Subhas Chandra Bose, with Captain (Dr) Lakshmi Sahgal, inspecting the guard of honour presented by the Rani of Jhansi Regiment
If one has to point out one thing that hurt the British Empire most in India, it has to be the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh unity with women fighting against the imperial crown a close second. The fear was not unfounded. In 1857, this was a united effort of Hindus and Muslims, where women like Rani of Jhansi and Begum Hazrat Mahal played important roles, which shook up the foundation of the empire in India.
A Slice Of History
The Second World War came to a close in late 1945. The soldiers of the Indian National Army (INA), originally called Azad Hind Fauj, were captured and brought in front of military tribunals as the Prisoners of War (PoW). The media coverage of the trials gave Indians the real picture of Subhas Chandra Bose-led INA. The force was painted as agents of the Japanese and fascists who wanted to capture India.
Indians came to know that INA was an independent Indian armed force and it was funded by the Indian diaspora. While in India, Congress and the Muslim League could not settle upon the question of religious communalism, in the INA Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs dined together. It must be noted that in the Indian Army of the British Imperial Government, food for each religious group was cooked separately.
Moreover, the INA had an all-women combat force – Rani of Jhansi Regiment. It was led by Captain Laxmi Sahgal.
These narratives were a blow to the divisive politics of the Muslim League led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Though they could not argue that Muslims were not part of the INA as many of its top Generals were Muslims they tried to convince people that Muslim women were not a part of the INA.
Admission of women fighting the war along with Hindu women as well as men was a big blow for Muslim Pakistan. How could they admit that Muslim women could interact with Hindu men as equal soldiers on the battlefield?
On 22 December 1945, the Dawn, a Muslim League mouthpiece, carried a report that no Muslim woman ever joined the INA. The same day the INA Defence Committee countered this claim and news was carried in the National dailies, where it was reported, “Prominent among the Muslim women in the I.N.A. were Mrs. Saleem, wife of Capt. Saleem, now in the Red Fort, and two daughters of Major Wahab Khan who is still in Thailand working for the Indians there.”
Sultana Saleem whose husband Colonel Saleem was also serving the INA, was one of the prominent officers of Rani of the Jhansi Regiment. She had never been to India before the War broke out and was a resident of Burma. Like a majority of the soldiers of the regiment she responded to a call of Subhas Chandra Bose without any prior military training.
It was during the War that Sultana met another young INA officer Saleem, who crossed over to the Nationalist Army after serving in the Indian Army of the British Imperial Government. Both the INA officers got married with the blessings of Bose.
When the War was over, Saleem was imprisoned as a PoW. Sultana reached India as part of the first contingent of captured soldiers of Rani of Jhansi Regiment in February 1946. She interacted with the press and told people about the INA and the movement led by Bose.
Sultana Saleem advocated military training for the women of India and said that women must pay an equal part to men and have the same facilities for military training. Such training had helped them to be strong and had made them better able to face the difficulties of life. It inculcated a sense of discipline and fearlessness. If women came forward. It would instill courage in men to make greater sacrifices.
The Indian Express reported on 22 February 1946, “Mrs Sleem felt that there was only one country for her- Hindusthan – and only one nation – Hindustani. She did not believe in either communalism or provincialism. It was the oneness of India that appealed to her most. In East Asia, she said there was no consciousness at all of religious or provincial differences and no untouchability problem. She believed that if India had freedom her many problems could be solved without much difficulty.”
The INA had a good percentage of Muslim women soldiers as well who were fighting for the freedom of India along with their Hindu and Sikh sisters of Rani of the Jhansi Regiment.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Saquib Salim / August 18th, 2024
A diorama of Mahatma Gandhi leading satyagrahis in burning British clothes at Gandhi Smriti, New Delhi
Shaikh Mohammed Elias, son of Shaikh Mohammed Younus Fakhre Quaum often heard the story of his great-grandfather’s sacrifice for freedom.
Fazal e Elahi Gorey Fakhre Quaum was a wealthy dealer of foreign goods in the 1940s when the British Empire had reached its zenith in glory and power.
In that pre-Independence era, all rich Indian merchants did well by shipping exorbitant British products from Britain and selling them in India. Because of his buoyant import-export business, Fazal e Elahi and his family lived in the lap of luxury. In those days, when no one had big branded cars, he was driving his grand Impala car around!
He and his family lived in Delhi. However, due to the exponential trade with Kolkata as the British capital, he moved there for business prospects. Since he was dealing with the British, he was given the moniker of Gorey Wale by the local people for a person who traded with the ‘whites’.
Rukhshi Kadiri Elias, entrepreneur and founder of Taajira-The Businesswoman, is the great grand-daughter-in-law of Fazal e Elahi. She told Awaz-The Voice that her great grand-father-in-law’s nickname Gorey Wale stuck on with him until an incident happened that elevated his name to a title awarded to him by the community, “Fakhre Quaum (Pride of the community).
Her father-in-law Shaikh Mohammed Younus Fakhre Quaum told her that even Mahatma Gandhi who fought vigilantly for the freedom of India would visit Kolkata and stay with him in his home during his visits. The family shares that Fazal e Elahi was a grand, gracious, and dignified man who lived by ethics.
Fazal e Elahi Gorey Fakhre Quaum
The Swadeshi movement was gaining momentum with passions running high, and at this time, the boycott of British goods started to take on a fresh vigour. Ruskshi’s husband, Elias Mohammad Shaikh shares with the family how his great-grandfather, Fazal-e-Elahi in a defining moment took a bold step to join the Swadeshi movement.
