Role of Muslim men, women in Indian freedom movement

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: India's freedom struggle saw a large number of people from all religions and castes taking part in movements against the British rule, undoubtedly.

However, the contribution of many prominent Muslim personalities, who played a larger-than-life role and made significant sacrifices to free the country from colonial domination, remains ignored.

Recalling the forgotten history and role of Muslim scholars, writers, thinkers, soldiers, leaders and masses in the freedom movement, Maulana Syed Shabeer Ahmed Nadvi of Jamiatus Salehat, Bengaluru, said, "The British had snatched the power from Muslims, which naturally made them the first enemies of the British government," he said.

Nadvi highlighted that the caravan of freedom was led purely by Muslims until the rebellion of 1857 started. In 1803 Shah Abdul Azeez was the first person to set in motion a protest against the British on a mass basis.

"He gave a verdict (Fatwa) that the fight against British rule was obligatory on all Muslims," he said.

According to historians, more than 27,000 Muslims including women and children were hanged to death during a seven-day long massacre during this time.

Apart from this, 13,000 ulemas lost their lives for leading such protests. A report from Hamslive stated that 65 per cent of those who stood, fought and sacrificed against the British for India’s independence were Muslim freedom fighters.

Further, Nadvi stated that between 1761 and 1799, the British suffered one of their worst military disasters at the hands of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan while trying to invade the kingdom of Mysore, which had grown in strength.

Meanwhile in Balakot, Syed Ahmed Shaheed and Syed Ismail led a mass protest. Later in 1857, the Sepoy Mutiny tur ned into a revolt against the British following which a large number of people in Shamli of Uttar Pradesh were led by Haji Imdadullah and joined another group in Lucknow spearheaded by Begum Nawab and Maulana Ahmedullah.

Meerut and Delhi people led protests under the command of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, said Nadvi.

"Mohammad Ali Jauhar was another patriot who served as education director and later joined the civil service. As a writer, he instilled courage and confidence in the hearts of people to join the freedom struggle,” said Nadvi.

There was a time when the British began to keep a watch on protestors, spying on their conversation. Muslim leaders set up educational institutions across the country and in 1913, Reshmi Rumal Tehreek or The Silk Letter Movement was initiated by Deobandi Leaders Maulana Mahmud Hasan and Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi.

After 1911, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, an intellectual and thinker, became a successful journalist and politician. Criticising the British policies, his magazines and articles mainly focused on HinduMuslim unity. He became the first education minister of independent India later.

A businessman from Dhoraji town of Saurashtra, Memon Abdul Habeeb Yusuf Marfani donated almost his entire fortune of Rs 1 crore to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army in 1944.

Post-Independence contributions

India had incurred huge losses due to a war with Pakistan. Responding to a notification from then PM Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1965, a millionaire from Hyderabad, Mir Usman Ali, donated about 5,000 kgs of gold, which is the highest ever donation recorded in the history of India.

A former civil servant, Narendra Luther, in his book ‘Lengendotes of Hyderabad’, mentioned that the famous slogan 'Jai Hind' was coined by Zain-ul Abideen Hasan, son of a collector from Hyderabad.

It was a Hyderabadi woman, Surraiya Badruddin Tayyabji, who contributed to the design of today's Indian national flag.