Shah Waliullah

Works
1. Shah Waliullah wanted to be a good role model for other Muslims.
He learned a lot about the Quran, Hadith, Fiqah, and Tasawwuf from a
young age.

2. He believed it was important for more Muslims to understand Quranic

teachings, so he translated the Quran into Persian because many
Muslims didn't speak Arabic. Later, his sons Shah Abdul Qader and
Shah Rafi translated the Quran into Urdu so even more people could
read it.

3. Shah Waliullah wrote 51 books in Persian and Arabic. Some of his

famous books are Hujjat Allāh al-Baligha and Izalat-Akhfa.

4. His writing made him very famous. He also spoke about the need for
social justice and said that workers, like farmers and craftsmen, should
be appreciated for what they do.

5. One of Shah Waliullah’s biggest achievements was bringing together

Muslims to stop the Marathas from taking over the Mughal Empire.
He realized Muslims needed to unite, and he asked them to fight against
the Sikhs in the north and the Marathas in the south. He also wrote
letters to important Muslim leaders and convinced Ahmed Shah Abdali
of Persia to join them. Together, they won the Battle of Panipat in
1761. But even after this victory, Muslim leaders didn’t stay united.

Belifs
 1. While he was in Arabia, Shah Waliullah thought a lot about the
problems Muslims were facing. He noticed that the Mughal
Empire was getting weaker, and Muslims were not united.
2. He believed that many problems happened because Muslims didn’t
fully understand the Quran and Islam. So, he wanted to make the
Quranic teachings easier for people to learn.
3. He said that everything in politics, society, and the economy
should follow Islamic principles.

4. Shah Waliullah wanted Muslims to focus on the main teachings of

Islam because it would help them stay united.

5. He believed that following the moral and spiritual principles of Islam

was necessary to build a good society. He didn’t support anything that
went against Islamic values, whether it was in politics, business, or daily
life.

Importance
 He was one of the first people to say that Muslims were having
problems because they weren't following the teachings of Islam
properly. He believed that if Muslims wanted to stop their problems,
they needed to make themselves better, both spiritually (in their hearts)
and morally (in their actions).

 He also helped create ways to make these changes. His school, called
Madrassa Rahimiya, taught Muslims about Islamic teachings and how to
live better lives.

 Shah Waliullah wrote in Persian, a language many Muslims could

understand, so they could learn about Islam even if they didn’t know
Arabic. He told Muslims to follow Islamic rules and avoid bad habits,
believing that God would be displeased with bad behavior.
 He believed that Muslims could only get better if they stopped
fighting with each other. He wanted them to focus on the basics of Islam
and work together. He tried to bring different Muslim groups together
and helped Muslims unite against common enemies.

 After he died, his teachings continued to be very important. His

writings were translated into many languages, and his school kept
teaching his ideas. He inspired many future Muslim leaders to help
improve the Muslim community.

Biography Syed Ahmad Barelvi

Syed Ahmad Barelvi was born in 1786 in a small town called Rai Bareli,
near Lucknow. When he was young, his father passed away. In 1806,
Syed Ahmad moved to Delhi to study at a religious school called
Madrassa Rahimiya. There, he learned about the Quran and Hadith (the
sayings of Prophet Muhammad) for two years from the sons of a famous
scholar named Shah Waliullah.

Syed Ahmad was not just a student; he wanted to do more. In 1810, he

joined the army of a leader named Amir Khan, who taught him how to
use European weapons. Syed Ahmad became so skilled that he was put
in charge of soldiers. His religious faith was so strong that he was also
asked to pray for the soldiers.

In 1817, he returned to Delhi. His goal was to help restore Islam to its
purest and original form.
Works of Syed Ahmad
1. In 1821, Syed Ahmad went on a pilgrimage to Mecca (Haj).
1Before he left, he traveled around India to share his ideas about
fighting for Islam, called jihad. When he came back from Arabia in
1823, he was ready to take action.
2. At that time, Punjab was ruled by Ranjit Singh, who was a Sikh
leader. He also controlled the North West Frontier. Syed Ahmad
thought Punjab was the best place to start his jihad against the non-
Muslim rulers.
3. Syed Ahmad traveled through Punjab and the North West Frontier
to gather men to fight against the Sikhs. He traveled many miles,
even through places like Rajasthan, Sindh, Balochistan, and
Afghanistan. However, the Afghan soldiers were suspicious of
each other and didn’t always want to join his fight.
4. In 1826, Syed Ahmad set up his base near Peshawar. He sent a
message to Ranjit Singh, saying that Muslims must be allowed to
practice their religion freely, or the mujahideen (his fighters)
would attack. Ranjit Singh ignored this warning, so Syed Ahmad
attacked first, at Akora on December 21, 1826, and then again at
Hazro. The Sikhs lost in these battles.
5. Syed Ahmad's victories made him a famous military leader, and
more tribes joined his army. Soon, his army grew to over 80,000
men. But there was a problem. His army was made up of people
from different groups, and they didn’t always agree on how to
fight. The Sikhs tried to use these disagreements to their
advantage, saying that Syed Ahmad’s army wasn’t truly Islamic
because they followed the teachings of Shah Waliullah.
6. The Muslim leaders didn’t agree with the Sikhs. In 1827, they all
decided that Syed Ahmad should become their religious leader, or
Imam. His word on religious issues was final, and this gave him
more power to unite the different groups in his army.
7. Syed Ahmad was getting ready to attack the fort of Attock when he
met an army of 35,000 Sikhs near Akora. What he didn’t know
was that a chief named Yar Muhammad Khan, who had joined his
 army, had been bribed by the Sikhs. First, one of Yar Muhammad
Khan’s servants tried to poison Syed Ahmad. Then, Yar
Muhammad Khan and his men left the battlefield, causing
confusion. Because of this, Syed Ahmad’s army lost the battle. He
had to move his base to a safer place called Panjtar, near Kashmir.
8. Later, Yar Muhammad was killed in a battle against Syed Ahmad’s
forces, but his brother, Sultan Muhammad Khan, continued to fight
Syed Ahmad. Syed Ahmad didn’t want to keep fighting against
other Muslims, so he moved his army to Balakot, hoping to free
Kashmir and Hazara. Balakot was thought to be safe because
mountains surrounded it on three sides. But local leaders betrayed
Syed Ahmad and told the Sikhs how to get through the mountains.
The Sikhs made a surprise attack on Syed Ahmad’s army. The
Battle of Balakot in 1831 was a tough fight. Even though Syed
Ahmad’s army was surprised and outnumbered, they fought
bravely. However, 600 of his soldiers, including Syed Ahmad and
his commander, Shah Ismail, were killed.

