XIX

REFORM MOVEMENTS IN INDIA

REV. CANON WEITBRECHT, PH. D., D. D., SIMLA

T

HE attempt seriously to adjust the teaching and practice of Islam to modern conditions of life and thought was first made in India by Sir Sayyad Ahmad Khan of Aligarh in the United Provinces (1817-1898). He supported his efforts after progress and reform by a rationalistic exegesis of the Koran, recognizing in it a human as well as a divine element, and teaching that a knowledge of natural law had superseded belief in miracle. His energies were chiefly directed to the promotion of Anglo-vernacular education among his coreligionists, and the chief monument of his life-work is the Anglo-Mohammedan College at Aligarh. In a speech delivered shortly after the mutiny he said: "Hitherto the Musulmans have been rulers in this land, but now it is the divine will that they should pass their lives as subjects of a conquering power. As hitherto they have inscribed their name on the page of history with the blaze of victory and dominion, so now they are called upon to make their name illustrious as good subjects of a just rule."

Another notable result of Sir Sayyad's labours was the establishment of the Mohammedan Educational Conference which meets annually for the promotion of education, both higher and lower.

The Nadwat ul Ulema at Lucknow, and in a smaller way, the Anjuman i Naumaniye at Lahore are societies which endeavour to promote Moslem education on a

modern basis, but with more regard to Moslem orthodoxy than Sayyad Ahmad's school. The Ahmediya is the sect founded by the late Mirza Ghulam Ahmed of Kadian in the Punjab. Its teachings lay stress on natural law, and profess to promote peace among hostile communities. Their main tenet is that the founder is both the true Mahdi and also Christ returned to earth.

There is not much that is new to report of the activities of these bodies during the last five years. The Aligarh College has held on its way, though somewhat hampered by dissensions on the College Council and by changes of principle, and the number of students in 1909, as compared with five years previous, was 476 to 340; and in the high school attached to the college there were 475 against 364. The main court presents quite a collegiate appearance, except that a structure of the kind which we usually relegate to the back, occupies a prominent place in the quadrangle. In one corner is the handsome College Mosque, which all the students are supposed reg ularly to attend, and close to it is the tomb of the founder. The second court is in a more tentative style, but all around the central college pile, buildings for hostels and other annexes are arising, and in a few years the whole complex should be ready to accommodate the Moslem University which progressive Mohammedans throughout India earnestly desire. The Agha Khan has recently given a lakh of rupees towards a fund of twenty lakhs which he believes will be sufficient in order to make a beginning with the foundation of "a model university bearing the name of King George V." It may well be that the next of these conferences will be able to chronicle the establishment of the Indian University of Aligarh. How far it will be a powerful instrument of reform and progress it is difficult to forecast. The fact that the present professor of Arabic in the Aligarh College is a

learned German reminds us that linguistic research according to modern methods has not yet made much progress among Moslem scholars in India. There is an Old Boys' Association with 750 members which contributed Rs. 11,000 to the college funds in 1910. Beyond the ad. vocacy of the university scheme, and its efforts for the establishment of more schools, the chief development initiated by the Educational Conference is the All-India League for the promotion of the Urdu language. This language, as is well known, is the product of Moslem rule in India. Its name signifies "camp," and it received this designation from the chief imperial camp of the Mogul dynasty at Delhi, where the Persian tongue of the foreigners was grafted on the Hindi of those parts, and so formed a new language which has become the lingua franca of India, and especially the vehicle of intercourse and literature among Mohammedans throughout the country. Measures and proposals for ousting Urdu from the position of the language of administration and education have roused strong feeling on the part of the Moslem commu. nity, and their reply has been the formation of this society. Like other indigenous things it has taken on an English name and calls itself the "All-India Urdu Conference." Its object is to stimulate the production of Urdu literature suited to modern conditions, and to promote the use of Urdu officially and privately.

The Nadwat ul Ulema or college of divines has its headquarters in Lucknow, and it has established branches in Madras and elsewhere. It issues a monthly magazine En Nadwa which has for its object the establishment of harmony between faith and reason and the investigation of ancient and modern sciences. The position of the movement with reference to Christianity may be illustrated from an article in the October number (1910) on the Christian and the Moslem state. The writer remarks

that though there are certain features of the civilization of Christian lands which make it seem superior to that of Moslem countries, and so attract the progressive Moslem towards the Christian faith, yet these things in reality have no connection with the Christian religion. If this were really acted upon the most civilized nations of the world would have to bid farewell to their culture and retire for the practice of asceticism to the summit of some high hill in accordance with the teachings of St. Paul! Among the book advertisements the most prominent is one of a work entitled "Astronomy and Islam," the object of which is stated to be the proof that the Moslem astronomers of the middle ages, whom orthodox divines alone allow as true to the faith and the Koran, were in reality opposed to the Copernican system and very near the principles of modern astronomy. Evidently the representatives of the Nadwat movement have much leeway to make up before they can grapple, even plausibly, with the task of reconciling modern thought with the faith of the Koran.

Another effort, similar to that of the Nadwat, has been made in the establishment of the Cawnpore School of Theology. The impulse towards this seems to have come largely from the sense that Islam in its struggle with Hinduism might become the bitten instead of the biter. Hitherto the conversion of Hindus to Islam was no uncommon thing, but the reverse had never been heard of. Of late years, however, the Arya Samaj has introduced the principle of Shuddhi, that is of a ceremonial purification by which the non-Hindu can be introduced into Hinduism, at least in its Dayanandi form, and they profess to have converted a number of Mohammedans, among them some mulvis, in this way. The Cawnpore School has taken up the controversy, and is issuing a series of tracts against the Arya Samaj. Number three

of these is devoted to a comparison of "Vedic theology and Moslem monotheism." The author takes the professed monotheism of the Arya sect, together with its assertion of the eternity of soul and matter and criticizes their teachings according to the Moslem formula that God must be immaterial, without parts, omniscient, omnipotent, eternal, and perfect. He thinks that the doctrine of "Protestant Trinitarians" is that the Son and the Holy Spirit are not to be worshipped, and have no part in the work of creation and providence. This agrees with the statement of a local observer that the Christian controversy is taught in the Cawnpore Theological School by a "revert" from Christianity with a very defective equipment. A printing press is said to be attached to the school, but this tract is printed elsewhere. It concludes with a fervent personal appeal to the reader to drink of the water of life which flows from the exhaustless fountains of Islam. This seems to be distinct departure from the accustomed style of Mohammedan controversial tracts. One can hardly realize the late Mulvi Wali ullah of Lahore addressing his non-Moslem readers as "beloved brethren." Sanscrit is said to be taught in this school by a Pandit of the Sanatan Dharm (old Hinduism).

The Ahmediye sect has declined since the death of its founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmed on May 26, 1908. The fact that his death took place through cholera, whereas he had promised his followers immunity from pestilence without plague inoculation, was no doubt a shock to the faith of many, though it was concealed as much as possible. The Review of Religions, conducted by his disciple Nur ud Din, gives a rather elaborate explanation of the fact that he should have died at all. The same periodical gave currency to the report that three Moslem missionaries had proceeded to Japan, and converted