Topic 11

KHILAFAT MOVEMENT 1919-1924

The Khilafat movement was a very important event in the political history of India. The Muslims of
India had a great regard for the Khilafat (Caliphate) which was held by the Ottoman Empire (1299-
1924). During World War I, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) joined the war in favour of Germany. But
Turkey and Germany lost the war and it was decided by the winning states that Turkey should be
divided among France, Greece and Britain. That resented Muslim a lot and khilafat movement began.

The Indian Muslims were certainly in a very awkward position, because they also had a deep-rooted
devotion to the caliphate. They had profound respect for this holy institution. Therefore, their
support to the British Government was subject to the safeguard and protection of the holy places of
Turkey and on the condition that Turkey will not to be deprived of its territories. But the British
Government could not fulfil both of these promises. The Treaty of Sevres 1920 was imposed on
Turkey and its territories were distributed among European countries. A wave of anger swept across
the Muslin World and the Indian Muslims rose against the British Government. Muslim leaders like
Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Moulana Muhammad Ali Johar, Moulana Shoukat Ali and others
reacted against the British Government policy and were put behind the bars.

Thus, Muslims organized a mass movement, which came to be known as Khilafat Movement. The
aims of this movement were

(a) To protect and restore the Holy place of Turkey(Macca ,Medina and Palestine)

(b) To protect the caliph of Turkey

(c) To restore the Ottoman Empire.

Besides that congress support also remained very encouraging for Muslims to launch khilafat
movement .In December 1919 both the Khilafat Committee and Congress held their meetings
simultaneously at Amritsar and a delegation was prepared which was sent to England under the
leadership of Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar to see the British Prime Minister and to explain the
Indian point of view regarding the Khilafat. The delegation visited England in 1920. The leaders of
the delegation addressed the House of Commons and saw the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George

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who paid no heed to the delegations demand. The delegation stayed at London for eight months and
won many hearts and sympathies of people in Britain delivering speeches. However, the delegation
returned to India unsuccessful in October 1920.

After the unsuccessful visit to England the leaders of Khilafat Movement realized the fact that British
were not in the mood to help them. Therefore, they realized that a new strategy needed to be
adopted. With this aim they decided to launch a movement of Non Co-operation. When the leaders
of Khilafat movement announced the Non Co-operation Movement, the Congress extended its full
support to the Khilafat Movement. The leaders of the two met at Amritsar and resolved to launch a
country wide agitation under the leadership of Mr. Gandhi.

Khilafat conferences:
• First Khilafat Conference: November 1919 in Delhi.

• Main leaders were Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar, Moulana Shaukat Ali & Moulana Abul
Kalam Azad, and Ghandi.
• Main aim was to persuade British to keep their promises about maintaining the Turkish
Empire.
• Resolution was passed and everyone agreed in sending a delegation to Britain to make sure
that the British were aware of Muslim strength of Muslims support for the Khalifa.
• Muslims also boycotted British goods besides Hindus and adopted a policy of non-
cooperation with them.
• Gandhi was an advocate of policy of passive resistance. He gave this approach the name
‘Satyagraya’, meaning “not meek submission to the will of evil door but the pitting of one’s
whole soul against the will of the tyrant”.
• Gandhi urged Muslims to joining Congress in seeking ‘Swaraj’ (self-rule) for India.

• Second Khilafat Conference: December 1919, Amritsar.

• It was decided that all three organizations (Muslim League, Congress & Khilafat people)
would be working together to oppose plans to dismember the Turkish Empire.
• Maulana Muhammad Ali visited Britain & insisted the Britain not to punish Turkey but the
Prime Minister Lloyd George said “Austria has had justice; Germany has had justice-pretty
terrible justice –why should Turkey escape”?

REASONS FOR THE FAILURE OF THE KHILAFAT MOVEMENT:

The abolition of the institution of Caliphate by the Turks themselves remained the most important reason for
the failure of Khilafat Movement. Mustafa Kamal Ataturk ¸the Turkish leader established a modern
democratic government in Turkey with a properly elected parliament. In this set up the caliph & the seat of
Caliphate had no place. The caliph was deposed & exiled in 1924. Muslims in India were perplexed & found
their movement cut at its base. Muslims in India had nothing to fight for & the khilafat Movement ended in
failure in 1924.

