Which of the following statements about Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and his ideas is or are correct in the context of modern Indian history?

Introduction / Context:
This question deals with Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, a key figure in modern Indian history who promoted modern education among Muslims and later influenced political thought. The question presents four statements about his ideas and the curriculum of the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College and asks which are correct. It tests both conceptual understanding of his political views and factual knowledge about his educational reforms.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Statement 1: He argued that India was a federation of ethnic communities based on common descent.
• Statement 2: His philosophy was very similar to that of the Indian National Congress.
• Statement 3: He imagined India as a nation state based on rights of individual citizens.
• Statement 4: The curriculum at the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College blended Muslim theology and European empiricism.
• We must identify which statements are correct.

Concept / Approach:
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan broadly viewed India as a collection of distinct communities, particularly emphasising differences between Hindus and Muslims. This matches statement 1, which is therefore correct. He was critical of the Indian National Congress and did not share its inclusive nationalist philosophy, so statement 2 is incorrect. He did not primarily imagine India as a nation state built on individual citizen rights; instead he stressed community based representation, making statement 3 incorrect. At the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College in Aligarh, he indeed tried to combine traditional Islamic learning with modern Western scientific and empirical education, so statement 4 is correct. Therefore the correct combination is statements 1 and 4 only.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Assess statement 1 and recall that Sir Syed saw India as composed of different communities, especially Hindu and Muslim, and argued along those lines, so it is correct. Step 2: Examine statement 2 and remember that he warned Muslims not to join the early Congress, so his philosophy was not similar to that of the Congress; this statement is incorrect. Step 3: Consider statement 3 and note that he did not base his political ideas on individual citizen rights but rather on communal identities, so this is also incorrect. Step 4: Evaluate statement 4 and recall that the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College aimed to mix Muslim theology with Western style scientific and empirical education, which makes this statement correct. Step 5: Conclude that statements 1 and 4 are correct and select the option mentioning them together.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can think of Sir Syed's role in the Aligarh Movement, where he strongly advocated English education and Western sciences while preserving Islamic religious learning, confirming statement 4. His political writings emphasised the distinctive identity of Indian Muslims and warned against majoritarian politics, fitting statement 1. Meanwhile, he openly criticised the Indian National Congress and did not support its early nationalist programme, which disproves statement 2. His thinking did not revolve around abstract individual rights but around community representation and balance, which contradicts statement 3. These checks confirm that only 1 and 4 are correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1 only: This would ignore the important fact about the blended curriculum of the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College described in statement 4.
2 and 3: Both statements are incorrect because Sir Syed was critical of the Congress and did not imagine India purely as a nation state of individual citizens.

3 only: This wrongly isolates an incorrect statement and ignores the accurate descriptions in statements 1 and 4.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes oversimplify modern thinkers into pro or anti nationalist categories and assume that any reformer must have agreed with the Congress and individual rights based nationalism. Another trap is to underplay the unique educational approach at Aligarh, which combined Western empiricism with Islamic theology. To avoid confusion, remember that Sir Syed's legacy is twofold: modern scientific education for Muslims and a community based political vision distinct from the early Congress line.

Final Answer:
The correct statements are 1 and 4, so the right option is 1 and 4.