Chapter 10 - Contributions of Allama Iqbal and Rahmat Ali

Allama Iqbal:

• %%Allama Iqbal was a philosopher%% – poet who eventually became a politician.

• He was %%knighted in 1922 in recognition of his poetry%% and later %%he was elected as member of Punjab Legislative Assembly later in 1926.%%

• In the absence of Jinnah, %%Iqbal presided over the historic session of ML and in December 1930 at Allahabad.%%

• He %%elaborated the two nation theory%% by highlighting the distinctive cultural, civilizational and historic features of the Muslim community.

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• He %%spoke against the imperialistic powers of the West%% and said it was unfair to occupy lands of the independent people.

  • He said, %%“European democracy cannot be applied to India without recognizing the fact of communal groups. I would like to see the Punjab, NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan amalgamated into a single state”.%%
  • This way, Iqbal %%predicted as well as expressed his desire of the possibility of creation of a Muslim homeland%% in the North Western Muslim majority provinces of India.
  • As a result communal division of India was seriously considered by many Muslims during the 1930’s.

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• Iqbal is also %%important because of his inspiring poetry that gradually infused the spirit of Muslim nationalism%% among Muslims who began to see a clear goal ahead of them.

  • His %%poetry gave hope to the Muslims%% telling to them to be proud of their past and of their heritage.
  • He believed that the British and the Hindus were equally opposed to the Muslim cause.

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• Ch Rehmat Ali scheme of Pakistan was greatly influenced by the views of Allama Iqbal.

  • His efforts were strengthened by both Ch. Rehmat Ali and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
  • It was %%Iqbal who had persuaded Jinnah to come back to India to lead the Muslim community%%.
  • Therefore, %%Jinnah on the passage of Lahore Resolution in March 1940 paid rich tribute to Iqbal%% and wished if Iqbal had been alive to see his dream come true.

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• Iqbal is rightly called the %%“Architect of Pakistan”%% as well as the first leader from the ML to have dreamed of a separate Muslim homeland.

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Chaudary Rahmat Ali:

• He %%presented the scheme of Pakistan.%%

  • As a young student, %%he attended the Round Table Conferences in London in the 1930s%% and was opposed to any kind of federation of India.
  • Instead, %%he believed in launching an active struggle for a totally independent and separate Muslim homeland%% comprising the north-western Muslim majority provinces of India.
  • %%He tried to persuade the Muslim leaders to accept his scheme but failed to impress them%%, though the idea of partition of India appealed many.

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• He %%gave the name Pakistan to the independent Muslim state in his famous pamphlet ‘Now or Never’ that was published in 1933.%%

  • Literal meaning of the word Pakistan is ‘%%land of the pure (Muslims)%%’ and each letter of the word represented a Muslim majority area within and beyond India. %%They are: Punjab, Afghania (NWFP), Kashmir, Iran, Sindh, Tokharistan, Afghanistan and Balochistan.%%
  • Despite Jinnah’s refusal to meet him, %%the word Pakistan was adopted by the ML for the independent Muslim state.%%
  • For the same reason the %%Lahore Resolution%% is also called the %%Pakistan Resolution%%.

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• His views were really ahead of his time and different from those of Iqbal who proposed a Muslim state within or outside India.

  • For this reason %%most Muslim leaders did not accept the%%m but the idea of partition of India began to be considered by many in the 1930s.

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