From Religious to Secular Education: How Kerala Muslims Adopted Modern Education - Part 1

By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam 20 June 2023 Embracing Modern Education In 1909, the time when the Malabar Collector was ruling in Kozhikode office. While checking the files, Collector Francis called his clerk in the personnel office and said, "If the Mappilas cannot write in English, tell them to write in Malayalam. There are British collectors who know Malayalam'' the collector responded like this when he read the the petition of a leading firm in Kozhikode regarding export at the port riddled with inaccuracy and ambiguity. The insult of not knowing English bothered the clerk. Collector Francis's decision was also saddening. He put the demands in the dustbin. The owner of the firm also felt bad about the dishonour to his firm and the clerk. He was forced to think more for a way out to prevent such instances from happening again. That merchant was Maliyekal Kunju Muhammad, who was one of the prominent officials of Himayatul Islam Sabha, one of the pioneer organizations in spreading modern education among Muslims of Kerala. He seriously presented this incident in a meeting of the congregation. The fact that ordinary Muslims had no English education and had to rely on others for many government purposes came under active discussion in the organization. It was there that the idea of a Muslim-owned institution to provide modern education was born. In 1914, when World War I was raging, ordinary Muslims had no means of knowing what was going on in the world, and what had happened to the Turkish Caliphate and the Islamic State in the war. They had no access to any international news in the English press. It was a period when the Muslims turned against the British government in the Khilafat movement with the support of the Indian National Congress. At every level they were enemies of the English. It was not limited to boycott and non-cooperation. Their protest also turned against the white man's educational methods. This boycott of education prevented Muslims from reaching many higher fields. Naturally, modern education became extremely poor. This was fuelled by clerical rulings and advice that English education was un-Islamic. As a result, not only did they not get English education, but they did not even try to learn Malayalam adequately. Role of Aligarh Movement Muslims were under British rule in many parts of India. Indian Muslims experienced all the problems that Kerala Muslims experienced. The Aligarh Movement was formed by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, an educationalist who realized the intellectual backwardness of Muslims in India. Its influence had shed light on Kerala's modern educational path. When the Aligarh Muslim University was decided to be established, Indian Muslim leaders came to Calicut, the largest Muslim town in Malabar, for help. Strangely enough, the Muslims of Kozhikode showed interest and generosity for a Muslim university to be established in a foreign place without even bothering to think that there was not even a small mosque for modern education at home. The consultative meeting convened at Jubilee Hall for Aligarh Muslim University was also a consultative meeting of Kerala Muslims for modern education. The dignitaries and community workers who gathered there gave help to the initiatives of others and thought deeply about their educational situation. Intisharul Islam Committee In 1893, a Madrasa was started at Sabhapalli (Kozhikode) as per the decision of Himayatul Islam Sabha which met on 18th June. A committee named 'Intisharul Islam' (Preaching of Islam) was also formed for its implementation. In 1912 'Himayatul Islam School' was the first Muslim educational institution established in Kerala under this committee. The aim was to provide modern education along with religious education to Muslim students. Its founders were Khan Bahadur Muthukoya Thangal, Maliyakkal Kunjamammadaka, Moochintakath Assan Koya Haji, PA Kunjimusa and some traders along with them found the capital for the operation. In Kopra Bazar too, Maliyakkal Kunjammadaka is one of the early farmers who took the lead in setting up the school. It was he who gave the four-room godown for the running of the school. 