How successful were the Religious Thinkers

in spreading Islam in the sub-continent

during the 18th and 19th centuries?
 Shah Waliullah
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
• Born on 21 February 1703. Real name was Qutub-ud-Din
• Father’s name Shah Abdul Rahim who founded Madrassa Rahimiya in Delhi
• When his father died in 1718, Shah Waliullah began teaching at the Madrassa
• In 1724, Shah Waliullah went to Arabia to perform Haj and to further his studies
• He studied under the famous scholar Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim
• Returned to Delhi in 1732
BELIEFS/CONCERNS
• The Mughal Empire was in decline and Muslims were disunited and
vulnerable to attacks on their religion
• Shah Waliullah realised the Muslims had to change their position in order to
improve the situation
• He believed that many problems Muslims had resulted from their incomplete
knowledge of the Quran and Islam
• All political, social and economic behaviour should be based on Islamic principles
• Shah Waliullah wanted Muslims to concentrate on the fundamental
principles of Islam, believing that this would create a more united community
• It was essential to follow the moral and spiritual principles of Islam
in order to create a good society
 WORK/ACHIEVEMENTS
• Shah Waliullah was a role model for Muslims
• His deep understanding of the Quran, Hadith, Fiqah and Tasawuf made him a highly
knowledgeable scholar at an early age
• He translated the Quran into Persian
• Later his two sons, Shah Abdul Qader and Shah Rafi, translated the Quran into Urdu, which
meant that many more people could study it
• Shah Waliullah wrote fifty-one books in Persian and Arabic. Amongst the most famous
were Hujjat Allah al- Baligha and Izalat-Akhfa
• His writings brought him great fame and prestige and enabled him to have influence in
other areas too. For example, in economics he emphasised the need for social justice and
for peasants and craftsmen to be truly valued for their contribution to the economy
• He organised opposition of the Marathas, who were threatening to over-run the Mughal
Empire from the south
• Sikhs were attacking in the north
• He realised that Muslims had to unite to deal with these threats
• Shah Waliullah wrote to all the Muslim nobles to join together to save the Mughal Empire
• It was partly his influence which helped to persuade Ahmed Shah Abdali of Persia to
intervene who joined forces with local Muslim leaders and defeated the Marathas at the
Battle of Panipat in 1761
• despite encouragement from Shah Waliullah, the Muslim leaders did not unite to take
advantage of the defeat of the Marathas
 IMPORTANCE/ INFLUENCE
Shah Waliullah's contribution towards Islamic revival was extremely important for a
number of reasons:
• He was one of the first Muslim thinkers to realize the vulnerable and weak position
of the Muslims due to Mughal empire and neglect of religion.
• He believed that spiritual and moral regeneration was strongly needed to survive. He
showed how this regeneration might take place.
• The Madrassa Rahimiya continued to play a vital role in teaching Islamic principles
and researching Islamic thought.
• His writings made Islamic teachings more accessible to Muslims
• He believed that Muslims could only prosper if they followed proper Islamic customs
and did not indulge in social evils,
• Shah Waliullah inspired all Muslims to lead a pure life, based on the belief that anti-
social attitudes incurred the displeasure of God.
• He also showed that a Muslim revival could only take place if the Muslims stayed
united and were away from divisions and sects. They should concentrate on basic
principles of Islam, and not allow differences and conflicts.
• He organised opposition to the Marathas and united Muslims by emphasising the
importance of Jihad against a common enemy.
• Many future Islamic leaders were inspired by him to fight for the good of the Muslim
community.
 Syed Ahmad Barelvi
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
• Born near Lucknow in the small town of Rai Bareli in 1786
• His father died when he was still young
• He moved to Delhi in 1806
• Joined Madrassa Rahimiya and studied for 2 years under Shah Waliullah's
sons learning Quran and Hadith
• Was more a man of action than a scholar
• in 1810 joined forces of Amir Khan, a Pathan military leader
• He learned how to use European weaponry. He proved himself to be able to
command a group of soldiers. He also led troops in prayer due to his piety
• In 1817 returned to Delhi
BELIEFS/CONCERNS
• Syed Ahmad was ideal to act as a leader to work against British power and
to try to ensure that Muslims were ruled by fellow Muslims
• He believed that the freedom of Muslims from oppression could only come
through armed struggle against foreign and non-Muslim forces
• Syed Ahmad wanted to improve the lives of Muslims. Consequently, as an
army officer he surrounded himself with pious men who were prepared to
reject worldly wealth and work for improving the moral and intellectual
lives of Muslims
 WORK/ACHIEVEMENTS

