PAK301 Assignment # 1 Solution spring 2012

Assignment:-

Elaborate the Khilafat Movement and causes of its failure. What did the Muslims of the Sub-Continent gain from this religio-political Movement?

Solution:-

Khilafat Movement was a religio-political Movement launched by the Muslims of the British India for the retention of the Ottoman Caliphate or khilafat-e-usmania and for not letting for the Muslim holy places go under the control of the Non-Muslims. During the 1^st World War Turkey sided with Germany and as Germany started to loose Turkey also started losing its territory. By the time 1^st World War came to an end in 1918 Turkey had lost most of its territory. Therefore the issue at that time was how the allied powers would treat Turkey, the Ottoman Empire or the khilafat-e-usmania and most of its territory had been occupied and this Movement was on its peak from 1919 to 1922, although it went on during the later years.

Being brothers, the Indian Muslims realized their religious duty to help the Muslim country. It was the extra territorial attachments based on Islam. Another factor same to the first was that the Indian Muslims considered Ottoman Caliphate a symbol of unity of the Muslim world as Ummah.

Goals:

These were the goals of this Movement.

1.      Ottoman Khilafat should be kept intact. This was the 1^st demand of the Khilafat Movement that we are going to discuss very shortly

2.      Territorial solidarity of Turkey should be preserved.

3.      Control of holy the places of the Muslims should not be given to non-Muslims that were Non-Muslim powers.

This was the first major political Movement launched by the Muslims in India which involved the common man. Since the inception of the Muslim League in 1906, the Muslims had started demanding certain safeguards from the British. They were also interacting with the other communities and the Congress party. However politics during that time from 1906 to 1919 was the elitist politics. That is politics of educated people and also people who are well off who could spare time who could spare money were involved in politics.

Khilafat Movement was the 1^st movement where ordinary people were involved, or the ordinary Muslims were involved, people in the streets were involved and therefore politics at that time came down to the ordinary masses.

Another important aspect of this Movement was that it showed the mobilization capacity of Islam amongst the Muslims. It showed the extent to which the Muslims of the British India held Islam and how much Islamic institutions are dear to them. So it clearly showed that Islam had a lot of mobilizational capacity and appeal for the ordinary people.

Another aspect emphasizes the extra-territorial attachments of the Muslims of India based on Islam. Extra-territorial means that people feel attached to certain institutions and ideological framework that may be beyond the territorial boundaries of their own countries that is extra-territorial attachment. Amongst the Muslims extra-territorial attachments are always been very strong and these extra-territorial attachments are based on Islam. Two concepts of Islam are very strong force for the Muslims of British India.

Causes of failure of this Movement:

The Khilafat Movement that was started by the Muslims of the British India for the retention of the institution of the Ottoman Empire and for retaining the control of the Muslims holy places, that movement gradually fizzled out. How that did happen a number of developments from 1921 to onward contributed to that.

1.      The 1^st important development that adversely affected the movement was the Mopla Revolt on the Malabar area in the Calicut.

2.      The 2nd incident that affected this Movement was the increase in violence when in 1920 Non Cooperation Movement was launched by Gandhi.

3.      3^rdand most significant development relates to Turkey itself, things began to change in Turkey. He abolished the institution of Khilafat.

4.      Gandhi’s betrayal to the Muslims was another factor that led to failure of this movement.

Consequences for the Muslims:

Turkey became Republic and in March 1924 the Grand National Assembly the parliament of Turkey abolished the institution of Khilafat. In March 1924, Khilafat was abolished. So in a way the very institution for which the Muslims were fighting had been replaced by Turkey’s new leadership that emerged, the present day Turkey that emerged in 1922.

These were the consequences for the Muslims after the end of this Movement.

1.      It was re-affirmation of the reality that religion is a mobilizing force and especially Islam has mobilization capacity to organize masses.

2.      It was the movement launched on the basis of extra-territorialism. Later, no such movement but Pan-Islamic sentiments continued.

3.      It resulted in the sufferings of the Muslims

4.      Hindu-Muslim unity proved short-lived.

5.      Reactivation of the Muslim League and other Muslims organizations to restart their activities as a separate nation.