DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68024#0300
292
(3) That a Commission should be appointed in Bengal to examine the whole question
of Muhammadan education, and to devise a practical scheme for that purpose.
(4) That a Commission should be appointed to enquire into the nature of the existing
Mussulman, endowments and accretions, to decide whether they should or should
not be applied to promote Muhammadan education, and that Act XX of 1863
should be amended in accordance with the suggestions of such Commission.
(5) That a number of Muhammadan Judges qualified to expound the Muhammadan
law should be appointed in the mofussil, and should, in fact, sit as Assessor
Judges in the trial of Muhammadan cases.
(6) That in the High Courts of Calcutta, the North-Western Provinces, Madras and
Bombay, as well as in the Chief Court of Lahore, a Muhammadan Jndge
should be appointed to assist the European and Hindu Judges in administering
properly the Mussalman law.
7. The second prayer of the memorialists does not apply to the Punjab. Urdu is the
language of the courts in this Province, and Muhammadans are under no disqualification in this
respect in regard to appointments connected with the judicial system. The further petitions of
the memorial will now be considered seriatim.
8. State patronage.—According to the last Punjab Civil List, appointments held by the
Hindu and Muhammadan officials of the higher classes in the Punjab were distributed as
follows:—
Appointments.
Muhammadans.
Hindus.
Extra Assistant Commissioners.
54
38
Tahsildars ............
50
72
Munsiffs .............
28
46
Superintendents of Settlement .........
9
15
Total Administrative and Judicial appointments . . . ' .
141
171
Executive and Assistant Engineers, Public Works Department ....
2
18
Assistant Surgeons . . . . . .
13
52
Professors and Headmasters, Educational Department .....
4
22
Forest Rangers, Forest Department ........
8
9
Grand Total
168
272
The Muhammadans of the Punjab number 10j millions, and the Hindus, Sikhs and others
millions. It will be generally admitted that the Muhammadans have their full share of high
uncovenanted appointments in the Province. Until recently the appointments to the post of
Extra Assistant Commissioner have been made on the recommendation of the Judges of the
Chief Court and the Financial Commissioner, without any element of competition, the persons
go appointed being required to pass examinations after they had been nominated to the office
In regard to these appointments, therefore, the evidence of fitness preceding appointment is
incomplete. The number of Muhammadan Extra Assistant Commissioners exceeds the
number of Hindus. In making appointments to the post of Tahsildar or Munsiff, regard is
paid to the fact that the candidate has passed the prescribed examination, and the fitness of
the candidate is in each case more closely scrutinized. Here Muhammadans, although possess”
ing a considerable share of the appointments, are less in number than the Hindus. When we
come to consider appointments to departments which need a special and technical education,
the Muhammadans at once fall into an insignificant minority as shewn by the figures of the
Public Works, the Medical and the Educational Departments. With regard to non-officia]
employment, we find that out of a total of 154 pleaders only 27 are Muhammadans, while 127
are Hindus. Thus, in an open profession, to which any one with the requisite qualifications
can be admitted without partiality or favouritism, the Muhammadans are largely in the
minority.
9. These facts conclusively show that the Government has not been behindhand in afford-
ing opportunities to members of the Muhammadan community to distinguish themselves as
servants of the State; on the contrary, if the energy displayed respectively by Hindus and
Muhammadans in the scientific and legal professions be taken as a test of their respective
fitness, an undue share of patronage has been bestowed upon the Muhammadan section of the
community. Colonel Holroyd observes that the failure of Muhammadans to secure high appoint-
ments in the Educational Department is owing to the want of a knowledge of English which
prevails in the community. But there is no rule in the Punjab, as in Bengal, demanding
(3) That a Commission should be appointed in Bengal to examine the whole question
of Muhammadan education, and to devise a practical scheme for that purpose.
(4) That a Commission should be appointed to enquire into the nature of the existing
Mussulman, endowments and accretions, to decide whether they should or should
not be applied to promote Muhammadan education, and that Act XX of 1863
should be amended in accordance with the suggestions of such Commission.
(5) That a number of Muhammadan Judges qualified to expound the Muhammadan
law should be appointed in the mofussil, and should, in fact, sit as Assessor
Judges in the trial of Muhammadan cases.
(6) That in the High Courts of Calcutta, the North-Western Provinces, Madras and
Bombay, as well as in the Chief Court of Lahore, a Muhammadan Jndge
should be appointed to assist the European and Hindu Judges in administering
properly the Mussalman law.
7. The second prayer of the memorialists does not apply to the Punjab. Urdu is the
language of the courts in this Province, and Muhammadans are under no disqualification in this
respect in regard to appointments connected with the judicial system. The further petitions of
the memorial will now be considered seriatim.
8. State patronage.—According to the last Punjab Civil List, appointments held by the
Hindu and Muhammadan officials of the higher classes in the Punjab were distributed as
follows:—
Appointments.
Muhammadans.
Hindus.
Extra Assistant Commissioners.
54
38
Tahsildars ............
50
72
Munsiffs .............
28
46
Superintendents of Settlement .........
9
15
Total Administrative and Judicial appointments . . . ' .
141
171
Executive and Assistant Engineers, Public Works Department ....
2
18
Assistant Surgeons . . . . . .
13
52
Professors and Headmasters, Educational Department .....
4
22
Forest Rangers, Forest Department ........
8
9
Grand Total
168
272
The Muhammadans of the Punjab number 10j millions, and the Hindus, Sikhs and others
millions. It will be generally admitted that the Muhammadans have their full share of high
uncovenanted appointments in the Province. Until recently the appointments to the post of
Extra Assistant Commissioner have been made on the recommendation of the Judges of the
Chief Court and the Financial Commissioner, without any element of competition, the persons
go appointed being required to pass examinations after they had been nominated to the office
In regard to these appointments, therefore, the evidence of fitness preceding appointment is
incomplete. The number of Muhammadan Extra Assistant Commissioners exceeds the
number of Hindus. In making appointments to the post of Tahsildar or Munsiff, regard is
paid to the fact that the candidate has passed the prescribed examination, and the fitness of
the candidate is in each case more closely scrutinized. Here Muhammadans, although possess”
ing a considerable share of the appointments, are less in number than the Hindus. When we
come to consider appointments to departments which need a special and technical education,
the Muhammadans at once fall into an insignificant minority as shewn by the figures of the
Public Works, the Medical and the Educational Departments. With regard to non-officia]
employment, we find that out of a total of 154 pleaders only 27 are Muhammadans, while 127
are Hindus. Thus, in an open profession, to which any one with the requisite qualifications
can be admitted without partiality or favouritism, the Muhammadans are largely in the
minority.
9. These facts conclusively show that the Government has not been behindhand in afford-
ing opportunities to members of the Muhammadan community to distinguish themselves as
servants of the State; on the contrary, if the energy displayed respectively by Hindus and
Muhammadans in the scientific and legal professions be taken as a test of their respective
fitness, an undue share of patronage has been bestowed upon the Muhammadan section of the
community. Colonel Holroyd observes that the failure of Muhammadans to secure high appoint-
ments in the Educational Department is owing to the want of a knowledge of English which
prevails in the community. But there is no rule in the Punjab, as in Bengal, demanding