The Deoband School And The Demand For Pakistan is a book authored by Ziaul Hasan Farooqi, a Professor at Jamia Millia Islamia. Published in 1963 by Asia Publishing House in New Delhi, this work wielded considerable influence over contemporary policies. Originally, it sprang forth from the author's MA thesis, concluded in 1959 at McGill University, it stands as the earliest English exploration of Deobandi thought.[1] Positioned approximately 90 miles away from Delhi, the Deoband School emerged as a seminary primarily focused on training nationalists. From its inception, the Deoband School embraced a religious movement that professed unwavering loyalty to the nation. Throughout the freedom movement, it opposed British rule and consistently rejected the Muslim League's struggle for the establishment of Pakistan. The author contends that this book represents an endeavor to unravel the paradoxical position of the Deoband School and illuminate the roots of its opposition to the demand for Pakistan by Indian Muslims. Furthermore, a critical analysis of the Deoband School's traditional perspectives on culture, religion, and religious studies is also presented.[2][3]
Content
The inception of the Dcoband School can be traced back to its origins as an 'Arabi maktab' after the events of 1857, eventually gaining recognition as a Darul uloom in 1867. Nanawtawi, the founder, actively participated in the Battle of Shamli during the Mutiny. Deoband, as an institution, strongly opposed British rule and emphasized unwavering loyalty solely to the Hanafi school. Aligarh and Deoband represented two distinct streams of Muslim thought. The more Westernized upper middle-class Muslims gravitated towards Aligarh, while Deoband attracted orthodox Muslims from the lower middle classes. Surprisingly, despite their devoutness, the orthodox followers of Islam did not advocate for the establishment of Pakistan.[4]
Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, Nanawtawi's successor at Deoband, upheld traditional religious beliefs but issued a 'fatwa' permitting cooperation with Hindus in matters pertaining to work. According to Faruqi, the 'Ulama' were in favor of unconditional cooperation with the Congress, particularly in the pursuit of freedom. In contrast, the Western-educated Muslims associated with the Aligarh School distanced themselves from the Congress, not only due to their emphasis on education but also due to encouragement from the British. Faruqi identified British influence on a segment of Western-educated Muslims, who eventually called for a separate homeland for the Muslim 'nation.' Interestingly, it is worth noting that Western-educated Muslims, who placed less importance on religious matters, voiced concerns about the perceived threat to Islam, while the orthodox Ulamas advocated for political cooperation with Hindus. They harbored skepticism towards the Western-oriented leadership of the Muslim League. Faruqi expressed regret over the lack of sincere efforts to explore viable alternatives to the idea of Pakistan.[5]
Undoubtedly, Indian Muslims feared Hindu domination in a free India and aimed to safeguard their interests, although the partition of the country as a solution remains questionable. If Muslim nationalism itself held some mythical elements, the concept of Pakistan was intentionally imposed by the British, creating confusion among many nationalist Muslims in India.[5]
Reception
According to the observations made by British journalist Guy Wint, the book in question aims to rectify a widespread misinterpretation prevalent in England concerning the recent history of Muslims in India. It specifically focuses on correcting the prevailing notion that attributes the entirety of Muslim history to the Muslim League, while neglecting the extensive legacy of Muslim nationalism that predates the League's emergence. This book seeks to illuminate the deep historical ties between Muslim nationalism and the nationalist movement led by the Congress.[6] In a separate scholarly work titled Political Thought of Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Professor Ahmad Saeed highlights an oversight within the aforementioned book. He points out that it fails to acknowledge the crucial contributions of Ashraf Ali Thanwi and his Deobandi disciples to the Pakistan movement.[7]
^Akhatar, Javed (2016). Jamia Millia Islamias contribution to Islamic studies since 1920 (Thesis). India: Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia. p. 51. hdl:10603/210671.
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