Question

Name the founder of the M.A.O college of Aligarh.

Answer 1

Hint: The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (M.A.O.) College was first established as Musalmanan-e-Hind in 1875. It was only after two years that it was called M.A.O. College.The college, however, had formerly started its operations on Queen Victoria’s 56th birthday, 24 May, 1875.

Complete answer: The statesman Sir Syed Ahmed Khan founded the M.A.O. College after already establishing two schools. This was a part of the movement of Muslim Awakening associated with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan which came to be known as the Aligarh Movement. The founder of the college wanted to lay emphasis on the comprehension of English and Western Science in order to formulate and publicize the skills of the Muslims on Political grounds, especially in Northern India. The choice of foregrounding the two subjects was also because the nursing of the institution had started at a time when speaking and writing English was a taboo. Sir Khan was also extremely inspired by the British Model of Universities and Educational System after his visit to Cambridge and Oxford Universities and aspired to fabricate the same. Intermediate classes of the institution had started in around 1878 followed by the degree classes that were added in 1881 and civil service preparatory classes added in 1881 which began to prepare students for various Engineering courses.

Note: The College had later become the nucleus of and the predecessor to the Aligarh Muslim University that was established by the Aligarh Muslim Unviersity Act, 1920. The college, however, had formerly started its operations on Queen Victoria’s 56th birthday, 24 May, 1875.