Abstract
Social movements are considered to be a modern phenomenon but they have existed in the past as well. Aligarh movement initiated by Sir Sayyid Ahmed khan is a typical social movement from 19th century, aimed at modernization and uplift of the Muslim community of India. It emerged in a period when the Indian Muslims were facing a sharp decline in their socio-economic and political status. This decline had created a psychology of retreat among them wherein they suspected any attempt to reform their lot. For instance, the introduction of modern education by the British rulers was adopted by the Hindu majority for obvious economic benefits. Conversely, the Muslims remained wary of modern education, particularly the English language as a conspiracy to destroy their age-old culture and religion. In this backdrop Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan’s tireless drive to inculcate modern education proved to be a miracle that transformed the Muslim middle classes for the next century. Although Aligarh movement has attracted tremendous scholarship, there has been virtually little attempt to theorize it as a social movement. In this context the present paper aims to study Aligarh Movement on the parameters of contemporary theories highlighting the causal dimensions of social movements. It will particularly explore the relevance of the elements of deprivation, resource mobilization, political processes, structural strain and those highlighted by the new social movement theory as causal factors in the emergence and evolution of Aligarh Movement.
Highlights
In the nineteenth century, India, like many other regions in Asia and Africa, was engulfed with a wave of transformation
The paper does not focus on the consequences of the movement nor does it tend to judge the legitimacy of the movement‘s objectives and methods. It will rather explore the relevance of existing social movement theories with respect to causal factors working in Aligarh Movement. For this purpose the paper is organized in two main sections: the first encompassing an overview of the causal dimensions of various social movement theories; and second, assessing the relevance of those theories in the context of Aligarh Movement
Smelser differed from the classical collective behavior theorists in two ways: first, by asserting that social movements were not just a result of abnormal or deviant behavior of certain groups but are rather result of some identifiable structural features; second, by putting together the elements of deprivation, resource mobilization and political processes as structural elements in the origin of a social movement
Summary
India, like many other regions in Asia and Africa, was engulfed with a wave of transformation. It is commonly accepted that Muslims, less nimble than the Hindus, were less ready to seize the opportunities offered by the western education and less quick to adapt themselves to the changing conditions under the British rule‖1 This period marks the emergence of Sayyid Ahmed Khan‘s (1817-1898) reformist movement aiming at: Developing an acceptance and a cultural milieu among the Indian Muslims, favorable to the attainment of modern education, skills and English language. JHSS, Vol 11, No 1, January to June, 2020 young generations better equipped to participate in modern intellectual discourse and to compete for government jobs and improve their social and financial position For this cause he invested time, energy and resources to initiate what was later known as the Aligarh Movement. For this purpose the paper is organized in two main sections: the first encompassing an overview of the causal dimensions of various social movement theories; and second, assessing the relevance of those theories in the context of Aligarh Movement
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