Contributions of Indian Muslims to the Ottoman Caliphate and the Turkish Nation

Indian Muslim Contributions to the Ottoman Caliphate and the Turkish Nation 1874-1924
Indian Muslim
Contributions to the
Ottoman Caliphate
and the
Turkish Nation
from 1874-1924
Noor Mohammed Khalid
G1728651, PG Student, History, IIUM, khalidchinoy@gmail.com
26th October 2018

A Prophecy Worth Remembering
www.turkvehint.com
The Prophet ‫ﷺ‬is reported to have said, ‘Verily
you shall conquer Constantinople. What a
wonderful leader will her leader be, and what
a wonderful army will that army be!’ [Musnad
Ahmad, Al Hakim, al Jami’ al Saghir]
«‫أ‬ ‫األمير‬ ‫فلنعم‬ ‫القسطنطينية‬ ‫لتفتحن‬‫ميرها‬
‫الجيش‬ ‫ذلك‬ ‫الجيش‬ ‫ولنعم‬»

Table of Contents
• A Peek into the Historical Background of Indian Muslims in the early 19th
Century
• A Brief History of the Ottoman Empire
• The First Contributors to the Ottoman Cause: Focus on Imam Nanawtawi,
Allama Shibli,
• Role of Muslim Newspapers in India in supporting the Ottomans and the
Turkish Nation: Comrade, Al Hilal, Zamindar, Hamdard
• The Indian Medical Mission to the Balkan War-Front
• The Khilafat Movement: Role of Maulanas Mohammed Ali, Shaukat Ali,
Abdul Bari, Abul Kalam Azad and others
• Role of Merchants in Contributing to the Turkish Cause, and Those who
refused to donate
• The Crucial Role of Indian Muslims in Turkey getting Favourabe Terms in
the Lausanne Treaty
www.turkvehint.comNoor Mohammed Khalid

Why This Presentation
• Nearly one and a half billion people residing in
this geography unaware of the role of the
Indian sub-continent in Turkey’s struggle
• Met a Turk, in IIUM, and he had no clue about
the contributions of Indians
• I have one other very good reason for
undertaking research in this field.

Ottoman Caliphate: A Quick Look
• Longest ruling dynasty in recorded human history. 600+ years
• At its height the empire encompassed most of south-eastern
Europe to the gates of Vienna, including present-day
Hungary, the Balkan region, Greece, and parts of Ukraine;
portions of the Middle East now occupied by Iraq, Syria,
Israel, and Egypt; North Africa as far west as Algeria; and
large parts of the Arabian Peninsula.
• They were the earliest rulers who took pride in calling
themselves, “Servants of the Blessed Haramain”.
• Only Turkey, among Muslim nations, can rightly claim to never
have been colonized.

www.turkvehint.com
https://www.britannica.com/place/Ottoman-Empire/media/434996/678Noor Mohammed Khalid

Indian Attachment to the Ottoman Caliph:
A Peek Into the Historical Background
• “When the British finally extinguished Mughal
rule after 1857 they eliminated a whole symbolic
structure of authority.
• “The Ottoman Sultan was the one remaining
Sunni potentate
• “He was the symbol of not only of the survival of
Islamic law, but also of past Islamic glory.
• “In the late nineteenth century…a widespread
acknowledgement of the Ottoman sultan as
caliph developed in India
Gail Minault, The Khilafat Movement

The Condition of the Ummah During the
Late 19th and Early 20th Century
• Poem of Allam Shibli, ‫شهر‬‫آشوب‬‫اسالم‬ ,
“Tumultuous City of Islam” written in the
aftermath of the Italian-Turkish and Balkan Wars
• ‫شهر‬‫آشوب‬ represents a genre of poetry in which
the poet bemoans the disturbances or social and
economic decline of a city or country
• Let me read out to you a small extract from a
translation I have attempted

