement of manners and morals).  

Deoband School(1866)

• Origin: Founded at Darul Uloom in Saharanpur, it was organized by orthodox Muslim ulema with aims to propagate pure Quranic teachings and sustain the spirit of jihad by Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi (1832–80) and Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (1828–1905).
• Opposition to Syed Ahmed Khan’s Organizations: The Deoband school welcomed the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1888.
  • He issued a fatwa (religious decree) against Syed Ahmed Khan’s Organisations, the United Patriotic Association and the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental Association.
• Mahmud-ul-Hasan: He provided political and intellectual content. He worked out a synthesis of Islamic principles and nationalist aspirations. 
  • The Jamiat-ul-Ulema gave a concrete shape to Hasan’s ideas of protection of the religious and political rights of the Muslims.
• Shibli Numani: He supported the inclusion of English language and European sciences. 
  • He founded the Nadwatal Ulama and Darul Uloom in Lucknow in 1894–96. He believed in the idealism of the Congress and cooperation between the Muslims and the Hindus of India to create a state in which both could live amicably.

Conclusion

• Muslim Socio-Religious Reform Movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries marked a significant period of introspection and adaptation within Islamic communities. 
• Led by influential figures such as Syed Ahmad Khan, the movements aimed to reconcile traditional Islamic teachings with the challenges posed by modernity and colonial rule. 
• Though varying approaches and outcomes, these movements played a crucial role in shaping the social, educational, and political landscape of Muslim societies, leaving a lasting impact on the trajectory of Islamic thought and practice.

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