10,000 rupees given by Columb Impichi Haji in 1923 was a notable initial contribution. The school started in an old mansion building near the Kathikoya Haji Masjid in front of the present court buildings on Court Road. The first name was 'Himayatul Islam Anglo Arabic School'. Himayatul Islam Sabha was initially controlling the school administration. It was raised as a high school in 1922 under the efforts of M. Kadirikoya, but the government withdrew recognition of the high school in 1930 as the site and building could not be completed. Till 1946, the school was housed in a mansion on Court Road. In 1947, the present site was purchased at Pattu Teru and a permanent building was constructed at a cost of Rs.60,000. In 1961, the High School was re-accredited. Ansarul Islam bi Taalim Anam (Muhammadan Educational Association) was established in 1918 as a milestone in the social life of Muslims of Kozhikode. All the prominent Muslim leaders of the town participated in the annual celebration of the old fashioned Othupalli (traditional centre fo basic religious training) held in the vicinity of the river by a progressive trader named Mammadaka in Chempa, Kozhikode. 'Madrasatul Muhammadiya' was born as a result of the efforts of Kamakantakat Kunjahammad Koya Haji and Waliyakat Ali Baraki. The committee was registered on 18th August 1916 as 'Ansarul Islam bi Taalim Anam'. Madrasatul Muhammadiyah School was established under this committee. On 10 August 1918, he gave a reception to Lord Petland, the Governor of Madras, as the new building of the Madrasa being built as part of the Muhammadan Educational Association and submitted a memorandum requesting assistance for the education of Muslims in Calicut. The field in front of Sadulipalli west of the old ancestral home of Kozhikode on Francis Road was chosen as the site for the madrasa building. The work was completed within months. The then Madrasi High Court Judge Sir Abdur Rahim inaugurated it with a golden key. In his opening speech, Justice Abdur Rahim convinced the Muslims of the importance of modern education. On his request, thirty thousand rupees were collected from the audience. The school started with 9 students and two teachers and by the end of 10 years it had grown to 17 teachers and 430 students. In 1923, the Nizam of Hyderabad was approached for financial assistance to upgrade the school to a high school and build a hostel for the students. Madrasatul Muhammadiyah lost 1 lakh rupees granted by the Nizam due to sectarian divide among the Muslims of Kozhikode. Samprikan Maliekal Moiteen Koya, Melekandi Moiteu, Moiteen Najana Mammad Haji, KP Musa Baraki etc. helped the Madrasa financially. Madrasatul Muhammadiyah, which was the largest Muslim school in Malabar, was attended by many children from different parts of Ernad and Valluvanad taluks, hilly areas like Mukkam, Karassery and Lakshadweep. The 'Madrasatul Ihya' which is known today as the 'Imbichi School' was established by Chaliyat in 1923 under the Tammiyatul Islam Association. Madrasatul Ihya used to work in a shanty. It was Haji MA Kadar Sahib who came forward to build a good building. Education enthusiasts and philanthropists K. Koya Moiteenkutty, NP Biran Kutty Mooppan, PBI Bawa, MC Moosakoya, VK Kunjikoya, AP Kujunmuhammed, Parungadan Kunjahammed, KK Biran, Khader Sahib's colleagues were M. C. Abdullakutty Master. Impichihaji, a businessman from Ceylon, provided financial assistance for the construction of the building. The land was donated by Kader Sahib. Imbichi Haji also received a waqf of Rs.32000 for running the school. In 1927 Madrasatul Manar of 'Madrasatul Ihya' was converted into Elementary School. The then Malabar Collector H.R. Pate inaugurated IPS Manar Elementary School with a golden key. The committee was expanded to include Kunjahammed Koya MLP and CA Kunhimusa. It was registered under the name 'Tammiyatul Islam Sangam'. It was the first registered educational institution in South Malabar. P.B. Impichi Haji, MA Kader Sahib was also elected President for life. After Kader Sahib's death in 1931, Khan Sahib K. Kunjahammed Koya became the president. In 1932 Madrasatul Manar became Higher Elementary School. In 1933, the first Higher Elementary Certificate batch was passed. In 1947, it was upgraded to High School. Named as 'Almanar Muslim High School'. It was K. M. Seethi Sahib who worked hard to raise it as a high school. In 1950, the first SSLC batch (10th) was successfully completed course. 