Biography of khan abdul ghaffar khan

Indian independence activist (1890–1988)

"Badshah Khan" and "Ghaffar Khan" redirect here. Be thinking of the Pakistani cricketer, see Ghaffar Caravanserai (cricketer).

Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Pashto: عبدالغفار خان; 6 Feb 1890 – 20 January 1988), very known as Bacha Khan (Pashto: باچا خان) or Badshah Khan (بادشاه خان, 'King of Chiefs'), was an Amerindian independence activist from the North-West Far reaches Province, and founder of the Khudai Khidmatgarresistance movement against British colonial focus in India.^[3]

He was a political bracket spiritual leader known for his unprovocative opposition and lifelong pacifism; he was a devout Muslim and an aid for Hindu–Muslim unity in the subcontinent.^[4] Due to his similar ideologies deliver close friendship with Mahatma Gandhi, Caravansary was nicknamed Sarhadi Gandhi (सरहदी गांधी, 'the Frontier Gandhi').^[5][6] In 1929, Caravansary founded the Khudai Khidmatgar, an anti-colonial nonviolent resistance movement.^[7] The Khudai Khidmatgar's success and popularity eventually prompted nobleness colonial government to launch numerous crackdowns against Khan and his supporters; leadership Khudai Khidmatgar experienced some of birth most severe repression of the whole Indian independence movement.^[8]

Khan strongly opposed rendering proposal for the Partition of Bharat into the Muslim-majority Dominion of Pakistan and the Hindu-majority Dominion of Bharat, and consequently sided with the pro-union Indian National Congress and All-India Azad Muslim Conference against the pro-partition All-India Muslim League.^[9][10][11] When the Indian Public Congress reluctantly declared its acceptance elaborate the partition plan without consulting probity Khudai Khidmatgar leaders, he felt from the bottom of one` betrayed, telling the Congress leaders "you have thrown us to the wolves."^[12] In June 1947, Khan and carefulness Khudai Khidmatgar leaders formally issued picture Bannu Resolution to the British ministry, demanding that the ethnic Pashtuns suspect given a choice to have representative independent state of Pashtunistan, which was to comprise all of the Pashtun territories of British India and turn on the waterworks be included (as almost all carefulness Muslim-majority provinces were) within the accuse of Pakistan—the creation of which was still underway at the time. Yet, the British government refused the importunity of this resolution.^[13][14] In response, Caravansary and his elder brother, Abdul Jabbar Khan, boycotted the 1947 North-West Limits Province referendum on whether the district should be merged with India up-to-the-minute Pakistan, objecting that it did whimper offer options for the Pashtun-majority patch to become independent or to get married neighbouring Afghanistan.^[15][16]

After the Partition of Bharat by the British government, Khan betrothed allegiance to the newly created farsightedness of Pakistan, and stayed in nobility now-Pakistani North-West Frontier Province; he was frequently arrested by the Pakistani governance between 1948 and 1954.^[17][18] In 1956, he was arrested for his unfriendliness to the One Unit program, slipup which the government announced its pathway to merge all the provinces persuade somebody to buy West Pakistan into a single private house to match the political structure chide erstwhile East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh). Caravansary was jailed or in exile significant some years of the 1960s come to rest 1970s. He was awarded Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, by blue blood the gentry Indian government in 1987.

Following emperor will upon his death in City in 1988, he was buried file his house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Repay of thousands of mourners attended crown funeral including Afghan President Mohammad Najibullah, marching through the Khyber Pass implant Peshawar towards Jalalabad. It was incompetent by two bomb explosions that stick 15 people; despite the heavy contention at the time due to significance Soviet–Afghan War, both sides, namely decency Soviet–Afghan government coalition and the Asian mujahideen, declared an immediate ceasefire go up against allow Khan's burial.^[19] He was terrestrial military honors by the Afghan authority.

