HM211 Pakistan Studies

Course Instructor:
Mahboobul Rahman Khan

The Khilafat Movement (1919-1924)

A movement in which Muslims reacted sharply to
events outside India.
First World War (1914-1918) and its aftermath
Turkey supported Germany: victory of the allies
The Treaty of Sevres imposed humiliating terms on
Turkey The Ottoman Turkish Empire was
dismembered and reduced to a small Turkish state.
Allied forces in the Arab lands.

Indian Muslims regarded Ottoman Caliphate as a

symbol of the entire Muslim world and demanded its
complete restoration
European troops had entered the Muslims lands.
Muslims feared the desecration of their holy places and
demanded withdrawal of all foreign troops from Muslim
lands.
First Khilafat conference at Dheli on 23 November 1919.
The Khilafat agitation and Non-cooperation Movement,
Hindus and Muslims formed a united front.
Gandhi launches the non-cooperation movement in
support of Khilafat demandsNaagpur session (1920)
Jinnahs response.

The combined movement asked the Indians to:

(a) surrender of titles, honorary offices and seats in local
bodies
(b) boycott of government functions
(c) withdrawal of children from the schools and colleges
owned, aided or controlled by government
(d) boycott of British courts
(e) boycott of British goods
(f) boycott of elections to the councils.

 Ghandhi, Abul Kalam Azad and Ali brothers toured

the country and a mass movement started and
thousands of people went to jail. Ghandi, Ali
brothers and Abul Kalam Azad were arrested.
Hijrat Movement: Some ulema declared India darulharb and thousands of people migrated to
Afghanistan but they were pushed back by the
Afghan Government. They lost hearths and homes.
The movement brought misery to the people.

 End of Hindu-Muslim entente: Moplah rising in

August 1921 and communal clashes in Multan and
Bangal in September 1922.

Hindus started Shuddhi and Sangathan to which

Muslims replied with Tableegh and Tanzeem.
The Chauri-Chaura tragedy (February 1922), Ghandhi
called off the movement, On 3rd March 1924 Mustafa
Kamal abolished the Khilafat and exiled Khalifah
Abdul Majeed.

Effects of the Movement:

a. It was the first and the only movement in which Hindus and
Muslims had played a joint role on a mass scale.
b. It failed in its objectives and caused great hardships to the
Muslims.
c. It was am emotional movement and out of touch with
realities.
d. The Indian Muslims for the first time learned the art of
agitational politics.
e. The Movement served a notice to the British that they could
no longer suppress the freedom movement in India.
f. The two parties immediately concerned (The Turks and
Arabs) did not want the Khilafat to continue.
g. Contradiction: the khilafatists demanded the liquidation of
one empire (British) and retention of the other (Turkish).