Bahadur Yar Jung
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Bahadur Khan alias Nawab Nisar Ahmed Khan and Saadi Khan. Titles Bahadur Yar Jung and Quaid-e-Millath was an Hyderabadi Muslim (now an India
n Muslim
) who argued for the formation of Muslim states
in India
during the British Occupation in the 1930s and 1940s.
Nasib Yawar Jung and named Saadi Khan alias Muhammad Bahadur Khan. He was descended from the Kakazai
Pashtun
family which had come to Hyderabad during the reign of the Nizam
Sikandar Jah (1903–29) and was granted a minor jagir
of Lal Garhi, He was also a hereditary jamadar of the nazim-e-jamiat (commander of the Irregular Forces) of the Nizam
.
His mother died barely seven days after his birth. He was therefore brought up by his maternal grandmother up to the age of 14 and thereafter by his paternal grandmother. He was educated at the Madarsa-e-Aliya and Darul-Uloom ( now City College Hyderabad
) and acquired proficiency in wrestling
, swimming, marksmanship, and swordsmanship
. He was also very fond of shikar. He was married at the age of 14 to Talmain Khatoon, an older cousin. Right from school days he used to excel in declamation and became a popular orator.
When Bahadur Khan inherited the jagir
on the death of his father in 1923 he also inherited a debt of Rs.4.5 Lakhs. Within four years he set the affairs right and having cleared all the debt, doubled the income from his estate to Rs.40,000 per annum.
, to be separate from the rest of India as an Islamic state with Sharia Law in force, and led an organisation called Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, for the propagation of Islam
. A friend and aide to Mohammed Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah
, he was one of the most admired leaders of the Pakistan Movement
. In 1926 Bahadur Yar Jung was elected president of the Society of Mahdavi
s.In 1938 he was made president of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen .The party has roots back to the days of the princely State of Hyderabad. It was founded and shaped by Nawab Mahmood Nawaz Khan Qiledar Golconda of Hyderabad State by the advice of His Highness Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan the Nizam of Hyderabad and in the presence of Ulma-e-Mashaeqeen in 1927 as a pro-Nizam party. then it was only Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and the first meeting was held in the house of Nawab Mahmood Nawaz Khan his house name was "Touheed Manzil" at Chowk-e-Aspan opposite asha talkies Qazipura Hyderabad. The MIM advocated the set up of a Muslim dominion rather than integration with India. In 1938 Bahadur Yar Jung was elected President of the MIM which had a cultural and religious manifesto soon acquired political complexion and became aligned with the Muslim League in British India. He soon rose to be the supreme and unquestioned leader of the MIM and imparted a new militancy to it.
of Prophet Muhammad. A young man was moving his audience to tears by his oration. Midway through his speech, there was a general commotion. Policemen on duty started blowing whistles nervously. Mir Osman Ali Khan, Nizam
VII, had arrived unannounced to attend the meeting. The young speaker paused only for a while and then greeted the Nizam
in an emotion-charged manner and referred him with these words:
Mir Osman Ali Khan, Nizam
VII, sat there completely mesmerized and like the thousands amongst the audience, washed by the flood of words coming from that young speaker, tears began to roll down from Mir Osman Ali Khan cheeks. He asked some of the telling sentences of the speech to be repeated, as people say encore in mushairas (Urdu
poetry conferences).
A week later, on 25 November 1930, he received a firman. It read:
When Jagirdars were not allowed to participate in politics. To overcome that constraint, Bahadur Yar Jung renounced his Jagir
and Title
of (Bahadur Yar Jung) in 1940 and intensified his activities. That added to his popularity, thus the people of erstwhile Hyderabad Deccan use to call him as Quaid-e-Millath.
skills served as a catalyst to the independence struggle. A sample is presented here:
, Arabic, Persian
and English
and had smattering of Telugu
. Because of his oratorical skills he became immensely popular and also very close to the Muslim League leaders, Specially to Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Mohammed Iqbal whose speeches he often interpreted from English
into Urdu
.