1944 - PBI Bawa Sahib took over as President after Khan Sahib's death. The name of the high school was later changed to 'Imbichi High School'. In 1970, for the sake of administrative convenience, the responsibility of school management was given to Tammiyatul Islam Association and the responsibility of school properties was given to Tanmiyatul Islam Educational Society. Impichibawa Sahib was awarded the National Award for Teachers in 1978. Kerala Muslim United Union It was the Kerala Muslim United Union that initiated social, religious and educational discussions among Muslims. Its first conference was held in 1923 at Eriadi, Travancore. People from different parts participated in this conference. This conference discussed the progress of Muslim education and as part of it started an Arabic college at Aluva. The Muslim Union also issued publications discussing the state of Muslim education. "Kerala Muslim Majlis" which was formed in the 12th annual conference held many discussions on modern education of Muslims. It was a time when only upper caste and rich people had the opportunity to study school. This group pressured the government to ensure that everyone had access to education. King Swathi Thirunal ordered the establishment of a school under the revenue officer in Travancore for the educational advancement of the backward class. Two other organizations that provided important impetus to the advancement of modern education for Muslims were the Malabar Muslim Educational Society and the Thiruvithamkur Mahajana Sabha, formed in 1911. Under this many schools were established with government support. Madrasatul Muhammadiya Parapil, CMS Kottayam, Govt. English High School Paravur are some examples. Sayyid Sanaullah Makhitangal He was one of the pioneers of Kerala Muslim community. Born in 1847 at Veliyamkot, malappuram. Apart from Malayalam and Arabic languages, he acquired knowledge in Urdu, English, Farsi and Tamil languages. He was an Excise Inspector. In 1882, he resigned his post and entered the field of community revival with dedication. He was also a good writer and journalist. He encouraged the community to learn English as well as mother tongue. He wrote a distinguished book "Muslims and Education". He has written thus in 'Maktimanaklesa': "English language is the language of hell and its own language, Malayalam, the language of Hindu science, so the people of Islam from the north to the end of the south, who claimed to have religious animosity in learning both of them, had a good time. The difficulty required to recover the people from this perilous opinion was not small. Even today there are dissident intellects lying around. By God's grace, English language learning began in the North. Those who passed the higher examinations were seen in Islamic society. They are criticized. Anyway, here at the southern end we see enthusiasts. The sign is good.” He has also rendered many services in the field of Arabic-Malayalam script reform. They severely criticized the Muslims who write Arabic Malayalam works without learning the Malayalam language. This great reformer died in Kochi in 1912. Kerala Sir Sayid Maulana Chalilakat Kunjahammed Haji was a great scholar who could be proud not only of Kerala but also of India. He destroyed the Muslim educational system that existed till then. Until then, it was customary to read Arabic books to learn religion. He asserted that it was completely unscientific. Learning Arabic should be in the form of regular language learning. Thus, his theory was that religious subjects can be taught through Arabic after learning it well enough. Due to not learning the Malayalam language well, the earlier people were not able to give the correct meaning of the Arabic words. He exhorted the scholars to teach the meaning of Arabic words in standard Malayalam. He emphasized that religious knowledge should be imparted through Malayalam language. He also urged that Arabic and Malayalam letters should be comprehensively revised to reflect the sound of Malayalam letters and that board, chalk, bench and table should be organized in religious schools in the same way as normal schools. Along with religious education, he taught his students geography, globe science, jurisprudence, polemics, etc. in innovative ways. Koyapatthodi Mammadkutty Adhikari, who was religious and community-loving, was so impressed by these measures that he invited the Maulana to Vazhakad Darul Uloom, which has the largest number of waqf properties in Kerala. Chalilakath tried to realize his lofty ideals by mobilizing a large community of talented students. On the other hand, some people took a fatwa and gave it to the authority that the Waqf was for Islamic studies and this is not Dars (traditional higher learning institutions of religious studies) and therefore this Waqf should not be used for this purpose. On that occasion, Kaladi Moiteenkutty Sahib, who was religious and generous, provided facilities for starting a new institution. The great man died at Mannarkkad in 1918 while running the institution. He has prepared and implemented many books that are exemplary for learning Arabic language and religious subjects in a modern way. Vakkom Abdul Khader Maulavi Wakkam Abdul Khader Maulavi took the initial steps to solve the