Early Life of Haji Shariatullah

Haji Shariatullah was born in 1781 in Faridpur, East Bengal (which is
now Bangladesh). His father was a farmer, and their family was poor. In
1799, when he was still young, he traveled to Arabia to perform the
pilgrimage (Hajj) and stayed there for 19 years. While in Arabia, he
learned from a teacher named Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Wahab, who
influenced his beliefs.

When Haji Shariatullah came back to East Bengal, he started a

movement to remove Hindu influences from Islam. He wanted Muslims
to practice their religion in the pure way it was meant to be. He passed
away in 1840, but his son Mohsin-ud-Din continued his work.
Beliefs of Haji Shariatullah

Haji Shariatullah believed that Muslims were no longer following the

true teachings of Islam. He wanted them to return to practicing their
religion correctly by focusing on important Islamic duties called faraiz.
This is why his movement was called the Faraizi Movement.

Work of Haji Shariatullah

Haji Shariatullah saw that Muslims in East Bengal were being

maltreated by both the Hindus and the British. Before the British took
over, Muslims had been the leaders, but afterward, the British worked
with Hindu landowners, who were often very harsh to Muslim farmers.
Muslims didn’t have many chances to get an education or jobs, and
many families became very poor.

To help Muslims, Haji Shariatullah started the Faraizi Movement. He

wanted to restore Muslim pride and remove Hindu practices from their
religious worship. He also encouraged Muslims to pray for their past
mistakes and live good, righteous lives in the future.

Because his movement was helping Muslims, it upset the Hindu and
British landlords. They were worried because Haji Shariatullah was
uniting Muslims to stand up for their rights. They forced him to leave
the region, and he moved to Dhaka, where he passed away in 1840. His
son, Mohsin-ud-Din, carried on his work.

Mohsin-ud-Din’s Contributions

After Haji Shariatullah’s death, his son Mohsin-ud-Din worked hard to

continue helping Muslims in East Bengal. He made changes, like
dividing the region into smaller areas called circles, which were led by
leaders called Khalifas. These Khalifas helped the people in their areas
with both religious and social matters.
Mohsin-ud-Din also helped Muslim farmers protest against the high
taxes that Hindu and British landlords were forcing them to pay. At one
point, he even threatened to declare a jihad (holy war) against the British
government. Because of this, the British arrested him, and he died in
1860. After his death, the Faraizi Movement became weaker.

Influence of Haji Shariatullah

The work of Haji Shariatullah and the Faraizi Movement was very
important for several reasons:

1. Helped Muslims: Haji Shariatullah gave hope to Muslims at a

time when they were feeling sad and discouraged because of the
unfair treatment by the Hindus and the British.
2. Revived Islam: His movement brought back the true teachings of
Islam in East Bengal. He made sure that Hindu influences were
removed from Muslim religious practices, so Muslims could
follow Islam properly again.
3. Political and Economic Impact: The Faraizi Movement also
helped Muslims understand their rights. The farmers (peasants) in
Bengal stood up against the harsh treatment by the landowners.
This unity later helped the Muslims when they started to ask for
their own country. Some people even say that the Faraizi
Movement planted the seeds for the Pakistan Movement.