Not thinking about himself, his family, or his future, he gathered the massive pile of British products from his warehouse, transported them to the Kolutolla crossing near the Mohammed Ali Library, and stacked them into a mountainous heap before the gaping crowds, he set the entire lot of goods ablaze in a roaring fire. His business days with the British were over and the Gorey Wale sealed all doors shut for any future trade with the British. Impressed, the crowds gave him the grand title of Fakhre Quaum, meaning “pride of the community.”
It only takes a spark to set a fire blazing. The locals watching him inspired by his sacrifice rushed back to their homes and gathered all the British products they were using, started to make little piles on that road and burn them up and soon the road was aflame with British merchandise. This was the start of the boycott movement in the Muslim community as well as all over Kolkata
Fazal-e-Elahi as a freedom fighter turned all his words into actions by bringing his entire warehouse of goods onto the streets to burn them. Setting an example to the others who never expected him to take this step, losing most of his business overnight, they perceived this act as going beyond mere words or loud speeches. It was a big turning point for himself as well as his family which would negatively impact his children bringing them financially down from this point forward.
He also used the remaining parts of his wealth to give make monetary contributions to the freedom struggle. To survive, he diversified into different Indian products and started making handmade candles, ink and other products and trading in the same. His son, Mohammad Younis also started on a small scale at a time when Bangladesh and West Bengal were one big state. During the Partition, while they had to shift from Bangladesh to Kolkata, they went through pain and struggle. Properties were confiscated and there was a great loss all around.
During the partition, many families of the freedom fighters split. Shaikh Mohammed Younus FakhreQuaum had nine brothers and two sisters with most of the family living in Pakistan, while four remained in India.
Gandhi addressing Satyagrahis
Fazal-e-Elahi’s family was from Sargodha located in Punjab province of Pakistan. In the 1900s, looking for better prospects in trade, they traveled by caravan to the courts of the Mughal emperor of Delhi. The emperor encouraged people to come and settle down in the new city of Delhi. Learning about this, the family embarked on a journey to Delhi. During their travels on the way, the Hindu Punjabi traders met a seer by the name of Hazrat Shams Tabrez.
Highly influenced by his inspiring speeches and extraordinary demeanor, the entire party in the caravan converted to Islam. When they came and settled in Delhi, they became Delhi wallas known as Delhiwal meaning they were Punjabis settled in Delhi. They adopted Urdu, the court language of Delhi. Even today, while settled all over the world, they are known as Delhiwal and these groups of people are mostly concentrated in Kolkata and Delhi and all called Delhiwal.
While propagating the Quit India Movement, Fazal-e-Elahi rose quickly to become the president of the Baradari (brotherhood) of the Delhiwal community in Kolkata. When travelling down narrow lanes to build up the movement of Quit India, he abandoned driving his Impala car and started to use a horse.
Quoting her father-in-law, Rukshi says that India saw amazing unity during the Freedom Movement. Those days, one could make friends so easily, and it was the most normal thing to build bonding friendships with anyone across different communities. The freedom movement drew Indians into close ties where Indians forgot all their differences and only had the motive to defeat the Enemy.
Fazal-e-Elahi Gorey Fakhre Quaum sacrificed his flourishing business without thinking twice about it towards establishing the freedom of India setting patriotism waves over the community. Rukhshi says, “How many people will do that today is the question in this materialistically attached generation that we live in today. It was pure selflessness because Fazal-e-Elahi Gorey Fakhre Quaum considered India his own country. Such people will revive the spirit of India, sacrifice, and unity.” With a laugh she adds, “I could never think of throwing away my lovely tea set I bought in Britain, but he did it so easily.”
Rita Farhat Mukand is an independent writer and author
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Rita Farhat Mukand / August 12th, 2024
Ruins of Haveli of Basi Bangar, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh
The history of the Khanpur Estate and Bara Basti (twelve villages) goes back to the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir when a son of a Daudzai Afghan chieftain, Sheikh Ruknuddin Afghan founded a village on the banks of Ganga and gave it the name of “Basi Bangar”.
As a valiant warrior, Ruknuddin was inducted in the Mughal army. Later, his fortunes rose to the rank of Mansabdar and the title of Sher Khan was given to him. After his death, the emperor bestowed a portion of his jagir and rank to his brother and children. Later, his younger brother, Shaikh Allu Afghan was also inducted into the Mughal aristocracy and was awarded many grants.
Resting place of Shaikh Allu Afghan founder of Khanpur estate
A village with the name of “Khanpur” was established by Shaikh Allu Afghan. During his lifetime, he built a large mud fort, mosque and other structures in this village. This is how Khanpur became the administrative headquarters of Bara Basti, the settlements of Daudzai Afghans in the area.
Ruins of Khanpur fort
Role of Erstwhile Khanpur estate in the Great Uprising of 1857
During the Mughal era, there were only few taluqdar estates in the current Bulandshahr district and these were Khanpur Chattari, Kuchesar, Pahasu and Shikarpur. When the great Uprising of 1857 broke out, there wasn’t much force at Meerut camp.
Brand Sapte wrote letters to the taluqdars of district Bulandshahr asking for assistance of troops and horses. This request was positively responded immediately. However, the Khanpur Estate decided to join the Uprising.
Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh came to the Doab with a sanad from Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Azim Khan alias Azam Khan was the deputy of Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh in the Bulandshahr district of the former United Provinces. The family owned the erstwhile Khanpur Estate in the same district.
During the Great Uprising of 1857, Nawab Walidad Khan, who was related the Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar by virtue of marriage within the royal family, was chosen as a leader of this movement to overthrow the colonial government.
On 10 October 1857, British forces attacked Malagarh. Azim Khan put up a stiff resistance under the overall command of Nawab Walidad Khan at Khurja and paralysed the British for a few days. He was finally arrested by Khusi Ram, the Police Officer of Anupshahr, while trying to cross the Ganga to move into Rohilkhand. He was tried by a court martial and subsequently hanged.