Early years

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was foaled on 6 February 1890 into graceful prosperous Sunni MuslimMuhammadzaiPashtun family from Utmanzai, Hashtnagar; they lived by the Jindee-a, a branch of the Swat String, in what was then British India's Punjab province.^[1][9][20] His father, Abdul Bahram Khan, was a land owner envisage Hashtnagar. Khan was the second celebrity of Bahram to attend the British-run Edward's Mission School, which was probity only fully-functioning school in the district and which was administered by Faith missionaries. At school, Khan did chuck in his studies, and was divine by his mentor, Reverend Wigram, collide with seeing the crucial role education assumed in service to the local humans. In his tenth and final class of secondary school, he was offered a highly prestigious commission in goodness Corps of Guides regiment of nobility British Indian Army. Khan declined overcome to his observational feelings that securely Guides' Indian officers were still lower 1 citizens in their own nation. Agreed subsequently followed through with his basic desire to attend university, and Prebend Wigram (Khan's teacher) offered him interpretation opportunity to follow his brother, Abdul Jabbar Khan, to study in Author, England. After graduating from Aligarh Monotheism University, Khan eventually received permission disseminate his father to travel to Author. However, his mother wasn't willing bring out let another son go to Author, so he began working on sovereignty father's lands in the process goods figuring out his next steps.^[21]

At integrity age of 20 in 1910, Caravanserai opened a madrasa in his hometown of Utmanzai. In 1911, he wedded conjugal the independence movement of the Pashtun activist Haji Sahib of Turangzai. Harsh 1915, the British colonial authorities locked away shut down Khan's madrasa, deeming sheltered pro-Indian independence activism to be natty threat to their authority.^[22] Having corroboratored the repeated failure of Indian revolts against British rule, Khan decided defer social activism and reform would have someone on more beneficial for the ethnic Pashtuns. This led to the formation dead weight the Anjuman-e Islāh-e Afghānia (Pashto: انجمن اصلاح افاغنه, 'Afghan Reform Society') observe 1921, and the youth movement Pax̌tūn Jirga (پښتون جرګه, 'Pashtun Assembly') shrub border 1927. After Khan's return from excellence IslamicHajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Hejaz−Nejd (present-day Saudi Arabia) in May 1928, explicit founded the Pashto-language monthly political magazine Pax̌tūn (پښتون, 'Pashtun'). Finally, in Nov 1929, Khan founded the Khudāyī Khidmatgār (خدايي خدمتګار, 'Servants of God') bad mood, which would strongly advocate for justness end of British colonial rule esoteric establishment of a unified and have good intentions India.^[8]

Ghaffar "Badshah" Khan

In response save for his inability to continue his let loose education, Bacha Khan turned to wedge others start theirs. Like many specified regions of the world, the deliberate importance of the newly formed Northwest Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), as a buffer for the Island Raj from Russian influence was admonishment little benefit to its residents. Objection to British colonial rule, the command of the mullahs, and an antique culture of violence and vendetta prompted Bacha Khan to want to upon and uplift his fellow men give orders to women by means of education. Lessons 20 years of age, Bacha Caravanserai opened his first school in Utmanzai. It was an instant success vital he was soon invited into adroit larger circle of progressively minded reformers.

While he faced much opposition pointer personal difficulties, Bacha Khan worked unendingly to organise and raise the awareness of his fellow Pashtuns. Between 1915 and 1918 he visited 500 villages in all part of the wool districts of NWFP. It was critical this frenzied activity that he difficult to understand come to be known as Badshah (Bacha) Khan ("King of Chiefs").^[21]

Being grand secular Muslim he did not annul in religious divisions. He married sovereign first wife Meharqanda in 1912; she was a daughter of Yar Mohammad Khan of the Kinankhel clan endorsement the Mohammadzai tribe of Razzar, orderly village adjacent to Utmanzai. They difficult to understand a son in 1913, Abdul Ghani Khan, who would become a conspicuous artist and poet. Subsequently, they locked away another son, Abdul Wali Khan (17 January 1917 – 2006), and bird, Sardaro. Meharqanda died during the 1918 influenza epidemic. In 1920, Bacha Caravansary remarried; his new wife, Nambata, was a cousin of his first helpmeet and the daughter of Sultan Mohammad Khan of Razzar. They had simple daughter, Mehar Taj (25 May 1921 – 29 April 2012),^[23] and unmixed son, Abdul Ali Khan (20 Revered 1922 – 19 February 1997). Tragically, in 1926 Nambata died early makeover well from a fall down decency stairs of the apartment where they were staying in Jerusalem.^[20]

Khudai Khidmatgar

In offend, Bacha Khan's goal came to quip the formulation of a united, free, secular India. To achieve this in the course of, he founded the Khudai Khidmatgar ("Servants of God"), commonly known as decency "Red Shirts" (Surkh Pōsh), during say publicly 1920s.

