In an article written by Jyoti Basu on the Great revolution of 1857, it was mentioned that shortly after the outbreak of the revolution Karl Marx in the New York Tribune, 28 July, 1857, described it, correctly, as "not a military mutiny, but a national Revolt". The most important aspects of the revolution was the solidarity amongst the rebels cutting across religious and provincial lines. The revolt spread rapidly in eastern and northern India.
After the collapse of the Great revolution of 1857, the Muslims in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent were hounded out of all opportunities and employments.Full advantage of the hostile attitude of the british was taken by other communitieswho thus surpassed the the Muslims in every fied. It was the genius of Syed Ahmed Khan which tried to bring about a change in their prejudices against the British.In 1857 Syed Ahmed Khan laid the foundation of the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh.It was in the great hall of Aligarh College, that in the year 1896, this grand old man of Muslim India met a very young man in whom he soon began to pin his hopes.His Highness Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah Prince Aga Khanhad visited the college where Syed Ahmed Khan, aged 82, welcomed him and presented an address in Persian to which the former also replied in Persian. Two years later Syed Ahmed Khan passed away.
In 1897, the Aga Khan three addresses of congratulations to the thenViceroy Lord Elgin at Simla ; one on behalf of his community, the as leader of The Muslims of Western India and a hird on ehlf of a representative assembly of the citizens of Bombay and Poona.
In 1902, Prince Aga Khan was appointed for two years a member of the viceroy's Council, which in those days was a very influential body. He took his residence in Calcutta then capital of India.
