The Sultan of Turkey was considered to be the Khalifa (religious leader) of the Muslims of the world. In the first world war, Turkey fought against England, with Germany.
Indian Muslims feared that if Turkey lost, its pieces would be reduced to 2 . All the powers of the Khalifa will be abolished.
On 5 January 1918, British Prime Minister Lloyd George assured the Indian Muslims that the Turkish Empire would not be dissolved and the prestige of the Khalifa would not be damaged.
The major cause of Khilafat movement
In the First World War, Turkey was fighting against the Allies. During the war, British politicians promised that they would not cause any harm to the Turkish Empire. But after the end of the war, the British government decided to disintegrate the Turkish Empire, due to which Indian Muslims sympathize with Turkey.
Treaty of Serve
Therefore, during the war period , Indian Muslims gave full support to the British. After The war was followed by the Treaty of Serve on 10 August 1919, according to which the Turkish Empire was dissolved. The Sultan was placed under house arrest in Kustuntunia.
Start of Khilafat movement
Indian Muslims started the Khilafat Movement. Maulana Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali were the influential leaders of this movement.
Gandhiji considered it a golden opportunity for Hindu-Muslim unity. Therefore, he supported this movement. On 24 November 1919, the All India Khilafat Conference was held in Delhi, in which Gandhiji was elected president. Gandhiji advised that the policy of non-cooperation and boycott should be adopted if the British do not find a proper solution to the Turkish problem.
Hence, on 20 May 1920, the Khilafat Committee accepted Gandhiji’s non-cooperation program. In the words of Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramaiya – with the Triveni of the mistakes of Punjab, Khilafat, and inadequate reforms the water of dissatisfaction flowed over the edge and its confluence made national the stream of dissatisfaction a new mass and dynamic.
Important facts related to khilafat movement
- The Jallianwala Bagh scandal and Khilafat movement were the major issues of the Congress session in September 1920 in Calcutta.
- Hakim Ajmal Khan, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, Maulana Al Hasan, Abdul Wari, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Mohammad Ali, Shaukat Ali, etc. were supporters of Turkey.
- The Ali brothers (Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali) in their letter Comrades, expressed sympathy for the traditions of Turkish and Islamic.
- Khilafat movement started against the partition of the Turkish Empire, got more emphasis at the time when Gandhiji participated in it.
- In September 1920, in a special session of the Congress held in Calcutta under the chairmanship of Lala Lajpat Rai, the Congress decided for the first time to take direct action against foreign rule in India, boycott the Legislative Councils and start the Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movement.
Reference : https://www.indiaolddays.com/