The Khudai Khidmatgar was supported on a belief in the noesis of Gandhi's notion of Satyagraha, top-hole form of active non-violence as captured in an oath. He told academic members:

I am going to assign you such a weapon that say publicly police and the army will put together be able to stand against litigation. It is the weapon of leadership Prophet, but you are not state of confusion of it. That weapon is tolerance and righteousness. No power on accurate can stand against it.^[24]

The organisation recruited over 100,000 members and became valuable in the independence movement for their resistance to the colonial government. Bow strikes, political organisation and non-violent unfriendliness, the Khudai Khidmatgar were able defy achieve some success and came process dominate the politics of NWFP. Monarch brother, Dr. Khan Abdul Jabbar Caravanserai (known as Dr. Khan Sahib), unrestrained the political wing of the look, and was the Chief Minister take the province (from 1937 and substantiate until 1947 when his government was dismissed by Mohammad Ali Jinnah find time for the Muslim League).

Kissa Khwani Massacre

Main article: Qissa Khwani massacre

On 23 Apr 1930, Bacha Khan was arrested at hand protests arising out of the Rock-salt Satyagraha. A crowd of Khudai Khidmatgar gathered in Peshawar's Kissa Khwani (Storytellers) Bazaar. The colonial government ordered armed force to open fire with machine instruments of war on the unarmed crowd, killing classic estimated 200–250.^[25] The Khudai Khidmatgar components acted in accord with their routine in non-violence under Bacha Khan, opposite bullets as the troops fired sanction them.^[26] Two platoons of the Garhwal Rifles regiment under Chandra Singh Garhwali refused to fire on the good-natured crowd. They were later court-martialled innermost sentenced to a variety of punishments, including life imprisonment.^{[citation needed]}

Bacha Khan deliver the Indian National Congress

Main article: Soldier National Congress

Bacha Khan forged a close up, spiritual, and uninhibited friendship with Statesman, the pioneer of non-violent mass domestic disobedience in India. The two confidential a deep admiration towards each concerning and worked together closely till 1947.

Khudai Khidmatgar (servants of God) shaken up and worked cohesively with the Amerindian National Congress (INC), the leading ethnic organisation fighting for independence, of which Bacha Khan was a senior good turn respected member. On several occasions conj at the time that the Congress seemed to disagree condemn Gandhi on policy, Bacha Khan remained his staunchest ally. In 1931 say publicly Congress offered him the presidency clutch the party, but he refused apophthegm, "I am a simple soldier shaft Khudai Khidmatgar, and I only energy to serve." He remained a participant of the Congress Working Committee subsidize many years, resigning only in 1939 because of his differences with primacy Party's War Policy. He rejoined say publicly Congress Party when the War Programme was revised.

Bacha Khan was neat champion of women's rights ^{[dubious – discuss]} and non-violence. He became a idol in a society dominated by violence; notwithstanding his liberal views, his reliable faith and obvious bravery led unearthing immense respect. Throughout his life, sharp-tasting never lost faith in his mild methods or in the compatibility returns Islam and non-violence. He recognised orangutan a jihad struggle with only leadership enemy holding swords. He was ad as a group identified with Gandhi because of top non-violence principles and he is situate in India as the 'Frontier Gandhi'. One of his Congress associates was Pandit Amir Chand Boambwal of Metropolis.

O Pathans! Your house has decayed into ruin. Arise and rebuild breach, and remember to what race prickly belong.

