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Khilafat Movement 1919-24

Background:

 Vicegerent khalifa/naib
 Khilafat-refer to the system of government in the Islamic state
 Khilafat from khulafa to Umayyad to Abbasside then to Fatimid and finally to Ottomans
of Turks
 Khilafat in the sub-continent:
o Muslim rulers except Mughal ruled over India with the name of the Khalifa- their
names appeared on the coins
o However the Mughal except Akbar did not claim to be khalifa
o Muslims generally had great respect for the Khalifa

Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries

 During the British Rule: Muslims feeling remain the same
o Growing pan-Islamic feelings among the Muslims in 19th century- wearing Turkish
fez, Abdul Bari Farangi Mahal wrote a book Jihad and depicted Sultan of Turkey
as Badsha-i-Muslimiin
o Sir Sayyed warned about the pan-Islamic feelings of the Muslims at that time
o Medical Mission to Turkey- comprised 24 members headed by Dr. M.A. Ansari
o Anjuman-i-Khudam-i-Kabba headed by Abdul Bari Farangi Mahal to awaken
among the Muslims the spirit of protection of the holy places.
o War between Italy and Turkey in Tripoli
o Captured of Morocco by France
o Balkan Wars 1912-13- Indian Medical Mission to Turkey headed by Dr. M.A.
Ansari
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o Resulted in the end of all European territories of Turkey

World War I
o Signs of Turkey to join the Central Powers in the war against the Allied Powers
o Mohammad Ali wired the Caliph but Turkey had its own reasons i.e. Russians
threat and no guarantee from the Allied Powers of Turkey’s security against
Russia.
o About 1.3 million Indian soldiers and laborers served in Europe, Africa, and the
Middle East, while both the Indian administration and the princes sent large
supplies of food, money, and ammunition
o 100 pounds million were given to G.B. 20-30 million pounds were contributed
annually (Iqbal, p. 159)
o During the war only 15000 British troops remained in India. (Iqbal, p. 159)
o Lloyd George P.M. UK stated on January 5, 1918 that ‘… not fighting to deprive
Turkey of the rich and renowned lands of Asia and Thrace which are
predominantly Turkish race’.
 Formation of Khilafat Committee 1919
o September 21, 1919 first meeting in Lucknow
o Khilafat committee in Bombay headed by Jan Mohammad Chotani as president
o Objectives of the Khilafat movement

1. To maintain the Turkish Caliphate.

2. To protect the holy places of the Muslims.

3. To maintain the unity of the Ottoman Empire.

 Khilafat Day on October 17, 1919- All business suspended, fasted special prayers
 In November 11, 1919 Bombay Khilafat Committee changed its name to Central Khilafat
Committee
 23 and 24 October 1919 Khilafat Conference at Delhi- resolution adopted asking for
o To boycott the peace celebrations
o To boycott the British goods
o To send a deputation to England if necessary to America
Hindus views
Background:
Jalianwala Bagh Incident
o The incident took place on April 13, 1919 at Jalianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab
(which happened to be ‘Baisakhi’ one of Punjab’s largest religious festivals)
resulting 1,526 casualties by the British military Bragadier-General Dyer. He
opened fire which lasted for ten to fifteen minutes until ammunition was running
short.
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o Before this event Anti-Rowlett agitation continued and in the month of April
unrest was observed in Punjab which led to curfew in Lahore.

Bullet marks, visible on a preserved wall, at present-day

Udham Singh Jalianwala Bagh Memorial

A young Sikh teenager who was being raised at Khalsa Orphanage named Udham
Singh saw the happening with his own eyes. He vowed to avenge the Amritsar
massacre. On 13 March 1940, he opened fire on Michael O’Dwyer who was governor of
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Punjab when the massacre had taken place shot him dead. On July 31, 1940 Udham
Singh was hanged in London.

M.K. Gandhi “such an opportunity of uniting Hindus and Mohammadan as would not arise a
hundred years”.
December 1919 Khilafat session at Amritsar
 Indian national Congress and Muslim League also hold its session in the same town.
 Khilafat delegation to England- Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Sayyed Suleman Nadvi, Dr. Sayyed
Hussain and Hassan Hayat
o Met with the PM Lloyd George, PM of France, premier of Italy and the Pope also
but all in vein.
 Treaty of Sèvres:
o May 15, 1920 peace terms were announced and on August 11, 1920 peace treaty
was signed- Cyprus, Sudan, Egypt, Arab territories were given to mandate
system.
o Iraq and Syria
o Army, Navy were reduced
o The whole of European territory with Smyrna was given to Greece
o Army was disarmed military school were closed
o Khalifa became merely a puppet in the hands of Allied Forces
o These terms greatly perturbed the Muslims feelings
o Khilafat Day in March 1920.
o National Week 6-13 April 1920
Non-Cooperation Movement
o Khilafat Committee meeting at Bombay on April 11-14, 1920 which adopted the
Non-cooperation movement in the shape of 7-point agenda
1. Surrender of titles and honorary offices and refusal to attend darbar and
government functions
2. Withdrawal of students from the schools, colleges and institutions
3. Establishment of independent institutions
4. Boycott of British courts by layers and establishment of independent
courts
5. Boycott of recruitment for services in Mesopotamia
6. Boycott of election to council
7. Boycott of foreign goods and use of indigenous goods
o Indian National Congress already adopted the non-cooperation movement
o Gandhi become one of the most important leaders of the Khilafat movement
o Hindus enthusiasm coincided with the Jalianwala Bagh incident

 Indians particularly the Muslims took active part in the movement and observe
the call of the non-cooperation and Khilafat.
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 Aligarh Muslim University was boycotted and established Jami Millia, Aligarh
which later on shifted to Delhi and Dr. Zakir Hussain become its first vice
chancellor.