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Besides that the movement got many other set backs on account of many reasons. In 1920 the congress also
started non-cooperation movement. The congress joined hands with the khiilafat movement because both
were against the British. Khilafat movement got much strength from the support of the congress. Joint protest
meetings & processions of Muslims & Hindus together became a common feature throughout the sub-
continent. In1922 a procession at Chauri Chura (a small town in eastern U.P) was in progress. The mob
became violent & set a police station on fire in which 22 policemen were burnt alive. Mr. Ghandhi suddenly
called off the non-cooperation movement without consulting anyone & without taking the Muslims into
confidence. The Muslims were greatly discouraged at the loss of Congress support. Khilafat Movement was
weakened. Mr Jinaah had opposed the non-cooperation movement saying that it would lead to violence, and
the same happened. Mr. Jinnah resigned from the Congress in 1920.

The movement got other threats as well. The Hijrat Movement (1921), an off shoot of Khilafat Movement
failed badly. Some ulemas had declared that India was Dar-al-Harb & it was better for Muslims to live in an
independent Muslim country. Therefore some 18000 Muslims mostly from NWFP sold their belongings &
sought asylum in Afghanistan .In the beginning the migrants were welcomed but soon later Afghan
government refused to admit them. Many perished & others returned penniless & homeless.

Another tragic event was the Moplah Uprising which remained responsible for the failure of Khilafat
Movement. It also affected Hindu Muslim relationship. In mid of August 1921, agrarian riots broke out in
Nilambur. The Moplah peasants revolted against the Hindu landlord's oppressive policies, which are in alliance
with the British. The Hindu landlords redistributed their lands and the Moplahs, who had been suffering, rose
in revolt. A pitched battle between the British regiment and the Moplahs killed several Europeans. Four
thousand Moplahs were killed in action and tens of thousands were injured. Then there was the notorious
Moplah Train Tragedy. Around a hundred prisoners, confined in a closed and almost airtight goods van, were
transported by rail. When the door was opened, 66 Moplahs were found suffocated to death and the remaining
34 were on the verge of collapse.

The British government also arrested the leaders of the Khilafat Movement on account of their anti-
government speeches & the movement was deprived of their effective & strong leadership, both Hindu and
Muslim leaders were imprisoned for several years. About 30000 workers all over India were put in jails. The

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movement slows down. The movement was unrealistic & was bound to fail. The caliphate & the people of
Turkey had no interest in the politics of India. Therefore agitations & protests in India were to affect the events
in turkey. Far sighted people like Mr. Jinnah & Allama Iqbal didn’t support the movement.

But certainly the most important reason for the failure of the Khilafat Movement was the abolition of the
institution of Caliphate by the Turks themselves. Mustafa Kamal Ataturk ¸the Turkish leader established a
modern democratic government in Turkey with a properly elected parliament. Muslims in India had nothing
to fight for & the khilafat Movement ended in failure in 1924.Therefore the abolition of the institution of
caliphate in 1924 was the main reason for the failure of the khilafat Movement.

Mehmed VI :
Mehmed VI (14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926) was the 36th and last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigning from 1918 to
1922. His father was Sultan Abdulmecid I .Mehmed was removed from the throne when the Ottoman sultanate was
abolished in 1922.
The First World War was a disaster for the Ottoman Empire. British and allied forces had conquered Baghdad, Damascus,
and Jerusalem during the war and most of the Empire was divided among the European allies. In April 1920 British were
granted over Palestine .On 10 August 1920, Mehmed's representatives signed the Treaty of Sevres, which recognized the
mandates and recognized Hejaz as an independent state.
Turkish nationalists rejected the settlement by Sultan. A new government, the Turkish Grand National Assembly, under
the leadership of Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) was formed on 23 April 1920, in Ankara . The new government denounced the
rule of Mehmed VI and a temporary constitution was drafted. The Turkish Grand National Assembly also abolished the
Sultanate on 1 November 1922, and Mehmed was expelled from Constantinople. He went into exile in Malta. Mehmed died
on 16 May 1926 in Italy, and was buried at Damascus.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 19 May 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish army officer, reformist statesman, and
the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey. His surname, Ataturk
(meaning "Father of the Turks"), was granted to him in 1934 and forbidden to any other person by the Turkish parliament.

