Ajmer Dargah’s Role In Indian Freedom Struggle: Dargahs, Shrines, And Sufi Centres Were At The Forefront Of The Indian Freedom Struggle
By
Saquib Salim, New Age Islam
1 April
2023
"The
Dargah (Ajmer Sharif) is undoubtedly a danger-centre….the sedition is more or
less confined to the Dargah and that it is very difficult to get evidence of
what goes on there." The Above excerpt is from a secret report submitted
to the British Government by Intelligence officials in 1922.
Dargah of Khawaja Moinuddin Christy
during the annual Urs
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A common
man may not think that the Dargahs, shrines, and Sufi centres were at the
forefront of the Indian Freedom Struggle. For reasons unknown, most people
believe that Ajmer Dargah played no, or little, role in the struggle. The fact
is that it acted as a center of nationalist activities so much so that the
British Government snooped over the activities in Dargah.
The
official committee which was formed after Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in its
findings pointed out that the Indians were planning a popular uprising against
the British. The plan was discussed by nationalists at the Urs under the
leadership of Maulana Abdul Bari Firangimahali.
The spies
regularly updated the government on the nationalist activities in the Dargah.
In 1920 they reported that more than 5,000 people attended a meeting at Idgah
which was addressed by Lala Chand Karan who asked people to fight the British
because they promote cow slaughter, massacred people in Punjab, and cause
disunity between Muslims and Hindus. The same report notes that the Pesh Imam
of the Ajmer Dargah prayed for the defeat of the British after which Maulvi
Moinuddin asked people to renounce the titles bestowed upon them by foreign
rulers.
Another
report from 1921 notes that anti-British speeches were being delivered at the
Dargah during Friday prayers. In 1922, intelligence officers again reported
that Urs at the Dargah would be an occasion where the nationalists would be
meeting to discuss nationalist ideas.
An
intelligence report from 1922 contains the most explosive information. The
report claimed that Muslims and Hindus in Rajputana had taken an oath of
allegiance with Maulvi Moinuddin of Ajmer. Under his instructions, they were
preparing for a war against the British. An armed militant organisation Jamiat
ul-Thaba was founded and arms had been procured from different places in the
country. Jamiat ul-Thaba passed a resolution and declared that the British were
enemies of religion, nation, and country and that revenge would be taken from
them.
75 years
have passed since Independence and most of us are unaware of the role of Ajmer
Dargah in winning this independence.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/ajmer-dargah-freedom-shrines-sufi-/d/129463
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