Haji Munir Khan was the only son of Azim Khan, the landlord of the Khanpur estate in Bulandshahr district. Munir Khan was the chief commander of the revolutionaries of the Bulandshahr district during the Great Uprising of 1857.
In the famous second battle of Gulaothi which was fought on 29 July 1857, British forces wanted to take control of the whole of the Bulandshahr district.
To stop their advance, Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh deputed his main commanders, Haji Munir Khan and Ismail Khan, to Gulaothi. Both of them established a picket on the canal just before Gulaothi to stop the colonial forces from entering the Bulandshahr district. In the ensuing battle, both Haji Munir Khan and Ismail Khan received severe sword cuts on their faces. Later, Haji Munir Khan crossed the Ganga with Walidad Khan and joined Khan Bahadur Khan’s forces and fought at Kachhlaghat and also served as Naib Kotwal under government of Khan Bahadur Khan rebel government. He continued fighting until his last breath.
Abdul Latif Khan was the nephew of Azim Khan, the landlord of the Khanpur’s estate in the Bulandshahr district. Abdul Latif Khan was the second wealthiest landholder in the district and the proprietor of 225 villages, with its headquarters in the Barah Basti villages.
During the Great Uprising of 1857, the British District Magistrate of Bulanshahr called upon all the principal landholders of the district, including Abdul Latif Khan, to help him by furnishing troops to suppress the revolt. Abdul Latif Khan initially refused to help the British, but when on 4 October 1857, Bulandshahr was occupied by the British force under Lieutenant Colonel Farquhar, he paid his due balance of land revenue to the British government. But he soon shifted his allegiance to Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Mosque in Basi Bangar on the shore of river Ganga and it’s very first village of Bara Basti settlement.
Though he never came to the battlefield, Abdul Latif Khan gave shelter to the revolutionaries of Bulandshahr district including Nawul Gujjar, Raheemoddeen and the Pathans of Barah Basti villages when they were engaged in fighting the British forces. For these acts, he was tried by a military court and sentenced to transportation for life to Andamans or Kala Pani for aiding the revolt of 1857.
The family’s erstwhile Khanpur estate in Bulandshahr district was subsequently confiscated by the British after the 1857 uprising was crushed by the colonial forces.
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Special Reports / by The Milli Gazette Online / by Musa Munir Khan / July 31st, 2024
JIH vice-president Prof. Salim Engineer speaks at the history seminar organized by the Delhi unit of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
New Delhi :
Various speakers at a seminar here on Sunday said that the Muslim role in India’s independence and making of modern India was being overlooked by most of the historians.
The seminar titled “Making of Modern India and Role of Muslims in Freedom Movement” was part of a year-long campaign of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Delhi unit, to create awareness about the role Muslims played in India’s struggle for freedom from Britishers.
In his inaugural speech, JIH Delhi state president Salimullah Khan emphasizing the importance of compiling and presenting historical facts from various sources across the country.
He expressed concern over the current trend of rewriting history by omitting the Muslim contribution to serve vested interests, which he believes, is creating misunderstandings and communal hatred in the country.
“We are making efforts to collect historical facts, heritage, and monument information that exists in Delhi and will present it to the people,” Salimullah Khan stated.
He quoted Ayash Khan, former director of the renowned Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library in Patna, who highlighted the discrepancy between historical reality and its presentation by historians, often influenced by personal interests and inclinations.
The JIH state chief also cited renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Sadruddin Islahi, who emphasized the importance of genuine history writing and deplored the modification of historical narratives to suit personal agendas. He stressed that writing genuine history in the current climate is a significant service to humanity.
JIH Vice President Prof. Salim Engineer, in his presidential address, praised the seminar’s theme as timely and appropriate amid rising Islamophobia and propaganda against Muslims worldwide and rising hatred in the country. He urged scholars and academicians to counter these narratives by presenting the overlooked contributions of Muslims and Islam to the nation.
“This government is not just a government of a political party but an ideological one,” Prof. Salim stated.
“Their agenda includes creating hatred and division in society against Muslims and Islam.” Prof. Salim reiterated this point, highlighting the ongoing attempts by the ruling government to rewrite history in a biased manner.
He emphasized that history should serve as a lesson for the future, advocating for collective action across communities to promote unity, reminiscent of the collaborative spirit against British colonialism. He emphasized the need for more conferences and seminars throughout the country to counter rising propaganda and hatred against Muslims.
The JIH Vice President asserted that Muslim participation in the freedom struggle was inspired by Islamic teachings, which fundamentally oppose injustice and oppression. He criticized both the British colonial distortion of history and current efforts by the ruling dispensation to rewrite history with bias against Muslims and Islam. Calling for more such events throughout the country, he emphasized the need for rigorous research, documentation, and public education to ensure historical accuracy in shaping national discourse and identity.
Unsung Heroes of the Freedom Struggle
Syed Ubaidur Rahman, a prominent who has authored several books on the history of Muslims in India, provided a comprehensive account of Muslim contributions to the freedom struggle. He highlighted the Faraizi Movement of 1819 as the first freedom movement, predating the widely acknowledged 1857 uprising.
“The Faraizi Movement, launched by Haji Shariatullah in 1819, was not just a religious reform movement but a revolt against oppressive landlords patronized by British colonizers,” Syed Ubaid explained. He emphasized that this movement, which lasted for 50 to 60 years, offered significant sacrifices and impact.
Syed Ubaid also shed light on the role of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, in the 1857 revolt. “Zafar had nothing to lose, as Mughal rule had already deteriorated to the lowest level before he took charge,” he clarified. “But for the sake of freedom, he revolted against the British Raj, leaving his luxurious life and power behind,” he pointed out.
