a. Aligarh Movement:

The greatest achievement of Sir Syed Ahmed was the foundation of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh. This College in course of time came to be known as Aligarh College.

This College played an important role in the reawakening of the Muslim community of India. The movement for the regeneration of the Muslims began with the foundation of the College.

In short the socio-religious and political movement that had begun centering the Aligarh College came to be known as the Aligarh movement.

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b. Main Features:

The charteristic features of the Aligarh movement were as follows:

(1) it considered Hindus and Muslims to form two separate entities with conflicting interests.

(2) It was opposed to the representative institutions which they thought to be harmful to the interests of the Muslims.

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(3) It favoured a policy of collaboration with the British which, according to them, would safeguard the interests of the Muslims.

c. Impact on Indian Politics:

The Aligarh College and for matter of that the Aligarh Movement gradually emerged more as a political platform rather than an academic institution imparting education to the students whom it admitted.

Statistical data shows that between 1882 and 1892 out of 1184 Muslims graduating in India Aligarh produced only 220 while the University of Allahabad scored a figure that was double the number.

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However, the Aligarh Movement was possibly successful in creating among a section of Muslims of India a sense of separatism. And this attitude eventually led to a division among the Indian people.