AKBAR ALLAHABADI AND NATIONAL POLITICS 31 not devoid of the names of the Saiyid and the Shaikh/But the poet is not addressing himself to their persons.'19 The adverse effect on communal harmony20 of the Hindi-Urdu controversy which began in 1867, was intensified by the British policy of 'Divide and Rule*. Prompted by his assessment of the situation, Akbar warned his compatriots, 'I have witnessed the policies of the Muslims and the moves of the Hindus:/The first is puerile, artd the other usually dangerous.' 21 By 1871, differences surfaced between the two communities over the issue of cow slaughter in addition to that of language (Hindi-Urdu). Akbar protested against this and, even more significantly, suggested that it was all to the advantage of the rulers: Where is now that friendship between the Muslims and the Hindus? The enemies now pass, smiling at them. They quarrel over the cow and language, The prescriptipn of 'gao'zuban1 ('cow's tongue' is a prescription in Unani medicine) is extremely harmful.22 Akbar looked beyond these quarrels to the situation prevalent in the country. He was one with Dadabhoy Naoroji in seeing India as no more than a helpless colony, subjected to unrestrained economic exploitation by Britain. In the face of this reality, how futile was the mutual bickering of the Hindus and Muslims? The poet admonishes them in the following verse: It is wrong to say that India is the land of Islam, It is false to say that India is the country of Lakshman and Ram, All of us are the subjects and well-wishers of the English, What is India, but a godown for Europe?23 Akbar served as Munsif of Kol (Aligarh) in 1880.24 He met Sir Saiyid Ahmad Khan (the Saiyid) but, if Akbar is to be believed, the parting of ways was swift enough: One night I went to meet the Saiyid, Unfortunately, we could not have a long conversation. He said 'To support religious reforms is your duty', I went away, saying good-bye.25 A TRADITIONALIST Akbar was at heart a traditionalist, and loved the old values and culture to distraction; yet he also believed that modern education should be made available to Muslims. He admired Sir Saiyid for his social and educational work, and most interestingly, describes the lack of education as a factor behind India's national subjugation;