Department of Geology, Aligarh Muslim University

The university grew out of the work of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the great Muslim reformer and statesman, who in the aftermath of the Indian War of Independence of 1857 felt that it was important for Muslims to gain education and become involved in the pu ms to gain education and become involved in the public life and government services in India. Raja Jai Kishan helped Sir Syed in establishing the university The British decision to replace the use of Persian in 1842 for government employment and as the language of Courts of Law caused deep anxiety among Muslims of the sub-continent. Sir Syed saw a need for Muslims to acquire proficiency in the English language and Western sciences if the community were to maintain its social and political clout, particularly in Northern India. He began to prepare a foundation for the formation of a Muslim University by starting schools at Moradabad (1858) and Ghazipur (1863). His purpose for the establishment of the Scientific Society in 1864, in Aligarh, was to translate Western works into Indian languages as a prelude to prepare the community to accept Western education and to inculcate scientific temperament among the Muslims. The intense desire to ameliorate the social conditions of Indian Muslims led Sir Syed to publish the periodical, 'Tehzibul Akhlaq' in 1870. On 7 January 1877, Sir Syed founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in Aligarh and patterned the college after Oxford and Cambridge universities that he had visited on a trip to England. His objective was to build a college in tune with the British education system but without compromising its Islamic values. Sir Syed's son, Syed Mahmood, who was an alumnus of Cambridge prepared a proposal for an independent university to the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College Fund Committee upon his return from England in 1872. This proposal was adopted and subsequently modified. Syed Mahmood continued to work along with his father in founding the college. It was one of the first purely residential educational institutions set up either by the government or the public in India. Over the years it gave rise to a new educated class of Indian Muslims who were active in the political system of the British Raj. When viceroy to India Lord Curzon visited the college in 1901, he praised the work which was carried on and called it of "sovereign importance". It was also around this time that a movement began to have it develop into a university. To achieve this goal, expansions were made and more academic programs added to the curriculum of the college. A school for girls was established in 1907. By 1920 the college was transformed into the Aligarh Muslim University. Sir Syed breathed his last on March 27, 1898 and was buried in the premises of the university mosque in the Sir Syed Hall, AMU. To be a leading and vibrant institution of excellence in teaching, research and innovation to achieve the national goals of a self-reliant, technologically strong and modern India and build an integrated modern system of education, in accordance with the New Education Policy for sustainable development of society and better future for all. - To reinvent the university by setting the highest benchmarks of performance and leading by example. - To foster a collaborative academic environment for the promotion of critical and creative thinking. - To incentivize an environment for attracting and retaining the best talents - To develop an ethical and committed cadre of employees - To provide transformative, holistic and value-based immersive learning experiences to students. - To contribute meaningfully in solving pressing societal problems and well-being of the people. - To be a hub of original productive research and innovative thinking. - To be recognized for quality research - To be the largest provider of quality education in India. - To cater to the needs of industry and requirement of competitive examination for Government Service/PSUs/Private Sector by regular revision of syllabi etc. - To be known for the diversity of its teachers and students, from across the globe, and the quality and employability of its graduates, in diverse fields. - To produce top leaders, scholars and international level sports person. - To transform into a university of global standards, which makes a significant contribution to nation building. - To become the first complete green university in the country. - To foster interfaith understanding among all religions of the world through University's Dara Shikoh Centre for Interfaith understanding & dialogue.