Previous Year Question
Who among the following were prominent leaders of the ‘Khilafat Movement’?
Maulana Mohammad Ali and Saukat Ali
Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Saukat Ali
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Rafi Ahemed Kidwai
Rafi Ahemed Kidwai and Saukat Ali
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, collectively known as the Ali Brothers, were among the most prominent leaders of the Khilafat Movement.
After the defeat of Ottoman Turkey in the First World War, Indian Muslims feared that the victorious powers would abolish or severely weaken the position of the Ottoman Sultan and his religious-political authority as the Khalifa.
To protect the position of the Khalifa, a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919. Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali played a major role in transforming the agitation into a countrywide movement.
Other leaders such as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Hakim Ajmal Khan and Hasrat Mohani were also associated with the movement, but among the given options, the correct pair representing its prominent leadership is Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
Mahatma Gandhi also supported the Khilafat cause. He regarded it as an opportunity for Hindu-Muslim unity and a broader anti-British mass movement.
In 1920, the Khilafat issue was linked with the Non-Cooperation Movement. This gave the Non-Cooperation Movement a broader social base.
Later, political changes in Turkey and the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924 removed the original basis of the Khilafat Movement.