A Turkish Historian’s Admission
• “The Muslims of India had never been under the rule of the
Ottoman Turks, but they were more warmly attached to the
Turkish cause than any other Muslim community in the world”.
• “Even after the War of Independence and the establishment of the
Republic, Turkish missions continued to travel to India to get the
contributions collected by the Khilafatists”.
• He also observes, “The initiatives (Medical mission and Delegation
to Eurpoe) were difficult for people living as subjects of a European
power at that time and are a measure of the self-sacrifice of the
Indian Muslim community”. (Page 48)
– Two Ways Of Seeing India In The Travelogues Of Kemalist Orientalists
And Traditionalists, Ph.D. Dissertation, by Fatih Esenboğa, İstanbul,
2014
The Unique Example of the Indian Muslims of the Past

The Indian Muslim Ummah Today
• One generation has grown old totally
oblivious of their rich history.
• Another generation has graduated with even
more ignorance of their heroes.
• What will be the state of the generations to
come.

Indian Muslim Contributions to the Ottoman Caliphate and the Turkish Nation 1874-1924 Historical Timeline
www.turkvehint.com11 Noor Mohammed Khalid

The Early Precursors:
Imam Nanawtawi’s Support
• Al-Nanawtawi was the first person who
donated to the Turk forces. Wife donated all
her jewelry.
• The biographer of Al-Nanawtawi Manazir
Ahsan Gīlānī describes this event as:
– “…When his wife went to her father’s home and
her father saw her without even a single piece of
ornament…..(to be continued in the end)

Shams al Ulema Allama Shibli’s Love
for the Turks
• “In 1876, when Allama Shibli was still
young, Russia attacked Turkey
• “Allama was able to send, on behalf
of his city, several thousand Rupees
to Constantinople
• Shibli’s ode to Sultan Abdul Hameed
II is a moving testimony of his
affection for the Ottoman Sultan. I
wish I had the time to read out the
translation of this beautiful eulogy

Allama Shibli and Armenian Lies
• During 1895 and 1896, the Western press was
blowing the Armenian-Turkish civil war out of
all proportion, vilifying the Turks and accusing
them of carrying out a genocide.
• On 21 February 1896, in the Azad newspaper
of Lucknow, Allama Shibli wrote a scathing
response, in which he unveiled the real truth
and nailed the canard being spread by the
Western press.”
(Excerpted from Hayat-e-Shibli)

All India Medical Mission to Turkey
• During the Balkan Wars of 1912-13 the people of
India despatched three medical teams to treat
wounded Ottoman Soldiers.
• Among them the one organized by Mohammad Ali
Jauhar and directed by Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari
caught the limelight
• The Medical Mission reached Istanbul on the last
day of 1912 and stayed in Turkey until late June
1913.
– “People’s Mission to the Ottoman Empire: MA Ansari and the
Indian Medical Mission, 1912-13” (Oxford University Press,
2014), Burak Akçapar.

Allama Shibli’s Sentiments on the Indian
Medical Mission to Turkey
• “There was a big age gap between Dr.
Ansari and the Mawlana:
• “Despite this difference in age, my eyes
witnessed a moving scene at the Lucknow
railway station, when Dr. Ansari was leaving
to Delhi en route to Constantinople.
• “Many local dignitaries had also come to
see him of.
• “Dr. Ansari was standing at the door of the
railway compartment. Mawlana Shibli was
standing on the platform, looking up to
him. Just as it was time to say the final
goodbyes, ……….(let’s continue this later)
(Excerpted from Hayat-e-Shibli), as narrated by Syed Sulaiman Nadwi

Earliest Financial Contributions of
Indians to the Ottomans
• 700 participants in meeting held at the Calcutta Town Hall on 7th
October, 1876.
• Resolutions passed there asked the British to maintain its stance in
favor of the Ottoman Empire, and the public was called on to
contribute in aid of the Ottoman Caliphate
• In Bombay, the relief activities were spearheaded by the Anjuman-
e-Islam.
• Meetings and fund-raising on behalf of the Ottoman Empire
occurred not only in these two cities but in many other towns in
India.
• A register called Defter-i I'ane-i Hindiyye (Register of the Help by
Indians) is one of the best sources for understanding the scale of
the various relief funds,.
– (Takashi Oishi)

