Sufi Movements on British Anti-Colonial Resistance in Bengal of Indian Subcontinent: A Study of Religious and Political Intersections

Abstract

This article critically examines the resistance movements initiated and led by Sufi leaders against British colonial rule in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, focusing on present-day Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam. The study highlights significant historical events such as the Fakir Rebellion (1765), the Battle of Balakot led by Sayyid Ahmed Barelvi, the Bamboo Fort Movement led by Titu Mir, the Faraizi Movement initiated by Haji Shariatullah, and the Khilafat Movement, which aimed to protect the Ottoman Caliphate and resist British imperialism. It analyses the multifaceted resistance strategies employed by Sufi leaders in response to British imperial oppression. British colonial control in Bengal commenced with the defeat of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and lasted until the subcontinent’s partition in 1947. During this period, Bengal’s Muslim population faced significant social, cultural, and religious repression under colonial rule. Sufi leaders played an essential role in mobilising the Bengali Muslim community around the concept of Ummah, organising a formidable resistance against colonial authorities. This study employs qualitative research methods, exploring the Sufi movement’s resistance to British colonialism in Bengal and focusing on its influence on the Muslim community’s political and cultural identity formation.

Keywords

• Sufism
• Indian Subcontinent
• Bengal
• British Colonial Rule
• Resistance Movements.

Hint Alt Kıtası’nın Bengal’deki İngiliz Sömürge Karşıtı Direnişte Sufi Hareketleri: Dini ve Siyasi Kesişimlerin Bir İncelemesi

Abstract

Bu makale, Hint alt kıtasının Bengal bölgesinde, günümüz Bangladeş, Hindistan’ın Batı Bengal, Tripura ve Assam eyaletlerinde, Sufilerin İngiliz sömürge yönetimine karşı yürüttükleri direniş hareketlerini eleştirel bir perspektifle incelemektedir. Çalışma, Fakir İsyanı (1765), Seyyid Ahmed Barelvi liderliğinde ki Balakot Savaşı, Titu Mir önderliğindeki Bambu Kalesi Hareketi, Hacı Şeriyatullah’ın başlattığı Fara izi Hareketi ve Osmanlı Halifeliğini korumayı ve İngiliz emperyalizmine direnmeyi amaçlayan Hilafet Hareketi gibi önemli tarihi olayları vurgulamaktadır. Çalışma, İngiliz emperyal baskısına karşılık Sufi liderler tarafından uygulanan çok yönlü direniş straejilerini analiz eder. İngiliz İmparatorluğu’nun Ben gal üzerindeki hakimiyeti, 1757’de Navabı Sirâc-üd-devle’nin Plassey Savaşı’nda yenilmesiyle başlayıp, 1947’de alt kıtanın bölünmesiyle sona ermiştir. Bu süreçte Bengal’in Müslüman nüfusu, İngiliz yöneti minin etkisiyle sosyal, kültürel ve dini baskılara maruz kalmıştır. Sufi liderler, Bengal Müslüman toplu luğunun Ümmet kavramı etrafında birleştirilmesinde önemli bir rol oynamış ve sömürgeci güçlere kar şı kritik bir direniş sergilemişlerdir. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinin kullanıldığı bu çalışma, Bengal'deki Sufi hareketinin İngiliz sömürgeciliğine karşı mücadelesini incelemekte ve Müslüman toplumun siyasi ve kültürel kimlik oluşumu üzerindeki etkisine odaklanmaktadır.

Keywords

• Tasavvuf (Sufizm)
• Hint Alt Kıtası
• Bengal
• İngiliz Sömürge Yönetimi
• Direniş Ha reketleri

References

1. Ahmad, Wakil. Bengali Muslim Thought in the Nineteenth Century. Dhaka: Bangla Academy, 1983.
2. Ahmed, Aziz. “Şah Veliyyullah Dehlevî’nin Dînî ve Siyâsî Görüşleri.” çev. Kadir Özköse, İslâmî Araştırmalar Dergisi 14/3-4 (2001), 536-541.
3. Alam, Md Morshed. Contribution of Muhaddis of Bangladesh in the study of Hadith. Dhaka: University of Dhaka Department of Islamic Studies, PhD thesis dissertation, 2014.
4. Alam, Faiz. Samrajyer Drstite Phakir Sannyasi Bidroh: Kayekti Upeksita dik, Uttar Upanibesi Man. Dhaka: Sanbed, 2006.
5. Ali, Tariq Omar. A Local History of Global Capital: Jute and Peasant Life in The Bengal Delta. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2018.
6. Ali, Muhammad Nasihudin. “Religious System in the Mughal Empire during the Period of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.” International Journal Ihya’’Ulum Al-Din 25/1 (2023), 61-68.
7. Ayhan, Necdet. “İslam Tasavvufunda Hint Tesiri İddiaları Üzerine Bir İnceleme.” Mecmua 12 (2021), 177-198.
8. Azami, Maulana Noor Mohammad. Hadiser Totto o Itihas. Delhi: Bangla Islamic Academy, 1997.