Jamia Milli Delhi (Photo taken during our visit to India in 2007)

Jamia Millia Delhi (photo taken during PUTA visit 2007)

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M.G.K.P Varanasi

Another institution built by the Hindus in Banaras known as Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth
(M.G.K.P.) this is the institute where Lal Bahadar Shastri studied.

(A group photo of PUTA with the Vice Chancellor of M.G.K.V.)

The official car of the Vice chancellor M.G.K.V.P (photo taken during India visit in 2007)

 1/4th of the registered voters to record their votes. In some constituencies there were no
elections because no candidate was there.
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 Boycott of the visit of Prince of Wales in 1920

Hijrat Movement 1920

o An offshoot of the Khilafat movement- Abul Kalam Azad give verdict in favour of Hijrat.

o Afghan king, Amirullah Kahn also favorable to Muhajirin

o Started in May 1920 and ended in August 1920.

o Peshawar as hub of the movement- Namak Mandi becomes centre- serais hired by Jan
Mohammad, president of Peshawar Hijrat Committee.

o Sindhi Kafila under the leadership of Jan Mohammad Junejo- about one thousand
people

o Figures vary from 18000 to 2000000. However it is not less than 200000.

o Indian Muhajirin Committee at Kabul

o When hardship of the muhajirin increased the committee requested the afghan
government to halt the movement and thus ended in August. Afghan being a poor
country could bore the influx of the muhajirin in such a great number. Thus, the
Muhajirin started coming back to their native land.

o Some of the Muhajirin started journey to Russia and continued their struggle against the
British.

Mopla uprising
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Khalifa Musliyar declared Khilafat in Mopla, Hindu role was suspicious,

Moplah uprising 10000 died

Hazara uprising

People revolt and British administration became standstill.

Use of air force in Ugi to suppress the people uprising

Churra Churi Incident

o February 14, 1922. Some people besieged a local police station burnt 21
policemen alive. Gandhi withdraws his support from the movement on February
14, 1922.

o Subas Chandar Boss and Mohammad Ali protest but in all efforts failed to change
Gandhi’s decision

Development in Turkey

Ankara Government abolished Khilafat on March 3, 1924- wa shakh hi na rahi jis pa ashyana
tha

Impacts of the Khilafat Movement

 Failed in its objectives

 The first Mass political movement in Indo-Pak after 1857.

 Hindu-Muslim Unity

 Emergence of trained Muslim Political leadership

 Religion and Politics

 Pan-Islamic Feelings in the present-day Pakistan have its roots in Khilafat movement

 Both ulama and modern educated people participated

 Self-reliance – non-cooperation with the British and establishment of schools and

courts.

 Destroyed the myth of Muslim loyalism towards the British

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 Expose the myth of Hindu-Muslim unity

Post Khilafat Movement Era in India Politics

Hindu-Muslim Riots

1924-------------- 11 riots

1925-------------- 18

1926 -------------- 35

1927 ------------- 31

Total riots in four years 90

Death toll for the five years are about 450, injured at least 50000 (Afzal Iqbal, Muslim
Luminaries, p. 171)

Rise of Hindu Revivalist Movements

 During Khilafat movement Hindu feared an Afghan attack on India and probable support
of the Muslims of India with the Afghan government

 Kohat tragedy- resulted killing of people, Gandhi fasting against the killing of Hindus,
appointment of the enquiry committee and its deliberation in Rawalpindi, Shawkat Ali
reservation on the committee

 Shuddhi Movement: derive from shuddhikaran means purification, a socio-political

movement aim to abolish the practice of untouchables by converting outcasts from
other religions to Hinduism. Founded in 1923.

 Some prominent leaders include Swami Sharddhanand, Lala Lajpat Roy, Dr. Moonji.
Swami Sharddhanand was killed by a Muslim Abdur Rashid in 1926.

 Sangathan Movement. Sangathan means to organize, organizing the Hindus ostensibly

for defence against attacks, exercises and gymnastic for Hindu youth, to make Hinduism
a dynamic relegion.

 India for the Indians as England for the English and France for the French

 No room for other people in the sub-continent

 Incidents of conversion and reconversion in Malkkana- 11000 Muslims apostate

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 In Response Muslims organized Tabligh and Tanzim in mid 1920s.

 Muslim clerics successful in reconverting the people in Malkana to Islam.