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Ataturk was a military officer during I WW. Ataturk then embarked upon a program of political, economic, and cultural
reforms, seeking to transform the former Ottoman Empire into a modern and secular nation-state. Under his leadership,
thousands of new schools were built, primary education was made free and compulsory, and women were given equal civil
and political rights, while the burden of taxation on peasants was reduced. His government also carried out an extensive
policy of Turkification. The principles of Ataturk's reforms, upon which modern Turkey was established, are referred to as
Kemalism.

ALI BROTHERS
Maulana Shaukat Ali (10 March 1873 – 26 November 1938; was an Indian Muslim leader of the Khilafat Movement
that erupted in response to the fall of the Ottoman Empire. He was the elder brother of the renowned political
leader Mohammad Ali Jouhar.

Muhammad Ali Jauhar (10 December 1878 – 4 January 1931), also known as Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar was
an Indian Muslim leader, activist, scholar, journalist and a poet, and was among the leading figures of the Khilafat
Movement. Mohammad Ali Jauhar was a product of the Aligarh Movement. He was elected to become the President
of Indian National Congress party in 1923 and it lasted only for a few months. He was also one of the founders and
presidents of the All-India Muslim League.

REVIEW ON PAST PAPERS QUESTIONS:

Question No. 1: Was the migration of Afghanistan the most important reason behind the failure of A Khilafat Movement?

14 June 2000. Q. 3 c

Question No. 2: Explain the reasons for the establishment of the Khilafat Movement. 7 November 2001. Q.2 b

Question No. 3: Why was the Khilafat Movement founded? 7 June 2002, Q. 3 b

Question No. 4: Was the withdrawal of Gandhi’s support from the Khilafat Movement the most important reason for its
failure? Explain your answer. 14 November 2002. Q.2 c

Question No. 5: Why did the Khilafat Movement fail? 7 November 2003.Q.3 b

Question No. 6: Was the Chaura Chauri incident of 1922 the most important reason for the failure of the Khilafat
movement? Give reasons for your answer. 14 June 2004 Q.2 c

Question No. 7: Was the Khilafat Movement founded because the Muslims feared the break up of Turkey after the 1 st world
war? Explain your answer. 14 June 2005 Q. 2 c

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Question No. 8: Explain why the Khilafat movement has failed by 1924. 7 June 2006 Q.3 b

Question No. 9: Was the abolition of the institution of the caliphate in 1924 the main reason for the failure of the Khilafat
Movement? Give reasons for answer. 14 November 2006 Q. 2 c

Question No. 10: The Khilafat movement failed by 1924 because of poor leadership .Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer. 14 November 2008 Q. 2 c

Question No.11: Explain the reasons for the failure of the K.M. 7 June 2009 Q.4 b

Question No.12: Why was the Khilafat Movement founded? 7 June 2010 Q.2 b

Question No.13: Was the migration of Afghanistan the most important reason why the Khilafat Movement failed? Explain
your answer. 14 Nov. 2010. Q. 3 c

Question No.14: A number of events that happened during the years of the Khilafat Movement led to its failure. During
the years when the Movement was at its strongest, western dress and hair styles became less popular and the idea grew
that disregard of the law of Islam by the British made India a dar-ul-harb(enemy territory). Thus thousands of Muslims
set off on their hijrat.