The writer listed numerous prominent freedom fighters who made great sacrifices, including Imam Bakhsh Sahbai, Mufti Sadroddin Azoorda, Maulana Azad Subhani, and Maulvi Abdullah Shah.
Syed Ubaidur Rahman drew attention to many unsung heroes, including Maulvi Abdullah Shah and Azeemullah Khan, who played pivotal roles in the freedom movement. He enumerated the sacrifices of various freedom fighters, such as Imam Bakhsh Sahbai, Maulana Jafar Thaneswi, and Maulvi Liaquat Ali, all of whom displayed unwavering commitment to India’s independence, often at the cost of their lives and liberty.
Syed Ubaid also highlighted the pivotal role of the Reshmi Rumal Movement, led by the esteemed Deobandi scholar Shaikhul Hind Maulana Mahmoodul Hasan. This revolutionary movement, noted by the British Rowlatt Committee as a significant threat to British rule, garnered substantial support from the Ottoman Empire, Germany, Russia, and Afghanistan in its quest to destabilize British India. Maulana Hasan even travelled to Mecca seeking military assistance against the British government. However, the outbreak of World War I led to the unravelling of their plans, resulting in the imprisonment of many Indian revolutionaries, including Maulana Hasan, who was later released from Malta jail due to ill health.
Ubaid also remembered key figures like Haji Sahib of Turangzai, who bravely fought against British forces during the 1897 Frontier Revolt, and Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali, who served as the Prime Minister of India’s first Provisional Government in Afghanistan in 1915. He further shed light on Mohammad Iqbal Shedai, who established the Azad Hind Government in exile in Rome in 1941, and the tragic fate of Imam Bakhsh Sehbai, a scholar and poet executed by the British after the 1857 uprising, alongside his family members.
Syed Ubaid stressed the need to document and raise awareness about these unsung heroes of the freedom struggle, many of whom remain unknown to the general public.
Highlighting Women’s Contributions
Mrs. Syedah Swaleha Jabeen, a freelance journalist, focused on the contributions of Muslim women to India’s freedom struggle. She asserted that while their role was strong and leading, it has not been adequately documented. “Thousands of Indian Muslim women joined the freedom war, sacrificing their lives or facing acute suffering,”Swaleha Jabeen stated. She mentioned prominent figures such as Begum Hazrat Mahal, Abidi Bano Begum, and Aruna Asif Ali, among others. Jabeen recounted how Begum Hazrat Mahal, dressed as a soldier, led a group of fighters during the 1857 uprising, demonstrating the active involvement of women in the struggle for independence.
Swaleha Jabeen highlighted the significant contributions of Abadi Bano Begum, affectionately known as Bi Amma, during the Indian freedom struggle. As the mother of prominent freedom fighters Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar and Maulana Shaukat Ali, Bi Amma played an active role in the movement for independence. Her sons became key figures in both the Khilafat Movement and the broader Indian independence movement, significantly impacting the non-cooperation movement against British rule. Notably, they were also founders of the esteemed Jamia Millia Islamia, furthering their commitment to education and social reform.
She quoted Mahatma Gandhi, who wrote in Young India newspaper that “without mentioning the contributions of Muslim women, the history of the Indian freedom movement is absolutely incomplete.”
Political Leadership and Community Contributions
Dr. Abdullah Chishti, Assistant Professor at Jamia Millia Islamia, discussed Muslim political leadership in shaping the discourse of India’s freedom movement. He emphasized the need to focus on the role of the masses across all communities, rather than just leaders or religious groups.
“We talk much about the leaders and religious groups but less discuss the role of masses cutting across casts, sects, race, and religious divides,” Chishti noted. He pointed out that figures like Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose had a significant following among Muslim masses.
Chishti also addressed the issue of communal periodization of Indian history, tracing it back to British scholar James Mill’s division of Indian history into Hindu and Muslim periods in 1817. He argued that this division paved the way for the two-nation theory during the British colonial period.
However, Chishti emphasized that not all Muslims favoured a separate homeland. He cited examples of prominent figures like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and Allama Mashriqi, who were strong opponents of partition.
Dr. Abhay Kumar, a former History Scholar from JNU, spoke about the enduring impact of Muslim heritage on modern India’s cultural fabric. He stressed the importance of understanding and communicating history to counter ongoing efforts to distort it.
Prof. Salim Engineer presenting a memento to former JNU scholar Dr. Abhay Kumar.
“If you want to save India, you have to first understand the history of the country and then tell it to the common people in popular language,” Kumar asserted. He criticized the common approach of memorizing history in chronological order without understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind historical events. He emphasized the importance of understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind historical events, rather than merely memorizing dates and facts.
Kumar traced the roots of historical distortion back to the colonial period, criticizing early European writers for their biased portrayals of Indian history. He pointed out that many colonial historians, such as James Mill, wrote about India without ever visiting the country.
“To understand the distortion of history, we have to trace it back to the colonial period,” Kumar explained. “When the British came to India, they started writing history as a systematic institution, even colonial historians who wrote Indian history often never visited India.”
Kumar also addressed the visible bias and prejudice against Muslims in the writings of European scholars like Max Muller. He argued that these prejudices were partly because Muslim rulers were in power when the British arrived in India, and Muslims were among the first to resist foreign rule.
He also addressed the need for genuine history writing, urging efforts to preserve public-level history rather than relying solely on government or agency accounts.
JIH Delhi state secretary and organizer of the seminar Asif Iqbal provided an overview of the event’s objectives. He explained that the seminar aimed to highlight the contributions of Muslims in the freedom struggle and the reconstruction of the country, facts that a vast majority of the country is not well aware of or has overlooked.