Pages from an Ottoman Register,
listing some of the donations of Indian Muslims to the Ottoman
Caliphate during the Russo-Turkish War, 1878

Comparing Contributions from India to
Ottoman War Effort versus Others
• Japanese researcher, Takashi Oishi, observes that
– “Muslims in India was one of the principal forces
which supported pan-Islamism”.
– “The table in the next slide, which lists the amounts of
subscriptions remitted to the Red Crescent Society of
the Ottoman Empire from various areas, is eloquent
of such a distinguished position of India.
• Notice the total contributions from India was
more than 157,000, and the next highest was
from Algeria which was 13,800.

Pioneering Efforts of
Maulana Abdul Bari Firangi Mahalli
• He was an avid supporter of Turkey, and of the
Turkish Sultan as Caliph of Islam.
• In 1911 when the Ottomans were facing a
disastrous series of wars, Abdul Bari and his
madressah students travelled all over UP to
collect money for Turkish relief
• He founded the Anjuman-e- Khuddam-e-Kaaba
with the Ali Brothers. The Anjuman had plans
to buy a battle-ship and donate it to Turkey.

Maulana Mohammed Ali Jauhar: The
Star of the Khilafat Movement
• An Oxford graduate.
• Prime mover of the Khilafat Movement,
• Was jailed by the British for pro-Turkish
activities on more than one occasion.
• Despite long jail terms, Mohammed Ali worked
for the cause of the Ottoman Caliphate, and
the integrity of the Turkish nation

The Khilafat Movement
• The objectives of the Khilafat Movement were as
follows:
1. To maintain the Turkish Caliphate.
2. To protect the holy places of the Muslims.
3. To maintain the unity of the Ottoman Empire.
• A Khilafat Day was observed on October 17, 1919,
which was a huge success.
• In July 1921 the KC passed a resolution to collect 40
lakhs of rupees for sufferers of Symrna and Muhajirs.
• The total receipts amounted to Rs. 643,000 in 1920
and Rs. 2,100,000 in the next year
– (A 1000 Pounds in 1920 is now worth 43,400 Pounds)

The Role of
Maulana Mohammed Ali Jauhar’s Wife
• ‘Amjadi Begum always
remained appended with
Maulana in every journey and
attended every session of
Khilafat Conference”.
• Greatest achievement was to
create political consciousness
among Indian women.
• Begum Sahiba and Bi Amma
collected a contribution of Rs.
40 lakhs for the Khilafat
Movement.
24www.turkvehint.comNoor Mohammed Khalid

Abul Kalam Azad’s
Role in Helping Turkey
• Azad: “We must always remember that the
Ottoman caliph is the guardian of the holy
places of Islam, and that support for Turkey is
the same as support for Islam”.
• His paper al-Hilal was shut down by the British
in November 1914, due to Azad’s pro-Turkish
writings
• A year later, Azad started al-Balagh, but that,
too, was shut down in March 1916.

Allama Iqbal’s Role
in Supporting the Ottoman Caliphate
• Iqbal wrote exciting poems on Turkey.
• He recited Jawab-i-Shikwa, at a congregation
to raise fund for the Turks wounded in the
Balkan wars.
• Khizr-i-Rah and Tulu-i-lslam are the
monumental examples of his poetry about
Turks.

