Khilafat Movement (1919–1924): Striving for Muslim Unity
The Khilafat movement, emerging in 1919, aimed to preserve the Ottoman caliph as a symbol of unity for Muslims in India during the British raj. This pan-Islamic force sought to rally support for the declining Ottoman Empire, whose sultan, as the caliph, represented leadership for the global Muslim community.
Initial Momentum and Collaboration with Gandhi
Initially bolstered by Gandhi's noncooperation movement, the Khilafat movement found common ground with the broader struggle for Indian freedom. Leaders such as Shaukat and Muḥammad ʿAlī, along with Abul Kalam Azad, joined forces with Mahatma Gandhi, promising nonviolence in exchange for support.
Fears of Caliphate Loss
The movement's impetus stemmed from fears of Muslim disunity amid the Ottoman Empire's decline. Threatened by Italian attacks (1911), the Balkan Wars (1912–13), and the empire's defeat in World War I (1914–18), the caliphate faced further jeopardy with the Treaty of Sèvres (August 1920), which dismembered the empire.
Campaign for Caliphate Defense
A robust campaign unfolded in defense of the caliphate, marked by the ḥijrat (Urdu: "exodus") of around 18,000 Muslim peasants to Afghanistan in 1920, viewing India as apostate. The movement faced challenges with the Muslim Malabar rebellion in 1921, sparking tensions in Hindu India.
Decline and Collapse
Gandhi's suspension of the noncooperation movement and his arrest in March 1922 weakened the Khilafat movement. Further setbacks came as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk drove the Greeks from Asia Minor in 1922 and deposed the Turkish sultan Mehmed VI. The movement ultimately collapsed when Atatürk abolished the caliphate altogether in 1924, marking the end of the Khilafat movement and its aspirations for pan-Islamic unity in India.