Exercise Questions:
Q-1) why did Syed Ahmed
Shaheed Barailvi wish to revive
islam in the Sub-Continent? [7]
ans: As a man of action, Syed
Ahmad was an ideal person to act
as leader to work against the
British power in India
and to try to ensure that the
Muslims were ruled by fellow
Muslims. He believed that the
freedom of the Muslims
could only come as a result of
armed struggle against the
foreign and non-Muslim forces
which were oppressing
them. Syed Ahmad believed that
there was a need to end the evils
that had corrupted Islamic
society.
Consequently, even when he
served as an army officer he
surrounded himself with the men
of great piety who
were prepared to reject worldly
wealth and work for improving the
moral and intellectual lives of
Muslims. The
British had ensured that the
Mughal emperors had little real
power and the Sikhs were
dominant in the Punjab. Sir
Syed founded the Jihad
Movement, which called for
armed struggle to overthrow non-
Muslim oppression and
restore Muslim power. He
believed that once this was done
Islam could be rejuvenated and
rescued from beliefs
and customs contrary to Islamic
beliefs which had crept into
everyday life.
Q2: Was the work of Syed Ahmad
Shaheed Barelvi the most
important factor in the revival of
Islam in the period
1700-1850? Give reasons for your
answer. [14]
ANS: The work of Syed Ahmad
had been the very important
factor in the revival of Islam
because of many reasons.
Syed Ahmad Barelvi Shaheed was
born in 1786. He was greatly
impressed by the preaching and
thoughts of Shah
Waliullah. So, Syed Ahmad
Shaheed started preaching true
Islam (as Shah Waliullah did). But
he was of the opinion
that there should be a political
power behind the preaching for
the revival of Islam and Muslim
power in India. He
founded the Jihad Movement for
the restoration and revival of
Muslim power in India.
His main objective was the
establishment of an Islamic state
on proper Islamic principles. Also
the aim of the Jihad
Movement was to liberate the
Muslims of the Punjab and
N.W.F.P from the Sikh rule. At that
time (beginning of
19th century) Punjab and N.W.F.P
were under the Sikh rule of Ranjit
Singh. Muslims were facing great
difficulty in
following their religion in this
area. Therefore, Syed Ahmad
chose Punjab and N.W.F.P for his
activities. He also
expected help from the Afghan
and Pathan tribes of N.W.F.P.
Syed Ahmad established his
headquarters at Nowshera. His
first encounters against the Sikh
forces took place at
Okora in which the Mujahidin
were successful. The jihad
movement ended in 1831, but it
was a brave and
determined movement effort for
the revival of Islam and Muslim
power. Syed Ahmad’s example
continued to
inspire the future Muslim
generations.
The work of Syed Ahmad was
important but the work of another
two reformers was also very
important for a
number of reasons: Shah
Waliullah was one of the first
Muslim thinkers to state the
decline of Mughal Empire and
the vulnerable position of the
Muslims was due to the neglect of
the principles of Islam. Shah
Waliullah worked
hard to ensure that he was a role
model for other Muslims. His deep
understanding about the Quran,
Hadith, Fiqah
and Tasawuf made him a highly
knowledgeable scholar at an early
age.
Since he believed that an
emphasis on Quranic teachings
was vital to Muslims so Shah
Waliullah translated the Holy
Quran into Persian which was the
language of educated Muslims at
that time. He also wrote 51 books
to explain
the principles of Islam. He wrote
an account about the first for
Caliphs of Islam in a way in which
it was acceptable
to both Shias and Sunnis. He
hoped that this would help to heal
the divisions between them.
His writings brought him great
fame and prestige and enabled
him to have influence in other
areas too. For
example: in economics he
emphasized the need for social
justice and for peasants and
craftsmen to be truly valued
for their contribution to the
economy. He advised the Muslims
to give up extravagance and
wasteful expenditure
Q-1) why did Syed Ahmed
Shaheed Barailvi wish to revive
islam in the Sub-Continent? [7]
ans: As a man of action, Syed
Ahmad was an ideal person to act
as leader to work against the
British power in India
and to try to ensure that the
Muslims were ruled by fellow
Muslims. He believed that the
freedom of the Muslims
could only come as a result of
armed struggle against the
foreign and non-Muslim forces
which were oppressing
them. Syed Ahmad believed that
there was a need to end the evils
that had corrupted Islamic
society.
Consequently, even when he
served as an army officer he
surrounded himself with the men
of great piety who
were prepared to reject worldly
wealth and work for improving the
moral and intellectual lives of
Muslims. The
British had ensured that the
Mughal emperors had little real
power and the Sikhs were
dominant in the Punjab. Sir
Syed founded the Jihad
Movement, which called for
armed struggle to overthrow non-
Muslim oppression and
restore Muslim power. He
believed that once this was done
Islam could be rejuvenated and
rescued from beliefs
and customs contrary to Islamic
beliefs which had crept into
everyday life.
Q2: Was the work of Syed Ahmad
Shaheed Barelvi the most
important factor in the revival of
Islam in the period
1700-1850? Give reasons for your
answer. [14]
ANS: The work of Syed Ahmad
had been the very important
factor in the revival of Islam
because of many reasons.
Syed Ahmad Barelvi Shaheed was
born in 1786. He was greatly
impressed by the preaching and
thoughts of Shah
Waliullah. So, Syed Ahmad
Shaheed started preaching true
Islam (as Shah Waliullah did). But
he was of the opinion
that there should be a political
power behind the preaching for
the revival of Islam and Muslim
power in India. He
founded the Jihad Movement for
the restoration and revival of
Muslim power in India.
 His main objective was the
establishment of an Islamic state
on proper Islamic principles. Also
the aim of the Jihad
Movement was to liberate the
