First phase of his freedom struggle The Formative Years 1892-1920 By: Riaz. Ahmad Quaid-i-A zam Moham m ad A liJinnah Firstphase ofhis freedom struggle Th e Fo rm a tiv e Ye a rs 1 8 9 2 -1 9 2 0 B y:Riaz.A hm ad Reproduced by SaniH .Panhw ar CONTENTS Preface .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 List of Abbreviations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 I Family Background and Education .. .. .. .. 23 II Early Legal and Public Career 1896-1906 .. .. .. 48 III Emergence as an all-India Leader .. .. .. .. 74 IV "Ambassador of Unity" .. .. .. .. .. .. 109 V The Crucial Years: 1916-1920 .. .. .. .. .. 149 Conclusion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 199 Appendices: A - Jinnah's Speech on the Mussalman Wakf Validating Bill, 17 March 1911 .. .. .. .. .. .. 206 B - Sarojini Naidu's Speech at Allahabad, January 1917 .. .. 215 C - Jinnah's Speech at the Bombay War Conference, 10 June l9l8 .. 216 D - Jinnah's Press Interview, 16 November 1919 .. .. .. 219 PREFACE No adequate attempt has so far been made to study Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in his formative years, 1892-1920. This is, perhaps, due to the fact that scholars were not particularly interested in this phase of his career, nor was material on the period readily available to them. Jinnah is rightly considered the founder of Pakistan. A number of studies like those of Saiyid, Allana, Bolitho substantiate this viewpoint. But, for a better understanding of Jinnah's towering personality one has to understand his previous role, especially in public and legal life. The present writer has been lucky enough to locate material on the period which has enabled him to throw fresh light on Jinnah's formative years, and, in the process, has found him emerging as a different person from what he is believed to be by most of the Pakistani and foreign writers. The introductory chapter analyses the importance of this period in the light of the new material. It also discusses, although briefly, the place of Jinnah in the whole study, along with an evaluation of the data on which such a study is based. The first chapter deals with the family background and the educational influences received by Jinnah as a boy, especially his stay at London during 1892-1896. When Jinnah returned to British India he involved himself actively in public and legal life of Bombay. Before he made his debut at the Calcutta Congress (1906), he was already a known figure in Bombay's social, legal and public circles. He did a hard groundwork before going to Calcutta. All this is discussed in the second chapter. His emergence as a leader of all India standing forms the subject matter of the third chapter. Alter establishing himself as an all-India leader, enjoying the confidence of Muslims, Hindus, Parsis and other communities, Jinnah joined the All India Muslim League in October 1913 From this time onwards, Jinnah emerges as an "ambassador of unity". In December 1916 he succeeded in sympathizing divergent communal viewpoints into the famous Lucknow pact, which ensured equal role to all communities in national affairs This achievement is discussed m the fourth chapter. The fifth chapter depicts the role of Jinnah as a leader of new movement known as the Home Rule Movement. The movement gained strength as the British position in the First World War weakened. But when the signs of British victory became certain in 1918 and the British role as a world power was once again assured, things started developing differently. This gave rise to a repressive policy which the Government of India carried along with their promise of reforms This caused agitation leading to the Khilafat Movement. In the short span of two years (1919-1920) British India underwent a lot of suffering at the hands of the British, resulting in the emergence of an emotional atmosphere. This situation was exploited by Gandhi in order to introduce his Satyagraha or the philosophy of Non-Cooperation at the, cost of the Council elections. Jinnah, who had Jinnah - The First Phase, Copyright © www.sanipanhwar.com 1 developed a reasonable and intellectual stand was more pragmatic in politics and a confirmed believer in elections, doubted the advisability of such an emotional stance at a time when British India was not yet prepared to take such an extreme action. However, with the Muslim support led by the All brothers, Gandhi won the ground against Jinnah and amass movement started. The result of this movement is also analyzed in fifth chapter The conclusion not only substantiates the viewpoint already discussed in the study but also depicts Jinnah as a confirmed believer in his ideas developed in these formative years, though the rise of different historical forces in consequence of the Non-Cooperation movement compelled him to play a different role. The old theme of making the, Muslims attain a prestigious position wherefrom they could play