Very Short Question and Answers - Khilafat Movement

The defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I and the harsh terms imposed by the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920 triggered the Khilafat Movement.

The Ottoman Sultan was regarded as the Caliph, the religious and political leader of Muslims worldwide.

Indian Muslims feared that the Caliph’s authority and control over holy sites would be undermined.

The main leaders were the Ali brothers—Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali.

The Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in 1919.

One key demand was that the Caliph should retain control over Muslim holy places.

The second demand was that the Ottoman Empire should not be dismembered.

The movement aimed to pressure the British government to protect the Caliph's position.

Gandhi saw it as an opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims against British rule.

In 1920, the Khilafat Movement was merged with the Non-Cooperation Movement.

One common programme was the boycott of British goods, schools, and law courts.

Khadi and swadeshi were promoted.

The movement emphasized peaceful, non-violent protest.

It created a Hindu–Muslim united front for the first time in the freedom struggle.

It turned anti-British sentiment into a mass movement across India.

Gandhi demonstrated the skill of linking religious and political issues into a single national struggle.

The Treaty of Sèvres (1920) is associated with the movement.

The Caliph was considered the religious and political leader of Muslims worldwide and the protector of Islamic holy sites.

The joint programme for the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat movements united the Congress and Muslims.

It reveals that the struggle involved both religious and political dimensions and relied on mass participation.