میری سرگزشت
by سر سید احمد خان (Sir Syed Ahmed Khan)
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In this autobiographical extract, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan recalls his upbringing in a noble, educated Delhi family and the deep influence of his mother Aziz-un-Nisa Begum, who taught him truthfulness, self-respect and compassion. The Revolt of 1857 destroyed Delhi's traditional order and turned his focus to modern scientific education, leading to the Aligarh Movement.
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A Mother's Discipline and a Nation's Turning Point
Sir Syed recalls the exceptional intellect and moral discipline of his mother, Aziz-un-Nisa Begum, who taught him truthfulness, self-respect and compassion for the poor, once refusing to let him enter the house until he apologised to an elderly servant he had treated rudely. His early education was traditional but rigorous, covering Arabic, Persian, mathematics and Islamic jurisprudence in the vibrant literary atmosphere of pre-1857 Delhi.
The turning point of his life was the Revolt of 1857, which destroyed Delhi's Muslim nobility and its traditional educational systems. This tragedy shifted his focus from personal intellectual pursuits to active social service, convincing him that only modern, scientific education could rescue Indian society from decline, the realisation that led to the MAO College and the Aligarh Movement.