Syed Ahmad had a remarkable ancestry. His grandfather was given, in the reign of Alamgiv II., the titles of Jowahid Ali Khan and Jowad-ul dowlah, being commander of L000 foot and 500 horse. His father Muhammad Taqi had so entirely renounced the world and set his face reso lutely against participation in the gaieties and the dazzling splendour of court functions, that when offered the high office of Prime Minister by Emperor Akbar II., he politely declined it. It is obvious that the influence of the father's character and of his asceticism must have produced consider able effect on the young Ahmad's outlook on life, even though he seldom inclined towards asceticism throughout his career. No less potent was the influence exerted by his mother. She would teach her little Ahmad rudiments of reading and writing, and before sending him off to sleep would make him repeat what he had learnt in the day. Syed Ahmad was evidently very well brought up, and was absolutely truthful and straightforward in his younger days, in his dealings with everyone, what ever his rank and office. There is an interesting little incident of his younger days which would well illustrate our statement It is said that Syed Ahmad, while quite young, was to be presented with a Khilat (i.e., free gift of gold embroidered costume) and was commanded by the Emperor to be present in time. In spite of the vigilance of his mother, Syed Ahmad overslept himself on the day fixed for the occasion, and hence could not arrive till the function was formally over. Later on, he happened to meet the Emperor, who without expressing annoyance, asked him sternly what he did with himself. The courtiers that had gathered round him expected that Syed Ahmad should give an ingenious explanation, highly flatter ing to the Emperor. To their dismay and horror, the little boy looked straight into the Emperor's face and told the strict literal truth. These charac teristics, apparently trivial, augured well for the boy's, future. It is more than probable that he inherited his appreciation of the inherent value of right things from his austere and devout-minded father, who as a recluse had not only turned his back on Court favours and ceremonial functions, but even refused the Imperial offer to be invested with his father's titles. It is the very least to say that Syed Ahmad even when young, could discriminate between substance and showy, glittering unreality. And this right perspective in regard to the relative value of things was characteristic of him till the end.
He early accepted government service and won golden opinions from English officials for reliability, impartiality and a sense of justice. He had acquired a working knowledge of English before entering the service. But, later, his frequent intercourse with officials encouraged him to follow up the study of the language more thoroughly. While harnessed with official duties, he completed a book of considerable archeological and historic interest, which aroused great interest and controversy and commended itself to the acceptance of his English colleagues. It is interesting to note that like Raja Ram Mohun Roy, he was somewhat suspicious of, if not quite hostile to, English ways and methods. But actual dealings with the English not only ended the strained feeling but fostered respect and right understanding. He was soon promoted to the office of subordinate Judge, a position which he filled with conspicuous ability, to the satisfaction of all.
Like Ram Mohun he was anxious to attempt a harmony of various faiths, while retaining his personal loyalty to a modified form of the faith he was nurtured in. So we find that just as the Raja wrote " the Precepts of Jesus," so the Syed with a view to reconcile the minds of the more conservative among his co-religionists to the essentials of the Christian faith, wrote a commentary on portions of " the Genesis." During the Mutiny, the Syed rendered yeoman service to the British cause, and through his unflinch ing loyalty, presence of mind and contemptuous defiance of danger, saved many valuable lives of both men and women. Sir John Strachey, in the course
of his speech at Aligarh, on iith December, 188o, paid him an eloquent compliment : " No man ever gave nobler proofs of conspicuous courage and loyalty to the British Government than were given by him in 1857. No language that I could use would be worthy of the devotion he showed." On one occasion when the house occupied by Messrs. Shakespeare, Johnson, Adam and others was surrounded by the rebels under the command of a rebel chief, and the lives of European men and women were every moment in jeopardy, he plucked up courage, divested himself of all weapons and cash and headed straight for Nawab Khan in spite of the entreaties of his English comrades, who felt that he set out on a forlorn hope. On being challenged by the mutinous sentries he calmly assured them that he desired to consult their commander, and with extreme coolness marched up to him, assured him of his bona fide intentions, appealed to the rebel chief's sense of honour and asked him under what conditions he would let them escape with their lives.
He exercised such strong personal magnetism on the chief that he trusted Syed Ahmad implicitly, walked down with him quite unaccompanied into the English Bungalow, and there received a formally signed and sealed document conferring on him the right to rule the provinces till the British returned. The negotiations being complete, the commander of the mutineers faithfully promised to let the Euro peans escape with impunity, if only they could leave before two o'clock the next morning. Equally imposing was Syed Ahmad's manner of approach to Nawab Khan. With cool courage he addressed the commander : " I have neither arms nor money, but please accept my nuzzur (i.e., offering) by putting your hand on mine ; hearty congratula tions that you have received the country of your ancestors. But what is to be done with the Europeans inside that house ? " Some time after peace was restored Mr. Shakespeare, the collector, ' wrote a letter to the commissioner of Rohil Khand, from which the following excerpt may be interesting to our readers.
" All the three officers (i.e., Syed Ahmad Khan, Mir Turab Ali Tehsildar and Rahmat Khan, Deputy Collector) on whom I am reporting have shown con spicuous loyalty, but if I were required to draw a distinction, I should do so in favour of Syed Ahmad Khan, whose clear, sound judgment, and rare uprightness and zeal could scarcely be surpassed." Some little while after the Rebellion of 1857, Syed Ahmad wrote an interesting book on the causes of the Indian Revolt which, however, was not published till 1873. In this book the author urged many elo quent pleas for mutual understanding and study of the people's point of view, for trusting the people, consulting them on questions of policy and custom, and the fostering of confidence and mutual self respect as between the rulers and the ruled. In one remarkable passage he says : " Most men agree in thinking that it is highly conducive to the welfare and prosperity of government—indeed, is essential to its stability, that the people should have a voice in its councils. It is from the voice of the people only that government can learn whether its projects are likely to be well received. The voice of the people can alone check errors in the bud, and warn us of dangers, before they burst upon and destroy us. A needle may dam the gushing rivulet, an elephant must turn aside from the swollen torrent. This voice, however, can never be heard, and this security never acquired, unless the people are allowed a share in the consultations of government. . . . The security of a government is founded on its knowledge of the character of the governed, as well as on its careful observance of their rights and privileges. They are in every instance the inherit ance of the peculiar race." One hears faint, distant echoes in these utterances of Indian members of Council and their indirect representation. therein.