Maulana Zafar Ali Khan
MCOM 309: Media History
Early Life
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Maulana Zafar Ali Khan (1956 – 1873), was a wri
ter, poet, and journalist who took an important p
art in the Pakistan Movement.
He was born at Kot Mehrath, Sialkot during the ti
me
the
area
became
part
of British India.
He also played a role in the freedom movemen
t against the British government in India.
He received his early education in Mission
High School, Wazirabad, Gujranwala District.
Early Life
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He went to Aligarh Muslim University.
After completing his intermediate at Aligarh, he j
oined the postal department of the state of Jam
mu and Kashmir but resigned over a row with his
seniors.
He rejoined the Aligarh College, graduated, and
served as private secretary to the vice-chancello
r of the college, Nawab Mohsinul Mulk,
Who sent him to Darul Tarjuman at Hyderabad D
eccan.
Early Life
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Although he did sizable translation work there, h
e left for Bombay after developing differences wi
th the Home Secretary of Deccan Nawab Sarbula
nd.
Maulana Zafar Ali came back to Deccan after goi
ng through a series of unsuccessful business ve
ntures in Bombay.
He launched the magazine, The Deccan Review,
which soon earned him fame.
At that time his father was editor of weekly Zamin
dar that was being published from Lahore.
Early Life
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The weekly played a prominent role in Pagri Sam
bhal Jutta Movement aimed at asserting the right
s of farmers in colonized areas.
Following his father’s death, Maulana Zafar Ali K
han moved to Lahore and took over Zamindar wh
ich became mouthpiece for Muslim anti-colonial
politics.
He joined the All-India Congress Committee and
emerged as a fiery and powerful commentator.
As Political Activist
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With the irrefutably powerful art of rhetoric he als
o served as an exemplary spokesman for the Mu
slim community.
He was one of the supporters of the resolution,
which led to the creation of All India Muslim Leag
ue at Dhaka in 1906.
He was the champion of the Muslim unity and br
otherhood all over the world.
This curiosity compelled him to collect funds for
the Turks during Tripoli and Balkans Wars and vis
ited Turkey as well.
As Political Activist
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He played an active role during the Khilafat Move
ment and was elected first as secretary and later
as President of Punjab Khilafat Committee.
In 1935 he started Majlis-e-Ittihad-e-Millat
In the same year he was elected as a member of
the Central Legislature from Lahore.
Zafar Ali Khan struggled hard to establish All Indi
a Muslim League, which faced resistance from th
e landlords particularly from the Unionist Party in
Punjab.
As Political Activist
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Maulana Zafar Ali Khan will be remembered with
great respect and honour in the political history o
f Pakistan due to his contribution in the all walks
of life.
As Writer/Journalist
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The one who fought for the freedom movement
with his pen and used it as a unifier for required
nationalism in the Muslim community will be rem
embered as the father of Urdu Journalism.
Maulana continued the legacy of his father, after
taking charge as the editor of ‘Zamindar’ by con
verting it into a revolutionary press
Initially the paper was published keeping in view
the farmers.
As Writer/Journalist
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In his hands Zamindar became the most influent
ial Urdu daily of Northern India that played a vital
role in the Indian politics.
Bearing an anti-imperialist point of view, its pop
ularity can be traced back from the fact that it ha
s thirty thousand issues, which until 1947 no oth
er newspaper can claim.
The newspaper was the first voice of the Muslim
s in the Khilafat Movement and a powerful instru
ment for infusing a vigorous political life in the P
unjab.
As Writer/Journalist
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There was no important incident (involving the M
uslisms) that was left unattended by the veteran j
ournalist.
All the historical events that brought Muslims as
a minority against the ruling British or the majorit
y Indians, before the creation of Pakistan, receiv
ed Zamindar’s glare.
Maulana Zafar Ali Khan was part of the formidabl
e chain of ‘militant Muslim journalists’.
Khanpur mosque agitation in 1935 combined wit
h Maulana’s effective persuasion made ‘mosque’
the symbol of ‘community identity’.
As Writer/Journalist
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The reason, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan is regarded,
as the father of Urdu journalism is that he establi
shed the traditions of sacrifice, perseverance, bo
ldness and devotion towards social responsibility
in journalism.
Zamindar knocked at the door of a common man
and played a pivotal role to build an enthusiastic
lot of newspaper readers among the Muslims.
This intrepid journalistic standard helped the Paki
stan movement to gain momentum, which thwart
ed any insurmountable barrier.
As Writer/Journalist
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Maulana Zafar Ali selected the best calligraphers,
writers and translators of the subcontinent for his
newspaper, Zamindar.
He hired the services of news agencies and app
ointed his representatives in the leading cities of
the Muslim world.
Before the Maulana entered in the field of journal
ism, the owner/editor was called a munshi. Most
of them were not so educated and ignorant of th
e political and social environment.
