Khilafat Movement started by?
VerifiedAnswer: Shaukat Ali
Explanation:
The Khilafat Movement was initiated by Shaukat Ali along with his brother Mohamed Ali in 1919. This movement emerged as a significant protest against the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire and the abolition of the Caliphate by the Allied Powers after World War I. The movement held special importance for Indian Muslims who regarded the Ottoman Caliph as their religious leader.
Shaukat Ali and Mohamed Ali, known as the Ali Brothers, were prominent Muslim leaders who felt deeply concerned about the fate of the Caliphate institution. They believed that preserving the Caliphate was essential for maintaining the unity and religious identity of Muslims worldwide. The brothers organized public meetings, wrote extensively in newspapers, and mobilized Muslim communities across India to support their cause.
The movement gained tremendous momentum when Mahatma Gandhi decided to support it as part of his Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920. This alliance between Hindu and Muslim leaders represented a rare moment of Hindu-Muslim unity in the Indian independence struggle. Gandhi saw an opportunity to bring Muslims into the mainstream freedom movement while fighting against British imperialism.
Key objectives of the Khilafat Movement included:
• Restoration of the Ottoman Caliphate • Protection of Islamic holy places • Maintenance of the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire • Pressure on the British government to influence Allied policy
The movement employed various methods of protest including boycotts of British goods, resignation from government jobs, and non-payment of taxes. However, the movement began to decline after 1922 when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk himself abolished the Caliphate in Turkey in 1924, making the movement's primary objective obsolete.
Though the Khilafat Movement ultimately failed to achieve its religious objectives, it played a crucial role in Indian politics by demonstrating the potential for mass mobilization and creating a bridge between religious concerns and anti-colonial resistance. Shaukat Ali's leadership in initiating this movement marked an important chapter in India's struggle for independence and the history of Muslim political activism in the subcontinent.
