modern industrial
                                                       and technological
                                                       progress; it was the
                                                       most closely knit
                                                       and the best
                                                       organised Muslim
                                                       group in India.
  Muhammadan 1886         Aligarh       Sir Syed and   Its aim was to
  Educational                           Ahman Khan     promote the
  Conference                            others         education of
                                                       Muslim masses on
                                                       western lines (this
                                                       and other
                                                       educational and
                                                       social service
                                                       activities of Sir
                                                       Syed and his
                                                       followers are
                                                       together known as
                                                       the ‘Aligarh
                                                       Movement’)
GROWTH OF INDIAN MIDDLE CLASS
By the Charter Act of 1833 the East India Company was transformed from a
business organisation into a political institution. As the Company was
debarred from functioning as a business organisation and trade in India was
thrown open to the Europeans, many European capitalists came to India and
invested their capital. This increased the Indian import and export trade
manifold. In this commercial growth, the share of the Indians was negligible.
    Whatever share the Indians had, the major portion of it was in the hands
of the Marwaris, Mughals and the Parsis. Next to these three communities
came the Bengalis. With the spread of trade and commerce there was the rise
of naibs. gomasthas, brokers and  accountants and with the rise in the number