Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, one of the architects of the modern Sub Continent was born on October 17, 1817 in Delhi and started his career as a civil servant. He was one of those early pioneers who recognized the critical role of education in the empowerment of the poor and backward Muslim community. The Aligarh Institute Gazette, an organ of the Scientific Society, was launched in March 1866 and succeeded in agitating the minds in the traditional Muslim society. Anyone with a poor level of commitment would have backed off in theface of strong opposition but Sir Syed responded by bringing out another journal, Tehzibul Akhlaq which was rightly named in English as 'Mohammedan Social Reformer' In 1875, Sir Syed founded the Madarsatul Uloom in Aligarh and patterned the MAO College after Oxford and Cambridge universities that he went on a trip to London. His objective was to build a college in line with the British education system but without compromising its Islamic values. The aim of Sir Syed was not merely restricted to establishing a college at Aligarh but at spreading a network of Muslim Managed educational institutions throughout the length and breadth of the country keeping in view this end, he instituted All India Muslim Educational Conference that revived the spirit of Muslims at national level. The Aligarh Movement motivated the Muslims to help open a number of educational institutions. It was the first of its kind of such Muslim NGO in India, which awakened the Muslims from their deep slumber and infused social and political sensibility into them. Sir Syed contributed many essential elements to the development of the modern society of the subcontinent. During Sir Syed's own lifetime, 'The Englishman', a renowned British magazine of the 19th century remarked in a commentary on November 17, 1885: 'Sir Syed's life "strikingly illustrated one of the best phases of modern history". He died on March 27, 1898 and lies buried next to the main mosque at AMU.