Indian Muslim Periodicals in Support
of Turkey
• Al-Hilal (Urdu)- Abul Kalam Azad (Calcutta), shut down by the
British colonial authorities in November 1914, due to Azad’s pro-
Turkish writings during World War I
• Comrade (English)- Mohammed Ali (Delhi), shut down by the British
rulers when Mohammed Ali published an article entitled “The
Choice of the Turks”
• Hamdard (Urdu)- Mohammed Ali (Delhi)
• Zamindar (Urdu)- Zafar Ali Khan (Lahore): Famous for his satirical
Urdu verse on the Balkan wars. He, too, was jailed for his ardent
pro-Turkish writings
• Urdu e Mu-alla- Hasrat Mohani (Aligarh): had suffered incarceration
for his editorial independence. His Urdu-e-Mu-alla also appeared
much earlier than Comrade, Al-Balagh and Zamindar. Had to shut it
down due to the pressure from the British

Support to the Turkish Cause
by South Indian Muslims
• The support for the Turkish cause, was not just
confined to the Northern provinces of India.
• People down South, in Malabar and Madras
(now Tamil Nadu) and Karnataka were equally
enthusiastic
• Support extended by the Ulema of Malabar.
– The Kerala Ulama Conference held on 25th April,
1921, had adopted the following resolution:
• 1) As the European Powers are trying to
destroy the Khilafat, all Muslims in Kerala
should set apart a portion of their Zakat for
the Khilafat and Smyrna funds.

Support by Hindus
• The Khilafat Movement was also supported by the Hindu
population of undivided India. Here is an excerpt from the book
“THE KHILAFAT MOVEMENT IN INDIA” by A. C. Niemeijer, pp. 92-93
– “… At Rangoon besides Muslim volunteers, twenty Hindu volunteers
collected subscriptions for Khilafat Fund on occasion of Id and same
was done in many other towns. But living example of Hindu-Muslim
unity at Old Basti is remarkable in Indian history. Hindus of this town
raised subscriptions. Purchased fat and beautiful cow and in big
meeting presented it to Muslims. Muslims were so much impressed
with it that they also purchased a cow. And presented both cows to
Hindus to be kept in Gaooshala as mark of Hindu-Muslim unity.….”–
Abdul Ghani, assistant secretary to the Central Khilafat Committee at
Bombay
• The Indian National Congress, in a resolution passed in the year
1919 urged the British Government to “settle the Turkish question
bearing in mind the sentiments of Indian Muslims”

Indian Muslim Donations and the
Founding of the İşbank
• Ataturk had personally been given as much as TRL 600,000
by Muslim supporters in India and other countries. Most of
that money went to support the war effort.
• But, over half the sum was returned to Ataturk after the
war, who reinvested a good part in setting up the İşbank,
which is the country’s largest listed bank by assets.
• Interestingly, even today, the main opposition secular
Republican People’s Party (CHP) owns 28 per cent of
İşbank, and it has four of its members on the board of the
bank

The Treaty of Sevres
• Humbled in the aftermath of the First World War, Turkey was
forced to agree to a set of humiliating terms as part of the
Treaty of Sevres, on August 10, 1920.
• They had to forego huge chunks of territory and consent to
direct interference by the Allied forces in how they managed
their political, military and financial affairs.
• They were to pay war reparations as well.
• “The Sevres Treaty divided the Ottoman Empire into several
regions and handed administrative control to the British,
French, Italians, Greeks, Armenians and Kurds.
• The Treaty of Serves, caused a lot of bitterness among the
Indian Muslims who felt betrayed by Britain
31Noor Mohammed Khalid

How Indian Muslims Influenced the
Lausanne Treaty-1
• The ire of the Indian Muslims, following the Sevres Treaty,
led to wide-spread resentment;
• A noted journalist, Chirol, observes, “the Khilafat agitation as
"one of the decisive factors" of the Turkish success at
Lausanne.
• “A more recent author, K. K. Aziz, thinks that the pressure
exerted by Indian Khilafatists forced the British Government
to revise its attitude”.
• “The Government of India was in no doubt about the
necessity of placating its Muslim subjects with regard to
Turkey. Time and again Lord Reading emphasized the need
to come to terms with Kemal Pasha and give in to the Indian
Muslims' demands with respect to Thrace and Smyrna.”