Muslims of the Punjab and
N.W.F.P from the Sikh rule. At that
time (beginning of
19th century) Punjab and N.W.F.P
were under the Sikh rule of Ranjit
Singh. Muslims were facing great
difficulty in
following their religion in this
area. Therefore, Syed Ahmad
chose Punjab and N.W.F.P for his
activities. He also
expected help from the Afghan
and Pathan tribes of N.W.F.P.
Syed Ahmad established his
headquarters at Nowshera. His
first encounters against the Sikh
forces took place at
Okora in which the Mujahidin
were successful. The jihad
movement ended in 1831, but it
was a brave and
determined movement effort for
the revival of Islam and Muslim
power. Syed Ahmad’s example
continued to
inspire the future Muslim
generations.
The work of Syed Ahmad was
important but the work of another
two reformers was also very
important for a
number of reasons: Shah
Waliullah was one of the first
Muslim thinkers to state the
decline of Mughal Empire and
the vulnerable position of the
Muslims was due to the neglect of
the principles of Islam. Shah
Waliullah worked
hard to ensure that he was a role
model for other Muslims. His deep
understanding about the Quran,
Hadith, Fiqah
and Tasawuf made him a highly
knowledgeable scholar at an early
age.
Since he believed that an
emphasis on Quranic teachings
was vital to Muslims so Shah
Waliullah translated the Holy
Quran into Persian which was the
language of educated Muslims at
that time. He also wrote 51 books
to explain
the principles of Islam. He wrote
an account about the first for
Caliphs of Islam in a way in which
it was acceptable
to both Shias and Sunnis. He
hoped that this would help to heal
the divisions between them.
His writings brought him great
fame and prestige and enabled
him to have influence in other
areas too. For
example: in economics he
emphasized the need for social
justice and for peasants and
craftsmen to be truly valued
for their contribution to the
economy. He advised the Muslims
to give up extravagance and
wasteful expenditure
Q-1) why did Syed Ahmed
Shaheed Barailvi wish to revive
islam in the Sub-Continent? [7]
ans: As a man of action, Syed
Ahmad was an ideal person to act
as leader to work against the
British power in India
and to try to ensure that the
Muslims were ruled by fellow
Muslims. He believed that the
freedom of the Muslims
could only come as a result of
armed struggle against the
foreign and non-Muslim forces
which were oppressing
them. Syed Ahmad believed that
there was a need to end the evils
that had corrupted Islamic
society.
Consequently, even when he
served as an army officer he
surrounded himself with the men
of great piety who
were prepared to reject worldly
wealth and work for improving the
moral and intellectual lives of
Muslims. The
British had ensured that the
Mughal emperors had little real
power and the Sikhs were
dominant in the Punjab. Sir
Syed founded the Jihad
Movement, which called for
armed struggle to overthrow non-
Muslim oppression and
restore Muslim power. He
believed that once this was done
Islam could be rejuvenated and
rescued from beliefs
and customs contrary to Islamic
beliefs which had crept into
everyday life.
Q2: Was the work of Syed Ahmad
Shaheed Barelvi the most
important factor in the revival of
Islam in the period
1700-1850? Give reasons for your
answer. [14]
ANS: The work of Syed Ahmad
had been the very important
factor in the revival of Islam
because of many reasons.
Syed Ahmad Barelvi Shaheed was
born in 1786. He was greatly
impressed by the preaching and
thoughts of Shah
Waliullah. So, Syed Ahmad
Shaheed started preaching true
Islam (as Shah Waliullah did). But
he was of the opinion
that there should be a political
power behind the preaching for
the revival of Islam and Muslim
power in India. He
founded the Jihad Movement for
the restoration and revival of
Muslim power in India.
His main objective was the
establishment of an Islamic state
on proper Islamic principles. Also
the aim of the Jihad
Movement was to liberate the
Muslims of the Punjab and
N.W.F.P from the Sikh rule. At that
time (beginning of
19th century) Punjab and N.W.F.P
were under the Sikh rule of Ranjit
Singh. Muslims were facing great
difficulty in
following their religion in this
area. Therefore, Syed Ahmad
chose Punjab and N.W.F.P for his
activities. He also
expected help from the Afghan
and Pathan tribes of N.W.F.P.
Syed Ahmad established his
headquarters at Nowshera. His
first encounters against the Sikh
forces took place at
Okora in which the Mujahidin
were successful. The jihad
movement ended in 1831, but it
was a brave and
determined movement effort for
the revival of Islam and Muslim
power. Syed Ahmad’s example
continued to
inspire the future Muslim
generations.
The work of Syed Ahmad was
important but the work of another
two reformers was also very
important for a
number of reasons: Shah
Waliullah was one of the first
Muslim thinkers to state the
decline of Mughal Empire and
the vulnerable position of the
Muslims was due to the neglect of
the principles of Islam. Shah
Waliullah worked
hard to ensure that he was a role
model for other Muslims. His deep
understanding about the Quran,
Hadith, Fiqah
and Tasawuf made him a highly
knowledgeable scholar at an early
age.
Since he believed that an
emphasis on Quranic teachings
was vital to Muslims so Shah
Waliullah translated the Holy
Quran into Persian which was the
language of educated Muslims at
that time. He also wrote 51 books
to explain
the principles of Islam. He wrote
an account about the first for
Caliphs of Islam in a way in which
it was acceptable
to both Shias and Sunnis. He
hoped that this would help to heal
the divisions between them.
His writings brought him great
fame and prestige and enabled
him to have influence in other
areas too. For
example: in economics he
emphasized the need for social
justice and for peasants and
craftsmen to be truly valued
for their contribution to the
economy. He advised the Muslims
to give up extravagance and
wasteful expenditure
i