— Ghaffar Khan^[27]

The Partition

Main article: Partition slate India

See also: Bannu Resolution

Khan strongly unwilling the partition of India.^[9][10] Accused introduce being anti-Muslim by some politicians, Caravanserai was physically assaulted in 1946, eminent to his hospitalisation in Peshawar.^[28] Care about 21 June 1947, in Bannu, smart loya jirga was held consisting remind Bacha Khan, the Khudai Khidmatgars, associates of the Provincial Assembly, Mirzali Caravanserai (Faqir of Ipi), and other racial chiefs, just seven weeks before significance partition. The loya jirga issueud honourableness Bannu Resolution, which demanded that influence Pashtuns be given a choice command somebody to have an independent state of Pashtunistan composing all Pashtun territories of Island India, instead of being made unexpected join either India or Pakistan. Dispel, the British refused to comply area the demand of this resolution.^[13][14]

The Sitting Party refused last-ditch compromises to oppose the partition, like the Cabinet Function Plan and Gandhi's suggestion to propose the position of Prime Minister posture Jinnah.

When the July 1947 NWFP Referendum over accession to Pakistan was held, Bacha Khan, the Khudai Khidmatgars, the then Chief Minister Khan Sahib, and the Indian National Congress Group boycotted the referendum. Some have argued that a segment of the denizens was barred from voting.^[15]

Arrest and exile

Main article: Pakistan Movement

See also: Babrra bloodshed, National Awami Party, and One Unit

Bacha Khan took the oath of fealty to the new nation of Pakistan on 23 February 1948 at grandeur first session of the Pakistan Detachment Assembly.^[17][18]

He pledged full support to loftiness government and attempted to reconcile go through the founder of the new assert Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Although initial way led to a successful meeting send down Karachi, a follow-up meeting in righteousness Khudai Khidmatgar HQ never materialised, at a guess due to the role of NWFP Chief Minister, Abdul Qayyum Khan Dard, who told Jinnah that Bacha Caravanserai was plotting his assassination.^[29][30]

Following this, Bacha Khan formed Pakistan's first national counteraction party, on 8 May 1948, character Pakistan Azad Party. The party betrothed to play the role of helpful opposition and would be non-communal expect its philosophy.

However, suspicions of culminate allegiance persisted and under the additional Pakistani government, Bacha Khan was tell untruths under house arrest without charge be different 1948 till 1954. In 1954, Bacha Khan split with his elder monastic Khan Sahib after the latter linked the Central Cabinet of Muhammad Khalifah Bogra as Minister for Communications. Unconfined from prison, he gave a story again on the floor of righteousness National Assembly, this time condemning righteousness massacre of his supporters at Babrra.^[31]

I had to go to prison distinct a time in the days jurisdiction the Britishers. Although we were be equal loggerheads with them, yet their maltreatment was to some extent tolerant courier polite. But the treatment which was meted out to me in that Islamic state of ours was specified that I would not even round to mention it to you.^[32]

He was arrested several times after late 1948. In 1956 he was arrested shelter opposing the One Unit Scheme.^[33] Honesty government attempted in 1958 to agree with him and offered him neat as a pin ministry in the government, after integrity assassination of his brother, but appease refused.^[34] He remained in prison work 1957 only to be re-arrested take back 1958 until an illness in 1964 allowed for his release.^[35]

In 1962, Bacha Khan was named an "Amnesty General Prisoner of the Year". Amnesty's report about him said, "His example symbolizes the suffering of upward of uncluttered million people all over the globe who are prisoners of conscience."

In September 1964, the Pakistani authorities authorized him to go to the Common Kingdom for treatment. During the frost, his doctor advised him to mirror to United States. He then went into exile to Afghanistan, he shared from exile in December 1972 dirty popular support, following the establishment as a result of National Awami Party provincial governments affront North West Frontier Province and Balochistan.

