A short Biography of Syed Muhammad Latif

Syed Muhammad Latif, probably the greatest Indian historian during the British rule of India, and my great great great maternal grandfather, was born in 1850. His father, Syed Muhammad Azeem (1815-1885) distinguished himself as the founder of the English language newspaper The Lahore Chronicle in 1850, followed by Punjabi in late 1850s. Taking encouragement from Azeems publications, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan published The Aligarh Institute Gazette in 1860, thereby marking the beginning of literary critique of British rule in India, culminating in the creation of Pakistan in 1947. Following in his fathers footsteps, Latif decided to pen the histories of places where eminent Indian Muslims of yesteryears distinguished themselves in construction, civil works projects, art, culture and Architecture. It was an era of despondency, rejection of the English language, cultural defeat and social upheaval for Indian Muslims. Syed Muhammad Latif shines as the brightest star of 19th century English language scholarship in the Sub-Continent. Latif was instrumental in introducing the history of some of the most famous Muslim Majority Indian cities and Provinces to a worldwide audience. His publications on Agra, Multan, Lahore and Punjab remain without precedent in pre-and post-partition India. Shielded from invaders for several centuries, India gradually became a melting pot of several Islamic civilizations and witnessed a cultural blossoming between 13th and 17th Century that it had never experienced before. Roads were constructed, taxation systems were changed, a new ruling class emerged and great native Indian dynasties gave way to a new system of cultural and social division. The Mughal Empire attracted the finest talent from Muslim lands. The Taj Mahal, for example, was designed by the Persian architects Isa and Muhammad Effendi. Sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlayers from southern India, stonecutters from Baluchistan and the famous dome designer Ismail Khan of the Ottoman Empire- all contributed to the construction of this truly multi-national effort. Latif's books were written during several decades of sustained propaganda targeted towards discrediting India's Islamic heritage. It was a period of great change for the Indian civilization. Contrary to the efforts made by the Mughals to mesh with the native Indian population, the British remained inaccessible to the common man throughout their rule. Their initial thrust after the conquest of Delhi was to debase the great Mughal achievements in architecture, literature and governance. In 1830, for example, the Taj came close to demolition at the hands of governor of India, Lord Bentinck. The demolition was deferred because no prospective buyers could be sourced for the sale of the huge quantity of marble from the Taj! This incident sufficiently illustrates the conditions in which Latif began his endeavor to frame history for future generations. Latifs exhaustive and highly accurate sequential timelines of historical sites forces the reader to recognize the general timeline of disrepair and abuse without him having to do so in words. For the modern aficionado of Indian history, Latifs body of work presents a unique challenge. Latif, in no uncertain terms, admired the British raj for its achievements in India. It is true that he truly believed that the British had evolved a superior cultural and economic system and that it

was the responsibility of all Indians to embrace it. While he admired India, he realized that the grand old days of Muslim rule in India had ended and the only way Indians could achieve emancipation was to learn from the British. While it can commonly be misconstrued as a bias, it is only with historical hindsight that one understands the quandary that Latif and his contemporary scholars were faced with. Britain was the most powerful and progressive society in the world, and rejecting or ridiculing its achievements would amount to rejection of the fact. Unlike many Eastern critics of Western Civilization, Latif tried to present a balanced view of history, both from the view of the victor and the vanquished. Furthermore, the print medium was, in those days, controlled by the British Indian Government. The Calcutta Central press, where Latifs books were printed, was owned and operated by the British government. It was established in 1863, for the purpose of printing administrative reports, codes and miscellaneous governmental work. Latif would have found it practically impossible to publish his books and distribute it worldwide had he openly criticized the British governments disregard for conservation of Indian history. Against the backdrop of censure, and faced with the great responsibility of documenting Indian History, the foundations of Latifs inferences had to be meticulously researched. In his various books, he drew on the oldest available reliable sources (some of which are now lost or stolen) and cross referenced them in great detail, whenever possible; to produce remarkably detailed manuscripts that attain the highest standards of accuracy and scholarship. His books bring to light the sharp contrast between the Pre and post-Islamic India, and the positive impact and gradual advancement that Muslims in India brought to bear upon the Indian landscape. Latif's eloquent descriptions are not bound to historical monuments only; he describes in vivid detail the Flora and Fauna of the area and the roots of various Indian cultures, families and clans. Syed Muhammad Latif, therefore, comes across as a multi-dimensional historian who provides an intricately woven mesh of social, cultural, natural and geographical history. Doing justice with just one of these historical aspects would be a great accomplishment in itself. Latif, however, goes far beyond that and recreates a living history. Latifs books, especially his History of Punjab, extolls Indians to stop bloodshed in the name of freedom. Notwithstanding the general indifference of the raj towards Indian History, Latif magnanimously gave the British rulers abundant credit where he found it due, both directly and indirectly. On page 600 of History of Punjab he quotes a speech made by Sir John Lawrence that describes the virtues of British raj and the far ranging reforms made by the British government for the citizens of India. Inter-sped between his fascinating historical researches, the contemporary changes in Indian landscape are described in great detail. A true visionary, Latif correctly understood the need to embrace the positive aspects of British raj during the Industrial revolution. His books frequently urged the Indians to embrace change or be left behind. In doing so, Latif must have encountered great resistance from the Mullahs and conservative elements of the society. However, he stuck to this task diligently, and kept beseeching the Indians to embrace change.

Syed Muhammad Latif passed away in 1902 at a relatively young age of 52. In his short but eventful life, he rose to command great respect in Muslim, British and Hindu literary circles. While his books are no more in print, there is little doubt that Latif encouraged several generations of Indians to take pride in their heritage and historical achievements, and provided them with a sense of pride, direction, hope and purpose in their darkest hour. Syed Muhammad Latifs History of the Punjab can be read online: http://www.apnaorg.com/books/english/history-latif/book.php?fldr=book