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UMI THE LEGACY OF THE EARLY TWENTIETH-CENTURY KHILAFAT MOWMEWT IN INDIA Husein Akberali Khimjee A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Centre for the Study of Religion University of Toronto National Library Bibliothbque nationale of camcia du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wdlingtorr Street 395, nre Wehngtm Ottawa ON KIA 0154 OttawaON KIA ON4 Canada Canada Your M Varo rdY mm Our tI& MI0?iWWlCO The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accord6 une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive perrnettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reprodwe, pr&er, distribuer ou copies of hsthesis in rnicrofonn, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format Bectronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propri W du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celie-ci ne doivent &re imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son ~ermission. ABSTRACT "The Legacy of the Early Twentieth-century Khilafat Movement in IndiaH Ph.D. Dissertation, 1998 Husein A. Khimjee Centre for the Study of Religion University of Toronto This study attempts to look at the legacy of the Khilafat movement in India early this century. The study shows that the abolition of the institution of the Caliphate in Turkey, and the reasons given by the Turkish 'ulama for its abolition, provided food for thought to the Muslim elite in India. Muslims saw in the reasons for abolition of the Caliphate in Turkey, a process of ijtihad (theological exploration) in which it was possible to update the institution of the Caliphate. This reflection made it possible to demand, from the British government and the Indian National Congress, an Islamic state. Such a development emerged as the legacy of the Khilafat movement. As Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948) took up this challenge, he used a three-pronged approach to sell the idea to the Muslim masses. After tracing earlier views of the Caliphate this study looks at the connotations of the 'Ashura event (the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn, the graadson of Prophet Muhamad) in Karbala, which occurred in the year 61 A.H. (685 C.B.), and its commemoration every year, to ii show how recalling this event helped Jimah in his Pakistan movement. The study shows that the khilafatist leaders were involved in using the 'Ashura event in Karbala to motivate Muslims. The study also presents writings and comp~sitions of poems using the 'Ashura event to arouse Muslims, literature recently (1986) released in the material proscribed by the British government in the 1920% and 1930's. Finally, the study shows that in the thinking of twentieth-century Indian Muslims the institutional rationale of the Caliphate seems to have evolved, from a one-man Caliph-emperor to a socially elected, democratic caliphal state, from the idea of an individual Caliph to the concept of an Islamic state. iii Although the Khilafat movement in early twentieth century India was a movement of faith, it was also a movement in hisLory. How can one separate the two and yet do proper justice to the topic in a thesis written not for a hawza (Islamic seminary) but a secular, Western university? Had it not been for the exceptional support of my thesis committee, this project might not have succeeded to the extent that it did. I am therefore extremely grateful to Dr. Willard G. Oxtoby, my thesis supervisor, whose influence in my academic life has been exceptional since my undergraduate days, for 1 his encouragement in my writing this thesis. Dr. Oxtobyfs continuous advise to 'If orge ahead and writettcertainly helped all the way. I am equally grateful to Dr. Naren K. Wagle for his most valuable suggestions and criticisms which enabled me to strengthen the thesis. Dr. Wagle's expertise in the area and his ability to analyze the historical events of the pariod rendered immense help at the final stages of writing. My thanks also go to Dr. Sheila McDonough, my external examiner, and my two internal examiners, Professor Milton Israel and Professor Joseph OtConnell, for reading my thesis and for giving helpful hints. iv The Proscribed Material in this thesis has perhaps been used for the very first time in research on the subject. Some of this material was gathered during research visits to the India Office of the British Library in London. My thanks are due to the librarians there who helped me locace some of the materials I have used in chis thesis. My grateful thanks go also to Mr. Parry Hall of the University of Toronto, who was extremely helpful each time I approached him during my research. Among many individuals who have helped me was Professor Mahrnoud Ayoub of Temple University, Philadelphia. Professor Ayoub alerted me early in the thesis to some interesting dimensions. Another person with whom I had interesting discussion was Mr. Rafi Khan, who lived through the days of the Pakistan movement. It was therefore fascinating to speak with him. Mr.Khan read my Proscribed Material with interest and gave valuable suggestions. His assistance with some Urdu sources and their translation was very helpful. Finally, my thanks go to all my family members, who never stopped encouraging me. Most importantly, my deepest thanks go to Kaniz, my wife, and my daughter Fehmida, for all their patience and for putting up with my absenteeism while I worked on this project; and it is to them I dedicate this thesis. TABLg OF CONTENTS Abstract ..............................................a1 Achowledg-ta ...................................... iv Table of Contarrts .....................................vi Chapter 1: Introduction ...........m........m.....m.mm.. 1 Chapter 2: The Re-&netgence of the Idea of the Caliphatr in the Minds of Indian Muslims ....................................58 Chapter 3: The Beginnings and the Organisation of the Khilafat Movmsat .....................108 Chapter 4: Indian Muslim Theorists of the Kbilafat ... 165 Chapter 5: Conclusions ...............................250 Bibliography ............................ 263 Appendi ces 11Chu-i Hamap ........................ ..274 I1 Bulbulan-A Hurziyat kc Tarand .........275 I11 Rb-i Mazlumaz~......................... 276 IV K&utba Sadaxat .........................277 V 'Ulama-i Hind ka Muttafiq Fatwa .........278 VI Islami Fatwa: Liberal League ...........279 Vff Baikut ............................... .280 VIII lBuai Kmpur 'urf Bahadut Surat ......281 Xf Yadgar-i arbala....................... 282 A unique phenomenon in major Islamic reform movements has been that they endeavored to create for Muslims an environment of raja'a.l In this regard, the appeal from the leaders of movements has always been religious in tone. The content of their appeal has always been to reform the society and return to the basic faith in which there is a unanimous acceptance of the period of the Prophet. This period, and the one that followed it, to the end of the khulafa dl-Rashidun, a period of about half a century from the advent of the Prophet (610-661 C.E.), provide for Muslims a model of how they, and the Islamic society in which they live, should function. The ideal state to which Muslim movements have endeavored to appeal is a state in which there is a jihad2 to be 'born again1 into the life in which one avoids the state of forgetfulness that IRaja'a is "to returng1.In the context of Islamic reform movements it exhorts Muslims to return to the ideal Islamic society, modelled in the pattern of the pristine time of the Prophet. zjihad in its literal meaning is 'struggle, exertion'. In the context of reforming the society, jihad has two levels. At an individual level, it is called jihad dl-&bar (the greatest struggle). At this level, there is a denial of any indulgence considered illegitimate in Islam. At a societal level, it would be jihad al-lsghar (the smallest struggle), in which the society as a whole has to endeavour to bring about legitimate political ref oms. I the true Sovereign Lord is only Allah. Further, He is the only One to be worshipped and therefore, His laws are the only laws that are supreme and must be obeyed.