ABSTRACT
The Barelwis of Mubarakpur to construct a two-storey building of Madrasa Ashrafiya. The dependence on local contribution translated into interference of some Mubarakpuris into the everyday functioning of the madrasa. The Ashrafiya constitution mirrors closely the differentiation and separation of power which comes in the wake of building any modern institution. The madrasas of an earlier period often combined the roles and responsibilities of many functionaries into one. Thus it performs the role of the Nazim as well as being a teacher in the madrasa. The objectives of the madrasa serve two related purposes. First, it lays down in no unequivocal terms that it wants to expand itself from merely imparting only religious education to an institution which teaches other ‘worldly’ subjects also. The second purpose of these objectives was to clearly demarcate what Ashrafiya considered as ‘true Islam’ and what it took upon itself to do.
