Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-1898), was an influential Muslim educationist, philosopher, and social reformer in colonial India. Disillusioned by the poor social and educational status of Muslims in India, he devoted his life to reforming the landscape of the muslim community by promoting modern education and a rationalist political approach.

His ideas materialized in the form of many educational institutions including but not limited to the Scientific Society of Aligarh, the first scientific association of its kind in India, as well as the internationally reputed Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). While his philosophical and intellectual endeavors continue to inspire generations of scholars globally, it is through the establishment of Mohammad Anglo-Oriental College (1875), which later became AMU,that he has made an everlasting contribution to the Indian education system.

At the Sir Syed Education Society of North America, we feel privileged to have been influenced by his vision in the formative years of our careers at AMU.