He was arrested by Prime Clergyman Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's government at Multan in November 1973 and described Bhutto's government as "the worst kind unredeemed dictatorship".^[36]

In 1984, increasingly withdrawing from affairs of state, he was nominated for the Philanthropist Peace Prize.^[37] He visited India sit participated in the centennial celebrations advice the Indian National Congress in 1985; he was awarded the Jawaharlal Statesman Award for International Understanding in 1967^[38] and later Bharat Ratna, India's paramount civilian award, in 1987.^[39]

His final elder political challenge was against the Kalabagh dam project, fearing that the activity would damage the Peshawar valley. Her highness hostility would eventually lead to prestige project being shelved after his death.^{[citation needed]}

Death

Bacha Khan died in Peshawar family unit 1988 from complications of a tap and was buried in his undertake at Jalalabad, Afghanistan.^[40] Over 200,000 mourners attended his funeral, including the Asian president Mohammad Najibullah. The then Amerindian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi went fulfil Peshawar, to pay his tributes draw attention to Bacha Khan despite the fact range General Zia ul-Haq attempted to corner his attendance citing security reasons. Into the bargain, the Indian government declared a five-day period of mourning in his honour.^[39] Although he had been repeatedly confined and persecuted, tens of thousands disseminate mourners attended his funeral, described gross one commentator as "a caravan have fun peace, carrying a message of love" from Pashtuns east of the Khyber to those on the west,^[29] demo through the historic Khyber Pass overrun Peshawar to Jalalabad. This symbolic step was planned by Bacha Khan, turn into affirmatively demonstrate his dream of Pashtun unification and to help that delusion live on after his death.^{[citation needed]} A cease-fire was announced in prestige Afghan Civil War to allow leadership funeral to take place, even sort through it was marred by bomb explosions killing fifteen people.^[19]

Memorial

The Banaras Flyover emergence Karachi and the Bacha Khan Chowk it traverses stand as memorials hurt Abdul Ghaffar Khan.^[41] The chowk, known as in his honor, was a social and political landmark for the shut down Pashtun community, is now overshadowed stomach-turning the flyover.

Pashtunistan

Abdul Ghaffar Khan took an oath of allegiance to Pakistan in 1948 in the legislation group. When during his speech he was asked by the PM Liaquat Prizefighter Khan about Pashtunistan, he replied put off it was just a name engage the Pashtun province in Pakistan, reasonable as Punjab, Bengal, Sindh, and Baluchistan are the names of provinces invite Pakistan as ethno-linguistic names,^[42] However, that compromise was apparently contrary to what he believed in and strived financial assistance before partition: Pashtunistan as an unfettered state after the failure of leadership idea of a united India.

Later on in 1980, during an examine with an Indian journalist, Haroon Siddiqui, in Jalalabad, Abdul Ghaffar Khan thought

The idea never helped us. Summon fact, it was never a truth. Successive Afghan governments just exploited standard for their own political ends. Present was only towards the end deserve his regime that Daoud Khan difficult stopped talking about it. And Taraki in the early part of sovereignty regime also didn't mention it. And above when I met him, I thanked him for not raising the not the main point. But later, even he raised righteousness issue because he wanted to carry on the problem for Pakistan. Our supporters suffered greatly because of all this.

^[43] He also said in the by far interview that "I'll live here. I'm now (for all intents and purposes) an Afghan. I'm not even suffering my son, Khan Abdul Wali Caravansary, political leader of Pakistan's North Western Frontier Province, to visit me now he'll insist that I go be on a par with him to Pakistan. But I don't want to go."

Family

Bacha Khan one his first wife Meharqanda in 1912; she was a daughter of Yar Mohammad Khan of the Kinankhel house of the Mohammadzai tribe of Razzar, a village adjacent to Utmanzai. They had a son in 1913, Abdul Ghani Khan, who would become undiluted noted artist and poet. Subsequently, they had another son, Abdul Wali Caravansary (17 January 1917 – 2006), allow daughter, Sardaro. Meharqanda died during nobility 1918 influenza epidemic. In 1920, Bacha Khan remarried; his new wife, Nambata, was a cousin of his cheeriness wife and the daughter of Pre-eminent Mohammad Khan of Razzar. They esoteric a daughter, Mehar Taj (25 Can 1921 – 29 April 2012),^[23] slab a son, Abdul Ali Khan (20 August 1922 – 19 February 1997). Tragically, in 1926 Nambata died apparent as well from a fall decelerate the stairs of the apartment in they were staying in Jerusalem.^[20]

Legacy

Bacha Khan's political legacy is renowned amongst Pashtuns^{[citation needed]} and those in modern Land of India as a leader delightful a non-violent movement. Within Pakistan, nevertheless, the vast majority of society take questioned his stance with the Indicate India Congress over the Muslim Confederacy as well as his opposition form the partition of India and Statesman. In particular, people have questioned in Bacha Khan's patriotism rests.

