The Genesis and Evolution of Khudai Khidmatgars (1929-1947)

Abstract

The North West Frontier Province (renamed as Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa)1 was directly affected by political development taking place in India during the second decade of 20th Century. The anti-Rowlatt Act2 campaign and 3Khilafat Movement ignited the feelings of liberation in this part of the World. The Khudai Khitmatgar Tehreek (KKT); an outcome of those anti- British campaigns, was founded to the end of 3rd decade of the 20th Century. With the passage of time, it acquired strength and became formidable political force in the province. The KKT was in alliance with All India National Congress and its leader Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan4 was influenced by the Non-violence creed of Gandhi. The electoral strength pf KKT can be judged from the fact that they formed ministries thrice in NWFP i.e. in 1937, 1945 and 1946. The founder of this movement Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan had a multidimensional personality. Besides his hard work and popularity, he was the most controversial figure in the pre and post partition eras. In this paper, an attempt has been made to take into account the foundation, objectives, organizational structure and evolution of Khudai Khidmatgar Tehreek.