social and educational backwardness of the Muslim community. He was born on 28 December 1873 in Thiruvananthapuram district. Apart from Malayalam, he knew English, Persian, Urdu, Sanskrit and Arabic. He convinced the state of education of the Muslim community through his publication 'Muslim'. He submitted a memorandum to the government with certain conditions aimed at the advancement of Muslim education. He urged the parents to send the students to school. As a result of the Maulavi's work, the government established schools in Kollam, Karthikapally and Karunagappally. In 1915, he founded an organization called 'Lajnatul Muhammadiyah Association'. Its aim was to promote modern education to Muslims. As a result of Maulvi's work, an organization was formed called 'Travancore Muslim Mahajanasabha'. Muhammad Abdur Rahman Sahib Muhammad Abdurrahiman Sahib is also a great man who has done a lot of service for the educational progress of Kerala Muslims in the early days. He wanted his community to rise as he rose. For that, he contacted the prominent people of his native Kodungallur. This resulted in the formation of an organization called the 'Cochin Muslim Society' which convinced the Muslims of the need to acquire modern education. Muhammad Abdur Rahman Sahib as the representative of Cochin Muslim Society presented a petition to the then Diwan of Cochin State. The Diwan ordered monthly financial assistance to all Muslim girl students and scholarship to bright Muslim students. The demand to appoint Arabic teachers in government schools was also allowed. This is Abdur Rahman Sahib's first contribution to the Kerala Muslim revival. He also implemented the idea of enrolling children from economically backward families in schools and providing accommodation and food facilities in the homes of wealthy people. CN Ahmed Maulavi CN Ahmed Maulavi was a great personality in the social, cultural and intellectual revival of Kerala Muslims. He was born in 1905 in Vengara, Malappuram district. After his higher education in Vellore and Madras University, Maulavi came to Kerala and started his professional career as Religion Inspector at Malappuram Training College. This work became a great help in his revival efforts. All the student teachers in Kerala and Lakshadweep were trained here. C. N's independent thoughts planted the seeds of progression among Malabar Muslims. In 1936, when the first High School for Kerala Muslims was started at Malappuram, CN became a teacher there. C. was the first Muslim scholar in Kerala to intellectually confront Marxist theoreticians at a time when communist theory was very prevalent. In 1964, C.N. took the lead and formed the "East Ernadan Education Society". This was for the establishment of a college in East Ernad Taluk. Discussions were held between Palakkad and Mampad but no one responded positively. But Mampat Adhikari 'Athan Moin Sahib' agreed to give 30 acres. As a result, 'Mambat Arts and Science College' was established in 1965. In 1969, its management was handed over to MEC. 1993-He passed away on 27th April at Kozhikode. Maulana Abuswabah Maulana Abuswabah Ahmad Ali was a famous religious scholar and possessed a modest personality. Just as Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is commemorated when Aligarh University is mentioned, the name of Maulana Abuswabah is also praised along with Farooq College, also known as Aligarh of Kerala. He was born in 1906 Chavakkad. After studying at Madras Jamalia College, he graduated from 'Al Azhar' University, Egypt. He wanted to work in Egypt but Maulana Muhammadali advised him to come and serve in India. Realizing the urgent need of Kerala Muslims for higher education, he decided to introduce a course to impart higher education to those who studied Arabic and Islamic subjects. Thus, on January 5, 1942, Raulatul Ulum Arabi College was established at Anakayam near Mancheri in Malappuram district. It was later shifted to Farooq in Calicut and became known as Farooq College. Abuswabah Maulavi passed away on September 10, 1971. Born in 1897, Thangal Kunju Muslyar grew up and studied in Sri Lanka. He devoted all his wealth to the nation. 