KHILAFAT MOVEMENT

Presentation by

Muhammad Aleemuddin

Introduction

Since the 16th century the Turkish Khalifa was considered by many Muslims to be Caliph.

The Turkish Empire (also known as The Ottoman Empire) included Makkah, Madinah, and Jerusalem.

The Ottoman Empire Collapsed

In 1914 the Ottomans joined the First World War in support of the Central Powers

After defeat the Ottoman Empire was divided between various countries

Istanbul RussiaSyria, Iraq FranceCyprus, Egypt BritainPalestine International Rule

Beginning of the Khilafat Movement

Began in 1919 Leaders: Maulana Muhammad Ali, Maulana Shaukat Ali, and Abul Kalam Azad

AIMS to give power back to the Caliph to gain independence for India

AN ATTEMPTThe Leaders went to London to

protest about European policy towards Islam

They explained the Muslim feelingsThe British ignored themMaulana Muhammad Ali announced

that the British should no longer be obeyed

Gandhi joined the Khilafat Movement

Maulana Muhammad Ali invited Gandhi to the Khilafat meetings

Gandhi and Annie Besant attended a meeting in 1920 at Amritsar

Gandhi was elected the only non-Muslim member of the Executive Committee

Khilafat Movement & Satyagraha

Taking Gandhi’s advice, the Khilafat Committee began Satyagraha in August 1920. People avoided everything British and: would not buy or sell British goods refused to pay taxes went on strike refused to join the army students left British educational institutions

Problems for the Khilafat Movement

The Hijrat to Afghanistan The Moplah Rebellion Violence at Chauri Chaura The Collapse of the Khilafat Movement

The Hijrat to Afghanistan

Some Muslims believed that the British had been made India a land unfit for Muslims

In 1920 about 18,000 Muslim peasants migrated to Afghanistan

They sold their lands and possessions

Afghanistan refused to accept them

Many died on the way back

The Moplah Rebellion Moplahs were the Muslims,

in South India, who claimed to be descended from Arab settlers

They rebelled in 1921 and declared a Khilafat kingdom

Several Europeans were killed, Hindus were attacked and their houses and temples were destroyed

The British blamed this rebellion on the Khilafat Movement

Violence at Chauri Chaura It was a remote

village in east India In 1922 an angry

crowd burnt 22 police officers alive in their police station

Gandhi himself called off the Satyagraha Movement saying that he had made a “Himalayan blunder”

He was arrested and imprisoned for two years

The Collapse of the Khilafat Movement

o Gandhi’s arrest weakened the Khilafat Movement

o In 1922 the Turkish leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, abolished the Caliphate

o Hindu-Muslim relationship also declined

o Violent clashes between them took place in the following years