• In 1821 went for Haj. Before going, he travelled across India to • In 1827, they gave Syed Ahmad the authority of Imam. His
spread about jihad. Returned in 1823 and founded the Jihad religious views were considered binding and his increased
Movement. He believed this would revive Islam and rescue it authority united various groups forming the mujahideen
from adopted non Muslim beliefs/ customs force
• The British ensured that Mughals had little power. Punjab was • Syed Ahmad planned to attack the fort of Attock when he
controlled by Ranjit Singh (Sikhs), who had also extended his encountered an army of 35,000 Sikhs near Akora. Yar
authority into the North West Frontier Muhammad Khan, a Pathan chief in his army was bribed
• Syed Ahmad toured Punjab and North West Frontier to raise a by Sikhs. First, one of his servants tried to poison Syed
mujahideen force to fight the Sikhs. His travels took him through Ahmad, then Yar Muhammad Khan and his men deserted
Rajasthan, Sindh, Balochistan and Afghanistan. However, he him
found that Afghan troops were suspicious of each other and not • After defeat, he moved his headquarters to safety of
always prepared to join him in his jihad Panjtrar near Kashmir.
• In 1826, he established his headquarters near Peshawar. He sent • Yar Muhammad was later killed in battle against the
a message to Ranjit Singh telling him that he must allow Muslims mujahideen. His brother, Sultan Muhammad Khan also
freedom of worship or face the mujahideen. Ranjit Singh waged war against Syed Ahmad.
refused. Syed Ahmad attacked at Akora on 21/12/1826 and then • Syed Ahmad moved his forces to Balakot, hoping to liberate
shortly afterwards at Hazrothe; the Sikhs suffered defeat Kashmir and Hazara. It was considered safe as it was
• HIs victories made him a successful military leader and protected on three sides by mountains. He was again
encouraged other tribes to join. Soon army over 80,000. A betrayed when local leaders told Sikhs of a way
problem was his army consisted of many different communities- through. The Battle of Balakot (1831). His forces fought
disagreed over how the campaign was fought. The Sikhs tried to bravely but were heavily outnumbered and unable to resist
exploit by calling his army un-Islamic and not true Muslims. the Sikhs. 600 killed, including Syed Ahmad and his
Muslim leaders did not accept commander, Shah Ismail.
 IMPORTANCE/INFLUENCE

The Battle of Balakot was a serious setback and the Jihad Movement struggled to survive in the following years.

It continued on in the hills of the North West Frontier until 1863 when the British sent a large army to deal with the
mujahideen threat. the movement still survived through the determination of its followers. The work of Syed Ahmad had
been very influential because:

It was the first example in Indian history of a movement formed to free the Muslims from the non-Muslim or foreign
rulers.

• It was not a movement in order to place a particular leader in power but, instead, to achieve religious and spiritual
freedom.

• The Jihad Movement was a uniting force for Muslims. Many of Syed Ahmad's soldiers had been spiritual leaders or
teachers. The fact that they were prepared to die for their cause was an inspiration to all Muslims.

• The Jihad Movement is regarded by many historians as the fore-runner of the Pakistan Movement in India.

• Syed Ahmad's efforts were an inspiration to all Muslims in defending their religion, their culture and their freedom.

• Those Muslims who later campaigned for their own homeland saw Syed Ahmad as an example of a Muslim fighting for
the Muslim cause in much the same way, since he too wanted to see a state which was based on the principles of
Islam.
 Haji Shariatullah
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
• Born in 1781 in Faridpur district in East Bengal (today part of Bangladesh)
• His father was a farmer and he did not belong to a very wealthy family
• In 1799, he travelled to Arabia for Haj and stayed there for 19 years
• He was greatly influenced by the beliefs of Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Wahab
• Haji Shariatullah died in 1840 and his son Mohsin-ud-Din carried on his work
BELIEFS/CONCERNS
• He believed that the Muslims had moved away from true Islamic practice. He wanted them
to return to proper observation of Islamic duties called faraiz
• Muslims of East Bengal had been oppressed both by Hindus and British
• Previously Muslims were the ruling class in Bengal, but when the British took over, they
worked with the local landowners (zamindars), who were mainly Hindus
• The Muslims were given few opportunities in education and jobs leading to many important
• families becoming poor
WORK/ACHIEVEMENTS
• On his return, he founded the Faraizi Movement to restore the pride of the Muslims and
remove the Hindu practices which had crept into their worship
• Emphasis on praying for past sins and to lead a righteous life and following religious obligations
• His success worried the Hindus of East Bengal
• The landlords did not want Haji Shariatullah creating difficulties for them and were very alarmed
that the Muslim cultivators were uniting in a desire to improve their lives and purify their religion
• They drove Haji Shariatullah out to Nawabganj in Dhaka district. He died here
HIS SON’S WORK
Mohsin-ud-Din continued to work to improve the position of Muslims in East Bengal and introduced important
economic measures.
(i) He divided East Bengal into areas called circles, each under the control of Khalifas. They were responsible for
the social and spiritual welfare of the people in their area
(ii) He helped the peasants to oppose the excessive taxes imposed by the Hindu and British landlords
(iii) Mohsin-ud-Din's opposition to the payment of taxes led to unrest in East Bengal, but he went even further
and threatened to declare a jihad against the British government. The British arrested him and put him in prison.
After his death in 1860, the Faraizi Movement declined
IMPORTANCE/INFLUENCE
The Faraizi Movement was influential for a number of reasons:
• It encouraged Muslims when they were demoralised by the oppression of the Hindus and British
• It brought spiritual revival which led to a revival in the Islam in East Bengal. Hindu influences were removed
from Islamic practices
• It also had an important political and economic impact. The Bengal peasants became united in their
opposition to the harsh treatment they received. They became more aware of their rights and a political
unity began to grow amongst them
• This was to prove important in later years as the Muslim demands for their own homeland grew. It might be
said that some of the seeds of the Pakistan Movement were sown by the Faraizi Movement