The Ulama in the Age of Colonialism

THE ULAMA IN THE AGE OF COLONIALISM The Ulama have not been assigned to become involved in practical politics. Leaving political disputes to politicians, they must devote themselves entirely to what they have been charged with— scholarly work, social reform, constructive efforts and dawah. W ith Shah Abdul Aziz of Delhi (1762-1823), a new phase in the activities of the Indian Ulama began. This was a period when Indian Muslim leaders were faced with the challenge posed to the Mughal political authority by internal forces, particularly the Marathas, Jats and Sikhs, with whom some of them directly or indirectly engaged in armed confrontation. They seem to have had little or no awareness that the real challenge they faced was from external forces— that of European colonial powers, armed with new weaponry and technology, who were rapidly conquering large parts of India, as well as much of the Muslim world. A sign of how powerful these western forces coming to India via sea route had become by this time was that in 1803, the nominal Mughal Emperor of India came under the protection of the East India Company. Only