Chapter 7 - The Khilafat Movement

Reasons for Start:

• The Indian %%Muslims wanted to keep the Khilafat alive%%.

  • Turkey’s decision to support Germany in the WW1 had put the Indian Muslims in a predicament as they feared harsh treatment of Turkey in case of the defeat of Germany.
  • They, therefore, had conveyed their reservations to the British in the beginning of the %%War%%.
  • The British promised that no harm would be done to the %%Caliphate/Khilafat%% and the Muslims troops fought for the British on this reassurance.
  • However, after the War, through the peace treaties such as the %%Treaty of Sevres%%, it became evident that %%Britain and France would punish Germany and abolish the Turkish Empire by dividing its slices among the victors%%.

• They had a special respect for the Turkish/Ottoman Empire as the %%Sultan of Turkey was also the spiritual head or Khalifa of the entire Muslim world.%%

  • He was the %%custodian of all the holy places%% of Islam in Arabia and other Middle Eastern states.
  • Therefore, any punishment of Turkey meant an insult of the Khalifa and that tantamounted to hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslims.
  • Therefore, in an attempt to maintain the respect and its Khalifa, the %%prominent religious leaders of India%%, like the Ali brothers, hastily %%organized the All-India Khilafat Conference in 1919.%%

• Finally the Indian Muslims had long been developing fears about the British policy towards them not only in India but in other parts of the world, too.

  • The governor of UP, %%Sir James Meston%%, %%ordered demolition of the eastern part of a mosque in Kanpur%% as part of a project of widening a road in the city.
  • A Hindu temple on the same road was spared when Hindus pressurized the British government.
  • This generated anger among Muslims as it reflected a disregard for the Muslim holy places by the British.
  • Consequently many Indian Muslim leaders began to believe that British wanted to induce a fear of Hindus so that Muslims could be forced to cooperate with the British wherever needed.
  • For this reason, leaders like %%Maulana Abul Kalam Azad%% sharply criticized the Muslims who had joined the British army.
  • Clash of views between Russia and Britain about governing Afghanistan and Persia (Iran) further added to their worries as the two powers did not consider the feelings of the Muslim population of these states.

  Reasons for Failure:

• The Movement was %%not well organized.%%

  • Gandhi had supported the Movement on the condition of Ahimsa/non-violence while merging his non-cooperation movement of Swaraj/self-rule.
  • However, the %%violence at Chauri-Chaura in 1922%% forced him to withdraw his support.
  • About %%22 policemen were burned alive%% by an angry mob that had taken control of the Police station in this town of Gorakhpur district.
  • Gandhi’s support had strengthened the Khilafat Movement significantly, and therefore, his withdrawal proved fatal for it as it lost the support of the Hindu majority.
  • Thus, trusting Gandhi also reflected lack of political insight in the leaders of the Khilafat Movement.

• %%In August 1920, about 18,000 Muslims left for Afghanistan%% after %%selling their properties%% and %%leaving their jobs%% after their leaders %%had declared India as Dar ul Harb/a land under the enemy rule.%%

  • They also promised them a bright future by asking them to cultivate the fertile lands in Afghanistan.
  • However, most of these migrants were pushed back by the people and the Government of Afghanistan as the country did not have enough resources to accommodate a growing number of migrants.
  • Many died during the long journey and those who managed to reach back their homeland, faced serious economic problems as their homes and jobs had been occupied by others.
  • They lost enthusiasm in the movement and trust in the leaders.

• Finally, the last nail in the coffin of the Khilafat Movement was driven by the %%Turkish Military leader Kemal Attaturk%% (Mustafa Kemal Pasha).

  • In 1922 under a military revolution, %%Turkey became a republic%% and the %%last Khalifa Sultan Muhammad/Mehmet VI was deprived of political powers.%%
  • Attaturk, in the meantime, had regained some of the lost Turkish territories and forced the Allies for a new peace treaty, the %%Treaty of Lausanne.%%
  • This made him a hero in the eyes of the Turkish people.
  • %%In 1924, the new Turkish Government led by Kemal Attaturk, abolished the institute of Khilafat%% and later sent the last Khalifa into exile.
  • This proved to be a decisive blow to the Khilafat Movement since it showed that the Turks didn’t care for the struggle of the Indian Muslims.
  • That is why some historians have described the Khilafat Movement, as a wrong ideology, romantic and out of touch with realities.
  • The Indian Muslims were greatly disillusioned by this act of a fellow Turkish Muslim and it sealed the fate of the Khilafat Movement.