To make matters absolutely sure, the demographic balance of the State had to be altered. Bahadur Yar Jung founded the Majlis-e-Tabligh-e-Islam in 1927 to counter the Arya Samaj
movement in Hyderabad Deccan. Enlisted and trained a missionary corps, organized campaigns of tabligh and was instrumental in conversion of Hindu
s into Muslim
s - particularly those belonging to the untouchable
and backward classes in rural areas. He advised his band of missionary workers to aim not at the conversion of individuals but of whole groups. This work was done with particular zeal for three years and during that period he is credited with the conversion of 24,000 persons.
In 1931, he performed Haj
along with 82 persons and thereafter undertook a tour of the Islamic Countries of West Asia, and of Europe
.
In early 1935, The Muslims in India under the leadership of Nawab
Bahadur Yar Jung of Hyderabad Deccan started campaigning for restoration of Caliphate
. The response from the Arab
world
and Turkey
was disappointing. Arabs were disintegrated in various kingdoms
, Emirates and Turkey
became a secular state.
In 1938 he was elected president of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, a society with a cultural and religious manifesto. However, it soon acquired political complexion and became aligned the Muslim League in British India. He soon rose to be the supreme and unquestioned leader of the MIM and imparted a new militancy to it.
Bahadur Yar Jung noted the peculiar political situation of Hyderabad State
. It was a State with an overwhelming Hindu
population (some 87%) and a Muslim
ruler. With the winds of change blowing all over and the talk of democracy
and the demands for a responsible government, the control of power was bound to pass from the ruling Muslim
minority to the Hindu
majority. To perpetuate the existing state of affairs, heavily weighted in favour of the Muslims, he therefore propounded an ingenious theory. The Nizam
claimed that, as a ruler, he was sovereign. Louis XIV of France
had proclaimed in the 17th century L'etat!-- c'est moi! (I am the State). In 1938, Bahadur Yar Jung enunciated the doctrine of Ana' Al Malik, (We are sovereign). According to this theory, sovereignty did not vest in the ruler, but in the Muslim
community. The Nizam
was merely a symbol of that sovereignty. Every Muslim
in the State thus became a participant and a sharer in sovereignty. It thus sought to make it the vested interest of every Muslim
to protect his sovereignty and its symbol, the Nizam
. It became the official doctrine of the MIM and Bahadur Yar Jung insisted that Hyderabad should be declared a Muslim
State.
Bahadur Yar Jung thus reduced the Nizam
from the personification of sovereignty to its mere symbol. He often said things which caused the Nizam
discomfiture, and, not unoften, even offence. Once when he thundered against the British
presence and their direction of administration in the State, the Nizam
was compelled by the British Resident to censure and to silence him and to be confined to his house for some time. The Jagirdars were not allowed to participate in politics. To overcome that constraint, Bahadur Yar Jung renounced his Jagir
and Title
in 1940 and intensified his activities.
At that very moment he announced that:
, for example, used to refer to him as her son.
Sarojini Naidu
was equally affectionate towards him and called him her son. She paid glowing tributes to him while introducing at a meeting held under the title, Mazhab Nahin Sikata Apas Mein Bair Rakhna. In response Nawab
Bahadur Yar Jung said, I thank the respected chairperson for her introduction. But since I consider her to be my mother she has praised not me but herself.
Bahadur Yar Jung counted many leading Hindu
leaders as his friend including Gandhi Ji and Rabindranath Tagore
. In a letter to Sarojini Naidu
dated June 13, 1942, Gandhi Ji enquired about the deteriorating communal situation in Hyderabad State
:
In various instances of Bahadur Yar Jung life where he practically demonstrated his belief in justice and harmony. In 1942 he amicably resolved the dispute related to the land of Sharan Basappa Temple
in Gulbarga
. Finding Muslim
claims to the land as unjust he gave the decision in favour of the temple. At this Muslims complained but he did not blink and instead reminded them of the Quran verse, and do not let the enmity and hatred of some people lead you away from justice, but adhere to justice, for that is closer to piety (Qur’an, 5: 8).
, a judge
of the High Court
and a close friend. Coming rather late, he ran up the steps and apologized to his host and other guests. Then he sat down and, as he took a pull at the hookah
, he collapsed. His sudden and unexpected death raised suspicion that he was poisoned allegedly at he instance of the Nizam
. But only whispers were heard. However, the Nizam
joined the mammoth funeral procession the next morning.
