Khilafat Movement and Indian Nationalism

The Khilafat Movement was an anti-British agitation organized by Indian Muslims between 1919 and 1924. Its primary goal was to preserve the authority of the Ottoman Sultan as the Khalifa (Caliph) of Islam and safeguard the Muslim holy places.

Imperial Rivalries and World War I

• The Ottoman Emperor served as the spiritual and political leader of the global Sunni Muslim community.
• During World War I, the Ottoman Empire allied with the Central Powers against Britain and its allies.
• British authorities promised Indian Muslims that the holy sites of Islam would remain safe and the Khalifa would retain sufficient territory after the war.
• The Treaty of Sèvres in 1920 partitioned the Ottoman Empire, stripping the Caliph of his powers and territories.

Formation and Leadership

Indian Muslims organized the All India Khilafat Committee in Bombay in March 1919 to protest British actions in Turkey.

Key Figures and Demands

• The movement was led by the Ali brothers (Maulana Muhammad Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali), Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan, and Hasrat Mohani.
• The Committee demanded that the Khalifa retain control over Islamic holy places, known as Jazirat-ul-Arab (comprising Arabia, Syria, Iraq, and Palestine).
• Hasrat Mohani proposed the boycott of British goods at the Delhi Khilafat Conference in November 1919.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad used his journal Al-Hilal to mobilize public opinion in favor of the movement.

Convergence with the Non-Cooperation Movement

Mahatma Gandhi viewed the Khilafat issue as a rare chance to unite Hindus and Muslims against British rule. He persuaded the Indian National Congress to adopt the Khilafat cause alongside the demand for Swaraj.

Major Events and Sub-Movements

The Hijrat Movement (1920)

• Religious leaders declared India as Dar-ul-Harb (Land of War) because of British control.
• Around 18,000 Muslims migrated to Afghanistan, treating it as Dar-ul-Islam (Land of Islam).
• The Afghan government closed its borders, forcing tired and impoverished migrants to return to India.

Moplah Rebellion (1921)

• Moplah (Mappila) Muslim tenants in the Malabar region of Kerala rose against British rule and Hindu landlords (Janmis).
• The agitation initially merged with the Khilafat Movement but later took a violent communal turn.
• British forces suppressed the rebellion using harsh military measures, culminating in the tragic Wagon Tragedy.

Decline and Collapse

The movement lost momentum due to internal violence and external political developments in Turkey.

Suspension of Non-Cooperation

• The Chauri Chaura incident in February 1922 led Gandhi to unilaterally suspend the Non-Cooperation Movement.
• The sudden stop disappointed Khilafat leaders and broke the unified anti-British front.

Abolition of the Caliphate

• A nationalist revolution in Turkey led by Mustafa Kemal Pasha overthrew the Sultanate in 1922.
• Kemal Pasha established a secular republic and officially abolished the institution of the Caliphate in March 1924.
• With no Caliph left to restore, the Khilafat Movement naturally ceased to exist.

Impact on Indian Politics

• It mobilized the Muslim masses into the broader anti-colonial struggle for the first time on a national scale.
• It created a temporary phase of Hindu-Muslim unity.
• The religious nature of the mobilization strengthened religious identities in politics, which contributed to communal tensions in subsequent years.

Key Historical Facts

The All India Khilafat Committee was established on March 20, 1919, in Bombay, with Seth Chotani as its president and Haji Siddick Khatri as secretary. Mahatma Gandhi was elected president of the All India Khilafat Conference in November 1919. The Central Khilafat Committee launched its non-cooperation program on August 1, 1920, the same day Bal Gangadhar Tilak passed away. In July 1921, the Karachi Khilafat Conference declared that serving in the British Indian Army was religiously unlawful for Muslims. The British government arrested Muhammad Ali, Shaukat Ali, Saifuddin Kitchlew, and other leaders for sedition following this declaration. In Malabar, the Wagon Tragedy occurred on November 20, 1921, when 67 Moplah prisoners died of suffocation inside a closed railway freight wagon while being transported to Podanur. The Turkish Grand National Assembly officially abolished the Ottoman Sultanate on November 1, 1922, and ended the Caliphate on March 3, 1924, ending the core issue of the movement.