9. Barisalpedia “Nesharuddin Ahmad (r.), Shah Sufi, (Pir Sahib of Charchina)”, Access: May 18, 2024, www.barisalpedia.net.bd
10. Bd, Teachers Gov. “Biography of Pir-e-Kamil Shah Sufi Nesaruddin Ahmed (R:)—The Founder of Sarsina Darbar Sharif.” Accessed 10 October 2024.
11. Bulbul, Abul Khair. “Rebel banner of British rule and Kazi Nazrul Islam”. Daily Sangram (20 May 2024).
12. Chandpur Kantho. “Badshahi has done the work according to truth and justice” (16 May 2024), 3. www.chandpur-kantho.com
13. Chowdhury, Mohammad Abdul Baten. Barisal in Anti-British Movement: 1905-1923. Jagannath University Journal of Arts 10/1 (2020), 158.
14. Chowdury, Saeyd Rashed Hasan. “Bangladeş’te İslâm ve Tasavvuf.” Ankara: Ankara Kalem Neşriyat, 2023.
15. ———. “Unveiling Sufi Legacies in Dhaka of Bangladesh: A Chronological Discourse on Islamic Heritage.” Ulumuna 28/2 (2024), 585-619.
16. ———. “The Role of Political Parties in Bangladesh’s July Revolution of 2024: Insights from Sufi Perspectives.” International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science 8/11 (2024), 2077-2093.
17. ———. “Shah Wali Allah al-Dihlawi and the Conclusive Argument from God.” Jurnal Iman dan Spiritualitas 4/3 (2024), 267-270.
18. ———. “Harmony Amidst Diversity: Exploring Religious Pluralism in Bengal Through The Lens of Sufi Heritage and its Envoys.” Hamdard Islamicus 47/4 (2024), 33-57.
19. ———. “The Influence of Sufi-Centric Movements on the Flourishing of Islamic Plurality in the Indian Subcontinent. “Afkar: Jurnal Akidah dan Pemikiran Islam, 26/2 (2024), 375-412.
20. ———.“Sufism, Modernisation, and Social Transformation: The Impact of Twelve Awliya in South Asia’s Coastal Region of Chittagong”. Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi 12/1 (March 2025), 285-306.
21. Chowdury, Dr. Saeyd Rashed Hasan et al. “A Critical Analysis of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi’s Sufi Influences in the Indian Subcontinent”. Sufiyye 15 (December 2023), 23-62. https://doi.org/10.46231/sufiyye.1382950.
22. DailyInqilab. “The Contribution of the late Pirs of Charchina in spreading Islamic ideals is unforgettable-Pir of Charchina” (17 May 2024).
23. Dey, Amalendu. Bengali Intellectuals and Separatism. Kolkata: Bengal State Book Board, 1991.
24. Dulal, Sheikh Zebul Amin. Chetnar Balakot. Dhaka: Professor’s Book Corner, 2003.
25. Eaton, Richard Maxwell. The rise of Islam and the Bengal frontier, 1204-1760. Vol. 17. California: Univ of California Press, 1993.
26. Enayetullah, Mufti. “Satynishta Alem Shamchul Haque Faridpuri”. Daily Samakal (17 May 2024).
27. Farooqui, Mujtahid. “The influence of Persian literature and Sufism on Nazrul poetry”, iranmirrorbd24 (19 May 2024). https://www.iranmirrorbd.com/
28. Ghosh, Jamini Mohan. Sannyasi and Fakir Raiders in Bengal. Calcutta.: Bengal Secretariat Book Publication, 1930.
29. Göktaş, Vahit - Chowdury, Saeyd Rashed Hasan. “An Evaluation of Mu’in Al-Din Chishti’s Sufi Influences in the Indian Subcontinent: The Case of Chishti Tariqa”. Şırnak Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi 31 (June 2023), 47-76. https:// doi.org/10.35415/sirnakifd.1244284.
30. Hua, Shiping. Islam and democratisation in Asia. Aligarh: Cambria Press, 2009.
31. Islam, Mohammad Aminul. “Contribution of Alem Samaj in the Anti-British Freedom Struggle”. Daily Inqilab Newspaper (10 May 2024), 7.
32. Jackson, W. Kesler. A subcontinent’s Sunni schism: The Deobandi-Barelvi dynamic and the creation of modern South Asia. New York: PhD Thesis. Syracuse University, 2013
33. Jagonews24. “Life and work of Allama Nesharuddin Rahmatullahi Alaihi” (16 May 2024), https://www.jagonews24.com/religion/news/78016
