Abdul Ghaffar Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1987, decades after he emerged as a central figure in the resistance against British colonial rule in India. Born in 1890 in Hashtnagar, he devoted his life to nonviolent political reform, eventually becoming a bridge between the complex shifting borders of the Indian subcontinent and his native Afghanistan.
Founding the Khudai Khidmatgar
In 1929, Khan established the Khudai Khidmatgar, an anti-colonial movement centered on nonviolent resistance. Operating primarily in the North-West Frontier Province, the organization became a significant force against British authority. His commitment to peace and his close ideological alignment with Mahatma Gandhi earned him the moniker Frontier Gandhi. Despite constant crackdowns by colonial officials, he maintained his focus on the socio-political development of the Pashtun people through education and civic reform.
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Khan actively opposed the 1947 partition of India, advocating for a united front alongside the Indian National Congress. When the leadership of the Congress accepted the partition plan, Khan felt abandoned. He subsequently issued the Bannu Resolution, which demanded an independent state of Pashtunistan. His opposition to the merger of his home province into the newly created state of Pakistan led to frequent imprisonment between 1948 and 1954. He continued his political activity by serving in the Constituent Assembly of India committees in 1946 and 1947.
Later Years and Legacy
Throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Khan remained a target of political containment within Pakistan, including multiple periods of incarceration for his criticism of the One Unit program. In 1967, he received the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. Following his death in Peshawar in 1988, he was buried in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, fulfilling a specific request made in his final will. His funeral drew massive crowds, and a temporary ceasefire was observed by opposing factions in the Afghan conflict to accommodate his burial rites.
Fast facts
- Born: 1890, Hashtnagar
- Died: 1988, Peshawar
- Education: Aligarh Muslim University
- Key Movement: Khudai Khidmatgar
- Citizenship: British Raj, Pakistan, Afghanistan
- Award: Bharat Ratna (1987)
- Award: Jawaharlal Nehru Award (1967)
- Burial Site: Jalalabad
Questions readers ask
Why was he called the Frontier Gandhi?
The nickname stemmed from his lifelong commitment to nonviolent opposition and his close friendship with Mahatma Gandhi.
What was the Bannu Resolution?
It was a 1947 formal demand for an independent state of Pashtunistan, intended to keep Pashtun territories separate from the partition of India and Pakistan.
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