Beyond Gandhi: The Islamic-Pashtun Foundations of Bacha Khan's Non-Violent Resistance (1929-47)

Abstract of the publication

South Asia today faces a web of interlinked crises—from undemocratic governance and human rights violations to gender inequality, religious strife, environmental degradation, and the persistent threat of terrorism, despite spending over $ 8 trillion by the U.S. and $123 billion by Pakistan, peace remains distant. This article reexamines how historical nonviolent methods may be utilised to counter violence by analysing the Khudai Khidmatgar movement (1929-47), a major yet under-acknowledged nonviolent resistance campaign against British colonial rule led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in the Pashtun regions of present-day Pakistan. Through a qualitative historical approach drawing on primary sources—including speeches, pledges, colonial intelligence reports, and Khudai-Khidmatgar pamphlets— and recent decolonial scholarship, the study demonstrates that Bacha Khan articulated an indigenous Islamic and Pashtun philosophy of nonviolence independent of but parallel to Gandhian Satyagraha. The article analyses the ideological foundations, organizational structures, mobilization strategies, and state repression that shaped the movement, as well as its transformative impact on Pashtun society, including unprecedented female participation and disciplined civil resistance during episodes such as the QissaKhwani massacre. Revisiting the tradition of Bacha Khan not only challenges enduring stereotypes of Pashtuns as inherently violent but also offers a culturally rooted model of nonviolent action with relevance for contemporary Pakistan, where extremism continues to pose profound challenges. By foregrounding this Muslim-led experiment in ethnically grounded resistance, the article highlights the enduring potential of nonviolence as a strategy for justice, dignity, and sustainable peace.