His early death changed the course of history in the Hyderabad State
.
After his death the Muslims mourned throughout the India
. And his absence was acutely felt during the rest of the separation and formation of Pakistan
, especially the 1945-46 general elections when the fate of Muslim
state
was hung in the balance. After the traumatic fall of Hyderabad Deccan the fist wave of immigrants from the state were committed enough to set up an Academy named after him in Karachi
, Pakistan
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
) who argued for the formation of Muslim states
State (polity)
A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union...
in India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
during the British Occupation in the 1930s and 1940s.
Early life
He was born in 1905 to NawabNawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
Nasib Yawar Jung and named Saadi Khan alias Muhammad Bahadur Khan. He was descended from the Kakazai
Kakazai
The Kakazai , also known as Loye Mamund , are a Pashtun tribe originally from the Laghman province of Afghanistan.They came to South Asia during Afghan invasions such as those of Mahmud of Ghazni, settling in various regions....
Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
family which had come to Hyderabad during the reign of the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
Sikandar Jah (1903–29) and was granted a minor jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
of Lal Garhi, He was also a hereditary jamadar of the nazim-e-jamiat (commander of the Irregular Forces) of the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
.
His mother died barely seven days after his birth. He was therefore brought up by his maternal grandmother up to the age of 14 and thereafter by his paternal grandmother. He was educated at the Madarsa-e-Aliya and Darul-Uloom ( now City College Hyderabad
City College Hyderabad
Government City College Hyderabad also known as City College is located in Hyderabad, India. It has been conferred with ‘Autonomy’ by University Grants Commission, Osmania University and the A P State Government from the year 2004.It is owned and funded by the State Government of Andhra...
) and acquired proficiency in wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, swimming, marksmanship, and swordsmanship
Swordsmanship
Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword...
. He was also very fond of shikar. He was married at the age of 14 to Talmain Khatoon, an older cousin. Right from school days he used to excel in declamation and became a popular orator.
When Bahadur Khan inherited the jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
on the death of his father in 1923 he also inherited a debt of Rs.4.5 Lakhs. Within four years he set the affairs right and having cleared all the debt, doubled the income from his estate to Rs.40,000 per annum.
Career
Bahadur Yar Jung was a practical and realistic person. Particularly, he wanted his own home state, Princely HyderabadHyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
, to be separate from the rest of India as an Islamic state with Sharia Law in force, and led an organisation called Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, for the propagation of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. A friend and aide to Mohammed Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
, he was one of the most admired leaders of the Pakistan Movement
Pakistan Movement
The Pakistan Movement or Tehrik-e-Pakistan refers to the historical movement to have an independent Muslim state named Pakistan created from the separation of the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent, partitioned within or outside the British Indian Empire. It had its origins in the...
. In 1926 Bahadur Yar Jung was elected president of the Society of Mahdavi
Mahdavi
Mahdavi Islam is a sect within Islam, founded by Hazrath Syed Muhammad Jaunpuri in India in the 15th century CE. Jaunpuri declared himself to be the Imam Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer in Islam, and the denomination takes its name from the term mahdi...
s.In 1938 he was made president of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen .The party has roots back to the days of the princely State of Hyderabad. It was founded and shaped by Nawab Mahmood Nawaz Khan Qiledar Golconda of Hyderabad State by the advice of His Highness Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan the Nizam of Hyderabad and in the presence of Ulma-e-Mashaeqeen in 1927 as a pro-Nizam party. then it was only Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and the first meeting was held in the house of Nawab Mahmood Nawaz Khan his house name was "Touheed Manzil" at Chowk-e-Aspan opposite asha talkies Qazipura Hyderabad. The MIM advocated the set up of a Muslim dominion rather than integration with India. In 1938 Bahadur Yar Jung was elected President of the MIM which had a cultural and religious manifesto soon acquired political complexion and became aligned with the Muslim League in British India. He soon rose to be the supreme and unquestioned leader of the MIM and imparted a new militancy to it.
