Khilafat Movement: The Rise of Muslim Nationalism in India (1919-1924)

Khilafat Movement: The Rise of Muslim
Nationalism in India (1919-1924)

 October 17, 1919: Khilafat Day
 March 19 1920: Khilafat Day (Again)
 Leaders: Mohammed Ali Juhar, Shaukat Ali, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Hakim Ajmal
Khan and Hasrat Mohani, Sheikh ul Hind-------
The Movement
The Khilafat Movement was a pan-Islamic, political protest campaign launched by Muslims in
British India to influence the British Government and to protect the Ottoman Empire during the
aftermath of First World War. The aims of this movement were:
 To keep the institution of Khilafat intact and Khalifah to carry out the business of
government as usual
 Restoration of Turkey’s grace as it possessed before and during World War – I, and
no change to occur in the boundaries of Turkey.
 The sanctity (‫ )دقتس‬of Makkah and Madina should be maintained and non-Muslim
forces should not be allowed to enter in these two sacred cities.
 To protect the Holy place of Turkey

 To restore the Territories of Turkey
 To restore the Ottoman Empire
Note: Use only one
Khilafat conferences
 First Khilafat Conference: November 1919 in Delhi
 Second Khilafat Conference: December 1919, Amritsar.
 Third Khilafat Conference: February 1920, Bombay
Activities of Movement
 Delegations were sent to Britain and other European countries to convey the feelings of
the Muslims to the governments.
 Doctors, nurses and medicines were dispatched to Turkey for the treatment of wounded
Turkish soldiers.
By: Dr. Syeda Farzana Bukhari ……………………………………………………………..…………………….Read Right Institute

 A large amount of money, gold and silver was collected in the general meetings to give
financial aid to Turkey.
 Large processions were arranged, protest meetings were held and strikes were observed
in all big and small cities in the sub-continent. The Muslim volunteers presented
themselves to the police for arrests. All leaders were sent behind the bars but the
momentum of movement could not be diminished.
 The role of Muslim journalism was tremendous. Zamindar of Zafar Ali Khan, Al-Hilal of
Azad and Comrade and Hamdard of Jauhar played vital roles in the movement. They
inculcated a sense of sacrifice among the Muslims.
Joint Venture/ Siamese Twins: The Non-Cooperation movement and the

Khilafat movement
The Khilafat Movement and the Congress Non-Cooperation Movement merged into one
nationwide movement by the year-end of 1920. The Indian National Congress supported the
Muslims’ contention and under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, a non-violent non-cooperation
campaign was launched on 1st August 1920. Gandhi espoused (‫ )ااختنبرکنا‬the Khilafat cause, as he
saw in it the opportunity to rally Muslim support for nationalism. Ali brothers and their allies, in
turn, provided the non-cooperation movement with some of its most enthusiastic followers.
Collapse of the Movement

The combined Khilafat Non-Cooperation movement was the first all-India agitation against
British rule. It saw an unprecedented degree of Hindu-Muslim cooperation and it established
Gandhi and his technique of non-violent protest (satyagraha) at the center of the Indian
nationalist movement. Mass mobilization using religious symbols was remarkably successful,
and the British Indian government was shaken. In late 1921, the government moved to suppress
the movement. The leaders were arrested, tried, and imprisoned. Gandhi suspended the Non-
Cooperation movement in early 1922. Turkish nationalists dealt the final blow to the Khilafat
movement by abolishing the Ottoman sultanate in 1922 and the caliphate in 1924.
Events/Incidents led to Failure

Hijrat Movement 1920
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Maulana Abdul Bari issued a fatwa declaring India as “Dar-ul-
Harab” (Home of War). They urged the Muslims migrate to Afghanistan in religious protest
against the British policy. *Popularity of the movement can be determined from the fact that
more than thirty thousand Muslims had left for Kabul by the second week of August 1920. In the
beginning the Afghanistan government welcomed Indian Muslims but later on closed down their
frontiers when they found flood of refugees were coming would be too difficult for them to

handle. Even those who have managed to enter successfully were spending miserable life and
disgusted because Afghanistan was a poor country and facing many internal problems. The
refugees came across so many hardships and soon they were force to take a journey back home.
The retreat resulted in a heavy loss of life due to the bad weather and disease. Some of the
refugees went to Soviet Union and Europe.
Moplah Uprising/ Moplah Rebellion of 1921
The Khilafat meetings in Malabar incited communal feelings among the Moplahs and it became
a movement directed against the British as well as the Hindu landlords of Malabar. There was
large-scale violence that saw systematic persecution of Hindus and British officials. Many homes
and temples were destroyed. From August 1921 till about the end of the year, the rebels had
under their control large parts of Malabar. By the end of the year, the rebellion was crushed by
the British who had raised a special battalion, the Malabar Special Force for the riot. In
November 1921, 67 Moplah prisoners were killed when they were being transported in a closed
freight wagon. They died of suffocation. This event is called the Wagon Tragedy.
Arrest and imprisonment of the leaders

