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HM211 Pakistan Studies: Course Instructor: Mahboobul Rahman Khan

This document provides biographical information about Chaudhry Rahmat Ali, who is credited with coining the term "Pakistan" and advocating for an independent Muslim state in South Asia. It outlines his education background and some key aspects of his advocacy work: - He issued a declaration in 1933 called "Now or Never" advocating for an independent federation called "Pakstan" comprising five Muslim-majority provinces in northwestern India. This was one of the first uses of the word "Pakistan." - He argued that Muslims in the region were a distinct nation with differences in religion, culture, laws and other aspects of life from other parts of India. - His vision of an

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161 views6 pages

HM211 Pakistan Studies: Course Instructor: Mahboobul Rahman Khan

This document provides biographical information about Chaudhry Rahmat Ali, who is credited with coining the term "Pakistan" and advocating for an independent Muslim state in South Asia. It outlines his education background and some key aspects of his advocacy work: - He issued a declaration in 1933 called "Now or Never" advocating for an independent federation called "Pakstan" comprising five Muslim-majority provinces in northwestern India. This was one of the first uses of the word "Pakistan." - He argued that Muslims in the region were a distinct nation with differences in religion, culture, laws and other aspects of life from other parts of India. - His vision of an

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alisaqi
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HM211 Pakistan Studies

Course Instructor:
Mahboobul Rahman Khan

Ch. Rahmat Ali: The idea of Pakistan


(16 November 1897 3 February 1951)
Educated at Islamia College Lahore and Emmanual College
Cambridge 1931-32. Called to the bar from Inner Temple Inn 1943.
Lived in Cambridge after completing his education. Came to
Pakistan in 1948 but went back to Cambridge where he lived till his
death in 1951. He is buried in Cambridge.
Against seeking safeguardsvery much perturbed by the attitude of
Indian Muslims leadership in the Round Table Conference where
they were working for an acceptable Indian Federation (1930, 31,
32).
Iqbal and Rahmat Ali: Iqbals ideas subject to interpretation and
controversy; Rahmat Ali was free from all controversies of text, all
uncertainties of motives and all ambiguities. Assumptions are not
required to read Rahmat Alis mind. His intent is unmistakable.

On 28 January 1933 he issued a declaration Now or Never: Are We


to Live or Perish For Ever?, addressed to the world on behalf of the
thirty million Muslims of north-west India. The homeland of these
Muslims was defined in the first sentence as Pakstan, by which we
mean the five Northern units viz Punjab, North-West Frontier
Province (Afghan province), Kashmir, Sind and Baluchistan.

The Muslims were a separate and distinct nation our religion,


culture, history, tradition, economic system, laws of inheritance,
succession and marriage are basically and fundamentally different
from those of the people living in rest of India. We do not interdine; we do not inter-marry our national customs and calendars,
even our diet and dress are different.
An Indian federation was rejected, because it would be based on
the uncertain principle of safeguards, which was no substitute for
loss of nationality and independence.
He pointed out that his demand was basically different from Iqbals.
Iqbal wanted an amalgamation of the Muslim provinces in the
north-west into a single province forming a unit of the Indian
Federation: his own plan was for these provinces to have a separate
independent federation of their own.

Importance of the Declaration:


(a) clear and firm tone. None before him had pronounced this so
insistently and so rationally
(b) the first appearance of the word Pakstan
(c) Rahmat Ali was conscious of the great significance of this
declaration, this declaration and date will be memorable in
history the date marked the birth-day of Pakistan the death-day of
India, and dissolution-day of British Imperialism in India
(d) It proclaimed the Muslims of north-west India as a separate nation.
(e) It declared war against the concept of an Indian Federation
(f) It staked a claim to a sovereign and independent Muslim state in
the north.
(g) It gave this state a name.
(h) On all these points Rahmat Ali was far in advance of his time.
(i) Jinnahs presidential address at the 1940 Muslim League session in
Lahore contains several sentences, which repeat the very words
used by Rahmat Ali in his declaration.

In 1933 Rahmat Ali founded the Pakistan National Movement and


published an eight page-pamphlet, What Does the Pakistan
National Movement Stand For?, stating the fundamentals of the
political ideology of the movement. The Movement was founded
against the All India Federation.
The Movement stood for the spiritual liberation, the cultural
liberation, the social liberation, the economic liberation, the
national liberation and the international consolidation of the
nations of South Asia against the denationalizing dangers of
Indianism to the nations of South Asia.
Bengal & Assam: Bang-i-Islam
Usmanistan = Hyderabad State

Finally an alliance of the three independent Muslim States.

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