Originally Posted by ssara

Q:4. Critically evaluate the contribution of Jehadi Movement in the life of Muslims in the Sub-Continent? (20 Marks)


Jihadi Movement was found by the Syed Ahmed Shaeed, It was the outstanding movement, which purely based on the Jihad against the Sikhs of Punjab and the KPK’s ati-Islamic actors. Actually the Muslims were being demoralized and demotivated in the teachings of Islam by the anti-Islamic elements. However, During the time of Syed Ahmed Shaheed the condition of the Sub-Continent had been worst owing to the British interference and also the Sikh were making problems extensively for the Muslims Society. The Mosques were replaced with the temples, even the adhan was forbidden. Muslims conditions had been going bed to worst day by day. However, In these cicumtances, with the grace of God the Jihadi Movement came into exist and fought with the enemies of Islam and Muslim society bravely. It was the contribution of Syed Ahmed Shaheed. The struggle of the Jehadi Movement proved fruitful for the glorification of Islam and Muslim society by his founder.

The founder of Jehadi Movement, Sayed Ahmed belonged to a family of Rai Baraly and was born in 1786. His father name was Shah Illam who was a great personality of his time. Sayed was the lion hearted hero and a great reformer, commander, thinker and mystic, who fought against the British and Sikh for the purification of Islam and Muslim Society. He was greatly impressed by the teaching of Shah Waliullah and was disciple of his son Shah Abdul Aziz. From the beginning of his career he was a Sarwar of Nawab Amir Khan, the ruler of Tonk, from where he learnt military tactics and diverse disciplines in a lot of fields especially in the field of warfare.

However, during the time of Sayed Ahmed the whole society was suffering from a lot of dangerous problems religiously, politically and socially. As a matter of fact, in those circumstances there were the domination of Sikh regime and the Punjab was being ruled by Ranjeet Singh autocratically. On the other hand, the KPK had also been fallen into the hands of Sikh’s regime. The Holy places of the Muslims were not saved anymore. Because, the mosques were replaced with the temples moreover the adhan practices were forbidden by the anti-Islamic actors.

Therefore, for the cause of Islam and its glorification, Sayed Ahmed Shaeed himself made a strategy to tackle the critical condition and he served himself for the revival of Islam and the society. Therefore, He purified the Muslim society in sphere of all aspects in the Sub-Continent. According to the western scholar his political part was directed against the British and the Sikhs’ activities, as a matter of fact they had forbidden the call of Adhan and moreover they were interfering with the Muslims religious practices in the Punjab and KPK.

So, Sayed went to Arabia for two years where he also performed Hajj with his loving friends-Shaikh Ismail and Maulana Haye in 1821. After returning he prepared Jihad along with his friends and a number of his followers. He had crystal clear idea that if the Punjab would be tackled from the hands of Sikhs, then the Muslims would have been at the good condition in sphere of religiously, politically and socially similarly like earlier. Therefore, he began his Jihadi Movement from the Punjab with his friends and 6000 followers. He went to the Punjab where he invited other Muslims brothers for Jihad against the Sikh. Owing to his invitation a number of people joined his hands, gradually the number of Muslim forces rose to 8000. After that he reached Noshera in December 1826 and established his headquarter there. Then, sent a message to Ranjeet Singh to embrace Islam or be ready to face the Mujahideens and be ready to be killed as well. Ranjeed Singh turn down the offer, as a result in 1866 AD. Mujahideen attacked the Sikh forces and the Budh Sindh, the cousin of the Ranjeet singh was defeated by the Mujahideens.

With the great success, the Mujaheedens had been confident to go for further areas in order to crush the anti-Islamic forces. On the other hand, in these circumstances, a conspiracy was made by the enemies in order to demoralize the Jihadi Movement. Nevertheless, In 1829 Sardar Yar Muhammad (Brother of the Sulatan Muhammad Khan) who joined hands with the Sikh secretly and then tried to poison the Sayed Ahmed but was killed by Mujahideens in an encounter attack. Although, with the amazing success the Peshawar was captured in 1830.

After occupying Peshawar, Sayed Ahmed paid his attention towards the introduction of Shariat. At this time He tried hi best to reform the society and urge the people that they would not practice the un-Islamic beliefs. In this regard, Sardar of Peshawer influenced by his ideology and the Sardar with his Peshawari brothers joined their hands with the Sayed Ahmed and declared him as a Khalifa, in this way people used to accept his any order to be done excessively.

In November 1831, right after the two months of getting Peshawar, Sayed withdrew from Peshawer in favor of Sultan Muhammad Khan (the brother of Yar Muhammad) who promised him to pay fixed amount to the Mujahideens as a tribute.

After that, In Peshawar, Ranjeet Singh sent General venture, a French General, against the Mujahideens and also threw his propaganda to the people of Peshawar for the misconception among the followers of Sayed. As a result, the Peshaweri people came under the propaganda and victimized very badly. Consequently, Peshawar had become free from the grasp of the Mujahideens. On the other hand, a battle was fought between the Mujahideens and the Sikh in the year of 1831, in this war the Mujahideen were headed by Sayed Ahmed including his friends, Maluna Abdul haye, Ismail and also other many Mujahideens, they fought bravely until they received the tile of the martyrdom.

Consequently, after the defeat of Balakot the Jihadi movement did not stop its progress but lacked in the leadership for the time being. Because, in the end of the movement during the incident of Blakot. The movement had been failed owing to the lack of fund, poor military tactics, sectarian propaganda against the reforms and the blunder which was done by Sayed Ahmed Shaheed he gave his own ideologies which people could not understand and came under the propaganda of the Siskh. On the other hand, there were no cooperation and coordination among the local populace. Thus, later on, some of the followers of this Movement carried on the same mission and would have been successful to the great extent to the upcoming years exclusively.






All respected forum members you are highly requested to check it and point out the mistakes which have been done by me. Your criticism and suggestions would be highly recommend and please criticize it as much as you can.......

Thanks...............

Regards...............