The British government also arrested the leaders of the Khilafat Movement on account of their
anti-government speeches and the movement was deprived of their effective and strong
leadership. Both Hindu and Muslim leaders were imprisoned for several years. About 30000
workers all over India were put in jails The Khilafat Movement came to an end when thousands
of Indians were put behind the bar. The leaders, in spite of their best efforts, could not maintain
the Hindu-Muslim Unity. Far-sighted people like Mr. Jinnah and Allama Iqbal did not support
the movement.
The Chauri Chaura Incident: A Death Blow to Khilafat Movement
The Chauri Chaura incident took place on 4 February 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur
district of Uttar Pradesh. A large group of protesters participating in the non-cooperation
movement were fired upon by the police. In retaliation the demonstrators attacked and set fire to
a police station, killing all of its occupants. The incident led to the death of three civilians and 22
policemen. Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the non-cooperation
movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident. In spite
of Gandhi's decision, 19 arrested demonstrators were sentenced to death and 14 to imprisonment
for life by the British colonial authorities.

Abolition of the Caliphate/ Khilafat in Turkey: A Finishing Blow
In 1924, Kamal Ataturk set up a government on democratic basis in Turkey by abolishing

Khilafat as a system of government which served a finishing blow to Khilafat Movement in India
and people had lost whatever interest that they had in the movement. The most important reason
for the failure of the Khilafat Movement was the abolition of the institution of the Caliphate by
the Turks themselves. Mustafa Kamal Ataturk ¸the Turkish leader established a modern
democratic government in Turkey with a properly elected parliament. In this set up the caliph &
the seat of the Caliphate had no place. The caliph was deposed and exiled in 1924. Muslims in
India had nothing to fight for and the Khilafat Movement ended in failure in 1924. Therefore, the
abolition of the institution of the caliphate in 1924 was the main reason for the failure of the
Khilafat Movement.
Quotations:
The British government treated the Indian Khilafat delegation of 1920, headed by Muhammad
˓Ali, as quixotic pan-Islamists, and did not change its policy toward Turkey. The delegation
insisted the Britain not to punish Turkey but the Prime Minister Lloyd George said:
“Austria has had justice; Germany has had

justice-pretty terrible justice –why should Turkey
escape”?
(Lloyd George, 1920)
This was in violation of the earlier pledge of the British Prime Minister Lloyd George
who had declared:
“Nor are we fighting to deprive Turkey of its capital, or of the

rich and renowned lands of Asia Minor which are
predominantly Turkish in race … We do not challenge the
maintenance of the Turkish race, with its capital at
Constantinople.”
(Lloyd George, the Prime Minister of the Great Britain, 1918)
James Wynbrandt says his book, A Brief History of Pakistan:
As the end of World War I approached, the dissolution of the

Ottoman Empire became imminent. Muslims of South Asia
mounted an effort to save the empire, joining in the Khilafat
movement.
(James Wynbrandt , A Brief History of Pakistan pg.141)

Quaid-e-Azam and the Non-Cooperation movement and the Khilafat
movement
The Quaid felt that the Indians should fight Imperialism constitutionally instead. The Nagpur
session, which was thirty-fifth Congress, was held in December 1920. Gandhi’s non-cooperation
movement had been approved at a special session at Amritsar and during the Nagpur session,
Jinnah was the only person who had the courage to openly oppose the resolution proposed by
Gandhi, despite strong opposition by the crowd. The Quaid said:
“… the weapon will not destroy the British Empire… it is neither

logical nor is it politically sound or wise, nor practically capable
of being put in execution.”
Jinnah learnt a lot from the Khilafat movement. It disillusioned him with the Congress and the
British rulers and strengthened his faith to work for the interests of the Muslims. He worked hard
to bring the Muslims out of their demoralized state of mind and reorganize them under the
banner of the Muslim League.

Khilafat Movement: The Rise of Muslim Nationalism in India (1919-1924)

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Khilafat Movement: The Rise of Muslim

Nationalism in India (1919-1924)

 To protect the Holy place of Turkey

Note: Use only one

By: Dr. Syeda Farzana Bukhari ……………………………………………………………..…………………….Read Right Institute

Joint Venture/ Siamese Twins: The Non-Cooperation movement and the

Collapse of the Movement

Events/Incidents led to Failure

By: Dr. Syeda Farzana Bukhari ……………………………………………………………..…………………….Read Right Institute

Moplah Uprising/ Moplah Rebellion of 1921

Arrest and imprisonment of the leaders

The Chauri Chaura Incident: A Death Blow to Khilafat Movement

By: Dr. Syeda Farzana Bukhari ……………………………………………………………..…………………….Read Right Institute

In 1924, Kamal Ataturk set up a government on democratic basis in Turkey by abolishing

“Austria has had justice; Germany has had

(Lloyd George, 1920)

“Nor are we fighting to deprive Turkey of its capital, or of the

(Lloyd George, the Prime Minister of the Great Britain, 1918)

James Wynbrandt says his book, A Brief History of Pakistan:

As the end of World War I approached, the dissolution of the

(James Wynbrandt , A Brief History of Pakistan pg.141)

By: Dr. Syeda Farzana Bukhari ……………………………………………………………..…………………….Read Right Institute

“… the weapon will not destroy the British Empire… it is neither

By: Dr. Syeda Farzana Bukhari ……………………………………………………………..…………………….Read Right Institute

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