His firstborn son Ghani Khan was a metrist. Ghani Khan's wife, Roshan, was take the stones out of a Parsi family and was dignity daughter of Nawab Rustam Jang, shipshape and bristol fashion prince of Hyderabad.^[44] His second mutually, Abdul Wali Khan, was the author and leader of the Awami State-run Party from 1986 to 2006, with the addition of was the Leader of the Resistance in the Pakistan National Assembly evade 1988 to 1990.

His third dissimilarity Abdul Ali Khan was non-political ray a distinguished educator, and served thanks to Vice-Chancellor of University of Peshawar. Kalif Khan was also the head manipulate Aitchison College in Lahore and Fazle Haq College in Mardan.

His niece Mariam married Jaswant Singh in 1939. Jaswant Singh was a young Brits Indian airforce officer and was Religion by faith. Mariam later converted unobtrusively Christianity.^[45]

Mohammed Yahya, Education Minister of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, was the only son-in-law human Bacha Khan.

Asfandyar Wali Khan psychiatry the grandson of Abdul Ghaffar Caravansary, and was the leader of representation Awami National Party. The party was in power from 2008 to 2013.

Zarine Khan Walsh, who lives put in the bank Mumbai, is the granddaughter of Abdul Ghaffar Khan and was the in a short while daughter of Abdul Ghaffar Khan's firstborn son Abdul Ghani Khan.^[46]

The All Bharat Pakhtoon Jirga-e-Hind is chaired by Yasmin Nigar Khan, who claims to have someone on the great-granddaughter of Abdul Ghaffar Khan.^[47][48]Awami National Party leader Asfandyar Wali Caravansary rejected the claim, though a indigenous ministry official clarified that Yasmin Nigar Khan was a descendant of Abdul Ghaffar Khan's "adopted" son.^[46]

Salma Ataullahjan crack the great-grandniece of Abdul Ghaffar Caravanserai and a member of the Council of Canada.

Film, literature and society

In 2008, a documentary, titled The Marches Gandhi: Badshah Khan, a Torch promote Peace, by film-maker and writer T.C. McLuhan, premiered in New York. Birth film received the 2009 award fetch Best Documentary Film at the Conformity East International Film Festival (see fell page).

In 1990, Abdul Kabeer Siddiqui of Indian National TV made straighten up 30-minute English-language biographical documentary film upsurge Badshah Khan, titled The Majestic Man. It was telecast on Doordarshan.

In Richard Attenborough's 1982 epic Gandhi, Bacha Khan was portrayed by Dilsher Singh.

In his home city of City, the Bacha Khan International Airport recap named after him.

In his hometown Charsadda, the Bacha Khan University in your right mind named after him.

Bacha Khan was listed as one of 26 private soldiers who changed the world in calligraphic recent children's book published in picture United States, alongside Tiger Woods don Yo-Yo Ma.^[49] He also wrote titanic autobiography (1969), and has been greatness subject of biographies by Eknath Easwaran (see article) and Rajmohan Gandhi (see "References" section, below). His philosophy disseminate Islamic pacifism was recognised by Mild Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, complicated a speech to American Muslims.^[50]

In righteousness Indian city of Delhi, the wellliked Khan Market is named in honour, along with Ghaffar market hem in the Karol Bagh area of Fresh Delhi.^[51][52] In Mumbai, a seafront obsolete and promenade in the Worli zone was named Khan Abdul Ghaffar Caravanserai Marg after him.

See also

References

External links