Indian Political Thought Presentation-

Reading: Dynamics of Muslim Political Thought by Moin

Shakir.

The Muslim thinking in the 19th and 20th century makes up a part and parcel of what we call
the Indian political thought. The reading opens with the author arguing that both Muslim and
Indian political thought are not so distant and the differences they have are because of several
external factors such as, the British dividend that was created because of religious and
cultural along with ethnic boundaries.

another factor is Muslims response to the National Movement in which they aimed to develop
their emerging political position under the influence of secular modern and liberal British
policies.

The argument presented in the reading by the author takes the time frame of the national
movement that aimed to create an independent India.

The Muslim sect of that time was as similar to the Hindu society as there was a divide
between the zamindars and the peasants with various subgroups emerging from the regional
divide.

Different classes had an uncommon response to colonialism as so the Muslim political

thought of this period had multiple stands.

The lower strata of the Muslim class held closely the old political-religious thinking and
opposed the Britishers whereas

the upper class gambled a compromise with the British to seek power. The subclasses can be
named as modern and liberal wahabis and orthodox ulemas who supported the cause of
nationalism.

One of the supporter of the Pro imperialist sect was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan whose Aligarh
movement aimed at proving that Islam went hand in hand with reason and progress.

According to this belief, a good government should not have anything to do with religion,
and a sincere religion is above worldly affairs.

Sir Syed believed that INC did not take into account the diversity of India and the conflicts
within it which led him to conclude that elections were risky in a country like India and INC
did no good to either Hindus or Muslims.

Whereas leaders like Abdul Kalam Azad and Muhammad Ali were concerned about the
impact of contemporary situation in context to which even Marx wrote about, AND THAT
tradition being applied to islamisation in India.
By explaining the intersection between the old traditions along with past generations and the
revolution of contemporary times where one always goes back to native language until and
unless all the ties are broken and the language is forgotten. The process of Islamisation was
strengthened By upward mobility and education that bought the Muslims to reject local
customs and preferring the orthodox Muslim culture .

Thus we can see that there was a generating solidarity within the community which gave
away spiritual differences between Hindu and Muslim leading To Jinnah’s two Nation
theory.

These dynamic changes did not benefit the poor.

This process of Islamisation turned the social character of national movement as the
ideologies bought constrain on the upper class leadership of both the religious group.

The efforts by various leaders to meet these differences did not involve the common people
which led to further cultivation of communal identity which grew under the shade of the
option of separate electorates.

Both the communities were represented by the upper classes. The Muslims here promoted the
distinctive image of the Muslim middle class and were financed by Muslim bourgeoisie who
were promised to benefited from a separate state.

Taking Abdul kalam’s and Abal ala’s Ideas into consideration, who believe in secularism and
democracy we can say that they wanted to provide Islamic Unity within society. They also
featured their participation in the National Movement. Abdul Kalam Held the view that
imperialist rule could never be democratic and he was seen to be siding with the Indian
National Congress.

The end of the romantic phase of Muslim politics was evidently marked by the ending of the
Khilafat institution which meant representation and hence a nation can have free will, unity
and elections.

Along with highlighting the futility of spiritualized politics and PAN Islamism as an
instrument for independence and an argument that position and interest of Muslim were of
importance were clear manifestations of Azad’s thought.

He believe that people had a right to Rebel against untruthful government. It is highlighted by
the author that Azad was not recognised as a leader of the Muslim community by both INC
and the League as he supported the hegemony of upper class.

Where as leaders like madoodi calls for Islamic Unity and picture the Western system and
communism as significant obstacles To Islam. It embeds Western concepts of sovereignty of
people where as Islam holds in the sovereignty of God. Communism on other hand, goes
parallel to Islamic Institution of private property and ownership, thus objectives of freedom
movement were termed as Islamic socialism which is similar to Hitler’s National socialism.

Thus, as the author goes in introduction, that the Muslim political thought was not so
different from its Indian counterpart FOR SOME SECTS, BUT FOR SOME IT WAS AN
EMERGING IDENITTY, evidently. The religious thought derived by struggle for power
share shaped it and mould it into something dfferent, as of what we know today.