Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's Two Nation Theory

: Is ‘Two Nation Theory’ as applicable today as it was in the pre-independence subcontinent?

The history of India is largely a history of conflicts between the Hindus and the Muslims of the region. Both communities had been living together in the same region since the early 8th century, since the beginning of Islam in India. Yet, the two had failed to develop pleasant relations. The Muslims of India never wanted to get a separate country. This idea of separation did not come into the minds of Muslims at first but the inappropriate behavior of Hindus forced them to take steps towards struggle for a separate homeland. Hindus on the other hand took every step to demoralize the Muslims. They finally realized that they cannot follow their culture

In beginning Sir Syed believed in Indian Nationalism but later in 1867 when Urdu-Hindi controversy started in Benares, in that connection, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wrote a letter to Mr. Shakespeare, the Divisional Commissioner of Benares. In that letter, Sir Syed used word “Nation” for Muslims. He wrote, “Now I am convinced that these two nations, Hindus and Muslims, will never reach on any agreement upon any matter in future”. That is why Sir Syed Ahmed Khan is also known as the father of two-nation theory. He made the Muslims apprehend that they are separate nation and should demand for their separate

The history of the last twelve hundred years has failed to achieve the unity and this long time was an evidence of this that India was always divided into Hindu India and Muslim. Quaid-e-Azam made the British recognize the ultimate innate spiritual, economic, social and political dissimilarities Importance of Two Nation Theory in Pre-Independence time:

The Two-Nation Theory served as the platform for demanding a separate state for the Muslims form British India. The Muslims wanted to preserve and protect their distinct identity and advance their interests in India. They wanted to order their lives in accordance with their ethics and philosophy of life without being overruled by an indifferent majority. Most of all they wanted to follow their religion in all aspects of life.

Initially, they demanded protections, assurance of positions in constitutional and federal system of government for security and prosperity of their customs. It was after the rejection of their demands by British and Hindus they stepped forward to ask for a separate state .

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, (in his address to the annual session of Muslim League)