Defence
The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental Defence Association of Upper India, formed in 1893 to oppose the Congress and promote loyalty to the British among Muslims, was founded by:
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Answer: Option A — Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
Detailed Solution
The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental Defence Association of Upper India was founded in 1893 by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, along with Theodore Beck, the principal of the MAO College at Aligarh.
Aims of the association:
- To protect the political interests of the Muslims.
- To keep the Muslims away from the Indian National Congress and its political agitation.
- To promote loyalty to the British government among the Muslims.
- To oppose the demands of the Congress for representative government and competitive examinations, which Sir Syed felt would harm the Muslims, who were less advanced in modern education.
Sir Syed's views on the Congress:
- Sir Syed opposed the Congress from the beginning.
- He believed that Muslims should focus on education first, and avoid politics that might anger the British.
- He feared that in an elected system, the Hindu majority would dominate the Muslim minority.
- In 1888, he and Raja Shiva Prasad of Banaras founded the United Indian Patriotic Association, to oppose the Congress.
Theodore Beck:
- He was an Englishman who became the principal of the MAO College at Aligarh (1883-1899).
- He supported Sir Syed's policy of loyalty to the British, and encouraged separate Muslim politics.
About Sir Syed Ahmad Khan:
- He was born on 17 October 1817 at Delhi.
- He founded the Scientific Society (1864) and the journal "Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq".
- He is regarded as the founder of the Aligarh Movement for the modern education of Muslims.
- He died on 27 March 1898.
Not all Muslims followed him:
Leaders such as Badruddin Tyabji, Rahimtulla Sayani and others joined the Congress.
Later developments:
The idea of separate Muslim politics led to the formation of the All India Muslim League at Dacca in 1906.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Nawab Salimullah and Aga Khan III were founders of the Muslim League (1906); Mohammad Ali Jauhar was a later leader of the Khilafat Movement.
Quick tip
Remember: Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental Defence Association (1893) = Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Theodore Beck; United Indian Patriotic Association (1888) = Sir Syed and Raja Shiva Prasad.
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Socio-Religious Reform Movements — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Socio-Religious Reform Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
In the 19th century, reformers worked to remove social evils and revive Indian society. This topic covers organisations such as the Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Theosophical Society, Satyashodhak Samaj and the Aligarh Movement, along with their founders and the social reforms they achieved. Questions usually ask who founded an organisation and when, or which reformer is linked to a reform. For example, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar championed widow remarriage, and Jyotiba Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj. A table of organisation, founder, year and place covers most questions. Practise the socio-religious reform movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.