Asif Iqbal announced that this seminar is a precursor to an upcoming grand history conference to be held in February next year in Delhi. He also revealed plans for about 10 similar history conferences to be held across different major cities in India, covering various themes including architecture, art and culture, spirituality, social reforms, textiles and craftsmanship, environmental contributions, cultural syncretic festivals, struggle heritage, mass movements, and Muslim personalities and their contributions.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow/ Home> National Interest / by Anwarulhaq Baig / August 14th, 2024
“He (Mahatma Gandhi) said that while he did not think that Umar Sobhani was a revolutionary, he was frank and open by nature and he (Gandhi) thought that if Umar felt convinced that a revolution was the best way to secure the well-being of India, he would not hesitate to adopt such methods. He thought that in such a case Umar Sobhani would plainly tell him (Gandhi) of his intentions…” This is what Mahatma Gandhi was reported to have told to C.I.D on 8 May 1919 during a police interrogation.
Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle
Sobhani was a rich businessman from Mumbai who traded in cotton and joined the freedom struggle early in his life.
Those who take an interest in Mahatma Gandhi consider Young India, an English journal edited by Gandhi, and Navajivan, a Gujarati journal, as his voice. Interestingly, these journals were started by Sobhani who later cajoled Gandhi to take charge as the editor.
Rajmohan Gandhi, one of the grandsons of Mahatma Gandhi, notes, “Three of the Sabarmati ‘covenanters’, Umar Sobhani, Shankerlal Banker and Indulal Yagnik, were between them bringing out two journals, Young India, a weekly in English from Bombay, and Navajivan, a monthly in Gujarati from Ahmedabad, and were also associated with the nationalist daily, the Bombay Chronicle. At the end of April, in one of the Raj’s drastic measures, Horniman, the British editor of the Chronicle, was deported, and the paper’s publication had to be suspended.
“In response, Sobhani, Banker, and Yagnik requested Gandhi to take over the editorship of Young India and Navajivan and with their help bring out Young India twice a week and Navajivan every week. Gandhi agreed, and on 7 May 1919 the first number of Young India, New Series, came out. When, soon, the Chronicle resumed publication, Young India reverted to being a weekly but now published, for Gandhi’s convenience, in Ahmedabad, along with Navajivan, which first appeared as a weekly on 7 September.
“Gandhi now possessed what he had hoped for from the moment of his return to India: vehicles to communicate his message.”
Charkha (spinning wheel) is a synonym for Mahatma Gandhi and his movement and Sobhani played an instrumental role in making it a success. Rajmohan writes, “Indian spinning mills wanted to turn all their yarn into mill-made cloth, not sell it to hand-weavers. Gandhi therefore asked associates to search for spinning wheels that could make yarn. At the Godhra conference in November. 1917, a woman called Gangaben Majmudar, who had ‘already got rid of the curse of untouchability and fearlessly moved among and served the suppressed classes’ (A 442), promised him that she would locate a wheel.
“She found not one but hundreds in Vijapur in the princely state of Baroda, all lying in attics as ‘useless lumber’ (A 443). Women who in the past plied the charkhas told Gangaben that they would spin again if someone supplied slivers of cotton and bought their yarn.
Gandhi said he would meet the conditions, his friend Umar Sobhani supplied slivers from his Bombay mill, and the ashram received more hand-spun yarn than it could cope with.”
Sobhani was one of the original 20 signatories of the pledge to oppose the Rowlatt Act. The pledge was prepared by Gandhi at his Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. Along with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Sobhani was one of the associates of Gandhi who backed him against the old guards in Congress on the question of the non-cooperation movement in 1918.
K. R. Malkani, a former R.S.S stalwart and BJP leader, writes, “Gandhiji’s right-hand man in Bombay in the 1921 movement was Umar Sobhani. The first bonfire of one and a half lakh pieces of choicest silk was ignited by Gandhi in Umar’s mill compound in Parel.
“When Gandhiji decided to collect Rs. 1 crore for Tilak Swaraj Fund, Umar offered to contribute the entire amount, but Gandhiji wanted it collected from a large number of people. But even so, Umar contributed Rs. 3 lacs.
“Umar was a big cotton merchant. When the British came to know of his role in the Freedom Movement, they ran special trainloads of cotton to Bombay by Viceregal order. As a result, cotton prices collapsed in Bombay and Umar suffered a loss of Rs. 3.64 crores. Daan-Vir Sobhani ended his life.
“Earlier the British tried to divide the family. At their instance, Umar’s father, Haji Yusuf Sobhani contested the office of Sheriff of Bombay. Umar worked. against his father and had him defeated. Later the British tried to tempt Yusuf Sobhani with a knighthood, but Umar told his father that he could accept the title only “over my dead body.” Today probably not even people living on Sobhani Road, Cuffe Parade, Bombay, know who the great Sobhani was!”
Sobhani used to lead the marches in Mumbai, arrange the meetings of Gandhi, and raise funds for the political agitations against the English. Gandhi, according to the police reports, used to call him one of the props of the satyagraha in Mumbai.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Saquib Salim / July 31st, 2024
Marai Village, Siphajr (Darang District) , ASSAM :
Inside the shrine of Baga Baba
As National Highway-15 traverses through the village Marai of the Darang district in northern Assam, travellers see a shrine that commands the devotion and reverence of both Hindus and Muslims.
This is the shrine of Baba Baga which is visited by people of all faiths, and is especially popular among travelers who have taken the NH-15. Trucks and buses that come from far and wide stop here to offer prayers and make donations. All passenger buses and goods trucks stop here as the shrine management has kept drinking water available.
