Abdul Hafiz Mohammad Barkatullah was born on 7 July 1854 in Itora, Bhopal. He received his basic education in Arabic and Persian from Sulemaniya Vidyalaya, Bhopal and later completed his higher education from the same institute.
Maulana Barkatullah received his English education from Sulaimaniya School to High School. During his studies he met many highly educated, experienced clergymen and experts and learned a lot from them.
After completing his studies, Maulana Barkatullah was appointed as a teacher in Sulaimaniya School itself. While teaching here, he was greatly influenced by Sheikh Jamaluddin Afghani.
Contribution in the war for freedom
•Shaikh Jamaluddin traveled all over the world for mutual unity and brotherhood among Muslims in every country, at the same time Maulana Barkatullah’s parents died.
•He then left Bhopal and went to Bombay where he continued his further studies in English by teaching in Khandala and then in Bombay.
•Abdul Hafiz Maulana Barkatullah alias Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali was one of the valiant freedom fighters of India, Maulana Barkatullah spent most of his life abroad but gave vital support to India’s freedom struggle.
•He is also called the flamboyant face of Hindu Muslim unity. For this reason, Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali, in a meeting with Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh and Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi in 1915, announced India’s first petition government regarding migration.
•It is necessary to mention here that many people think that Azad Hind Fauj formed the first government of India. But reality contradicts this, “India’s first interim government was formed in Afghanistan under the leadership of Raja Mahendra Pratap.”
• Maulana Barkatullah and Ubaidullah Sindhi, whose president was Mahendra Pratap Singh and Prime Minister Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali.
In 1915, Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali, with the help of Turkey and Germany, reached Kabul to take part in the ongoing Ghadar wave against the British from America to Afghanistan, where he participated in the movement and made further strategies for the campaign to liberate India.
He was worried about India even at the last moment
On that last night of September 20, 1927, Maulana Barkatullah left the world. On the last night of his life he said to his fellows with full senses: “All my life I have honestly striven for the freedom of my country. And today as I leave this life where I regret that in my life my attempt to free the country from British rule could not succeed. But I also aware of the fact that millions of brave men have come out behind me to liberate my country, who are honest, brave and even braver. With a folded hand I go and place the fate of my beloved country in their hands.”
Written by: Vaishali Verma