an effective role in the body politic of South Asia, was afterwards to find greater challenges in the shape of disunity and dissensions; but for this Jinnah was already equipped to perform his historical role of not only uniting the South Asian Muslims on a common political platform of Muslim League but also of helping their emergence as a great political force in the subcontinent - a feat leading to the establishment of the largest Muslim state in 1947. This study is largely, based on my PhD. thesis submitted to the Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad in November 1983. It was completed under the supervision of Dr. A.H. Dani, Professor Emeritus of the University. Dr. Dani has always been helpful and a source of inspiration to me. Besides him, there are a number of other teachers/colleagues in and outside the Department of History especially Dr. Waheed- uz-Zaman and Dr. M. Rafique Afzal to whom I owe much in the completion of this work. I am thankful to all of them. Most of the material for this study was collected in England where I spent about eight months in 1981. My thanks are due to the Directors and staff of the India Office Library and Records, London, British Museum, British Newspaper Library, Cambridge Centre for South Asian Studies, Cambridge University Library, School of Oriental and African Studies Library and the Lincoln's Inn Library. During my stay in London two scholars were specially helpful to me: (1). Dr. Z. H. Zaidi, Department of History, School of Oriental and African Studies: and (2) Mr. Martin Moir, Dy. Director India Office Library. A number of others also assisted me and made my stay in England comfortable especially Mr. Javid Mahmud, Mr. Mohammad Ashraf and Abdul, Qudoos Raja. They deserve my thanks The Treasury. Office of the Lincoln's Inn and the Library Officer of the Council of Legal Education were very kind to me in locating the relevant material relating to the Quaid's studies in London. I am grateful to them. In Pakistan, my special thanks are due to Mr. Atique Zafar Sheikh, Director, National Archives of Pakistan, Islamabad, and his ever cooperative staff. I also acknowledge help extended to me by the Librarians and staff of the Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, National Assembly Library, Punjab Public Library, Punjab University Library, Dayal Singh Library. Quaid-i-Azam University Library, Press Information Department, Karachi Jinnah - The First Phase, Copyright © www.sanipanhwar.com 2 University Library and Archives. Apart from this I am thankful to Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, Secretary General, Organization for Islamic Conference, Mr. G. Allana, Mr. M. H. Saiyid, Mr. Rizwan Ahmad and others especially those who met me in Jhirak (Sindh) for giving me an opportunity to interview them and answering my queries patiently. There are many more whose names it is not possible to mention here due to lack of space. I am grateful to all of them for being very kind to me and helpful in one way or the other. Lastly, I am grateful to Dr. Waheed-uz-Zaman, Director, National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, Islamabad, for getting this work published. The efforts of the staff of the Institute especially Mr. Shafqat Amin and Mr. M. Azeem Bhatti for their careful proof-reading and pursuing this book's printing in the press are duly appreciated. However, for the opinions expressed, errors and omissions I alone am responsible. Islamabad, Riaz Ahmad 14 August 1985 Jinnah - The First Phase, Copyright © www.sanipanhwar.com 3 ABBREVIATIONS AICC All-India Congress Committee AIML All-India Muslim League BC Bombay Chronicle BG Bombay Gazette BGS Bombay Gazette Summary CID Criminal Investigation Department CMG Civil and Military Gazette CP Central Provinces Eur. European F File FMA Freedom Movement Archives - HIM His/Her Imperial Majesty ILR Indian Law Reports INC Indian National Congress IOL India Office Library IOR India Office Records JP Justice of Peace MAO Mohammaden Anglo-Oriental MP Member of Parliament MSS Manuscripts NAP National Archives of Pakistan PS Private Secretary Quaid or Quaid-i-Azam Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah S of S Secretary of State for India TI Times of India TIME Times of India Mail Edition V Viceroy Jinnah - The First Phase, Copyright © www.sanipanhwar.com 4 INTRODUCTION In recent years the role and personality of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah (1876- 1948) have been studied mainly from the angle of his achievements, for which he devoted the last years of his life.1 This achievement represents, no doubt, a great historic success in the march of events in South Asia. But that goal is the end-product in the long career of the Quaid-i-Azam. Much preparation went beforehand, many constitutional experiments were earlier proposed and tested.2 It was the experience of whole life that mellowed Jinnah's thought process.