Muslim Historical Literature in the Era of Early Muslim Nationalism

Abstract

Mid-nineteenth century Muslim historical literature, particularly on the mutiny-rebellion of 1857, presents an interesting contrast, and offers a fascinating study of the state of Muslim mind before and after 1857. This clearly comes out in the writings of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan (Risalah Asbab-i Baghawat-i Hind,‘ Tarikh Sarkashi Dil ’a Bijnawr, Hunter par Hunter, Loyal Mohammedans of India,), Fateh Muhammad Ta’ib (Tarikh-i Ahmadi), Asad Ullah Khan Ghalib (Dastabu in Kulliyat-i Nathr-i Ghalib), Mawlana Altaf Hussain Hali (Hayati-i Jawid), Sayyid Zahiruddin Zahir Dihlawi (Dastan-i Ghadr), Faqir Muhammad (Jam’ al-Tawarikh), Allamah Fadl-i Haq (Bughi Hindwtan), Mu’inuddin Hassan Khan (“Narrative of Mainodin” in Charles T. Metcalfe’s Two Native Narratives of the Mutiny in Delhi).” Curiously, all of the above writers presented different interpretations of the revolt of 1857. Indeed this had to be the case. During the revolt India lost freedom of the press; known different interpretations of the “mutiny” by natives were tantamout to treason and were visited by condign punishments. This was particularly true of the Muslims. Many Muslim newspapers were suppressed and their editors jailed. After the “special” treatment which the Muslims received upon the fall of Delhi, the followers of Islam could not be sure of their destiny in South Asia in the post mutiny-rebellion period. It was so because the British assigned the primary responsibility for the revolt to Indian Muslims and rightly so. The reality of the excessively harsh British treatment of Indian Muslims is beginning to dawn upon the present-day British historians as well. Professor Peter Hardy in his very recent book, The Muslims of British India, observes: ...