Titles
In November, 1930 a public meeting was held in the Victory Playground to celebrate the birthdayBirthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
of Prophet Muhammad. A young man was moving his audience to tears by his oration. Midway through his speech, there was a general commotion. Policemen on duty started blowing whistles nervously. Mir Osman Ali Khan, Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
VII, had arrived unannounced to attend the meeting. The young speaker paused only for a while and then greeted the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
in an emotion-charged manner and referred him with these words:
- Oh! Crowned slave of the MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
of Arabia, come, - let me tell thee about the style of governance of that emperor of both the spiritual and the corporeal worlds.
Mir Osman Ali Khan, Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
VII, sat there completely mesmerized and like the thousands amongst the audience, washed by the flood of words coming from that young speaker, tears began to roll down from Mir Osman Ali Khan cheeks. He asked some of the telling sentences of the speech to be repeated, as people say encore in mushairas (Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
poetry conferences).
A week later, on 25 November 1930, he received a firman. It read:
- The royal personage was delighted to hear your sermon and on the auspicious occasion of his birthday is pleased to confer the title of Bahadur Yar Jung on you.
When Jagirdars were not allowed to participate in politics. To overcome that constraint, Bahadur Yar Jung renounced his Jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
and Title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
of (Bahadur Yar Jung) in 1940 and intensified his activities. That added to his popularity, thus the people of erstwhile Hyderabad Deccan use to call him as Quaid-e-Millath.
Oratory
Matched by very few, his oratoryOratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
skills served as a catalyst to the independence struggle. A sample is presented here:
- On the December 26, 1943, he delivered an important speech in the All India Muslim League Conference. In the first half of his speech he laid stress on the struggle for PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. In the second half he talked about the creation of PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. At the end he said,
-
- "Muslims! Decisions made under pressure do not last for long. To-day we are not in need of a tree that blooms like a flower or in need of fruit that tastes sweet to our mouths. Instead, we are in the need of fine manure that dissolves in the soil and strengthens the roots. That will unite with the water and soil to produce beautiful flowers. That will destroy itself but will leave its scent and taste in the flowers. We are at present not in need of beautiful scenery that looks good to the eyes, but what we need are foundation stones that will bury themselves in the soil to make the building standing on them strong."
- The first time he spoke at the Aligarh University's famous strachey Hall, he spoke till early morning 3 a.m, and still the audience showed no sign of restlessness or boredom and were demanding more from him such was his oratory skills. In 1942 at the leagues AllahabadAllahabadAllahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
session when Bahadur Yar Jung appealed for funds, no less than Rs 1,25,000 were contributed on the spot within minutes. In 1943 at the next Muslim League session at DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
he spoke till early morning 4 a.m, in the last on his appeal for funds the large contingent of women in the audience gave away even their jewellery amounting to nearly ten lakhs. The Quaid-e-Millath was of course, overwhelmed by their generous response.
- Once SyedSyedSyed is a masculine given name derived from the title Sayyid, it is not to be confused with the similar looking name Sayid...
Abul Ala MaududiAbul Ala MaududiSyed Abul A'ala Maududi , also known as Molana or Shaikh Syed Abul A'ala Mawdudi, was a Sunni Pakistani journalist, theologian, Muslim revivalist leader and political philosopher, and a major 20th century Islamist thinker. He was also a prominent political figure in Pakistan and was the first...
wrote a letter to Bahadur Yar Jung seeking work that the Bahadur Yar Jung deems fit for the status of Mawdudi. In response Bahadur Yar Jung wrote back,
-
- the time has come for the muslims not to wait for any allotment of work, instead we should by ourselves join the masses and start working in between them in the branch we are capable to handle, as no work is unfit for a genuine worker and make ourselves as bricks and get fixed where ever necessary and strengthen the dilapidating wall of the Muslim community.
Struggle for Muslim Nation
In 1926 he was elected president of the Society of Mahdavias and in 1927 he started the Society for the Propagation of Islam. In 1930 he was elected secretary of the Union of Jagirdars which had been established in 1892 but was moribund. He served in that capacity for four years and infused new life into it. He was fond of reading and knew UrduUrdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, Arabic, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and had smattering of Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
. Because of his oratorical skills he became immensely popular and also very close to the Muslim League leaders, Specially to Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Mohammed Iqbal whose speeches he often interpreted from English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
into Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
.