Baga Baba was born as Abdul Khaleque. He came to Assam in 1916 from the then Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh). Initially, he lived in Gog, Satsali, and Badalguri and finally settled down in Marai village of Sipajhar in 1919.
The shrine of Baga Baba in village Marai
From there, he launched his mission of spreading Islam in the greater Darang district. The Sufi cleric also joined the Indian freedom movement; he was also jailed.
Baga Baba died in 1933 and the locals raised a mausoleum (mazar) on his grave.
Speaking with Awaz-The Voice, Hafiz Ali, secretary of Baga Baba Mazar, said: “The cleric lit the torch of Islam here. Along with preaching the religion, he also spread the message of peace, harmony, and brotherhood. Then he sent Maulana Didaruddin Saheb to be educated as a maulana. Everybody believes Baga Baba to be an Auliya (master of some divine power) of Allah. Hindus and Muslims alike come here and pray.
“At present, people from all over Assam and India who travel through this highway donate at this mazar. Today the village has nine mosques. The inflow of people and pilgrims has increased over the years. Hindus and Muslims have equally contributed to it.
Drinking water facility at the shrine for travellers
The construction work of the mazar was initiated by former president Jiban Baruah. There are still many non-Muslims, such as Bhumidhar Saharia, Himanshu Kalita, and others, in the management committee of the Mazar,” he said.
The shrine hosts Milad sharif every Thursday of the week. In addition, a Urs is held every year on 12 of Magh (late January), the death anniversary of Baga Baba. People from different parts of India participate in the Urs. Although the Baga Baba Mazar is located on the northern side of NH 15, there is also a premises of the Mazar on the southern side of the road.
It is worth mentioning that the Baga Baba Mazar has played a significant role in maintaining Hindu-Muslim unity and harmony in the entire Darang district as well as in the greater Marai Bijulibari area.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Ariful Islam, Sipajhar / June 25th, 2024
On this day, Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah was at the gates of Fort William in Calcutta with an army of 50,000 soldiers, 50 cannons and 500 elephants.
Siraj-ud-Daulah / File image
On this day, Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daulah was at the gates of Fort William in Calcutta with an army of 50,000 soldiers, 50 cannons and 500 elephants. By that time the British had retreated to the British East India Company’s ships. John Zephaniah Holwell was in charge of the British side, which had less than 200 soldiers left at the fort. Holwell surrendered to Siraj on June 20 afternoon.
June 20, 1756, is marked by “the Black Hole Tragedy”. According to Holwell, the surrendered British were forced into a small chamber at the fort by the Nawab’s army.
More than a hundred of the prisoners died. Only 23 of them survived, Holwell’s account said. Later, commentators and historians have questioned Holwell’s account and claimed that fewer people had died.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> West Bengal / by Chandrima S Bhattacharya / June 19th, 2024
Ali Husain Aasim Bihari who was a freedom fighter, big leader, organised workers in Bihar & Bengal, brought out newspapers, formed multiple organisations.
He, led Momin Ansari community, and all his life fought for workers’ rights. Suffered a lot in process and his family also lived in challenging circumstances.
Hailing from Bihar Sharif, Nalanda, he had to shift to Kolkata to earn a living and it was here that he began involved in freedom movement and started an unprecedented political and social journey despite financial constraints.
Aasim Bihari left a huge legacy but led a tough life. His family bore consequences of his immense passion for awakening the masses, at the cost of his own health and finances. He opposed partition of India and worked for uplift of downtrodden. He passed away in independent India and was buried in Allahabad.
I don’t think it is easy to write about his missionary zeal and his sacrifices without getting tears in eyes. He faced personal tragedies, the death of his brother, the lack of money that caused hardships to his daughter, the suffering of his wife and entire family.
He was ailing and couldn’t be treated. He had declined the post of minister, also refused to take a princely sum, luring offer from a major political party, and his integrity for the cause was unquestionable.
In a life of constant struggle. Aasim Bihari formed organisations, led agitations, ran campaign to release nationalist leaders from jails after Jallianwalabagh massacre by sending letters from people of all parts of country to Queen & Viceroy. Brought out journals, weavers were organised amd turned into a political force.
Born in 1889 [1890*], he passed away in 1953. From Jamiatul Momineen, his lifelong fight for rights, awareness, awakening and education among masses, continued.
CM recently released book on him and it has been decided to add a chapter on his life in school textbook.
Book ‘Banda e Momin Ka Hath’ by Prof Ahmad Sajjad , pic: rekhta.org
[There is slight variation in references about his year of birth. However, the date of birth is April 15.]
source: http://www.anindianmuslim.com / Indscribe / Home / by Shams ur Rehman Alavi (image of book cover edited – source: rekhta.org) / June 22nd, 2023
Jabasar Village (Jhunjhunu District) , RAJASTHAN :
Jhunjhunu :
Abdul Javed, a soldier from the 73 Armored Unit of the Army, was laid to rest with full state honors in his native village of Jabasar, Jhunjhunu district. He tragically lost his life in a road accident near Malsisar Alsisar while on his way to Jhunjhunu.
Abdul Javed had returned home on a month’s leave for Eid on April 2, but his visit was cut short by the unfortunate accident. The Rajputana Rifles contingent from Jaipur paid a heartfelt guard of honor to their fallen comrade during the burial ceremony.
The soldier’s funeral procession was preceded by a solemn tricolor rally organized by local youth as a mark of respect. Villagers, along with Abdul Javed’s father and elder brother, gathered to offer floral tributes and bid farewell to the departed soul.
