Previous Year Question
Indian Muslims wanted the Khalifa to be allowed to retain control over the Muslim holy places in the then Turkish Empire. By which of the following names was this empire also known?
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
NCERT's Nationalism in India clearly states that the First World War ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey. After the war, there were fears that a harsh peace treaty would be imposed on the Ottoman Emperor. NCERT identifies the same Ottoman Emperor as the spiritual head of the Islamic
world, the Khalifa.
A section of Indian Muslims was concerned about the position
of the Khalifa and the weakening of his political or temporal powers. In this context, a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919 to defend the Khalifa's temporal powers.
Empire associated with Turkey → Ottoman Empire
Its ruler → Ottoman Emperor
His position in the Khilafat issue → Khalifa, the spiritual head of the Islamic world