Abadi Bano Begum

Abadi Bano Begum
Born 1850 (1850)[1]
Uttar Pradesh, India
Died November 13, 1924(1924-11-13) (aged 73–74)[1]
Nationality Indian
Known for Indian independence movement activist[1]
Spouse(s) Abdul Ali Khan[1]
Children 6
including Maulana Mohammad Ali Jouhar
Maulana Shaukat Ali[1]

Abadi Bano Begum (1850–1924) was a prominent voice in the Indian independence movement. She was also known as Bi Amman.[2][3] Begum was one of the first Muslim women to actively take part in politics and was part of the movement to free India from the British Raj.[4]

Biography

Born in 1850 in Uttar Pradesh, she married Abdul Ali Khan, a senior official in the Rampur State.[5] The couple had one daughter and five sons.[6] After her husband's death at a young age,[5] the responsibility to look after her children fell on her. Even though she had limited resources, Bano Begum pawned her personal jewelry to educate her children.[5][1] Bano Begum did not have any formal education but still sent her children to an English-medium school in the town of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.[5] Her sons, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jouhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali went on to become leading figures of the Khilafat Movement and the Indian independence movement. They played an important role during the non-cooperation movement against the British Raj.

Bano Begum took an active part in politics and was part of the Khilafat committee. In 1917, she joined the agitation to release Annie Besant and her two sons from prison.[4] Mahatma Gandhi encouraged her to speak, as she could get the support of women in the freedom movement.[4] In 1917, during the sessions of the All India Muslim League, she gave a most touching and forceful speech which left a lasting impression on the Muslim Ummah (Muslim Nation).[1]

She traveled extensively throughout India to galvanize support for the Khilafat movement. Bano Begum played an important part in fundraising for the Khilafat movement and the Indian independence movement. She, along with Begum Hasrat Mohani, the wife of Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Basanti Devi, Sarala Devi Chaudhurani, and Sarojini Naidu, often addressed women-only gatherings and exhorted women to donate to the Tilak Swaraj Fund which was set up by Bal Gangadhar Tilak for the Indian freedom movement.[4] She was active in the freedom movement until her death in 1924.[4]

Postage stamp

On 14 August 1990, Pakistan Post Office issued a commemorative postage stamp in her honor in its 'Pioneers of Freedom' series.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Profile of Abadi Bano Begum (Bi Amma) on findpk.com website Published 2001, Retrieved 12 December 2017
  2. ↑ Jain, Simmi (2003). Encyclopaedia of Indian Women Through the Ages: Period of freedom struggle. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 9788178351742.
  3. ↑ Gandhi, Rajmohan (2003-04-15). Understanding the Muslim Mind. Penguin Books India. ISBN 9780140299052.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Taneja, Anup (2005). Gandhi, Women, and the National Movement, 1920–47. Har-Anand Publications. pp. 84–88. ISBN 9788124110768.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Gandhi, Rajmohan (1986). Eight Lives: A Study of the Hindu-Muslim Encounter. SUNY Press. p. 82. ISBN 9780887061967.
  6. ↑ Fazal, Tanweer (2013-10-18). Minority Nationalisms in South Asia. Routledge. ISBN 9781317966463.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.