34. Khayrabadi, Moulana Fazle Huq. Assawratul Hindia (Azadi Andolon). Trans. Mohiuddin Khan. Dhaka: Madina Publication, 2006.
35. Kismati, Zulfikar Ahmad. Ajadi Andolone Alem Samajer Sangrami Bhumika. Dhaka: Professor’s Book Corner, 2000.
36. Mia, Abdul Jabbar. Introduction to Madaripur District. Madaripur: Mrs Leena Jabbar, 1994.
37. Muhammad, Sharif. “Amar Balakot-Sangrami: Maulana Ghazi Imamuddin Bangali of Noakhali”. Monthly Al Kawsar 9/4 (2013), 3. http://www.alkawsar.com/article/868.
38. N24, News 24. “Haji Shariatullah, the great hero of the Faraiji movement”. Access 15 May 2024. https://www.newsg24.com/feature-news/14549//
39. Nath, Chandra Asith. The Sannyasi Rebellion. Calcutta: Ratna Prakashani, 1977.
40. Nation, The New. “Maulana Akram Khan: Pioneer of Bengali Muslim Journalism”. (19 May 2024). https://ep.thedailynewnation.com/
41. nulibrary. “Describe the impact of the Khilafat movement in Bengal” (18 May 2024). nulibrary.com
42. Noor, Ahmad. Tehqeeqat e Chishti. Lahore: Al-Faisal Urdu Bazar, 2006.
43. OI2, Our Islam 24. “Historical Role of Scholars in Independent India”. Access 11 May 2024. https://www.ourislam24.com/
44. Rahim, M, A. Banglar Musalmander İtihas. Dhaka: Ahmad Publishing House, 1994.
45. Ray, Rajat Kumar. “Colonial Penetration and the Initial Resistance: The Mughal Ruling Class, the English East India and the Struggle for Bengal 1756-1800”. The Indian Historical Review XII/1-2 (1986), 70.
46. Riaz, Ali. “Islamist politics in Bangladesh: The nature, scope, and the pathway, Fifty Years of Bangladesh”. UK: Routledge, 2023.
47. risingbd, “Ismail Hossain Siraji is the fire mantra of national awakening” (22 May 2024).
48. Roy, Mallarika Sinha. “The Forgotten History of Our Times: Revisiting Utpal Dutt’s Titu Mir in Contemporary India.” Theatre Research International 48/3 (2023), 264-283.
49. Roy, Asim. “Impact of Islamic Revival and Reform in Colonial Bengal and Bengal Muslim Identity: A Revisit.” South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies 22 (1999), 39–77. doi:10.1080/00856408708723374.
50. Sarkar, Smritikumar. “Revisiting the Early Anti-colonial Rebellions in Bengal and Odisha, 1760–1856.” Indian Historical Review 49/1_suppl (2022), S9-S31.
51. Sarker, Jahidul Islam et al. “Turkey-Bangladesh Relations from a Historical Perspective: The Contribution of Siraj and Nazrul to The Turkish War of Independence.” CenRaPS Journal of Social Sciences 4/1 (2022), 56-72.
52. Sen, Satyen. The Role of Muslims in the Anti-British Freedom Struggle. Dhaka: Shabshaili Publications, 2022.
53. Star, Daily. “Alimuzzaman, the journalist Akram Khan was always in the people’s minds” (20 May 2024), https://bangla. thedailystar.net/literature/news-487216.
54. Şahin, H. Hilal. “Hindistan’da İngiliz Tahakkümünün Siyasi ve Sosyo-Ekonomik Sonuçlarına Dair Genel Bir Değerlendirme (1658-1947)”. Journal of Anglo-Turkish Relations 5/1 (January 2024), 45-56.
55. Uddin, Sufia M. Constructing Bangladesh: Religion, Ethnicity, And Language in An Islamic Nation. North Carolina: Univ of North Carolina Press, 2006.
56. Uddin, A.S.M. Atahar. Gazi Maulana Imamuddin Bangali. Dhaka: Madina Publications, 2006. U24, Ummah 24. “Shaheed Titumir: Ingrej Khedao Andoloner Mahan Sadhintakami Bir”. Access 12 May 2024. https:// www.ummah24.com/
57. Talukdar, Rezaul K. Nazrul: The Gift of the Century. 4th Edition. Dhaka: Muktochinta, 2023.
58. Tay, Ömer. “Eşref Ali Et-Tehânevî’nin ‘Risâletü’l-katâif mine’l-latâif’ Adlı Risâlesi Bağlamında Latâife Dair Görüşleri”. Mesned İlahiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi 12/2 (Aralık 2021), 357-382. https://doi.org/10.51605/mesned.898526.
59. Yamen Safqat, Khilafat Movement in Subcontinent and Role of Islamic Parties in Post-1947 Bangladesh. safkatmonjur.com (18 May 2024).