What was syed ahmed khan's message to the british?
In 1860 Sir Syed wrote The Loyal Mohammadens of india. In this
work he defended the Muslims from the British accusation that they
were disloyal. He gave a detailed account of the loyal service
which Muslims had given and named various Muslims who had shown
particular loyalty to the British. At the same time he called on
the British to end their hostility towards the Muslim
community.
In order to convince the British that they were wrong to put the
full blame for the events of 1857 on the Muslims, Sir Syed wrote a
pamphlet called 'Essay on the causes of the Indian Revolt'
In his writing he pointed out the main reasons for the uprising
were:
1. The lack of representation for Indian government of the
country.
2. The forcible conversion of Muslims to Christianity
3. The poor management of the Indian army
He also listed many other measures taken by the British which
created dissatisfaction and led to resentment among the Muslim
community.
This pamphlet was circulated free amongst the British officials
in India and was also sent to members of Parliament in England.
Even members of the Royal family received copies. Some British
officials were angered by what Sir Syed wrote as he seemed to be
blaming them for the uprising. Others read what he wrote with
sympathy and accepted that there was truth in his words .Sir Syed
also tried to clear up a misunderstanding amongst the British who
resented being called 'Nadarath' by the Muslims. The British
thought that this was an insult , but Sir Syed pointed out that the
word came from 'Nasir' , an Arabic word meaning helper. So the term
was a reflection of the positive image Muslims had of British , not
an insult.
COURTESY (WIKIPEDIA)