Abdul Ghaffar Khan

Born - 1890
Died - 1988
Achievements - Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun political and spiritual leader of India. He
was widely respected for his non-violent resistance to the British's sway over the country and
was known to be a devout follower of the great Mahatma Gandhi.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun political as well as a spiritual leader of India. He was
well-known and respected for his non-
violent resistance to the British's sway over
the entire country. A lover of peace and
harmony and a devout follower of the great
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Abdul
Ghaffar Khan used to be called by people
by many names like Badshah Khan or
Bacha Khan meaning 'King of Chiefs' and
Sarhaddi Gandhi. Read on to know more
about the biography of Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

Khan maintained a very close friendship

with Gandhiji, who advocated adherence of
non-violent methods for winning back
freedom from the hands of the British. The
two of them nurtured deep love and respect
for one another and worked in alliance till
the time India gained its independence in
the year 1947. The leading Khudai
Khidmatgar organization, of which Abdul Ghaffar Khan was reverent member, worked in
close partnership with the Indian National Congress against the British Empire.

On many occasions, when other members of the Indian National Congress disagreed with
Mahatma Gandhi on any particular issue, Abdul Ghaffar Khan all throughout the life history
of their friendship, remained Gandhiji's strongest supporter. He refused when the Congress
proffered him its presidency in 1931, but, nevertheless remained a member of the Congress
Working Committee for a long time. Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a champion of women's rights
and nonviolence and for this, the public simply adored him.

His entire life, Khan's trust in the non-violent methods or in the compatibility of Islam and
nonviolence never waned. So strong was his kinship with Gandhiji that in India that he was
often referred to as the `Frontier Gandhi'. While there were some Pashtuns who wanted to
stay united with India, others favored the creation of Pakistan. Abdul Ghaffar Khan, however,
vehemently opposed the partition of India. As such, he was often seen as anti-Muslim by
some.