Nasim Yousaf

Allama Mashriqi's Monumental Speech at the Global Islamic Khilafat Conference Nasim Yousaf

From a young age, Allama Mashriqi was determined to bring down British rule in India and liberate the people from the shackles of colonialism. He first laid the groundwork for this effort as a student at the University of Cambridge (where he set unprecedented academic records and graduated in 1912). At the time of his graduation, Mashriqi made a speech to the Indian Society (of the University) stating, "After we return from here, we must ponder how to break the chains of slavery from the British."Later, in May of 1926, Mashriqi traveled to the International Islamic Khilafat Conference at the world-renowned Al-Azhar University of Cairo in Egypt. At the conference, Mashriqi delivered a monumental speech that was embraced by the attendees, who approved Mashriqi's proposals and thwarted a British plan to elect a new Caliph of their choosing. Approximately four years after this conference (in 1930), Mashriqi launched a private army called the Khaksar Movement, which emerged as the largest and most disciplined uniformed force of its time. With over 5 million Khaksar soldiers, Mashriqi led the freedom movement of the Indian subcontinent (now Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), which ultimately brought about the downfall of British colonial rule in India in 1947. Soon after, the entire British empire began to fade and eventually came to an end. This book focuses on the events leading up to Mashriqi's speech at the International Islamic Khilafat Conference and its aftermath.