Q-1) why did Syed Ahmed

Shaheed Barailvi wish to revive
islam in the Sub-Continent? [7]
ans: As a man of action, Syed
Ahmad was an ideal person to act
as leader to work against the
British power in India
and to try to ensure that the
Muslims were ruled by fellow
Muslims. He believed that the
freedom of the Muslims
could only come as a result of
armed struggle against the
foreign and non-Muslim forces
which were oppressing
them. Syed Ahmad believed that
there was a need to end the evils
that had corrupted Islamic
society.
Consequently, even when he
served as an army officer he
surrounded himself with the men
of great piety who
were prepared to reject worldly
wealth and work for improving the
moral and intellectual lives of
Muslims. The
British had ensured that the
Mughal emperors had little real
power and the Sikhs were
dominant in the Punjab. Sir
Syed founded the Jihad
Movement, which called for
armed struggle to overthrow non-
Muslim oppression and
restore Muslim power. He
believed that once this was done
Islam could be rejuvenated and
rescued from beliefs
and customs contrary to Islamic
beliefs which had crept into
everyday life.
Q2: Was the work of Syed Ahmad
Shaheed Barelvi the most
important factor in the revival of
Islam in the period
1700-1850? Give reasons for your
answer. [14]
ANS: The work of Syed Ahmad
had been the very important
factor in the revival of Islam
because of many reasons.
Syed Ahmad Barelvi Shaheed was
born in 1786. He was greatly
impressed by the preaching and
thoughts of Shah
Waliullah. So, Syed Ahmad
Shaheed started preaching true
Islam (as Shah Waliullah did). But
he was of the opinion
that there should be a political
power behind the preaching for
the revival of Islam and Muslim
power in India. He
founded the Jihad Movement for
the restoration and revival of
Muslim power in India.
 His main objective was the
establishment of an Islamic state
on proper Islamic principles. Also
the aim of the Jihad
Movement was to liberate the
Muslims of the Punjab and
N.W.F.P from the Sikh rule. At that
time (beginning of
19th century) Punjab and N.W.F.P
were under the Sikh rule of Ranjit
Singh. Muslims were facing great
difficulty in
following their religion in this
area. Therefore, Syed Ahmad
chose Punjab and N.W.F.P for his
activities. He also
expected help from the Afghan
and Pathan tribes of N.W.F.P.
Syed Ahmad established his
headquarters at Nowshera. His
first encounters against the Sikh
forces took place at
Okora in which the Mujahidin
were successful. The jihad
movement ended in 1831, but it
was a brave and
determined movement effort for
the revival of Islam and Muslim
power. Syed Ahmad’s example
continued to
inspire the future Muslim
generations.
The work of Syed Ahmad was
important but the work of another
two reformers was also very
important for a
number of reasons: Shah
Waliullah was one of the first
Muslim thinkers to state the
decline of Mughal Empire and
the vulnerable position of the
Muslims was due to the neglect of
the principles of Islam. Shah
Waliullah worked
hard to ensure that he was a role
model for other Muslims. His deep
understanding about the Quran,
Hadith, Fiqah
and Tasawuf made him a highly
knowledgeable scholar at an early
age.
Since he believed that an
emphasis on Quranic teachings
was vital to Muslims so Shah
Waliullah translated the Holy
Quran into Persian which was the
language of educated Muslims at
that time. He also wrote 51 books
to explain
the principles of Islam. He wrote
an account about the first for
Caliphs of Islam in a way in which
it was acceptable
to both Shias and Sunnis. He
hoped that this would help to heal
the divisions between them.
His writings brought him great
fame and prestige and enabled
him to have influence in other
areas too. For
example: in economics he
emphasized the need for social
justice and for peasants and
craftsmen to be truly valued
for their contribution to the
economy. He advised the Muslims
to give up extravagance and
wasteful expenditure
Q2: Was the work of Syed Ahmad Shaheed Barelvi the most
important factor in the revival of Islam in the period 1700-1850?
Give reasons for your answer. [14]

Ans: The work of Syed Ahmad had been the very important factor in
the revival of Islam because of many reasons. Syed Ahmad Barelvi
Shaheed was born in 1786. He was greatly impressed by the preaching
and thoughts of Shah Waliullah. So, Syed Ahmad Shaheed started
preaching true Islam (as Shah Waliullah did). But he thought that there
should be a political power behind the preaching for the revival of Islam
and Muslim power in India.

He founded the Jihad Movement for the restoration and revival of

Muslim power in India. His main objective was establishing an Islamic
state on proper Islamic principles. Also the Jihad Movement aimed to
liberate the Muslims of the Punjab and N.W.F.P from the Sikh rule. At
that time (beginning of 19th century) Punjab and N.W.F.P were under
the Sikh rule of Ranjit Singh. Muslims were facing great difficulty in
following their religion in this area. Therefore, Syed Ahmad chose
Punjab and N.W.F.P for his activities. He also expected help from the
Afghan and Pathan tribes of N.W.F.P.

Syed Ahmad established his headquarters at Nowshera. His first

encounters against the Sikh forces took place at Okora in which the
Mujahidin were successful. The jihad movement ended in 1831, but it
was a brave and determined movement effort for the revival of Islam
and Muslim power. Syed Ahmad’s example continued to inspire the
future Muslim generations.

The work of Syed Ahmad was important but the work of another two
reformers was also very important for a number of reasons: Shah
Waliullah was one of the first Muslim thinkers to state the decline of
Mughal Empire and the vulnerable position of the Muslims was due to
the neglect of the principles of Islam. Shah Waliullah worked hard to
ensure that he was a role model for other Muslims. His deep
understanding about the Quran, Hadith, Fiqah and Tasawuf made him a
highly knowledgeable scholar at an early age.

Since he believed that an emphasis on Quranic teachings was vital to

Muslims so Shah Waliullah translated the HolyQuran into Persian which
was the language of educated Muslims at that time. He also wrote 51
books to explain the principles of Islam. He wrote an account about the
first Caliphs of Islam in a way in which it was acceptable to both Shias
and Sunnis. He hoped that this would help to heal the divisions between
them.