To make matters absolutely sure, the demographic balance of the State had to be altered. Bahadur Yar Jung founded the Majlis-e-Tabligh-e-Islam in 1927 to counter the Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
movement in Hyderabad Deccan. Enlisted and trained a missionary corps, organized campaigns of tabligh and was instrumental in conversion of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s into Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s - particularly those belonging to the untouchable
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
and backward classes in rural areas. He advised his band of missionary workers to aim not at the conversion of individuals but of whole groups. This work was done with particular zeal for three years and during that period he is credited with the conversion of 24,000 persons.
In 1931, he performed Haj
Háj
Háj may refer to:* Háj in Turčianske Teplice District, Slovakia* Háj in Košice-okolie District, Slovakia...
along with 82 persons and thereafter undertook a tour of the Islamic Countries of West Asia, and of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
In early 1935, The Muslims in India under the leadership of Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
Bahadur Yar Jung of Hyderabad Deccan started campaigning for restoration of Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
. The response from the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
was disappointing. Arabs were disintegrated in various kingdoms
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
, Emirates and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
became a secular state.
In 1938 he was elected president of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, a society with a cultural and religious manifesto. However, it soon acquired political complexion and became aligned the Muslim League in British India. He soon rose to be the supreme and unquestioned leader of the MIM and imparted a new militancy to it.
Bahadur Yar Jung noted the peculiar political situation of Hyderabad State
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
. It was a State with an overwhelming Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
population (some 87%) and a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
ruler. With the winds of change blowing all over and the talk of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and the demands for a responsible government, the control of power was bound to pass from the ruling Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
minority to the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
majority. To perpetuate the existing state of affairs, heavily weighted in favour of the Muslims, he therefore propounded an ingenious theory. The Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
claimed that, as a ruler, he was sovereign. Louis XIV of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
had proclaimed in the 17th century L'etat!-- c'est moi! (I am the State). In 1938, Bahadur Yar Jung enunciated the doctrine of Ana' Al Malik, (We are sovereign). According to this theory, sovereignty did not vest in the ruler, but in the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community. The Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
was merely a symbol of that sovereignty. Every Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
in the State thus became a participant and a sharer in sovereignty. It thus sought to make it the vested interest of every Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
to protect his sovereignty and its symbol, the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
. It became the official doctrine of the MIM and Bahadur Yar Jung insisted that Hyderabad should be declared a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
State.
Bahadur Yar Jung thus reduced the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
from the personification of sovereignty to its mere symbol. He often said things which caused the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
discomfiture, and, not unoften, even offence. Once when he thundered against the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
presence and their direction of administration in the State, the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
was compelled by the British Resident to censure and to silence him and to be confined to his house for some time. The Jagirdars were not allowed to participate in politics. To overcome that constraint, Bahadur Yar Jung renounced his Jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
and Title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
in 1940 and intensified his activities.
At that very moment he announced that:
- I was not made to sit on an official seat and look after the affairs of the state. The aim of my life is to go on streets and raise storms in the hearts of men
Secular Thoughts
In spite of his politics, he was a friend of many leaders of other communities.Sarojini NaiduSarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
, for example, used to refer to him as her son.
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
was equally affectionate towards him and called him her son. She paid glowing tributes to him while introducing at a meeting held under the title, Mazhab Nahin Sikata Apas Mein Bair Rakhna. In response Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
Bahadur Yar Jung said, I thank the respected chairperson for her introduction. But since I consider her to be my mother she has praised not me but herself.
Bahadur Yar Jung counted many leading Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
leaders as his friend including Gandhi Ji and Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
. In a letter to Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu , also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet...
dated June 13, 1942, Gandhi Ji enquired about the deteriorating communal situation in Hyderabad State
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
:
In various instances of Bahadur Yar Jung life where he practically demonstrated his belief in justice and harmony. In 1942 he amicably resolved the dispute related to the land of Sharan Basappa Temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
in Gulbarga
Gulbarga
Gulbarga is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Gulbarga District. It was formerly part of Nizam's Hyderabad state...
