When was khilafat movement started

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Last updated: April 17, 2026

Quick Answer: The Khilafat Movement was started in 1919, shortly after the end of World War I, as a pan-Islamic campaign by Indian Muslims to protect the Ottoman Caliphate. It formally began in September 1919 with the establishment of the All-India Khilafat Committee.

Key Facts

The Khilafat Movement was launched in 1919 in response to the Treaty of Sèvres.
The All-India Khilafat Committee was formed in September 1919 in Bombay.
Key leaders included Mohammad Ali Jouhar, Shaukat Ali, and Maulana Azad.
The movement aligned with the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.
It lost momentum after the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Overview

The Khilafat Movement was a significant political campaign launched by Muslims in British India to protect the Ottoman Caliphate after World War I. It emerged in the aftermath of the war, when the Treaty of Sèvres (1920) threatened to dismantle the Ottoman Empire and remove the Caliph, a spiritual leader revered by Muslims worldwide.

Initiated in 1919, the movement sought to pressure the British government to preserve the authority of the Ottoman Sultan as the Caliph of Islam. It quickly became a mass movement, uniting Indian Muslims across regions and classes in a rare display of political solidarity.

1919 marks the official start of the Khilafat Movement, with the formation of the All-India Khilafat Committee in Bombay to coordinate protests and petitions.
The movement gained momentum after the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, fueling broader anti-colonial sentiment.
Leaders like Mohammad Ali Jouhar and Shaukat Ali toured India, delivering speeches to mobilize Muslim support for the cause of the Caliphate.
The movement saw unprecedented Hindu-Muslim unity, with Mahatma Gandhi endorsing it and integrating it into the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920.
Despite its initial success, the movement declined after 1924, when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk abolished the Caliphate, removing its central objective.

How It Works

The Khilafat Movement operated through organized political agitation, religious appeals, and mass mobilization. It combined religious sentiment with nationalist politics to challenge British authority and protect Islamic institutions.

Leadership Structure: The All-India Khilafat Committee, led by the Ali brothers and supported by figures like Maulana Azad, coordinated actions across provinces with regional branches.
Religious Mobilization: Religious leaders used mosques and sermons to frame the defense of the Caliph as a religious duty for all Muslims.
Protests and Boycotts: The movement organized hartals (strikes), boycotts of British goods, and non-cooperation with colonial institutions starting in 1920.
Press and Publications: Newspapers like Hamdard and Al-Balagh were instrumental in spreading Khilafat ideology and reporting on international developments.
Alliance with Congress: Gandhi’s endorsement linked the Khilafat cause with the Indian National Congress, broadening its reach and integrating it into the wider independence struggle.
International Diplomacy: Delegates were sent to London and other European capitals to lobby against the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire and appeal to global Muslim opinion.

Comparison at a Glance

The Khilafat Movement can be better understood when compared to other contemporary political movements in India and the broader Muslim world.

Movement	Start Year	Primary Goal	Key Leaders	Outcome
Khilafat Movement	1919	Preserve Ottoman Caliphate	Mohammad Ali Jouhar, Shaukat Ali	Failed after Caliphate abolished in 1924
Non-Cooperation Movement	1920	Indian self-rule	Mahatma Gandhi	Withdrawn after Chauri Chaura incident
Home Rule Movement	1916	Self-government within British Empire	Annie Besant, Bal Gangadhar Tilak	Raised political awareness, limited success
Partition of Bengal Protest	1905	Reverse partition of Bengal	Various nationalist leaders	Partition annulled in 1911
Quit India Movement	1942	Immediate British withdrawal	Mahatma Gandhi	Suppressed, but intensified independence demand

This comparison highlights how the Khilafat Movement was unique in its religious motivation but shared tactics like mass mobilization and civil disobedience with other nationalist efforts. Its alliance with the Congress marked a high point in Hindu-Muslim unity, though it ultimately failed to achieve its core objective.

Why It Matters

The Khilafat Movement remains a pivotal chapter in India’s freedom struggle and the history of Muslim political activism. Though short-lived, it demonstrated the power of religious sentiment in mobilizing mass movements and influenced future political strategies.

The movement fostered unprecedented Hindu-Muslim unity, with Gandhi seeing it as a way to strengthen national solidarity against colonial rule.
It marked the first large-scale use of non-cooperation and civil disobedience in India, setting a precedent for future campaigns.
The alliance between the Khilafat leaders and Congress helped legitimize Muslim political demands within the broader nationalist framework.
Its collapse in 1924 contributed to growing communal divisions, as Muslims felt politically isolated after the Caliphate’s abolition.
The movement inspired later pan-Islamic activism and showed how global Islamic identity could influence local politics.
It also highlighted the risks of linking religious causes with nationalist movements, especially when external events—like Atatürk’s reforms—could abruptly change the landscape.

Ultimately, the Khilafat Movement played a crucial role in shaping the political consciousness of Indian Muslims and remains a key reference point in discussions about religion, nationalism, and colonial resistance.