The Khilafat Movement: Formation, Challenges & Significance

 

The Khilafat Movement: Formation, Challenges & Significance

 

The Khilafat Movement was launched by Indian Muslims in 1919 to protest the disempowerment of the Ottoman Caliphate, a figure of religious significance, following Turkey’s defeat in World War I. The movement marked an important phase in Indian nationalism, bringing Hindus and Muslims together under a united cause against British rule. This article aims to study in detail the origins, development, and impact of the Khilafat Movement on India’s freedom struggle.

About Khilafat Movement

• The Khilafat Movement was a significant phase in India’s freedom struggle, marking the first major political unification between Hindus and Muslims in opposition to British rule.
• Initiated to defend the Ottoman Caliphate, the movement became a symbol of Muslim solidarity and a vehicle for Indian nationalism, merging religious and political aims under one cause.

Background of Khilafat Movement

• During World War I, Indian Muslims remained loyal to the British, largely because the British government assured them that the Ottoman Empire, headed by the Caliph, or Khalifa, would be treated fairly after the war.
• The Caliph was considered the religious head of the Islamic world, and he held spiritual importance for Muslims worldwide.
• However, following the defeat of Turkey, the British and their allies partitioned the Ottoman Empire and divested the Caliph of control over the Muslim holy places.
• This, coupled with rumours of harsh treatment in the proposed treaty, sparked the fear of “Islam in danger” and stirred Indian Muslims into action.

Formation and Key Demands of Khilafat Committee

In March 1919, the Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay to defend the Khalifa’s temporal powers. The movement was built around three primary demands:

• The Khalifa must retain control over the Muslim holy places.
• Pre-war territories should be restored to the Khalifa to preserve his influence.
• The regions of Arabia, Syria, Iraq, and Palestine (collectively called Jazirat-ul-Arab) must remain under Muslim sovereignty.

Though the movement appeared purely pan-Islamic, it resonated deeply within India, symbolizing unity among Indian Muslims who had previously been divided along socio-economic and political lines.

Gandhi’s Involvement in Hindu-Muslim Unity

• Mahatma Gandhi saw the Khilafat Movement as an opportunity to unify Hindus and Muslims in a shared struggle against British rule, bringing Muslims into the fold of Indian nationalism.
• Gandhi’s involvement gave the movement national significance, especially through his support for younger Muslim leaders like Muhammad Ali, Shaukat Ali, Maulana Azad, and others who sought mass mobilization.

Methods of Protest and Development of Non-Cooperation

• The Khilafat Movement evolved along two main paths:
• Moderate Approach: This was led by merchants in Bombay who pursued constitutional methods like sending delegations to the Viceroy and seeking representation at the Paris Peace Conference.
• Radical Approach: This was championed by younger leaders like the Ali brothers, who advocated for mass agitation and unity with Hindus.
• The radical leaders took control when the moderate faction returned empty-handed from the Paris conference.
• As the head of the Central Khilafat Committee, Gandhi led the All India Khilafat Conference in Allahabad in June 1920.
• He proposed a four-stage non-cooperation movement that included the boycott of titles, civil services, police, and army positions, culminating in tax resistance.
• This movement gained rapid support, beginning with a successful nationwide hartal (general strike) on August 1, 1920.
• This strike coincided with the death of nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak, giving further momentum to the non-cooperation drive. (Non-Cooperation Movement.)

Challenges of Khilafat Movement

• Despite the strong initial response, maintaining unity and discipline in the movement proved difficult.
• Violent outbreaks and communal riots in 1922-23 marked a breakdown in the Hindu-Muslim unity that had initially bolstered the movement.
• Furthermore, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s nationalist revolution in Turkey ultimately abolished the Caliphate in 1924, rendering the Khilafat Movement’s core demand irrelevant and ending the movement.

Significance of Khilafat Movement

• The Khilafat Movement holds a unique place in India’s independence struggle.
• It was the first large-scale collaboration between Hindus and Muslims against British rule.
• Its non-cooperation model laid the groundwork for future movements, particularly the Gandhian strategies of non-violent resistance.
• However, its collapse also highlighted the challenges of communal unity in India’s nationalist movement.

Conclusion

The Khilafat Movement remains a landmark in India’s struggle for independence, showcasing an unprecedented unity between Hindus and Muslims against colonial rule. Though the movement eventually dissipated due to the abolition of the Caliphate and internal communal tensions, it left an enduring legacy of solidarity and non-cooperation that inspired future nationalist campaigns. The movement’s temporary success and eventual decline underscore both the potential and challenges of communal harmony in India’s fight for freedom and the complex socio-political landscape that shaped the Indian independence movement.

(Ahmad Faraz)