Bacha Khan and the Khudai Khidmatgar movement

Early life and social reform

Abdul Ghaffar Khan, widely known as Bacha Khan (باچا خان) or Badshah Khan, was born on 6 February 1890 at Utmanzai in the Peshawar Valley, in what is now Charsadda district. After his early education he chose social work over government service and helped to open schools in the Peshawar Valley alongside the reformer Fazli Wahid, known as the Haji of Turangzai. [1] [2]

On 1 April 1921 he and his associates founded the Anjuman-e-Islah-ul-Afaghina (Society for the Reformation of the Afghans). Its aims were to end harmful customs, promote unity among Pashtuns, discourage lavish spending on ceremonies and encourage Pashto language and literature. Its Azad Islamia Madrassa opened its first branch at Utmanzai and soon spread across the valley. [1]

Founding the Khudai Khidmatgar

On 1 September 1929 the Anjuman's members announced a youth league, the Zalmo Jirga. To include older and illiterate supporters, a wider organisation called the Khudai Khidmatgar (خدايي خدمتګار, "Servants of God") was formed in November 1929. It soon overtook the earlier body and built a strong network in rural areas, which other political groups had largely ignored. In English it is also often called the Red Shirt movement. [1] [2]

Historian Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah notes that different groups saw the movement in different ways: as a revival of Pashtun culture, as a call for political reform, as an anti-colonial cause, or as a defence of peasants against powerful landlords. Membership was open to all, regardless of caste, creed or religion. [1]

Ideals of nonviolence

The movement's defining feature was its strict commitment to nonviolence. Volunteers were taught not to carry weapons and not to retaliate even when humiliated. Bacha Khan drew on Islamic examples, including the forbearance of the Prophet and his companions in Mecca, and urged Pashtuns to end blood feuds and factionalism. [1]

This was a striking stance in a region with a strong tradition of armed resistance. Bacha Khan disapproved of the armed struggle led by the Haji of Turangzai, believing it would bring more suffering on local people. Because of his commitment to nonviolence and his close friendship with Mohandas Gandhi, he became known as the "Frontier Gandhi". [1] [2]

The Qissa Khwani Bazaar killings, 1930

In April 1930, as the civil disobedience campaign reached the North-West Frontier Province, the authorities arrested a number of local leaders in Peshawar. On 23 April crowds gathered in protest, and an armoured car was driven into the crowd in the Qissa Khwani Bazaar. After the vehicle was set alight, troops opened fire, and the shooting continued into the afternoon. The day is remembered locally as San Tees Shaheedan, the Martyrs of 1930. [3]

The death toll remains disputed. According to a 2026 report in The News, British authorities put the number of dead and injured at 179, while independent estimates suggested that around 400 people were killed. Other accounts give different figures, and several official inquiries were held. [4]

Alliance with Congress

The Khudai Khidmatgar began as a social reform movement but became political. During the Congress civil disobedience campaign of 1930 to 1934 it supported Congress, and it later merged with the party. Wiqar Ali Shah explains that many Pashtuns in the province sided with Congress, rather than the All-India Muslim League, because they saw British rule as their main opponent. [1]

The movement faced severe repression in these years, including beatings, floggings and firing on unarmed volunteers. Its members nonetheless kept to nonviolence despite provocation. [1]

Partition and imprisonment

Pakistan came into being on 14 August 1947. On 3 and 4 September 1947, the Khudai Khidmatgar and its affiliated bodies met in Peshawar and pledged loyalty to the new state. Relations with the provincial government under Chief Minister Abdul Qaiyum were nevertheless hostile. [1] [2]

In June 1948 Bacha Khan was arrested and sentenced to three years' rigorous imprisonment, and the Khudai Khidmatgar was banned. He was released in 1954, arrested again in June 1956 and freed in July 1957, after which he joined others in forming the National Awami Party. RFE/RL notes that his calls for Pashtun autonomy repeatedly brought him into conflict with the authorities. [1] [2]

Death and legacy

Bacha Khan spent much of his later life in Kabul. He died on 20 January 1988 in Peshawar and, according to his wishes, was buried at his home in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Large crowds travelled through the Khyber Pass for the funeral, which was marred by two bomb blasts that killed 15 people. [1] [2]

His political heirs continue in the Awami National Party. Beyond party politics, he is remembered as the leader who committed a large Pashtun movement to nonviolence, and a university in north-west Pakistan bears his name. [1] [2]