How Indian Muslims Influenced the
Lausanne Treaty-2
• Letter sent to Lord Reading, the then Viceroy of India,
from Peel on 26 July 1923: “I have a feeling of profound
satisfaction that we have at last made the peace which
will enable us to recover the lost ground with the
Mohamedans in India….. 60 or 70 million Mohamedans
in India and will help materially to strengthen the
British position in India”.
• However, it must be conceded that the decisive
victories of the resilient Turkish forces, over Greece, in
1922, to win back strategic areas lost in WWI was also
a crucial factor

Indian Muslim Delegation to Europe
• Mohammed Ali’s memorable speech in France
– “ I am not a Turk. I belong to a people who fought for you and England
and I think we did a little to save both you and England…I have come
here because my religion compelled me to come here …and that I
cannot compromise on this. But is there any shameless Turk in this
assembly or at Versailles or in Constantinople or even in the camp of
Mustafa Kamal who is prepared to sign this treaty, then tell him as we
have told Lloyd George and the Viceroy of India — we at least will not
accept this treaty (Treaty of Serves)
– We ask for no gratitude for anything that we may have done for France
or England but I say this to you that if the Indian soldiers knew that
after their defence of France and of England and after victories of
Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Palestine, not British victories but Indian
victories, if they had known that this would be the kind of treaty that
would result from their victories, they would not have come to your
aid in those dark hours of October 1914

Main Features of the
Treaty of Lausanne
• For the first time, the victors had to agree to
many of the conditions laid down by a
vanquished nation, unlike the other losing
nations in WWI
• As Lord Curzon observed, “the Turks sat at the
table on a footing of equality with all the other
Powers”
• This victory became a source of inspiration for
many other nations in their struggle against
Western imperialism for years to come.

Role of Merchants in Supporting the
Ottoman Empire
www.turkvehint.com
• “The Ottoman Empire relief movement was almost
always accompanied by the presence of Muslim
merchant communities, especially those originally from
Western India”. (Akashi)
• Members of the Memon Community were most
conspicuous in these fund-raising activities.
• The names of some Memons like Seth Chotani, Seth
Abdullah Haroon, Seth Adam, Osman Sait are an
inseparable part of this great movement to help the
Ottoman Caliphate and the Turkish nation
• Without their financial backing, the movement would
not have been as effective as it was.

Burmese Muslims Help During the
Balkan wars
• The manuscript shown
here reveals that the
Muslims of Burma
(Myanmar) donated a
sum of 220 Sterling
Pounds to help the
Ottoman army during
the Balkan Wars
(1912/1913).
• Actively involved in the
Khilafat Movement.

Contributions of South African
Muslims of Indian Descent
www.turkvehint.com
• Muslims of South Africa had actively wanted
to participate in the Tripolitania war in 1911.
• They contributed generously to the Hejaz
railway construction project
• Even in WWI, Ataturk had personally received
17,634 lira and 875 pounds from the Muslims
of South Africa. (Ataturk Archive, No. 107)

Some Notable Memons in the Khilafat Movement
Khilafatwale Hajee Osman Sait
• A prominent Cutchi Memon businessman
from Bangalore, he was President of the
Madras and Bangalore Khilafat
Committee.
• Hajee Osman Sait donated all his property
and wealth for the cause of the Khilafat
and India’s freedom movement.
• He passed away in 1928, debt-ridden in a
rented home. His funeral procession is
reported to have stretched over 5 Kms
• One of his own grandson is married to
my sister

Imam Nanawtawi’s Wife (Contd.)
• “At the first night after his marriage, he (Al-
Nanawtawi) persuaded his wife for donating all her
jewelry with the noble purpose to support Turkish
forces. His wife donated all her ornaments
immediately at that night. When his wife went to her
father’s home and her father saw her without even a
single piece of ornament he questioned about the
matter. When he knew about the fact, he purchased
new jewelry for the daughter.
• But, Al-Nanawtawi did the same with new ones.”

