ABSTRACT
Gandhi’s involvement with the Khilafat movement helped him secure a political authority in the Indian Congress and a strong legitimacy in the eyes of the British Raj. But Gandhi’s sympathy for the Khilafatists was more than a simple fellowship, since he was trying to invite the Muslim leaders to join his satyagraha and adopt nonviolence. This chapter explores how the Khilafat movement and Gandhi’s non-cooperation satyagraha turned into a powerful political atmosphere because it reflected an enthusiastic fraternization of Hindus and Muslims in India. It further compares his political advocacy with those of popular Muslim leaders such as Jinnah, Maulana Azad and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan to understand how Gandhi’s deliberate attachment to the Muslims and the Khilafat movement had helped him in reaching broader groups in Indian society and rising as a non-elitist leader in the Congress.
