Saquib Salim

The textbooks, scholars, official records, and social media posts give glorious accounts of the Khilafat Movement. This movement aimed at rallying Indians, especially Muslims, in support of the Turkish Caliphate during the First World War is claimed to be a mass agitation in which all Indian Muslims, and many Hindus, took an active part.

This view of history has often helped the divisive forces. It has been alleged that the Indian Muslims would care more for a Caliphate in a far-off land than affairs near their homes. It is high time that this lie be dispelled and the impact and extent of the movement re-examined.

One should understand that the Khilafat Movement was led mostly by Muslims, who were either pro-Congress or would later sympathize with the party, while others would remain aloof. Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu, led the Khilafat Movement. On the other hand, prominent Muslims sided with the British Empire’s war against Turkey.

The Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge, informed the Secretary of State for India in London on 9 November 1914 that the leading Muslims were supporting the British against Turkey. It was informed that Aga Khan, Nizam of Hyderabad, Begum of Bhopal, Nawab of Rampur, Nawab of Tonk, Khan of Kalat, Nawab of MalerKotla, and others had expressed support to the British war efforts against the Turkish Caliphate. Among the public bodies, he informed the All-India Muslim League, the Bombay Presidency Muslim League, the United Provinces Muslim League, the Punjab Muslim League, the Bihar Provincial Muslim League, the All-India Sufi Conference, the Trustees of the M. A. O. College at Aligarh and the Committee of the All-India Muhammadans Educational Conference had shown public support to the British cause.

One of the resolutions passed by the Council of the All-India Muslim League read, “That the Council of the All-India Moslem League gives expression once more to the deep-rooted loyalty and sincere devotion of Musalmans of India to the British Crown and assures His Excellency the Viceroy that participation of Turkey in the present war does not and cannot affect that loyalty in the least degree and the Council is confident that no Musalman in India will swerve even a hair's breadth from his paramount duty to his Sovereign.”

The All India Ladies Conference led by Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum sent a letter on 30 October 1914 to the government which said, “The All India Muslim Ladies' Conference, Aligarh, has requested me, as its President, to convey to His Excellency the Viceroy the resolution which it has unanimously passed expressing unswerving loyalty to the British Crown and offers, in connection with the gigantic European struggle now in progress, all the help lies in its power. The Muslim ladies of India pray most fervently to Almig Almighty God to grant victory to British arms and feel most proud of being the citizens of an Empire that is putting forth all its might in defense of the public law of the world. I shall be grateful if you will kindly apprise His Excellency the Viceroy of the sentiments of Musalman women.”

The ruler of the largest native state in India and the most respected of Muslim rulers, Nizam of Hyderabad proclaimed, “At this critical period it is the bounden duty of all the Muhammadans of India to adhere firmly to their old and tried loyalty to the British Government and never waver in their obedience to their Rulers, especially when they know that there is no Moslem or non-Moslem Power in the world under which they enjoy such personal and religious freedom as in India….. As a Moslem ruler it is my duty in plain words to warn all Muhammadans of India never in any way to allow themselves to step out of the path of self-possession by the wiles of a self-seeking seducer in the course of this unjust and iniquitous war, which is certain to hurt Islam and the Musulmans.”

Moreover, Nizam was the single largest donor to the British war efforts. He gave 60 lacs of Rupees to the British Government. In a letter to the Viceroy on 25 September 1914, Nizam wrote, “Two regiments will be engaged in the war in which I have a special and personal interest, namely, my own 1st Imperial Service Lancers and the 20th Deccan Horse, of which I have the honour to be Colonel. My wish is to be permitted to defray the entire expenses of these two regiments from the date of their departure from Hyderabad to the day of their return to cantonments from the campaign.”

Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum of Bhopal in her address to people on 5 November 1914 said that it was the duty of every Muslim to side with the British. She said, “I have every hope that my subjects will show their customary zeal in carrying out my wishes, and I have no doubt but that they will follow me and my ancestors and predecessors, as well as their own forebears, in remaining firm in their loyalty and devotion to the British Crown.”

Begum even sent her son Nawab Nasrullah Khan to the front in command of the Bhopal Contingent of troops. She suggested to the British Government that instead of penalising people like Muhammad Ali Jauhar, the government should try to win him to their side.

The British agent to Bhopal noted, “She urged above all let Government leave no stone unturned to get the Mullahs with them. She mentioned that some people were of the opinion that the Aligarh College should be closed as there is no doubt that about half the Committee and Staff are ruled by Muhammad Ali and his party. She thinks that to close the College would be a mistake, as the fathers of the students are loyal enough and the majority of the students are loyal too.”

It is not to say that all Muslims, or Indians, were pro-British. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s newspaper, Al-Hilal, forced Nizam to tone down the language of his public proclamation. The public opinion created by this paper and Zamindar of Zafar Ali Khan was considered dangerous by Begum of Bhopal too. No wonder, the British Government shut down the paper and kept Maulana Azad in confinement.

The question which one should raise is - what was the impact of the Khilafat Movement? It was initially believed that the Muslim soldiers would not fight in a war against Turkey. But, apart from a regiment in Singapore and a few stray incidents Indian soldiers did not mutiny anywhere during the war. In fact, most of the territories won in the Middle East Asia were won by the Indian Muslim soldiers.

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Khilafat Movement was more of an Indian Nationalist Movement led by Congress politicians, Hindus as well as Muslims, rather than purely a Muslim agitation as it has been made out to be. Nobody ever called Nizam or Begum a lesser Muslim for siding with the enemies of Turkey. This is enough evidence to show that local political consideration led Muslims to support, or oppose, Turkey during the First World War.