The book titled “Muslims in India’s Liberation Movement” was compiled and translated into Farsi during 1968 by Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei; soon enough, it was available and put on the market in a few short months.
On February 22, 1970 Ayatollah Khamenei presented a copy of the book to Dr. Ali Shariati, a revolutionary intellectual, on the instance of his return from the Hajj pilgrimage.
Ayatollah Khamenei’s handwritten note on the first page of the book that he presented to Dr. Ali Shariati
Compiled in 7 chapters, the book describes the struggles of Indian Muslims against British colonialism and finally the establishment of Pakistan. In the foreword, Ayatollah Khamenei writes, “After the weakening of Abbasid caliphs, the Portuguese government and the East India Company had rows over this Islamic heritage and in the end the British East India Company won over its rivals.”
“The supportive and protective Muslims, who knew the truth, tried to stop the dangerous cancer that was spreading across the grand body of India. In this period, severe and large-scale wars occurred against Britain, the collection of which can be called a revolution. Hindu and Muslim rulers became united and organized a major movement; nevertheless, the deployment of fresh British forces on the one hand, and the finishing of the Iran-Britain war on the other hand gave this colonialist government a chance to overcome the popular revolution. After the revolution was defeated, the authority over India was transferred from East India Company to the British government and Queen Victoria announced India as a British colony. Eventually, the colonialists were forced out of India.”
The book was well received and widely welcomed by religious, intellectual and revolutionary communities of its time. The book was particularly praised by some notable Islamic scholars of Iran. The Martyr and Islamic scholar Ayatollah Motahhari left a handwritten note on one copy of the book, he describes it as “A very useful and necessary read; wherein, such topics should be more widely written on and they should be analyzed in the same professional manner. May God grant him the best rewards from Islam and the Muslims; God willing.” - Morteza Motahhari August 23, 1969.
Comments