26 factories were established and 25000 people were employed and pensions were provided. An educationist, he adopted the vision of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and founded a trust named TKM in 1956 with the aim of educational advancement of the Muslim community. In 1958, TKM Engineering College came into existence under that trust. He started a voluntary organization called 'Thiruvitakur Muslim Majlis'. The Government of India honoured him by issuing a stamp in the name of Thangal Kunju Musliyar who died on 12 February 1966. Bafakhi Thangal was another personality who promoted modern education in Kerala who unknowingly provided scholarships for many years to the bright students in Kerala. K.C. Abdullah Maulavi provided facilities for girls to study with the hostel system in the field of religious education when education was prohibited for girls. For this purpose, in 1960 in Chendamangallur he established an institution called 'Banath'. He also played an important role in the progress of Kerala Muslim education. Muslim Women and Modern Education In 1927, there was a change in girls' education. Muthbee, a native of Pulikal who settled in Kozhikode, was a brave lady who has taken the initiative to show the light of knowledge among her sisters in the backward area. She started this service in 1928 at the Municipal School on Thanals Road and later when the school was shifted to Idiyangara in 1938, she devoted her whole time to the education of girls without any remuneration. Idiyangara's Parappil Govt. This primary school is still known as 'Lower Primary School' and 'Bevinta School'. Calicut Girls High School In 1956, attending a cultural event at Kutichira, Kozhikode civic leader and education enthusiast PP Hasankoya announced a donation of Rs 5000 if anyone came forward to establish a school for girls. CP Kunjahammed, a social reformer, came forward to take up that challenge. V. Abdullah Sahib who was a social reformer, writer and friend gave the practical suggestion to CP Kunjahammad for the concept of 'Muslim Girls School'. In 1956, CP Kunjahammed Sahib started an organization called 'Social Service Association'. This organization started a sewing class with the aim of teaching handicrafts to women. Soon vocational training for adults and education for children began. A committee called 'Kozhikode Educational Society' was formed consisting of civic leaders and education enthusiasts. The school building was established with the help of Kunhimain Haji, a native of Thalassery. 1960 The Calicut Educational Society decided to upgrade the Girls' School to a High School. In 1962, the girls' school was approved. Raudatul Uloom and Farooq College In Malabar, there was only Darul Uloom, the highest centre for the religious education of Muslims. Madras and Hyderabad were the only places outside Kerala for higher religious studies. Studies were conducted with great difficulty in centres of higher religious studies like Deoband, Vellore Bakhiyath, and Jamaliya. As a solution to this, an institution was founded in Malabar in 1942. Maulana Swabah Ahmed Ali, who came to Malabar after graduating from 'Al Azhar' University in Egypt, is the driving force behind it. In 1946 meeting held under the chairmanship of Abu Swabah decided to form the Rawlatul Uloom Association under 'Raulatul Uloom'. On 17 May 1947, Rawlatul Uloom submitted an application for an Arts College along with the Arabic College. In 1948 Arabic College was established in the completed building, Arts College granted on 12th June 1948 as 'Raulatul Uloom' 1st Grade College started functioning on 24th April 1949 under the name Farooq College with 31 students and 5 teachers. In 1957 Farooq College came under Kerala University and in 1968 under Calicut University. Currently 7000 students are studying in 20 faculties. Training College, Education Centre and Residential School are also part of Farooq Institutions. Muslim Educational Society MES is an educational organization founded in 1964 by PK Abdul Ghafoor. Its aim was to lead the Muslim community towards educational progress. 1969-Mannarkkad College established. After that MES colleges were established at Ponnani, Kodungallur, Mampat and Valanchery. It has establishments in all districts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gulf countries. Education is an important concept for any society and nation. Because excellence in education is the whole of the society/nation concerned. Equality, recognition, justice and rights are ensured through education. The Narendran Commission has observed that educational attainment is an important factor in determining the presence of a community - whether backward or forward - in public service arenas. Because knowledge is the most important thing in the world, the Islamic philosophy calls its proponents to give it a strong voice. The transition to modern education was supported by community leaders with the generous financial help from people. The process started to bear fruit by 1980s when Muslims were coming for school education in hordes. ----- A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance journalist. 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