Hyderabad, Oct. 19 -- Some men leave behind monuments of stone. A rare few leave behind a vision that shapes generations. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan belongs to the second category.

October 17 marks the 209th birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the educationist who sought to transform Indian society through modern education, scientific inquiry and democratic dialogue. Born in Delhi in 1817, when the Mughal Empire was in decline, he came from a family whose forebears had served the Mughal court. He joined the East India Company's service in 1837-38 and retired in 1876 as a Judge of the Small Causes Court.

A turning point came in 1855, when Sir Syed approached Mirza Ghalib for a foreword to his critical edition of Abul Fazl's Ain-i-Akbari. ...