His writings brought him great fame and prestige and enabled him to
have influence in other areas too. For example: in economics he
emphasized the need for social justice and for peasants and craftsmen to
be truly valued for their contribution to the economy. He advised the
Muslims to give up extravagance and wasteful expenditure

Chapter 2

Babur: The First Mughal Emperor

The first Mughal rulers came from Central Asia, and the first
Mughal Emperor of India was named Zahir-ud-Din
Muhammad, but most people call him Babur.
Babur was a Muslim and ruled over Turkestan. He wanted to
make his kingdom bigger, so in 1526, he fought and beat the
Emperor of Delhi in the first Battle of Panipat. After that, he
also defeated other Indian chiefs and became the ruler of
northern India.

Humayun: A Short Reign

Babur ruled northern India for only four years before he
passed away. In 1530, his son, Humayun, took over. But an
Afghan chief named Sher Shah Suri beat Humayun in a battle
and took away a lot of his land. Humayun also had problems
with his own brothers. It wasn’t until 1555 that Humayun
got back control of the lands that Babur had won. Sadly, a
year later, Humayun tripped on his robes while walking
down the steps of his library and died.

Akbar: The Empire Grows

Akbar, the next emperor, was only 13 years old when he
became ruler. Even though he was young, he made the
Mughal Empire even bigger. Akbar believed in Sufi ideas, and
in 1581, he created a new religion called 'Din-e-Illahi' which
mixed Islam and Hinduism. However, this religion didn’t last
long and disappeared after Akbar died.
Akbar ruled for almost fifty years. When he died in 1605, the
Mughal Empire was very strong, and future Emperors were
able to keep growing their empire.
‫بابر‬:Jehangir and Shah Jehan

The Mughal Empire kept growing when Akbar’s son,

Jehangir, became the ruler. In 1615, Jehangir made a trade
agreement with the British. He didn’t know that the British
would later take over the Mughal Empire!
Jehangir’s son, Khurram, became the new ruler and changed
his name to Shah Jehan. He is famous for building the Taj
Mahal, which he made to honor his favorite wife, Mumtaz
Mahal. Shah Jehan also tried to make the Empire bigger by
fighting the Persians and people in what is now Uzbekistan,
but those wars cost a lot of money and didn’t work out well.
He did manage to beat the Portuguese when they tried to
force Muslim girls to become Christians.

The Reign of Aurangzeb (1707)

Aurangzeb Seizes Control
Aurangzeb Takes Control In 1657, Shah Jehan got very sick.
This caused a big problem because Shah Jehan had four sons,
and all of them were grown up, had important jobs in the
Empire, and had their own armies. Each one wanted to be
the next Emperor! When it looked like Shah Jehan was going
to die, the brothers started fighting for power. Two of them,
Shah Shuja and Murad, even made coins with their names on
them, saying they were the new Emperor. But most people
thought the oldest son, Dara Shikoh, was the one Shah Jehan
wanted to take over.
Could Dara Shikoh become the Emperor? It didn’t seem like
it. In 1658, two of his brothers, Murad and Aurangzeb,
teamed up and beat Dara Shikoh’s army. Then, Shah Jehan
got better and told his sons to stop fighting and not go to
Agra. But Aurangzeb didn’t listen. He said his father couldn’t
control things anymore, so he needed to take charge and
bring order back. In May 1658, Aurangzeb defeated the
Emperor’s army, led by Dara Shikoh, and put his father in
prison. Shah Jehan stayed in Agra until he died in 1666, and
he was buried in the Taj Mahal.

The impact of Aurangzeb's Policies on the Stability of the

Mughal Empire
How Aurangzeb’s Rules Affected the Mughal Empire After
beating the royal army, Aurangzeb took steps to become the
Emperor. Even though Shah Jehan had made the Empire
bigger and more peaceful than ever before, this didn’t last
long. Aurangzeb quickly found out that a lot of his time and
money was spent on fighting.
From 1679 to 1681, there was a war with the Rajputs. He
also had to deal with revolts from the Sikhs, the Satnamis in
Mewar, and the Jats in Gokal. Since Aurangzeb wanted to
make his Empire bigger in the north, he also had to fight
tough battles with the Pathan tribes on the North West
Frontier.

One of Aurangzeb’s most difficult fights was with the

Maratha tribe in the Deccan. The Maratha leader, Shivaji,
was first beaten in 1665 and taken as a prisoner to Agra. But
Shivaji escaped and went back to the Deccan to lead the fight
against Aurangzeb. Even after 25 years of fighting,
Aurangzeb couldn’t defeat the Marathas. However, he had
used almost all of the Mughal Empire's money.
Though Aurangzeb had many problems trying to grow the
Empire, by the time he died in 1707, the Empire was bigger
than ever. It stretched from Kashmir to Karnatak and from
Gazni to Chittagong.
Aurangzeb's Reforms
People have different opinions about how good Aurangzeb
was as a ruler. Some people didn't like him because he made
strict rules, like making sure people behaved well in public,
banning alcohol, stopping music and dancing at court, and
even telling people how long their beards could be. But many
others thought these rules were smart and helped people
live better lives.

