sempozyum_bildiri_kitabi

WOMEN’S ROLE IN THE KHILAFAT MOVEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF
ZAMINDAR, 1919 – 1924
Zahida SULEMAN *
The Khilafat Movement was one of the most prominent and popular movements of Indo‐Pakistan
sub‐continent, started by the Indian Muslims in favor of Turkish Khilafat. Because the British
Government did not fulfill their promises that the institution of Khilafat would not be effected in case
of Turkish defeat and sacred places of the Muslims would be protected, the Muslims launched a
protest movement.
Muslim press from the Punjab, especially daily newspaper Zamindar of Maulana Zafar Ali Khan
highlighted the Khilafat issue strongly. He advocated a strong feeling of brotherhood with Turkey
during the First World War through his newspaper and his active participation in the Khilafat
Movement.
Surely, it was the first movement in recorded history of India in which women participation was
witnessed at a large scale but no independent book and article has been written on the issue and the
area remained largely neglected. This research paper focuses on the material presented in Zamindar
and by an in depth analysis of its contents along with other primary and secondary sources attempts
to highlight women’s role in Khilafat Movement. It argues that Zamindar, through its editorials,
articles and reports, played a significant role in women leadership during the Khilafat days when the
main leaders of the movement like Ali brothers and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan were arrested by the
government. The mother of Ali brothers (Bi Amman) and wife of Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar
with other prominent ladies continued to struggle in their absence. And the Zamindar had the credit
to cover all their political activities.
Maulana Zafar Ali Khan and Zamindar
Maulana Zafar Ali Khan (1873 – 1956) belonged to a young group of leadership, produced by the
Aligarh College of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817 – 1898), who after the War of Independence (1857)
took the responsibility of defending the rights of the Muslims of India. As a journalist, he took the
editorship of Zamindar (started in 1903) on 6 th December 1909 after the death of his father Moulvi
Siraj–ud–Din. Its publication began from Lahore in May 1911, instead of Wazirabad. 1 Under his
leadership, a new spirit was infused in paper and within a short time, it was transformed into a first
rate daily newspaper.
Maulana Zafar Ali Khan was the follower of Syed Jamal‐ud‐Din Afghani (1838 – 1897) and his idea
of Pan‐Islamism. He also believed that Muslim countries were suffering a lot and they should be
united with their co‐religionists. 2 So in the capacity of the editor of Zamindar, he condemned the
British inaction with regard to the Italian aggression against Turkey. He addressed numerous
meetings in Lahore, which were attended by as many as twenty to twenty five thousand people. He
started collecting donation for Turkey 3 and himself went to Constantinople on 16 th November 1912
to present the amount to the Turkish relief fund which he had collected from the Punjab. 4 During his
stay in Turkey, he had a meeting with Sultan Muhammad Khamis, the Turkish Sultan and presented
good will of Indian Muslims to Turkish people and expressed his heartly wishes for the brotherly
relations between Indian Muslims and Turkish people. 5 He also presented a Persian Qasida (a poem
in praise of someone) to the Turkish Sultan. 6
British Prime Minister Mr. Asquith (1852 – 1928) and Foreign Minister Edward Grey (1862 – 1933)
were annoyed by him, mostly due to his stand on the Tripoli and the Balkan Wars and his criticism of
British policy against Turkey. So much so, they could not tolerate his popularity in Turkey due to his
idea of Pan‐ Islamism. 7 Sir Michael ‘O Dwyer (1864 – 1940), the Lt. Governor of Punjab, was also
*
Lahore College for Women University.