The `Ulama and British Brutality

Battle of Balakot

After the Battle of Balakot, a number of battles were fought against the British invaders of India. In 1856 a meeting of the senior ‘Ulama of India was convened. Amongst others, those who attended were Mawlana Ja’far Thaneseri, Mawlana Wilayat ‘Ali [these two were survivors of the Battle of Balakot],

Haji Imdadullah, Mawlana Muhammad Qasim Nanautwi, Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi and Hafidh Muhammad Dhamin (Allah have mercy on them all).

At this meeting, Mawlana Nanautwi said: “Are you not aware that the British are sitting on our heads. They have laid their snare throughout the country. Be prepared for decisive battles. We shall either be cut to pieces or fight them to the end. We shall not allow the British to occupy this country.”

One of those attending the meeting said: “Hadhrat, we are few in number and limited in resources.” Mawlana Nanautwi responded: “Is our number less than the number of the mujahideen of Badr?” The spirit of Jihad was kindled in the hearts of those who attended. It was firmly resolved to free India from the clutches of the British.

Two major battles took place. One was the War of Independence under Haji Imdadullah, and the other was The War of the Red Shawls under Mawlana Mahmud al-Hasan who was the student of Maulana Qasim Nanautwi.

After this battle about 14,000 ‘Ulama were executed by the British. The War of Independence was fought on two fronts: One in Ambala under the command of Mawlana Ja’far Thaneseri, and the other in Shamli under the command of Haji Imdadullah.

As Allah Ta’ala willed, the battle was lost, but not the spirit of Jihad of our ‘Ulama. They did not surrender to the British.

After this battle, the British viceroy to India requested his ministers and counsellors to submit a report on how to entrench British rule in India. One of the leading British politicians, Dr.William Yur, stated in his report: “Of the entire population of India, the Muslims are the most spirited and vigilant.

The Battle of Independence was fought by Muslims.

As long as Muslims cherish in them the spirit of Jihad we shall not be able to vanquish them. It is therefore imperative to first and foremost snuff out this spirit by eliminating the ‘Ulama and the Qur’an.”

Giving expression to this advice, the government in 1861 launched a campaign to destroy copies of the Qur’an. 300,000 copies of the Qur’an were set alight by the government.

An English historian writes in his memoirs: “From 1864 to 1867, the British government firmly resolved to eradicate all the ‘Ulama of India.

From 1864 to 1867 heart-rending acts of brutality and torture were perpetrated against the ‘Ulama . The British executed 14,000 ‘Ulama by hanging them on trees. From Chandi Chowk of Delhi up to Khaibar, from every tree hung the body of an ‘alim. ‘Ulama were sewn into pig’s skins and hurled into blazing furnaces.

Their bodies were branded with hot copper rods. Gallows were set up in the courtyard of the Badshahi Musjid of Lahore. Each day up to 80 ‘Ulama were executed by hanging.

Sometimes ‘Ulama would be wrapped in sacks and dumped into the Ravi River of Lahore. A hail of bullets would then be pumped into the sacks.

Thompson writes further: “As I reached my camp in Delhi, I saw a blazing fire. I saw a group of 40 naked ‘Ulama being led to the fire. As I was witnessing this scene, another group of 40 ‘Ulama were brought. In front of my eyes they were stripped of their clothing.

Addressing them, the English commander said: ‘O molwis! You will be roasted in this fire just as these ‘Ulama are being roasted. To save yourselves, one of you should say that you were not part of the 1857 uprising. The moment I hear this proclamation, I shall release you all.’”

Thompson continues: “By the Lord who has created me! Not a single one of the ‘Ulama said anything of the sort. All of them were roasted on the fire. Then another group of forty was brought and roasted over the blazing fire. But not a single ‘Aalim surrendered to the demands of the British”.

After the 1857 war, Mawlana Ja’far Thaneseri was sentenced to death by hanging. He was transferred from the jail at Ambala to Lahore.[1. Ambala is city in the state of Haryana, India and Lahore is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. The distance between the two cities is approximately 300km by road.] Mawlana wrote in his book, Kala Pani[2. Thanesari, Ja’far. Kala Pani: Tarikh e Ajeeb. -: -, 1884.]: “Our hands were manacled and our feet were shackled. Our clothes were in tatters. Iron bars were tied around our waists. In this state were we escorted on foot from Ambala to Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.

When we entered the jail, the superintendent remarked: ‘These Mullahs will not renounce their activities in this manner. This is not sufficient for them. Confine each one to a cage.’

A special iron cage was made for each one of us. Blood was flowing from our hands and feet. They pushed us into these cages made of sharp edged iron bars. Neither could we lie down nor sit in these cages. Then we were dumped into the dungeon of the prison. After sometime we were loaded on to a goods train and told that we would be hanged at the district jail in Multan.[3. A city in Punjab, Pakistan approximately 400km by road from south-west of Multan.]

We were despatched to Multan in the same coach all the way. From Lahore to Multan it took three months. Along the way we would stop for ten days to a month. It was in the midst of summer with hot winds blasting against us. When we reached Multan station, we were blind-folded and escorted to the district jail. In the evening we were informed that we would be executed in the morning. That night we rejoiced and were unable to contain our happiness.

The next morning an English officer approached us and asked: “Molwis! What is all this rejoicing about when soon you will be executed?” Hadhrat Thaneseri replied: “We are rejoicing because we are sinners. We always thought that we would die on our beds without knowing whether our sins have been forgiven or not. Now we shall die the death of a martyr. As you execute us, we shall find ourselves at al-Hawdh al-Kauthar by Rasulullah (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

The white man replied: “Molwis! The death you are so passionate about will not come to you so easily. You will be sentenced to fourteen years each to the black waters.” This is a reference to the Andaman Islands[4. A group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal where Indian prisoners where imprisoned by the British.] off the coast of India where prisoners were interred during the British rule.

The British practically eliminated all the ‘Ulama of India. By 1867, not a single madrassah remained. In 1601 when the British first arrived in India there were a thousand madrassah‘s in Delhi alone. But the British did not leave a single madrassah in the entire India. Madrassah Rahimiyyah, the madrassah of Shah Wali Allah al-Dehlawi was bulldozed to the ground by the English.”