The title of this chapter refers to the testimony that Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan gave before the Indian Education Commission in 1882:

This statement before a government body makes it clear that Sir Sayyid had a definite priority, that is, the development of his college at Aligarh, designed to reform the education of Muslim men. In urging this priority to the government, he no doubt hoped for more resources to be directed towards his institution. But did that mean he was against women's education? Not necessarily. Sir Sayyid, in fact, has been praised for his support of women's education, although anyone reading the above quote would have to question that generalization.

What were Sir Sayyid's actual views towards women's education, and what did he mean by its ‘present state’? To answer these questions, one needs to consult a variety of his writings on the topic – not just his testimony before a British government body, where his motives were to urge wise expenditure. Among such writings are his biography of his maternal grandfather, Sirat-e Faridiyya, wherein he discusses his own mother's education, and his articles on the subjects of women and their rights and status, which are part of his collected writings. Only after considering in greater detail his opinions and the contexts in which he rendered them can one have a clear idea of whether or not Sir Sayyid supported women's education.

Sir Sayyid had an unusual childhood. He was raised in the household of his maternal grandfather Khwaja Fariduddin Ahmad (1747–1828), a high official in the Mughal court, who also served the British in various capacities. He was also a learned mathematician and astronomer. In Sirat-e Faridiyya, Sir Sayyid recounts reciting his Persian lesson before this formidable figure and receiving a tongue-lashing for bungling his translation from Sa`di's Bustan.