Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University

Motto	Enter to Learn Depart to Serve
Established	1875
Chancellor	Justice A.M. Ahmadi
Vice-Chancellor	Prof. P.K. Abdul Azis
Academic staff	2,000
Students	30,000
Location	Aligarh , Uttar Pradesh , India
Website	www.amu.ac.in

Victoria gate, a prominent building at the university

Aligarh Muslim University was created by the Act of Indian Parliament and is located in the city of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. Modelled on the University of Cambridge, it was among the first institutions of higher learning set up during British Occupation. Originally it was Anglo-Oriental Mohammadan College, which was founded by a great Muslim social reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Many prominent Muslim leaders, and Urdu writers and scholars of the subcontinent have graduated from the University.

History

Sir Syed

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". Sir Sultan Mahommed Shah, The Aga Khan III has contributed greatly to Aligarh Muslim University in terms collecting funds and providing financial support.

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 one of 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. By 1921(exact year 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.

Current status

Aligarh Muslim University is a residential academic institution offering more than 250 Courses in traditional and modern branch of Education. It has currently 12 Faculties viz. Agricultural Sciences, Arts, Commerce, Engineering & Technology, Law, Life Sciences, Management Studies & Research, Medicine, Science, Theology (Shia and Sunni), Unani Medicine and Social Science

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 education institution in India, and draws draws students from a number of countries, especially countries in Africa, West Asia and South East Asia. In some courses, seats are reserved for students from SAARC and Commonwealth countries.

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. The Supreme Court of India later enforced the status quo and ordered AMU not to go forward with the religious reservation plan Status Quo on minority status.

It hosts one of India's premiere Engineering College, Dr. Zakir Hussain College of Engineering & Technology, named after former president of India. The engineering College as it is generally known was recently offered IIT Status by Ministry of Human Resource development but later it was decided that its not possible because of unwillingness of the university to grant it autonomous status. Dr Jawed Hussain after whose name United Nations gives annual prize for young scientist was former Dean.

People of Aligarh

• Ishwari Prasad, historian
• Zakir Hussain, Former President of India
• Liaquat Ali Khan, First prime Minister of Pakistan
• Ch. Abdul Hameed Khan, Rehabilitation Commissioner of East and West Pakistan.
• Ziauddin Ahmed, former Vice-Chancellor
• Mir Muhammad Khan Mahar, Deputy Collector

See also

• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
• Aligarh Movement

External links

• Aligarh Muslim University Official Website