An important event in the history of peasant movements in 19th-century India, including Bengal, is the Wahabi Movement. The word ‘Wahabi’ means ‘renaissance’. This movement was started in India to purify Islam by Saiyid Ahmad (1786-1831), a resident of Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. He was influenced by the religious ideals of the renowned saint Shah Waliullah (1702-62) of Delhi and his son Abdul Aziz, who had called for the revival of the true spirit of Islam.
He came into contact with a person named Abdul Wahab in Mecca. The movement he started for the reform of Islam and the adoption of the ideals of the Holy Quran became known as the Wahabi Movement after his name. Subsequently, Saiyid Ahmad returned to the country and called for a Wahabi Movement throughout India.
What is Wahabi Movement
The Wahabi movement in India began in the early 19th century. The movement was started by Saiyid Ahmad a resident of Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh with the aim of freeing the Islamic religion and society from all corruption and establishing the religion and society according to the true teachings of the Quran. Although this movement began as a religious reform movement, it soon became a political movement, as he began the struggle to free India from British rule by expelling the British from India.
Objectives of the Wahabi Movement
The Wahabi Movement had primarily two objectives. First, to reform Islam according to the ideals of the Holy Quran. Second, India must be protected from British rule and exploitation by expelling the infidel British. As a result, although this movement started as a religious reform movement, it eventually transformed into a political movement.
Saiyid Ahmad and the Early Days of the Wahabi Movement
- The true founder and pioneer of the Wahabi Movement in India was Saiyid Ahmad (1786-1831), a resident of Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. He came into contact with Shah Waliullah and his son Abdul Aziz in Delhi, and from 1820-21, he began to preach about the purification of Islam. He expressed his religious views about the Wahabi Movement in a book called “Siraj-Ul-Mustaqim.”
- Afterward, he went on a pilgrimage to Mecca and there became familiar with the Wahabi ideology. In 1822, he came to India and started a purification movement based on Wahabi ideals. Many Muslims were attracted to his religious views and became his disciples. With the growing number of followers, he formed an organization and appointed four caliphs. Their job was to travel to different parts of the country to gather followers, money, and supplies. As he began to travel to different regions, his followers increased significantly. At this time, his religious reform movement gradually took on a political form. Like Haji Shariatullah, the leader of the Faraizi Movement, he referred to British-occupied India as ‘Dar-Ul-Harb’ or enemy territory and called upon his followers to overthrow British rule through ‘holy war’.
- He identified British merchants as the main enemies of Indian independence and ordered their expulsion. For this purpose, he sought help from various Indian and foreign royals. He made a similar appeal in a letter to the Maratha leader Hindu Rai. Through various propaganda and pamphlets, he called upon Indian Muslims to engage in a united struggle. In preparation for the upcoming holy war, he formed a military force and arranged for them to be trained in modern European methods. According to the Hijrat ideal, he and his followers left British-ruled India and took refuge in the North-West Frontier Province and Afghanistan. Establishing his main center in Sitana in the North-West Frontier, he consolidated his power with the help of Pathan tribes. Although it is primarily an anti-British movement, the Wahabis became involved in conflicts with the Sikhs in Punjab. When the rulers and landlords of Punjab oppressed Muslim subjects, Saiyid Ahmad started a campaign against the Sikhs and captured Peshawar for a brief period (1830). The very next year, he was defeated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the Battle of Balakot against the Sikhs and lost his life (1831).
- After Saiyid Ahmad’s death, the Wahabi Movement took on a significant form in the North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Bengal, Bihar, Meerut, Hyderabad, and other regions. After the British conquered Punjab in 1849, their long-running struggle with the Wahhabis began. Wahabi religious warriors from various parts of India gathered in Multan with substantial funds and weapons. Between 1850 and 1857, the British government started sixteen attacks to capture the Sitana base and deployed 35,000 troops in the North-West Frontier region, but it was not possible to suppress the rebels. In 1863, the government brutally killed the leaders of the Wahabi Movement – however, the British had to continue their efforts until 1885 to completely suppress this rebellion.
You can also read about Aligarh Movement 1875: Causes, Objectives, Impact and More.
Causes of Failure of the Wahabi Movement
There are various reasons behind the failure of the Wahabi Movement.
- First, this movement was traditionalist, outdated, and anti-modern. It failed by rejecting the ideas, concepts, and ideals of the new age and clinging to old, obsolete ideals.
- Second, the Wahabis had chosen the North-West Frontier area as the main center of this movement. Therefore, the success of the movement was largely dependent on the help and cooperation of local tribes. Needless to say, the non-cooperation and aggressive attitude of local tribes was the main reason for the failure of this rebellion.
- Third, The Wahabi Movement’s centers in the North West Frontier Province relied on bases inside India for food, money, weapons and other supplies, which was a big mistake. The British could easily destroy the centers in India if they wished.
- Fourth, they did not have the power, money, and military strength to wage war against a formidable opponent like the British. Yet, no movement can succeed by ideals, inspiration, and enthusiasm alone. However, it is true that the Wahabi Movement gained support from poor Hindus and Muslims; landlords of both Hindu and Muslim communities were their enemies, and this movement struck a powerful blow to the foundations of the British government.
Importance of the Wahabi Movement
The importance of the Wahabi Movement in India’s political history is immense.
- First, poor Hindu and Muslim peasants engaged in anti-British struggles through this movement.
- Second, a mixed culture developed in India by synthesising Hindu and Muslim cultures.
- Third, when the leaders of this movement called for a return to the Holy Quran for the purification of Islam, cracks began in Hindu-Muslim unity, and separatism began to spread in India. As a result of the spread of religion-based politics, the leadership of Muslim society passed into the hands of mullahs and maulvis. This did not have good consequences for India.
You can also read about Satyashodhak Samaj of 1873: Foundation, Vision, and Legacy.
Conclusion
The most important characteristic of this movement was that it was not limited to Muslims alone; people from both Hindu and Muslim communities participated. Hindu merchants and moneylenders provided money and information for it. And in this regard, Saiyid Ahmad’s contribution was significant.
