The End of the Ottoman Caliphate and Muslims of the Subcontinent

Abstract

This study discusses the historical and religious developments that brought about the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate. It begins with a brief overview of the roots of the caliphate institution, how the Ottomans understood it, and its central role within and without the Ottoman Empire. Hence, the study analyses the connections that emerged in India, based on the issue of the caliphate and the consequences of its abolition, among some Muslim scholars and Indian revolutionaries, at the time taking the form of the All-India Muslim League. The study concentrates on the impact of the caliphate question on the establishment of the "Central Khilafat Committee" through the Khilafat Movement, and how this movement mobilized Indian society around the question of the caliphate in the Ottoman Empire as a political issue of concern to Indian Muslims. Yet the movement lost its political power and attractiveness among the masses, as it was deprived of its raison d'être and there was internal discord among its leadership. More importantly, this contributed to the deterioration of Hindu-Muslim relations.