Khilafat Movement
- The chief cause of the Khilafat movement was the defeat of Turkey in the first world war.
- The harsh terms of the Treaty of Sevres (1920) was felt by the Muslims as a great insult to them.
- The whole movement was based on the Muslim Belief that the Caliph (the Sultan of Turkey) was the religious head of the Muslims all over the world.
- The Muslims in India were upset over the British attitude against Turkey and launched the Khilafat movement.
- Maulana Abul Azad. M.A.Ansari, Saifunddin Kitchlew and the Ali brothers were the prominent leaders of this movement.
- A Khilafat committee had been formed and on 19th October 1919, the whole country had observed the Khilafat day.
- On 23 November, a joint conference of the Hindus and the Muslims had also been held under the chairmanship of Mahatma Gandhi.
- Mahatma Gandhi was particularly interested in bringing the Hindus and the Muslims together to achieve the country’s independence.
- Subsequently, the Khilafat movement merged with the Non- cooperation movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.