Allamah Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi

ALLAMAH INAYATULLAH KHAN MASHRIQI

Date of Birth: 25^th August, 1888 and Date of Death: 27^th August, 1963

            Allamah Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi, who got fame for his intellect at a very young age, was born on 25^th August, 1888 in Amritsar of Punjab.  His father was Khan Ata Mohammad Khan.  Inayatullah was very much fond of Mathematics since his childhood.  He created history by obtaining a post graduate degree from the Punjab University at the age of 19 years.  Later, he went to foreign countries for higher education, where he created new records in the universities with his academic abilities.  He returned back to India in 1912.  Though he was offered lucrative political posts by the British government and the heads of the several princely states, he refused them and joined as a Head Master in a high school at Peshawar.  He wrote a book narrating the scientific elements in Quran named ‘Tazkirah’ in 1924, which was proposed for the Nobel Prize.  Several national, international institutions and universities honoured him with honorary titles and awards in recognition of his intellect.  He resigned from the government job in 1930 to initiate Khaksar Movement.  The Khaksar Movement was able to attract the youth within a short span of time, which had basically introduced reforms in Isla and declared fight against the Imperialist rulers.  He met Mahatma Gandhi in 1938 and explained to him the nature of his movement.  Leaders like Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan encouraged Inayatullah, recognizing his honesty and his commitment for freedom of the Nation.  Discipline, separate uniform code and clear goals of the Khaksar Movement under the leadership of Inayatullah, was able to attract number of committed activists.  They were ready to sacrifice anything if ordered by Inayatullah.  The activists of the Khaksar Movement terrified the British police in 1940 and sent shivers down their spine.  During that period, the British police arrested Inayatullah.  But he was released after his fasting for 80 days.  He opposed the division of the nation.  Even after independence, he conducted several service activities.  When Inayatullah was getting ready for the liberation of Kashmir in 1957along with 30,000 activists, the Pakistan government persuaded him to withdraw the agitation in view of international consequences.  Later, the Khaksar Movement was banned several times as it was facing certain allegations.  Allamah Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi, who led Khaksar Movement, which had its own place in the history of the Indian subcontinent, passed away on 27^th August, 1963 at Lahore.