Yet the record pertaining to the Aligarh Muslim College, later on University, shows that even the one, who could be called the real founder of M.A.O College, Moulvi Muhammad Samiullah Khan, passed on the honour to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.
The story, according to Syed Abdul Karim, author of Tazkirah Muhammad Samiullah Khan, unfolds this interesting story. Even though Sir Syed Ahmed Khan founded the Scientific Society in 1864 and soon after his return from England, also established the Committee of Khwastagaran-i-Taraqqui-i-Talim (Committee of Proponents of Progress in Education), the person who did his utmost to make it a success was Moulvi Muhammad Samiullah Khan. It was a huge task.
A Committee to raise the funds to make it possible to establish a Darul-Uloom was founded in Banaras in 1872. It was known as M.A.O College Fund Committee. As soon as the decision to establish the College at Aligarh was taken, the utmost difficulty in raising funds, was Sir Syeds journal Tehzibul Akhlaq. Some of the articles published in the journal had created stiff hostility against Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.
Since Sir Syed Ahmed was in government service it was not possible for him to call a spade a spade and silence the growing opposition. Luckily, it was at this junction that the services of Moulvi Samiullah Khan, who was a Magistrate in Banaras, were transferred to Aligarh.
It was exactly the time for a non-controversial person, like Samiullah Khan, to lead the hectic campaign. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had set the target of the initial fund at 15 lakhs before starting the construction of the Madrasah. It was Samiullah Khan who opposed Sir Syed on the grounds that it was, in no way, appropriate to wait for that huge amount.
He thought that the Madrasah should be opened with as much funds as was available and the Fund Committee should continue to reach its target gradually. Moulvi Samiullah Khan prevailed upon the members to side with him and succeeded in his efforts.
He thought that as soon as the Madrasah would start functioning the Fund would grow briskly as the people would the Madrasah coming up gradually, in concrete form. Sir Syed was opposed to the idea tooth and nail. But Samiullah Khan didnt budge an inch and had his way. He persuaded the Committee to inaugurate the construction of the Madrasah on Queen Victorias birthday, ie May 24, 1875.
The first brick of the Madrasah was laid by Moulvi Samiullah, an honour which speaks for itself. By that time enough funds were collected and the Madrasah, comprising three bungalows, one for the school, the other for the Boarding House and the third for the Principals residence were acquired. The skeleton staff and faculty were appointed and classes started from June 1, 1875.
The first class of the Madrasah was equivalent to class III of the government schools of North-Western Province, now U.P. The first student to be registered in the class was Hamidullah Khan, the elder son of Moulvi Samiullah Khan, who later on became Sir Buland Jang Haji Muhammad Hamidullah Khan, BA, Bar-at-Law.
The first Principal of the Madrasah was . Siddons. The other members of the first team of Faculty were Moulvi Muhammad Akbar, Pandit Beej Nath B.A, second Master; Master Moulvi Abul Hasan Third Master; Moulvi Syed Jafer Ali, a Shia Scholar, Moulvi Najuf Ali the first teacher of Persian and Moulvi Abul Hasan Badayuni.
It was Moulvi Samiullah Khans effort that the Madrasat-ul-Uloom made phenomenal progress during the first six months and the funds kept growing. The majority of Zamindars and eminent personalities of Northern India had a very high opinion of him, as he was following the traditional path of Islamic beliefs.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, in the capacity of the secretary of the College Fund, in a meeting of the Fund Committee paid rich tributes to the sagacity of Moulvi Samiullah Khan, before the Lieutenant Governor Sir William Muir on November 11, 1875. He said that had Moulvi Samiullah not supervised all the matters relating to the Madrasah, it wouldnt have been possible to start the Madrasah so soon.
Sir William Muir, applauded in his speech, the great efforts which Moulvi Samiullah Khan made to make the Madrasah a grand success. His Highness Maharaja Mahinder Singh G.C.S.1 of Patiala also paid a visit to the Madrasah in December 1875, and announced an annual grant of Rs 1800. He praised the efforts of Moulvi Samiullah Khan.
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, presenting the annual report of 1877 had said: "This College has been founded due to the firm determination and wise leadership of Moulvi Samiullah Khan. The College Fund committee was of the view that until the Fund, amounting to 15 lakhs was not collected, the Madrasah or College shouldnt start. It was the solitary insistence of Moulvi Samiullah Khan to start the project piece meal which was approved by the committee.
It was only after Moulvi Sahibs idea proved itself right that funds began to swell. Undoubtedly, Moulvi Samiullah Khan is the founder of this College who successfully accomplished the mission he had set for himself and this honour will always belong to no one but Moulvi Sahib". Now who can counter Moulvi Samiullah Khans accolade as the Founder of M.A.O College if Sir Syed Ahmed was himself conferring this honour on Moulvi Samiullah Khan (Page 20 of Tazkirah Moulvi Samiullah Khan).
It is true that Sir Syed Ahmed Khan dedicated himself completely to accomplish the unfinished task because it was too big for Moulvi Samiullah Khan alone to handle. His involvement in the M.A.O College grew so much that not before long no one else but Sir Syed Ahmed Khan could be known as the savior of Indian Muslims, so much so that history doesnt know of any greater person than Sir Syed. But the person whom Sir Syed eclipsed in the final analysis was Moulvi Samiullah Khan.
Moulvi Sahibs differences with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan over the nomination of Syed Mehmood as Secretary of the Committee for Rules and Regulations for the Trustees were so serious that there was an unbridgeable gulf between them. Now a brief sketch of Moulvi Samiullah Khans life: Born in Dehli in 1834, he was son of Maulvi Muhammad Azizullah Khan. His genealogy, thirty three generations back, could be traced to Hazrat Ali. It was at the instance of Emperor Shah Alam that his ancestor Shaikh Ahmed, previously settled in Dera Ghazi Khan agreed to reside in Delhi.
He was a scholar of high stature. His teachers were Mufti Sadruddin Azurda, Moulvi Mamlok Ali and Syed Muhammad. He joined Magistracy in 1857, standing first in examination and his first posting was in Kanpur. He achieved great distinction in judiciary and served the British government in Egypt as a staff member of Earl of Northbrook. He retired from government service in 1892.
He was the first President of All India Muhammadan Educational Conference in 1886, an organisation which was formed a year after the All India Congress as a Muslim response to it. Sir Syed didnt agree with the aims and objectives of the Congress and tried to keep the Muslims of India away from it. After Sir Syeds death in 1898, Moulvi Samiullah Khan once again worked for the cause of Aligarh Movement. He died in 1908 in Aligarah and was buried in Delhi.