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When I last visited London, I made it a point to visit the house where Sir Syed Ahmed khan stayed when he travelled to London between 1869-70. After some research and over two hours of walk on foot and having almost lost in a maze of Victorian era buildings, I did manage to find the "Goodenough House" (not the Goodenouch house, wrongly mentioned elsewhere), surprisingly unknown to many Aligarians residing in London for over 50 years. It is an immaculately maintained building, attached to the Goodenough College, but itself now turned to "Goodenough Club", serving as a residential club for visiting alumni and dignitaries of the college. It was here, in 1869-70, where Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the founder of world renowned Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India, stayed for seventeen months and where he dreamt of building the Oxford of India. Words fall short to express my feelings, standing at doorstep where Sir Syed feet must have stepped in, and inside where he must have had stayed. It was in the year 1869, Sir Syed's son Mahmud khan had won the first North-West Province's scholarship to Cambridge. Sir Syed, always impressed by high education status of the British and sad about the plight of Muslim education in India, grabbed the opportunity to accompany his son and see the British culture first hand. On April 1, 1869, and at the age of 52, Sir Syed along with his two sons (the other son Hamid also joined in), left Benaras (where he was posted) for Jabalpur by train, then to Nagpur by bullock-cart, and from here by train to Bombay, where he boarded the ship "Baroda". He travelled to Suez, then by train to Alexandria, then to Marseilles and Paris. While breaking his journey in Paris, he visited the Palace of Versailles. He reached Calais and from there he crossed the English Channel to reach London.
In London, he was invited by Lord Lawrence, the former viceroy of India. He saw Queen Victoria inauguration of a viaduct in London, and attended the last reading given by the famous writer Charles Dickens. | 
The Goodenough College |
He also visited Derby. He saw engineering works, visited gun-founderies and Museums. He was honoured with "Star of India" by Duke of Argyll. He prepared the blocks for the to-be-published Tehzeeb-ul-Akhlaq, the idea of which was also conceived here. Here he published the rebuttal of a book "Life of Mohammed" by the Governor of North-West Province, Sir William Muir. 
Blue Plate at the Gate of Goodenough House | He visited the Cambridge and Oxford universities and many schools. He was impressed by the high level of education and modern science being imparted there. He wished to translate whole of arts and sciences here into Indian languages and wished them to be "written in gigantic letters on the Himalayas". He told his friends "This is the truth, this is the truth, this is the truth". And so the seeds of Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College and the future Aligarh Muslim University were already laid.
He left London on Sept 4, 1870 and reached Bombay on October 2, of 1870 as the enlightened Sir Syed and the rest, as the world knows, is all history. (Reference: "Understanding the Muslim Minds", By Rajmohan Gandhi, Penguin. Wikepdia, etc). |
The exact room where Sir stayed is lost in history, but the manager of the club, Ms Noelle Vickers, has promised me to seek the help of the college historian to locate the exact room, and I eagerly await this information. I also appreciate the manager's offer of a discounted stay in any of the room of the club, for all the Aligarians (website: www.club.goodenough.ac.uk).
For pictures and Maps, visit: www.babarnazir.freewebspace.com Address:Goodenough Club, 23 Mecklenburgh Square, London WC1N2AD
How to reach: Hardly 50mts North-East from Russell's Square Tube Station, immediately adjacent to Coram's Field Park, ask for Goodenough Club. Interestingly, on the way you pass by International Hostel, that was inaugurated by Vijay Laxmi Pandit, Sister of Jawahar Lal Nehru and the then ambassador of India to UK.
Regards,
Dr Babar Nazir, MD, FRCR
Radiologist, Al Hammadi Hospital,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
O.L.F, City High School (1989-1991),
10+2 AMU (1989-90),
MBBS (JNMC, 1991-1997),
MD and Registrarship (JNMC,1998-2002). email:
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