Khan's Triumph of Will

INTRODUCTION

"There is nothing surprising in a Muslim or a pathan like me subscribing to the creed of nonviolence. It is not a new creed. It was followed 1,400 years ago by the Prophet all the time when He was in Mecca. - Badshah Khan

If history's responsibility is to capture the life and achievements of great leaders and store the wisdom of the eras in its annals, it has failed in celebrating the story of an Islamic peacemaker called Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890-1988). He's undoubtedly the most overlooked Muslim nonviolence leader that the world must know; Khan's historic accomplishments exemplify the peaceful and nonviolent teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Very few know of Khan in his native region of today's Pakistan or Afghanistan; He's relatively better known in India as "Frontier Gandhi" because of his close association with Gandhi in India's nonviolent struggle for independence. Fitting as that is, our best tribute to Khan is to understand his merit and message in the unique context of the Pushtun's cause.

 

Badshah Khan voluntarily took on the task of transforming the violent Pushtuns into a nonviolent peace brigade. With love, he influenced them to change their vengeful and hostile tendencies and get rid of their inner negative qualities. At the same time, he led the Pushtuns in a nonviolent and peaceful struggle in opposing the barbaric rule of the British empire. On hearing about this genius display of nonviolence of the brave, Gandhi remarked,

"That such men who would have killed a human being with no more thought than they would kill a sheep or hen should at the bidding of one man have laid down their arms and accepted nonviolence as the superior weapon sounds almost like a fairy tale."

Like Mother Theresa who served the poor and the destitute, Khan sacrificed his life for the betterment of these Pushtuns written off as incapable and unworthy of change. First of the kind in recorded history, the nonviolent "Khudai Khidmatgars" (Servants of God) stood tall with dignity taking the blows and not returning them, much to everyone's awe.

The unfortunate events of the last 30 years (Soviet occupation of the 1970s and 80s, the Al Queda terrorist camps in Afghanistan, the Taliban rule, and the 2001 war on terror) and politics have obscured Khan's legacy of nonviolence. Amnesty International drew attention by recognizing Khan as the "Prisoner of the Year" in 1962; Khan was given the "Jewel of India" award for his commitment to nonviolence.

Khan's life and works are based on the universal values of love, faith, and service to humanity and his legacy is beyond regional and Islamic boundaries. The world needs to recognize Khan's contributions to nonviolence and acknowledge his place with the other legends like Mahatma Gandhi of Hinduism and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., of Christianity. Eknath Easwaran, in his book on Khan entitled "Nonviolent Soldier of Islam" summarizes Khan's contributions as follows:

"It is only a matter of time before his (Khan's) special light will begin to shine in many corners of the earth. For his contribution to the legacy of nonviolence has special significance today, when so many countries of the Islamic world are torn by violence. Just as Gandhi reminded Indians of their long-forgotten legacy of truth and nonviolence, it has been given to Badshah Khan to perform the same great service for Islam. His life is a perfect mirror of the profound values of love, faith, and selfless service embedded in Islam since its inception. His nonviolent "army of God" stands as a beacon to all Muslims who seek an alternative to the self-destructive violence of our times."

History of the Northwest Frontier Province

The history and geography of the Northwest Frontier Province have not been kind to Khan’s cause.  Guarding the northwest entry into colonial India (which spanned from today’s Pakistan on the west to Myanmar on the east) was the historic Khyber Pass , only 8-feet wide at the narrowest point and 33-miles long winding through the rugged, snow-clad mountains of the Hindu Kush . Khyber Pass is no ordinary gateway. It is a dangerous and strategic route to India which has witnessed several invasions including Alexander from Greece in 326 B.C.E, Persians, Genghis Khan, Mongols, Mughals , Turks, Scythians, White Huns, among many others.  For hundreds of years, the Khyber Pass has also been a trade route bringing luxurious silks, Chinese porcelain, and spices to Middle-east and Europe .

Gaurding the famous Khyber Pass was the job of about 2 millions Pushtuns who lived on the mountains.  The history of the Pushtuns or “ Pathans ” in this province was violent with frequent guerilla warfare between the Pushtuns and the British forces.  The British ruled the Pushtuns with hatred and wrath because the British wanted control of the Khyber Pass since India ’s security was at stake. The Pushtuns , proud warriors that they were, opposed the British at the slightest provocation and were determined to live in freedom without British humiliation.  It was a cycle of violence breeding more violence, unrelenting with no end in sight.

The British rule in the Province was hardly on a par with the rest of the Indian Provinces. After about 80-odd years of conflict, the British hardened their attitude toward the Pushtuns and adopted a standard code of torturous treatment described by Easwaran :

 
“The British sent scores of expeditions into the Pathans ’ hills, shelled their strongholds, burned (and later bombed) their villages, beat, flogged, and jailed Pathans by the thousands.

There were also a series of restrictive laws for the Pushtuns , lists Easwaran,

“A man could be “transported” - sent to a foreign penal colony – for life without counsel or trial.  Justice was at the hands of the political agent or pro-British landlords called in to hear cases.  The most elementary rights extended to Her Majesty’s subjects throughout the Empire were denied the Pathans . All this only confirmed what the Pathans had long suspected:  the imperial powers in Delhi and London regarded them as savages.”

 

Links of interest

http://www.asianreflection.com/khanafghanistan.shtml

http://www.progressive.org/0901/pal0202.html

 

1 of 6 pages - Next Chapter: Brief Biography >>