Contd…Allama Shibli and the Indian
Medical Mission
• ……..the head of this great scholar, that had
refused to bow before powerful tyrants, bent
down and kissed the boots of Dr. Ansari. Tears
of joy cleaned the dust of the boots. The train
moved on, taking with it precious jewels of
Islamic honour and dignity

In Conclusion
• In my humble opinion, they, our noble
predecessors, could do all this because they rose
above petty differences in juristic interpretations,
and thought globally.
• In the words of a dear friend, “The brilliance and
achievements of Indian Musalmans are quite
unique, considering the fact that they were a
minority throughout their rule. Their fecundity in
all fields of human endeavours is a legacy to be
cherished”.

A Sobering Thought:
‘Writing History or Creating History?’
• Once, Abdul Majid Daryabadi, a great fan of
Maulana Mohammed Ali Jauhar, told the latter,
“Being such a great scholar of history, why don’t
you write some historical book”. To this,
Mohammed Ali wrote back,”
– Is this the time to write history or to create history.
Our adversaries are making history, and you counsel
me to be writing history!”
• So, will we content ourselves by lending our ears
to historical tales, or will we also set out to create
history”.

Bibliography (Partial)
• Mirat ul Memalik (“The Mirror of Countries”) is a historical book written in 1557 by Ottoman admiral Seydi Ali Reis about his travels in South
Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The English translation is available here
• People’s Mission to the Ottoman Empire, M.A. Ansari and the Indian Medical Mission
• The Khilafat Movement: Religious Symbolism and Political Mobilization in India, by Gail Minault
• The Khilafat Movement In India -1919-1924 By A. C. Niemeijer, Hague
• Silk Letter Movement (Reshmi Rumal Tehreek)
• Khilafat Movement in Malabar
• Khilafat Movement in Tamil Nadu
• Role of Memon Community during the Caliphate Movement
• A Short biography of Abdullah Haroon, Member of the Central Khilafat Committee
• A short biography of Khilafatwale Osman Sait of Bangalore
• Inside India, Outside of Kemalism: Analysis of Halide Edib’s Writings on Anti-Colonialism
• Muslims of British India and the Kemalist Reform in Turkey, Iqbal, Jinnah and Atatürk:
• What happened at Gallipoli
• Have We Forgotten Shibli
• The Victory Prayer of Ottoman Army at Gallipoli
• Turkey In The First World War
• Ottoman Dynasty Foundation Facebook Page
• Podcast of Dr. Ansari and the Indian Medical Mission to the Ottoman Empire (1 hr: 30 min)
• The Indian Khilafat Delegation at the Woking Mosque, 1920
• Pierre Loti, French Novelist who Loved Ottomans
• A full-length feature film in Malayalam on the ‘Mapillah (Moplah) Uprising’ in support of the Caliphate in Turkey
• Modern Turkish Historian discusses Turkey’s ties with subcontinent’s Muslims
• Al-Nanawtawi’s Islamic Political Ideology: Paradigms from Rudad, Sawanh Qasimi and other Selected Writings
• Tipu Sultan’s Relations with the Ottoman Empire
• A healing touch: How a team of Indian Muslims made history
• When Pashtun Soldiers refused to fight against Ottomans
• The Memorandum of Indian Muslims in Britain to the British PM on the Ottomans
• Remembering the Ottoman Empire’s Forgotten Indian Allies
• Muslim Merchant Capital and the Relief Movement for the Ottoman ..
• An Enquiry into the Structure of Pan-Islamism in India : The Phase of the Italo-Turkish and Balkan Wars, 1911-1913
• British Opinion and the Turkish Foreign Policy: (From Lausanne to Mosul: 1923-1926)
• Urdu Political Poetry during the Khilafat Movement
• http://www.turkvehint.org/urdu-resources/

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