As Writer/Journalist
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He was the first graduate from the Aligarh Musli
m University to practically join journalism.
He had good command of the language, in addit
ion to his comprehensive study of latest mode of
economics, sociology and politics. He was a ma
ster of Islamic history.
As Writer/Journalist
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The father of Urdu journalism has left an immuta
ble model that was based on the dialect of natio
nalism and communitarianism that moulded Musli
m mindset.
His columns, published in Zamindar, played a re
markable role in the awakening of the Muslims a
nd in forming their political outlook.
He possessed exceptional courage and amazing
spirit.
He never cared different warnings of the govern
ment and ignored them contemptuously.
As Writer/Journalist
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He faced imprisonment but never bowed before t
he government.
The government’s abhorrence against Zimidar w
as actually a conflict between truth and deceit.
It was a war between Maulana Zafar Ali Khan wh
ose pen was the custodian of the millions of Mus
lims and the foreign government which was supp
ressing the rights of the Indians with its might. B
ut Maulana was undeterred.
As Writer/Journalist
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Several times, the security deposit of Zamindar
was confiscated, and in no time the Indian Musli
ms, who could even sacrifice their lives for him,
collected a huge amount to deposit the security,
so that its publication may not be terminated.
Maulana had to spend 14 valuable years of his lif
e in jail; however, he never refrained from speaki
ng the truth and nothing could hinder his struggl
e for freedom.
In, 1934 when the Punjab government banned Zi
midar, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, sued and got the
government orders revoked by the court.
As Writer/Journalist
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Once newspapers in Lahore were put under ce
nsorship.
One day, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan 's editorial in th
e Zamindar was censored in its entirety.
The next morning, the paper carried just the follo
wing couplet in the columns reserved for editoria
ls:
Iss meray leader pe heh Fazl-i-Ilahi kis qadar
Shosha shosha nuqta nuqta nazr-i-censor ho ga
ya
As Writer/Journalist
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The interesting things is that the censor officer's
name was Fazal-e-Ilahi who ordered the same d
ay that calligraphed newspaper matter need no l
onger be submitted for scrutiny.
As Writer/Journalist
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There is an article by Maulana Zafar Ali Khan in t
he very first issue of The Islamic Review dated F
ebruary 1913,
the monthly magazine started by Khwaja Kamalud-Din from Woking, England.
The article is addressed to the British public and
is on the topic of the sympathies of the Muslims
of British India for the problems of their fellow M
uslims in Islamic countries.
As Writer/Journalist
As Activist
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Maulana would never miss a chance to snub the
British government and the Heavens had provide
d him ample opportunities to carry out his sacred
mission.
Shaheed Ghazi Ilam Din had killed a blasphemou
s and was sent to gallows in the Mianwali jail.
The government buried him in Mianwali which inf
uriated the Muslims in Punjab.
They protested and made a unanimous demand t
o bring Shaeed’s body to Lahore but no one was
prepared to give coverage to them
As Activist
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A large procession led by Lal Din Qaiser reached
the office of Zimidar which was the only hope for
the Muslims.
The crowd shouted slogans of ‘long live Maulana
Zafar Ali Khan’.
Maulana came out of his office and delivered a fi
ery speech that mesmerized the protesters.
Amid thunderous applause of the people he emp
athetically assured them that he wouldn’t sleep u
ntil Ilam Din’s dead body reached Lahore.
As Activist
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Maulana gave a one day deadline to the govern
ment to transfer the dead body to Lahore
otherwise he would himself lead the protesters to
Mianwali.
Sensing the gravity of the situation the governme
nt transferred the body to Lahore next day and h
anded it over to the Muslims who buried it in the
Miani Sahib graveyard.
As Poet
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Apart from his magnificent potential of journalism
, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan had incredible gift of rh
yme.
His poetry was a beautiful blend of religious ferv
or and political sentiments.
He had the ability to say spontaneous verses.
He was a passionate devotee of the Prophet and
his Naatia poetry would enthrall the audience.
His poetical harvest was published in “Baharista
n”, “Nigaristan”, and “Chamanistan”.
As Poet
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A British magistrate Sandrus ordered death sente
nce to Baghat Singh Raj Guru who was also agai
nst the foreign government.
His struggle was different as he would kill the Br
itish officers for their crime to tyrannize innocent
people.
He was arrested and was sent to gallows.
From the Central jail in Lahore, his dead body wa
s taken to Ganda Singwala where his body was c
ut into pieces and was burnt at the bank of river
Sutlaj.
As Poet
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His sister Amr Kaur reached the site and collecte
d his putrefied fingers and hands from there/his
pyre.
She brought them to Lahore and led a protest pr
ocession.
Maulana also participated in the procession and
read some verses