Allama Iqbal Pakistan Movement

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HM211 Pakistan Studies

Course Instructor:Mahboobul Rahman Khan


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Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal - I(9 November 1877 - 21 April 1938)

Education: Scotch Mission High School, Sialkot Government College,LahoreTrinity College CambridgePh.D. from Munich, Germany.

Iqbal was a man well-versed in Eastern and Western thought andphilosophy.

His times: Muslims in India and the world were under WesternColonialismA phase of confusion and uncertainty quest for identity

and search for independence and progress Iqbal showed the way. Theprocess which began with Sir Syedsmission reached it highest mark withIqbals idea of Muslim culture and the role of Islam in the lives of theMuslims.

Iqbal as a poet: Three phases of his poetic development (a) an Indianpatriot (b) a Muslim nationalist (c) an Islamic internationalist and

humanist. Iqbalspoetry was a clarion call for the Muslims. Philosophy ofKhudi/self. Condemned the philosophy of passivism and inaction andpreached the gospel of action and struggle. His poetry captured theminds and hearts of the Indian Muslims and served as a source ofinspiration to them. Iqbal created a climate favorable for intellectualregeneration, self-affirmation and national consolidation. He created a

sense of nationhood among the Muslims of sub-continent.


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Iqbalscontribution as a politician:Iqbal became involvedin politics early in life. He was elected a member of the committeeof London Muslim League formed by Syed Ameer Ali. He wasopposed to non co-operation, became a member of Punjab KhilafatCommittee but later resigned and distanced himself from themovement. Opposed Lucknow Pact, weightage joined ShafiLeague and supported co-operation with the Simon Commission.Took part in All India Muslim Conference on first January 1929 andpresided over the annual session of the conference held at Lahore.Attended Second Round Table Conference in London (September 31to 1 December 1931) and the Third Round Table Conference (17November to 24 December 1932). Worked as a member of Punjabparliamentary board for Muslim League fought against theUnionists lead by Sir Fazal Hussain and Sir Sikandar Hayat. Helped

Jinnah to get a foothold in Punjab.

Iqbalsletters to Jinnah:Iqbal wrote thirteen letters to Jinnahin 1937-38 advising him to lead and reorganize the Muslim Leagueon popular basis and include economic uplift of Muslims in MuslimLeague policy.


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Iqbalspresidential address (Allahabad,1930):

Iqbals political philosophy as outlined in his Allahabad address

(December 1930) centers on the creative role of Islam in theevolution of Indian Muslim societythe structure of Indian MuslimSociety almost entirely due to the working of Islam as a cultureinspired by a specific ethical, ideal. IqbalsMuslim Nationalism wasbased on positive thinking and he was not communal in theordinary sense of the word. Iqbal demanded endorsement of

Muslim Conference resolution of 1929 and declared: personallyIwould like to go further than the demand embodied in it. I wouldlike to see the Punjab, NWFP, Sindh and Baluchistan amalgamatedinto a single state. Self-government within the British Empire orwithout the British Empire, the formation of the consolidatedNorth-West Indian Muslim State appears to me to be the final

destiny of the Muslims at least of North-West Indian Muslims.Iqbal was not the first to suggest a division of India but he was thefirst leader to do so from the platform of the All-India MuslimLeague.


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From his deathbed he organized elections to the Punjab Council onbehalf of the Muslim League in 1937. Till the end he continued to

advise the Quaid-i-Azam in all political matters.

Jinnahs tribute to Iqbal: On Iqbals death Quaid-i-Azam paid thefollowing tribute in a message to his son:

To me he was a friend, guide and philosopher and during thedarkest moments through which the Muslim League had to go hestood like a rock, and never flinched one single moment

After the Pakistan Resolution was passed by the Muslim League inits Lahore session, on 24th March 1940, the Quaid-i-Azam said to

Matlub Sayyed (his secretary):

Iqbal is no more amongst us, but had he been alive he would havebeen happy to know that we did exactly what he wanted us todo


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Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal - II

Iqbal did not mention Bengal in his scheme.

Controversies about the Address.

He did not suggest the division of India, as is popularly believed.

Iqbals reply to the letter of Edward Thompson (The Times 12,

October 1931). Iqbal says that he suggested a Muslim India within

India. In the original text of Allahabad Address the word state is spelt with

small s. Indicating that Iqbal did not envisage an independent

Muslim State.

Iqbal did not use the word Pakistan.

Iqbal did not take up the matter in the Round Table Conference.


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The All India Muslim League did not adopt it as its official

creed.

Hindu reaction to the address suggests that Iqbal talked of the

division of India.

Iqbalsproposal contained the seeds of separation. Once the

northwest province had come into existence it could have

been easy to demand sovereign status if the plan for All-India

Federation failed.

Iqbal captured the hearts and minds of the Muslims of India.

Through his philosophy and poetry he created among the

Muslims of India a sense of separate destiny. This new spirit

made the establishment of Pakistan possible.

Documents

Allama Iqbal Pakistan Movement