# Abdul Ghaffar Khan

> Pashtun independence activist against British rule in India

**Wikidata**: [Q312966](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312966)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Ghaffar_Khan)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/abdul-ghaffar-khan

## Summary
Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a prominent Pashtun independence activist known for his non-violent resistance against British rule in India. He was a freedom fighter and politician who founded the Khudai Khidmatgar movement.

## Biography
- Born: February 6, 1890
- Died: January 20, 1988
- Nationality: British Raj, Pakistan, Afghanistan
- Education: Aligarh Muslim University
- Known for: Leading a Pashtun non-violent movement against the British Empire
- Field(s): Politics, Freedom fighting

## Contributions
Abdul Ghaffar Khan founded and led the Khudai Khidmatgar, a Pashtun non-violent movement established in 1929. This movement was instrumental in organizing resistance against the British Empire through peaceful means.

## FAQs
**What was Abdul Ghaffar Khan's primary role?**
Abdul Ghaffar Khan was primarily a Pashtun independence activist and freedom fighter who campaigned against British rule in India. He was also recognized as a politician.

**What non-violent movement did Abdul Ghaffar Khan lead?**
Abdul Ghaffar Khan led the Khudai Khidmatgar, a Pashtun non-violent movement that was founded in 1929 to resist the British Empire.

**What awards did Abdul Ghaffar Khan receive?**
Abdul Ghaffar Khan received the Bharat Ratna, which is India's highest civilian award, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding.

**What were some of Abdul Ghaffar Khan's notable aliases?**
Abdul Ghaffar Khan was known by several aliases, including Fakhr-e-Afghān, Bādshāh Khān, and Frontier Gandhi.

**Where did Abdul Ghaffar Khan receive his education?**
Abdul Ghaffar Khan was educated at Aligarh Muslim University.

## Why They Matter
Abdul Ghaffar Khan's significance lies in his pioneering role as a Pashtun independence activist who championed non-violent resistance against the British Empire. His leadership of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement demonstrated the power of peaceful protest in the struggle for self-determination, influencing countless individuals and movements. His commitment to non-violence earned him the alias "Frontier Gandhi," highlighting his profound impact on the philosophy and practice of resistance in the Indian subcontinent and beyond. His legacy is further recognized through institutions like Bacha Khan University, which bears his name.

## Notable For
*   Leading the Khudai Khidmatgar, a Pashtun non-violent movement against the British Empire, founded in 1929.
*   Being an independence activist against British rule in India.
*   Receiving the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
*   Being awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding.
*   Being known by the aliases Fakhr-e-Afghān, Bādshāh Khān, and Frontier Gandhi.

## Body

### Early Life and Identity
Abdul Ghaffar Khan was born on February 6, 1890. He was a Pashtun, an ethnic group primarily residing in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His early life and identity were shaped by the geopolitical landscape of the British Raj, under which he held citizenship. He later became a citizen of Pakistan and was also associated with Afghanistan. He pursued his education at Aligarh Muslim University.

### Activism and Leadership
Abdul Ghaffar Khan dedicated his life to activism as a freedom fighter and politician. His primary focus was leading the independence movement against British rule in India. A pivotal aspect of his activism was the establishment of the Khudai Khidmatgar, a Pashtun non-violent movement. This movement, which began in 1929, actively resisted the British Empire through peaceful means, advocating for the rights and independence of the Pashtun people and the broader Indian subcontinent. His commitment to non-violence and his leadership earned him several aliases, including Fakhr-e-Afghān, Bādshāh Khān, and most notably, Frontier Gandhi, reflecting his ideological alignment with Mahatma Gandhi.

### Awards and Recognition
Throughout his life and posthumously, Abdul Ghaffar Khan received significant recognition for his contributions to peace and independence. He was a recipient of the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, an award established in 1965. Furthermore, he was honored with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, which was instituted in 1954.

### Legacy
Abdul Ghaffar Khan passed away on January 20, 1988. His legacy as a proponent of non-violent resistance and a leader in the independence movement continues to be recognized. Institutions such as Bacha Khan University, a public university in Charsada, Pakistan, established in 2012, bear his name, signifying his lasting impact on education and the region. His life's work as a human, politician, and freedom fighter is documented across various platforms, including his Wikipedia entry, which is titled "Abdul Ghaffar Khan," and numerous bibliographic and authority control identifiers such as P213: 0000000081950331, P214: 5737569, and P244: n50064342.

## References

1. [Source](http://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/21/obituaries/abdul-ghaffar-khan-98-a-follower-of-gandhi.html)
2. [Source](https://cadindia.clpr.org.in/constitution_assembly_debates/volume/1/1946-12-09)
3. [Source](https://cadindia.clpr.org.in/constitution_assembly_debates/volume/2/1947-01-24)
4. [Source](http://www.dawn.com/news/1017693)
5. International Standard Name Identifier
6. Virtual International Authority File
7. Integrated Authority File
8. BnF authorities
9. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
10. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
11. Treccani's Enciclopedia on line
12. Catalogo of the National Library of India