. Finding Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
claims to the land as unjust he gave the decision in favour of the temple. At this Muslims complained but he did not blink and instead reminded them of the Quran verse, and do not let the enmity and hatred of some people lead you away from justice, but adhere to justice, for that is closer to piety (Qur’an, 5: 8).
Death
In 1944, he had gone to a dinner at the house of Hashim Ali KhanHashim Ali Khan
-Biography:Mir Hashim Ali Khan represented the Hyderabad Imperial Lancers at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. On reaching Hyderabad-deccan with the help of other Commandants, he founded the 2nd Nizams own Hyderabad Imperial Service Lancers Troops...
, a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the High Court
High Court
The term High Court usually refers to the superior court of a country or state. In some countries, it is the highest court . In others, it is positioned lower in the hierarchy of courts The term High Court usually refers to the superior court (or supreme court) of a country or state. In some...
and a close friend. Coming rather late, he ran up the steps and apologized to his host and other guests. Then he sat down and, as he took a pull at the hookah
Hookah
A hookah A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) (Hindustani: हुक़्क़ा (Devanagari, (Nastaleeq) huqqah) also known as a waterpipe or narghile, is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled by water. The tobacco smoked is referred to...
, he collapsed. His sudden and unexpected death raised suspicion that he was poisoned allegedly at he instance of the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
. But only whispers were heard. However, the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
joined the mammoth funeral procession the next morning.
His early death changed the course of history in the Hyderabad State
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
.
After his death the Muslims mourned throughout the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. And his absence was acutely felt during the rest of the separation and formation of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, especially the 1945-46 general elections when the fate of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
state
State (polity)
A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union...
was hung in the balance. After the traumatic fall of Hyderabad Deccan the fist wave of immigrants from the state were committed enough to set up an Academy named after him in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Memorial
- BahadurabadBahadurabadBahadurabad is one of the neighbourhoods of Gulshan Town, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.Bahadurabad is officially known as Bahadur Yar Jung Co-operative Housing Society. It is located in the Civic Centre zone in the Gulshan Town...
, a neighbourhood of KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, is named after Bahadur Yar Jung. - BahadurpuraBahadurpuraBahadurpura is a town and Union Council of Kasur District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of Kasur Tehsil and is located at 31°3'49N 74°23'54E with an altitude of 185 metres ....
, a neighbourhood of Hyderabad, India, is named after Bahadur Yar Jung. - Bahadur Yar Jung AcademyAcademyAn academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
, founded in KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan... - In 1990, Pakistan PostPakistan PostPakistan Post is a state enterprise dedicated to providing wide range of postal products and public services in Pakistan. It is the largest postal service in the country...
issued a stamp depicting Bahadur Yar Jung in its Pioneers of Freedom series designed by Saeed AkhtarSaeed AkhtarSaaed Akhtar [ Urdu: سعىد اختتر ] is Pakistan's foremost portrait painter. He started gaining prominent during the late 1970s and the 1980s.-Early life:...
.
See also
- Hyderabad StateHyderabad State-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
- Muslim League
- Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
- Pakistan MovementPakistan MovementThe Pakistan Movement or Tehrik-e-Pakistan refers to the historical movement to have an independent Muslim state named Pakistan created from the separation of the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent, partitioned within or outside the British Indian Empire. It had its origins in the...
- Pashtun peoplePashtun peoplePashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
- KakazaiKakazaiThe Kakazai , also known as Loye Mamund , are a Pashtun tribe originally from the Laghman province of Afghanistan.They came to South Asia during Afghan invasions such as those of Mahmud of Ghazni, settling in various regions....
External links
- When the Nizam Wept
- Nawab Bahadur Yar Jung
- Hyderabad 1948 Revisited –– Was Kashmir A Mistake? by India Defence Consultants
- An English translation of Saadat Hasan Manto’s ‘Mera Sahib’
- The tragedy of Hyderabad - book review from Frontline
- Short bio.
- Jinnah and Bahadur Jang (urdu)
- http://www.dawn.com/events/pml/review34.htm