Freedom Fighters’ Gallery
Maulana Shaukat Ali
by
Isam Hanif Majeed
Maulana Shaukat Ali was born in 1873 in Rampur, which is now known as Uttar Pardesh. He completed his education at the Aligarh University.
One of his lifelong passions was playing sports. He captained the cricket team of the Aligarh University. He then served in the civil services of the United Provinces of Oudh and Agra for seventeen years in British India.
Maulana Shaukat Ali helped his younger brother Mohammad Ali Johar publish the Urdu weekly “Hamdard” and English weekly “Comrade”. He then published an article, in which he expressed that the Turks were right to fight against the British. He was jailed in 1919 by the British for going against them, in this time period, he was elected as the last President of the Khilafat Conference.
From 1921 till 1923, he was jailed again for supporting Mahatama Gandhi during the Non-Cooperation Movement. At this time, he and his brother were given the titles of ‘Maulana’.
In 1936, Maulana Shaukat Ali became a member of the All India Muslim League and a close political ally of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
From 1936 till 1938, he not only helped Muhammad Ali Jinnah in popularizing the Muslim League at various levels, but also toured Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and America, where he gave speeches on the freedom movement of India and Islam.
Maulana Shaukat Ali passed away in 1938. He was buried near the Maulana Shaukat Ali masjid in Delhi.
“It is easier to go to jail or fight for freedom than to run a government.”
(Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision for every Pakistani)
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