PAK301 – Lecture 9
Muslim Politics and Chaudhry Rahmat Ali
Introduction:
In every freedom movement, intellectuals guide the way, leaders put the ideas into
action, and the masses support the cause with strength and unity. One such important
intellectual in the Pakistan Movement was Chaudhry Rahmat Ali. He was one of the
earliest people to clearly demand a separate homeland for Muslims in the Indian
subcontinent. He is also famous for coining the name “Pakistan.”
Who Was Chaudhry Rahmat Ali? (Biographical Sketch)
Born: In 1893, in Hoshiarpur district (now in India).
Education:
o Studied at Islamia College Lahore (graduated with B.A.).
o Worked in some private and government jobs.
o Went to Cambridge University (England) for higher education.
At Cambridge, he became very active in supporting the rights of Muslims in
India.
Even during his student life in Lahore, he had started talking about a separate
state for Muslims.
Rahmat Ali’s Views and Ideas
He strongly believed that Muslims were a separate nation from Hindus.
He felt that the Muslim-majority areas in the North-West should not only keep
their identity but should be converted into a Muslim state.
He said Muslims should stop thinking of themselves as part of India (Indianism),
and instead focus on their Islamic identity.
NOW OR NEVER – The Famous Pamphlet (1933)
In January 1933, he wrote a pamphlet called “Now or Never.”
In this document, he proposed the name “PAKISTAN” for the future Muslim
state.
PAKISTAN was made from the initials of the Muslim areas:
o P – Punjab
o A – Afghania (NWFP / now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
o K – Kashmir
o S – Sindh
o TAN – Balochistan
His Main Beliefs:
India is not one nation. It never existed as one single country before the British
came.
Muslims are a separate nation. They have their own religion, culture,
civilization, and traditions.
Muslims have every right to live freely, just like Hindus.
The conflict between Hindus and Muslims is not just religious or economic, but
a larger international issue.
o Hindus want to dominate.
o Muslims want to protect their identity and survive.
He suggested that Muslims should be given their own separate homeland, where
they can live with freedom, dignity, and according to Islam.
Other Contributions and Later Ideas:
In 1940, Rahmat Ali founded the Pakistan National Movement.
Later, he also talked about other separate Muslim states:
o Bang-i-Islam – for Muslims in Bengal and Assam.
o Osmanistan – for Muslims in Hyderabad Deccan.
After the creation of Pakistan, he visited the country in 1948, but he did not find
the environment suitable and went back to Cambridge, England.
He died on 11 February 1951 in Cambridge.
His Contribution to the Pakistan Movement:
Rahmat Ali’s biggest contribution was that he gave the idea of a separate
Muslim homeland long before others.
He coined the name “PAKISTAN,” which became a symbol of Muslim
freedom.
He saw Islamic teachings as more powerful and everlasting than any political
ideology of that time.
When the Lahore Resolution was passed in 1940, the people started calling it the
“Pakistan Resolution.”
Even though his ideas were not taken seriously at first, history proved that he was
right about the need for a separate state for Muslims.