The Army contingent that attended the funeral included Major Aziz Khan, Risaldar Asrar Ahmed, Risaldar Nasrat Hussain, Naib Risaldar Zakir Khan, and several other dignitaries. Additionally, local officials such as Naib Tehsildar Chhaganlal and Sarpanch Irshad Ahmed, along with community leaders and members, paid their respects during the ceremony.
The heartfelt turnout and gestures of respect from the community and the armed forces reflect the deep gratitude and reverence for Abdul Javed’s service and sacrifice. His memory will forever remain cherished in the hearts of his fellow soldiers and his village.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / April 08th, 2024
Several Muslim women were an active part of India’s freedom struggle, some of whom emerged from Hyderabad.
The list includes Abadi Bano Begum, Bibi Amtus Salam, Begum Anis Kidwai, Begum Nishatunnisa Mohani, Baji Jamalunnisa, Hajara Beebi Ismail, Kulsum Sayani, and Syed Fakrul Hajiya Hassan.
As India celebrates 75 years of Independence the country often recalls those that were instrumental in the country’s freedom struggle. But often those who aren’t talked about enough evanesce into the archives of history.
As men who took lead roles in the movement were put behind bars, the women ensured that the movement would not die down and the country attained the freedom a vast majority of it’s residents and citizens enjoy today.
The country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech, on Monday, hailed women and the part they played during the times including, Rani Laxmibai, Jhalkari Bai, Durga Bhabhi, Rani Gaidinliu and Begum Hazrat Mahal among others.
These are a few among the many names that are a part of the country’s Independence struggle. Apart from Begum Mahal, who made it to the list of the PM’s speech, today, Muslim women have made their mark in Indian history.
Abadi Bano Begum, Bibi Amtus Salam, Begum Anis Kidwai, Begum Nishatunnisa Mohani Baji Jamalunnisa, Hajara Beebi Ismail, Kulsum Sayani, and Syed Fakrul Hajiya Hassan are among those who are often forgotten or lost in public memory.
Abadi Bano Begum (Born 1852- Died 1924)
Abadi Bano Begum was the first Muslim woman who actively took part in politics and was also a part of the movement to free India from the British Raj. Abadi Bano Begum referred to by Gandhi as Bi Amma, was born in 1852, in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha.
Bi Amman was married to a senior official in the Rampur State, Abdul Ali Khan.
After the death of her husband, Bano raised her children (two daughters and five sons) on her own. Her sons, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jouhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali become leading figures of the Khilafat Movement and the Indian Independence Movement. They played an important role during the non-cooperation movement against the British Raj.
Bi Amma, despite her poor financial condition, from 1917-1921, donated Rs 10 every month to protest against the British Defense Act, after Sarojini Naidu’s arrest.
In 1917, Bano also joined the agitation to release Annie Besant and her sons, who were arrested by the British after their failed attempts to silence her home rule movement in 1917, launched alongside, Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Despite being a conservative Muslim for the most part of her life Bi Ammah was one of the most prominent faces of Muslim women in India’s freedom struggle.
To get the support of women, Mahatma Gandhi encouraged her to speak in a session of the all-Indian Muslim league, she gave a speech which left a lasting impression on the Muslims of British India.
Bano played an important role in fundraising for the khilafat movement and the Indian Independence movement.
Bibi Amtus Salam (Died 1985)
Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘adopted daughter’ from Patiala Bibi Amtus Salam was a social worker and his disciple who played an active role in combating communal violence in the wake of the partition and in the rehabilitation of refugees who came to India following the partition.
She has on several occasions risked her life by rushing to sensitive areas during the communal riots in Calcutta, Delhi and Deccan.
Bibi Salam was a Muslim inmate of the Gandhi ashram and had over time become an adopted daughter to Gandhi.
After the Noakhali riots, an article published in The Tribune on February 9, 1947, noted that Amtus Salam’s 25-day fast, which was intended to make offenders feel guilty, was one of the most significant outcomes of Gandhi and his disciples’ actions.
To protest the “negligence” of the state authorities in the effort to rescue kidnapped women and children, she sat on an indefinite fast at Dera Nawab in Bahawalpur.
Begum Hazrat Mahal (Born 1820-Died 1879)
An iconic figure of the 1857 uprising, Begum Hazrat Mahal fought against the British East India Company.
Begum, the wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the ruler of Awadh, refused to accept any favours or allowances from the British. Begum, with the aid of her commander Raja Jailal Singh, battled the British East India Company valiantly.
Muhammadi Khanum, the future Mahal, was born in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, in 1830. Gulam Hussain is her father. She had an early understanding of literature. The East India Company’s destruction of mosques and temples to make room for highways served as the catalyst for her uprising.
When the British East India Company invaded Awadh in 1856 and her husband, the last Nawab of Awadh, was exiled to Calcutta, the Begum made the decision to remain in Lucknow along with her son, Birjis Qadir.
On May 31, 1857, they convened in Lucknow’s Chavani neighbourhood to declare Independence and drive the British out of the city.
On July 7, 1857, Begum Hazrat Mahal proclaimed her son, Birjis Khadir, the Nawab of Awadh. She raised 1,80,000 soldiers and lavishly renovated the Lucknow fort as the Nawab’s mother.
She died there on 7 April 1879.
Begum Anis Kidwai (Born 1906- Died 1982)
A politician and activist from Uttar Pradesh (UP) named Anis Kidwai devoted most of her life to serving the newly Independent India, working for peace and the rehabilitation of the victims of the terrible partition of India.
She represented the Indian National Congress (INC) in the Rajya Sabha from 1956 to 1962, serving two terms as a Member of the Parliament.
Anis Begum Kidwai remained active during the Indian National Movement. Despite gaining independence in 1947, India suffered from country division.
