Page:Twelve men of Bengal in the nineteenth century (1910).djvu/147

Rh with astonishment, strongly deprecated the adoption of English education, quoting the Koran in support of their arguments and some even denouncing the giver of the prize himself as a traitor to his faith. A committee of four was appointed with the approval of the Council of Education to examine the essays, Sir Frederick Halliday, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, consenting to be its President. The best essay was finally adjudged to be that of Syed Abdul Futteh, Arabic and Persian teacher at the Parsi Benevolent Institution in Bombay.

The founding of the Muhammadan Literary Society in April 1863 was another result of Abdul Latif's energy and enthusiasm, and one calculated to be of immense benefit to the Muhammadan community. Its object like that of the informal gatherings, which he had held for many years at his private residence, was to break down prejudice and exclusiveness, and to interest its members in present day politics and modern thought and learning. For the first time under its auspices representative Muhammadans were brought together on common ground and given an opportunity of openly expressing their opinions and aspirations in sympathetic hearing. In spite of its size and political importance the Muhammadan community had hitherto been without a voice and had been in no position to be consulted by or to give advice to Government. The regular