Aurangzeb was liked by traders because he got rid of some

local taxes. However, overall, taxes were still very high when
he was in charge. He needed a lot of money for his army and
also spent tons on fancy palaces. One example is the famous
Pearl Mosque in Delhi, which he built for his personal
prayers. Because of how much he spent, the high taxes made
him less popular over time. When he died in 1707 at the age
of 89, after ruling for almost 50 years, many people didn’t
like him anymore. He did accomplish a lot, but people also
say that his reign marked the beginning of the empire's
downfall.
‫اورنگ زیب بحیثیت حکمران کتنا اچھا تھا اس بارے میں لوگوں کی مختلف آراء ہیں۔ کچھ لوگوں‬
‫ جیسے لوگوں کے ساتھ عوامی‬،‫نے اسے پسند نہیں کیا کیونکہ اس نے سخت قوانین بنائے تھے‬
‫ اور یہاں تک کہ‬،‫ موسیقی اور عدالت میں رقص کو روکنا‬،‫ شراب پر پابندی‬،‫سطح پر اچھا برتاؤ کرنا‬
‫لوگوں کو یہ بتانا کہ ان کی داڑھی کتنی لمبی ہو سکتی ہے۔ لیکن بہت سے دوسرے لوگوں کا خیال‬
‫تھا کہ یہ اصول ہوشیار ہیں اور لوگوں کو بہتر زندگی گزارنے میں مدد کرتے ہیں۔‬

‫اورنگ زیب کو تاجر اس لیے پسند کرتے تھے کہ اس نے کچھ مقامی ٹیکسوں سے نجات حاصل‬
‫ جب وہ انچارج تھے تب بھی ٹیکس بہت زیادہ تھے۔ اسے اپنی‬،‫ مجموعی طور پر‬،‫کر لی تھی۔ تاہم‬
‫فوج کے لیے بہت زیادہ رقم کی ضرورت تھی اور اس نے خوبصورت محلات پر بھی ٹن خرچ کیا۔‬
 ‫ جسے انہوں نے اپنی ذاتی نمازوں کے لیے بنایا‬،‫اس کی ایک مثال دہلی کی مشہور پرل مسجد ہے‬
89 ‫ زیادہ ٹیکسوں نے اسے وقت کے ساتھ کم مقبول بنا دیا۔ جب وہ‬،‫تھا۔ اس نے کتنا خرچ کیا‬
‫ بہت سے لوگ‬،‫ سال حکومت کرنے کے بعد‬50 ‫ تقریب ًا‬،‫ میں مر گیا‬1707 ‫سال کی عمر میں‬
‫ لیکن لوگ یہ بھی کہتے ہیں کہ اس کے دور‬،‫اسے پسند نہیں کرتے تھے۔ اس نے بہت کچھ کیا‬
‫نے سلطنت کے زوال کا آغاز کیا۔‬

The Effectiveness of Aurangzeb's Successors

Aurangzeb became the Emperor after beating his enemies in
battles. He didn’t want the same kind of fight to happen after he
died, so he split the Empire between his three sons. But things
didn’t go as he planned. His sons started fighting, and in the end,
Prince Muazzum became Emperor. He didn’t rule for long
because his four sons fought for the throne after him. The
winner, Jahandar Shah, was killed in less than a year. In just ten
years after Aurangzeb died, twelve different people said they
were the Emperor! The strong Mughal Empire was now weak
and broken up.
Muhammad Shah became the Emperor in 1719 and ruled for
nearly thirty years. However, he had so many enemies that he
was really the last person who could call himself the Mughal
Emperor.
Invading Forces
During the 1700s, the Mughal Empire had a hard time dealing
with attacks from other countries.
The Persians
In 1738, the Persian leader Nadir Shah invaded the Mughal
Empire. He beat Muhammad Shah's army at Karnal in 1739.
Then he captured Delhi and stole a lot of wealth from the city.
Nadir Shah didn't want to become the Emperor; he just wanted
to take as much treasure as he could. After two months, he left,
taking tons of gold and jewels with him. He also took away the
Mughals' reputation for being strong, and people saw how weak
the Empire had become.
The Marathas
The Marathas were another big problem for the Mughals. They
built a Hindu Empire in southern India and kept causing trouble
for the Mughals. Aurangzeb spent over 25 years trying to defeat
them, but after he died, the Marathas kept taking land from the
Mughals. In 1737, they defeated the Mughal army and looted
Delhi. By the middle of the 1700s, the Marathas had become the
most powerful force in India, taking over from the Mughals.
The Afghans
The third group of attackers came from Afghanistan. In 1747, an
Afghan general named Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded areas like
Kabul, Peshawar, and Lahore. By 1749, he controlled Punjab,
and by 1756, he had taken over Kashmir and Multan. The
Mughal Empire was so weak that they couldn't stop either the
Marathas or the Afghans. In fact, it was Ahmad Shah Durrani
who stopped the Marathas' expansion in 1761 at the Battle of
Panipat.

The End of the Empire

Ahmad Shah Durrani helped put Muhammad Shah's son, Ahmed
Shah, on the Mughal throne. But the Empire he ruled was
getting smaller and weaker because there was a lot of trouble
and fighting. Ahmed Shah was even locked up by his own
people and died in prison. The next ruler, Alamgir II, was killed
by order of his chief minister, and then Shah Alam II became
Emperor. Shah Alam II stayed in Bihar and didn’t go back to
Delhi for twelve years. In 1764, he lost a big battle against the
British called the Battle of Buxar.
After Shah Alam lost, the British took over Bengal, Bihar, and
Orissa. In 1803, they also took over Delhi and said they were
protecting the Emperor, but really they were taking control of
India. The last two Emperors only ruled in name; they had no
real power. Shah Alam’s son, Akbar II, only ruled small parts of
Delhi. His son, Bahadur Shah II, was forced out of power
because of his role in the 1857 War of Independence and died
far away in Rangoon.
The great Mughal Empire was finally over.