Describe the hijrat. 4 Nov. 2011 Q.3 a

Question No.15: ‘The Khilafat Movement failed by 1924 because Gandhi withdrew his support.’ Do you agree? Give
reasons for your answer. 14 June 2012 Q.2 c

Question No.16: The Khilafat Movement started because of the treatment of Turkey by the British after the First World
War. Turkey was a Muslim country, and its ruler, the Sultan, was considered to be the Khalifa, the head of the worldwide
Islamic community. When the British threatened to take territory away from the Khalifa, the Muslims of India were
outraged and formed the Khilafat Movement to protect the Sultan and their religion. One of the events that took place
during this Movement was the Chauri-Chaura incident.

Describe the Chauri-Chaura incident. 4 Nov. 2012 Q. 3 a

Question No.17: Why did the Khilafat Movement fail by 1924? 7 Nov. 2013 Q.3 b

Question No.18: Why did the Khilafat Movement emerge? 7 Nov. 2016 Q. 3 b

Question No. 19: Was the Mophla uprising most important reason for the failure of the Khilafat movement? Do you agree
or disagree? 14 June 2019 Q.3 c

Question No. 20: Explain why the Khilafat Movement ended in 1924? 7 June 2020 Q. 3 b

Question No. 21: Describe the Hijrat Movement. 4 Nov. 2020 Q. 3 1a

Question No. 22: ‘The imprisonment of its leaders was the main reason for khilafat movement ending.’
How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. 14 Nov. 2021Q. 2 c

Question No. 23: Explain why people joined the Khilafat Movement. 7 Nov. 2022Q. 4 b

• people wanted to protect the Caliphate/Ottoman Empire/holy places • it provided a vehicle for different groups of people to
protest against the British • the Muslim community resented fighting fellow Muslims in the First World War • Gandhi saw it as
an opportunity to unite Muslim and Hindu communities against the British • to protest against the policy of British repression
in 1921

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Question:

Were concerns about British policies towards Muslims the most important reason for
foundation of the Khilafat Movement? Explain your answer.
(14) Oct Nov 2014 Q. 3 c
Muslims distrusted British policies, especially after the First World War and the Rowlatt Act and other legislation.
They were concerned that the British were encouraging Muslims to fear the Hindus so that Muslims would
cooperate more with the British. They were also worried about how British rule in Afghanistan and Persia had paid
little attention to the views of Muslims there and were worried that the same was happening in India.

Muslims held the Caliphate of Turkey in high regard and were not prepared to see Turkey split up after the War
and thus the Caliph abolished. They feared this would happen when the British government promised that the
status of the Caliph would be respected in order to get the Muslims to fight alongside the Allies during WW1. The
Muslims expressed their views to the British government during the war and it promised that no harm would be
done to the Caliphate. However, this promise was not kept at the end of the war since the Turkish Empire was
broken up. Also, the institution of the Caliphate was to be abolished.

The Turkish Ottoman Empire joined World War 1 on the side of Germany and suffered military defeat against the
Britain and her allies. After the war was finished, UK, French and USA seemed determined to overthrow the Caliph
and divide the empire into different territories. Protecting the Caliph was very important for the Muslims because
he was the symbolic religious and political leader of all Muslims in the world. Similarly, the disintegration of
caliphate would harm the concept of Muslim Ummah. So, the Khilafat Movement was launched in November 1919
by Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar and his brother in order to protect the caliphate from breakage and save the
Caliph from being dethroned.

During World War I, Indians were supporting the British against Germany. When Turkish Empire joined the war on
the side of Germany, Indian Muslims came in a very awkward position because it was very difficult for them to fightt
against their Muslim brothers. The British realized the situations and put a number of prominent Muslim leaders
behind the bars, which obviously offended their feelings. Secondly, the British prime minister had given assurances
that Turkey would be protected, but later on the allied powers changed their mind and decided to remove the Caliph.
These actions were convincing the Indian Muslims to launch massive protests against the British Government in the
shape of Khilafat Movement.

The Ottoman Empire also contained the Holy places of Arabia. The Muslims of India feared that collapse of the
Caliphate could result in fall of the Holy places under the control of non-Muslims. Muslims all over the world have
strong religious attachment with these places and their sanctity is of topmost priority to them. Therefore, the
movement was launched to defend Turkey and the sacred places.

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