By then, her husband Shafi Ahmed Kidwai had been murdered by communal forces for his efforts to promote amity between Muslims and Hindus and to prevent the split of the country. She was deeply devastated by her husband’s passing.
She visited Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi following her husband’s passing as a result of this unfortunate tragedy.
In order to support and assist the women who were suffering similarly to her as a result of the country’s separation, she began working with women leaders like Subhadra Joshi, Mridula Sarabhai, and others under the direction of Mahatma Gandhi.
She also started rescue camps for the victims and supported them in all respects. They affectionately called her ‘Anis Aapa’. She penned her experiences during the division of the Nation in her book ‘Azadi Ki Chaon Mein’.
Begum Nishatunnisa Mohani (Born 1884- Died 1937)
Begum Nishatunnisa Mohani was born in 1884 in Awadh, Uttar Pradesh, and her notion of ultimate freedom was adopted by Gandhiji.
Married to Moulana Hasrat Mohani, a tenacious independence warrior and the one who gave the phrase “Inquilab Zindabad” its origin. Begum, a fierce opponent of British authority, supported the then-hardliner of the liberation struggle, Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
After his imprisonment for publishing an anti-British piece, she wrote to her husband, Hasrat Mohani, encouraging him and raising his spirits by saying, “Face the risks imposed upon you boldly. Do not give me any thought. No sign of weakness should come from you. ‘Be careful’.”
Later, when her husband was in prison, she took over the publication of his daily, Urdu-e-Mualla, and engaged in various legal disputes with the government.
Baji Jamalunnisa, Hyderabad (Born 1915- Died 2016)
Baji Jamalunnisa, who actively participated in the Telangana armed conflict, passed away in this city on July 22 2016, at the age of 101.
Jamalunnisa Baji was born in Hyderabad in 1915 and was a prominent advocate for racial peace and the independence cause.
She began reading the banned journal “nigar” and progressive literature as a young child after being raised by her parents in a liberal/progressive environment.
Despite being raised in the traditional religious traditions of the Nizam regime, a component of the British Raj, she actively participated in the nationalist movement.
She continued to participate in the independence movement despite the oppressive rule of the Nizam and the British rule over her in-laws’ objections.
Later, she met Maulana Hazrat Mohani (the man who coined the phrase “Inquilab Zindabad” and was known as “Thunder Bolt” in the Freedom struggle), who inspired her to join the anti-imperialist movement in the nation.
She provided sanctuary to freedom fighters trying to avoid being arrested by the Imperial Government while being a communist.
Despite lacking basic higher education, she was fluent in Urdu and English and founded the literary society Bazme Ehabab, which held debates in groups on socialism, communism, and unreasonable customs.
She is buried at the Hazrath Syed Ahmed Bad-e-Pah dargah in First Lancer. She was the sister of Syed Akthar Hasan, a former MLA and the founder of Payam Daily, and was better known as “Baji”.
She was a close friend and member of the Communist Party of Maqdoom Mohiuddin. Baji was also a founding member of the Progressive Writers Association and the Women’s Cooperative Society.
Hajara Beebi Ismail, Andhra Pradesh (Died 1994)
Mohammed Ismail Saheb’s wife, Hajara Beebi Ismail, was a freedom warrior from Tenali in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
Mahatma Gandhi had a significant impact on the pair, who committed themselves to the Khadi campaign movement. In the Guntur district, her husband Mohammed Ismail opened the first Khaddar Store, earning him the moniker “Khaddar Ismail.”
Tenali served as the Muslim League’s headquarters during that time in the Andhra area, where it was particularly active.
Since Hajara and her husband supported Gandhi, they encountered fierce hostility from the Muslim League. Despite her husband’s repeated arrests for his involvement in the national movement, Hajara Beebi never lost spirit.
Kulsum Sayani (Born 1900- Died 1987)
On October 21, 1900, in Gujarat, Kulsum Sayani was born. She participated in the Indian National Movement and battled against social injustices.
Kulsum and her father met Mahatma Gandhi in 1917. Since then, she has travelled Gandhi’s path. Throughout the Indian National Movement, she advocated for social changes.
Dr. Jaan Mohamad Sayani, a well-known liberation fighter, was the man she wed. She participated actively in a number of events of the Indian Freedom Struggle, with her husband’s backing.
She began working with the illiterate and joined the Charkha Class. She also had a significant impact on the Indian National Congress’s “Jan Jagaran” campaigns, which raised public awareness of social ills.
Sayani’s operations included the suburbs and the metropolis of Mumbai.
Syed Fakrul Hajiya Hassan (Died 1970)
Syed Fakrul Hajiyan Hassan, who not only took part in the Indian freedom fight but also urged her children to do so. She was born into a family that immigrated to India from Iraq. She raised her kids to be freedom fighters who later gained notoriety as the “Hyderabad Hassan Brothers.”
Hajiya wed Amir Hassan, who had relocated to Hyderabad from Uttar Pradesh.
She adopted Hyderabadi culture as a result. Amir Hassan, her spouse, had a senior position in the Hyderabad government. He was required to travel to several locations as part of his employment.
She noticed the suffering of women in India while on her visits. She put a lot of effort into the growth of female children.
She lived in Hyderabad, which was governed by the British, yet she actively engaged in the National Freedom Movement since she was a lady with strong national emotions.
She burned foreign clothing at her Abid Manzil in Hyderabad’s Troop Bazaar in response to the demand of the Mahatma Gandhi. She took part in the non-cooperation and Khilafat movements.
She regarded each soldier in the Indian National Army as one of her children. Along with Smt. Sarojini Naidu, and Fhakrul Hajiya put a lot of effort into getting the heroes of Azad Hind Fouz released.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Marziya Sharif / August 17th, 2022