Reasons for the Decline of the Mughal Empire

There are many reasons why the Mughal Empire fell apart. It
happened slowly over time. Some people blame Aurangzeb for
starting its decline, but the Empire lasted for another 150 years
after he died. The truth is, many different things came together
to cause the fall of one of Asia's greatest empires.
A. The Nature of the Empire
Administration
The Mughal Empire was so large that it was hard to manage.
Important decisions had to be sent across thousands of miles.
The Emperors couldn’t know what was going on in every part of
their Empire. Aurangzeb tried to fix this by using local leaders
called mansabdars to help him, but problems still remained.
When rebellions happened, it often took many months before the
Emperors could stop them.
Military Costs
The Empire was full of different groups of people with different
religions, and there were always fights and rebellions happening.
The Mughal Emperors spent a lot of money fighting these
rebellions and protecting the Empire from invaders like Nadir
Shah from Persia. All of this fighting cost the Empire a lot of
money.
Succession
Another problem was the struggle over who would become the
next Emperor when one died. Sometimes, when an Emperor got
sick or died, a lot of money was wasted because his sons fought
each other to take his place. For example, when Shah Jehan got
sick in 1657, all four of his sons started fighting for the throne,
even though he was still alive! To try to avoid these fights,
Aurangzeb decided to split the Empire between his three sons,
but this plan didn’t work, and the fights over who would be the
next ruler kept hurting the Empire.

B. The Consequences of Success

Declining Military Expertise
When a dynasty stays in power for a long time, they can start to
believe that they will always be successful. This happened to the
Mughals, who let their army get weaker until it wasn’t a strong
fighting force anymore. When people saw that the Mughal
Empire was getting weaker, unhappy groups in the Empire took
advantage of the situation. For example, Aurangzeb couldn’t
stop Shivaji’s rebellion in the Deccan.
Weak Control
As the nobility in the Empire got richer and more powerful, they
became very influential in the royal court. Some Emperors had a
hard time controlling them (like Alamgir II, who was killed by
powerful courtiers). Because the central control was weak, the
mansabdari system was not well-managed, and the government
became less efficient. People got more upset, and the amount of
money the Empire collected from taxes went down.

C. The Arrival of the British

By the end of the 1700s, the Mughal Empire was already very
weak. What finally led to its end was the arrival of the British.
Since the time of Jehangir, the English East India Company
(EIC) had been trying to make money from trading with India.
The EIC was a private company, but it was supported by the
British government, which was one of the strongest in the world.
England was the first country to have the Industrial Revolution,
so it could make cheap goods and sell them everywhere. The
money they made gave them a strong military that the Mughals
couldn't compete with. The combination of the Mughal Empire's
weakness and the British's strength meant that the fall of one of
history's greatest empires was almost certain.
Enter the British
Even before the Mughal Empire started to weaken, Europeans
were interested in India's wealth. The Portuguese set up a base
in Goa in 1510, but it was the British who were the most
determined to start trading in India.
In 1600, the English Queen, Elizabeth I, gave a group of
merchants permission to create the East India Company (EIC).
The British government didn't send its own ships or do its own
trading. Instead, it allowed groups of people to do that for them,
but the government made sure these groups worked in ways that
it liked.
The EIC was given a special right to trade between Britain and
the lands east of Africa, meaning no other British company
could trade in that area. The merchants wanted to be part of the
spice trade in the East Indies (now called Indonesia), but the
Dutch were already in control of the spice trade and didn't let
anyone else join.
So, the East India Company turned its attention to India. They
first arrived in Surat in 1608, but it wasn't until 1612 that they
were allowed to start trading. When the Governor of Gujarat
(who would later become Shah Jehan) gave them this
permission, he never imagined that one day the British would
end up ruling all of India.
EIC Influence Grows
The British influence in India grew slowly. At first, the East
India Company (EIC) only had a few trading bases on the coast
of India, but by 1664, they had set up their headquarters in
Bombay. In 1690, they opened a trading post in Calcutta. The
EIC bought spices, silks, and cotton from the Indians, and trade
was so successful that the company soon created a large private
army to protect its trading posts.
By the early 1700s, the EIC had three main bases in Bombay,
Calcutta, and Madras. They called these places 'presidencies,'
and they later became the main areas of British India.
At first, the arrival of British traders was good for both the
British and the Mughal Empire. Indian merchants got rich from
selling their goods and receiving lots of silver from Britain. At
that time, the British were mostly buying Indian goods and not
selling much to India. But the British started making plans to
grow their power, which meant they would soon compete with
the Mughal Emperor. By the end of the 1600s, the EIC was
talking about "English rule forever."
The EIC even dared to go to war with Aurangzeb in 1686.
Aurangzeb defeated the company's army and only forgave them
after they apologized and paid a big fine.
The EIC was better at fighting other European countries that
wanted to trade in India. They defeated the Portuguese and the
Dutch in the 1600s, but their main rival was the French, who set
up their trading company in 1664. The British general, Robert
Clive, helped the EIC defeat the French and take advantage of
the chaotic conditions in India to increase British control. The
EIC slowly built its forces to make local Indian rulers accept its
power, and it even set up its own government in some parts of
India.
After winning the Battle of Plassey, Robert Clive became the
governor of Bengal. But back in Britain, people investigated
how he behaved in India. Even though he was not found guilty
of "plundering India," the shame, along with his addiction to
opium, led him to take his own life in 1773.