July 13, 1931: A day that changed Kashmir's course of history

Syed Ali Safvi

The sun of July 13, 1931 attested the truth in Margaret Maed's saying, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Kashmir is a land of incredible beauty, which has been praised by all and sundry. However, unfortunately, Kashmiris have, throughout their history, been at the receiving end. The history of Kashmir is replete with incidents of inhumane and tyrannical oppression of the hapeless and gullible Kashmiris by their rulers. Be it the Mughals, the Afghans, the Sikhs, or the Dogras, common Kashmiris have never found solace in their land.

The rulers treated Kashmiris merely as slaves and severely strangulated any voice of dissent.

During the reign of King Ummattawati (939-944 AD), the king ripped the abdomen of a pregnant woman in order to see her foetus.

Mirwaiz Moulvi yousuf Shah leading funeral prayers of July 13 martyrs at Jamia Masjid Srinagar.

(Photo courtesy: NC Archives)

One of the Afghan rulers, Azad Khan, raped, plundered and killed innocent Kashmiris like a maniac. He slit the stomach of a doctor when the latter failed to cure his ailment.

When Zulchu (Zulfi Khan or Zulaji) invaded Kashmir, his soldiers resorted to indiscriminate killings, bloodbath, plundering beyond all limits. They carried out wholesale massacre of Kashmiris, killing everyone who fell into their hands.

One of the Dogra rulers, Ranjit Singh, never visited Kahsmir, but solicited women and taxes from the Valley.

The Dogra rule, arguably, was the darkest period in the history of Kashmir. Such was the degree of oppression that Kashmiris were skinned alive for speaking against the Maharaja.

The incident that took place outside the Srinagar Central Jail on the fateful day of July 13, 1931 was not new to Kashmiris, but it provided the much-needed impetus to the anti Dogra sentiments in the Valley.

Road to July 13, 1931:

Irked by the inhumane treatment meted out to Muslim, a group of educated Muslims, most of them Aligarh Muslim University alumni, established Reading Room at Fateh Kadal in the house of Khwaja Sadr-ud-Din, who belonged to Ahmadiya school of thought, in order to develop a political fraternity that could deal with the issues facing the Kashmiri Muslims.

“The idea of establishing Reading Room was given by Moulvi Adullah Wakeel of Fateh Kadal and Ghulam Mohammad Ashai,” says eminent historian Fida Mohammad Hassnain.

Prof Hassnain said that Hakeem Safdar used to write Reading Room pamphlets in English and dispatch those to Lahore and other places.

On April 19, 1931 Dogra troops desecrated the holy Quran in the city of temples on the occasion of Eid. The tragic incident enraged the Muslims of the state, who began to forge unity.

Hundreds of Muslims assembled at the historic Khanqah-e-Moula on June 21, 1931 and pledged to fight against the oppressive regime of the Maharaja. A seven-member committee was also constituted on the occasion “to take the struggle forward”. The members of the committee included Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Sa’ad-ud-Din Shawl, Mirwaiz Moulvi Yusuf Shah, Mirwaiz Ahmadullah Hamdani, Aga Syed Hussain Jalali, Munshi Shuhab-ud-Din, and Khwaja Ghulam Ahmad Ashai.

When the meeting was over and people started to disperse, suddenly a person, aged between 36 and 40, appeared on the dais and delivered a fiery speech, imploring Muslims to rise up against the repressive regime. Of whitish complexion, sharp eyes, big face with curved moustaches, he had a big head, bulky body, and thunderous voice.

“If you do not have arms to fight, fight with sticks and stones,” he told the gathering.

Pointing towards Shergari Palace, he yelled: “Demolish the edifice of injustice, cruelty and subjugation.”

The person, who was later identified as Abdul Qadeer, was arrested on June 25, 1931 under section 124-A and 153 RPC. He was tried for sedition and waging war against the Maharaja.

His case came for hearing on July 13, 1931 in the Srinagar Central Jail.

July 13, 1931 uprising:

Thousands of Kashmiris gheroed the jail on July 13, 1931 demanding an open trial of Qadeer.

“They (protestors) were chanting slogans like, ‘Release Abdul Qadeer, our brother from Rai Bareli’, ‘Release Abdul Qadeer, our brother from Rawalpindi,” said Prof Hassnain.

“Imprison us instead, we will go to jail,” the protestors shouted.

The Dogra governor, Ray Zada Chand, in order to quell the protest ordered his soldiers to open fire. The scene that followed was no less horrific and horrendous than the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre. In a matter of few seconds, 28 protestors died on the spot and as many as 96 got seriously wounded.

Among those who were killed were two ladies: Mugli and Jana. The first man who died of firing was Khaliq Shora. Many protestors were arrested.

Yahya Rafiqi, according to Prof Hassnain, was the first agitator who was arrested.

Qadeer was awarded five-year imprisonment.

The upsurge of 1931, writes Sumantra Bose in her book titled The challenge in Kashmir; Self determination and a Just Peace, was to a significant degree the revolt of the politicised elements of a sunjugated Muslim population against a Hindu autocrat, bureaucracy and militancy.

“July 13 is an important date in Kashmir history. The day changed the course of Kashmir history. Up to July 13, the struggle was confined to enforcement of rights and it was highly unorganised, but after July 13 it became organised and the leaders made their presence felt. Galancy commission was appointed to look into demands of the leaders,” said a well known columnist, Zaheer-ud-Din.

“July 13, 1931 was the instant reaction to two anti religious events, and the century-old anger bubbled on the streets of Srinagar and also in all major towns of the Valley from Islamabad to Handwara. Later, Jammu province joined as was ruthlessly suppressed by the joint army action of the English and the Dogras,” wrote autho and columnist PG Rasool in one his articles.

Women mourners wailing besides the bodies of July 13 martyrs at Jamia Masjid Srinagar.

(Photo courtesy: NC archive)

Abul Kalam Azad arrived in Kashmir:

According to Prof Hassnain after the July 13 uprising, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad arrived in Kashmir and effected a compromise between the state government and Muslim representatives.

“When people came to know about the compromise, they shouted slogans against Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Mirwaiz Moulvi Yousuf Shah at Jamia Masjid, and cursed the duo,” Prof Hassnian said.

On August 9, 1931 Maharaja Hari Singh convened a meeting of all Muslim representatives and constituted an inquiry commission headed, by Justice Dalal, to conduct an inquiry into the grievances of the state Muslims.

British sought the ouster of then Prime Minister of Kashmir, Hari Kishan Kaul. Col Calvin was appointed as new prime minister.

“In order to create dissention among Muslims, the policy makers of Maharaja Hari Singh started projecting Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah as Qadiani,” Prof Hassnain said.

After the July 13 uprising, Kashmir solidarity marches were held in different part of the globe.

Who was Qadeer?

Much has been said and written about Abdul Qadeer, but it is still unclear who he was. Historians and intelligentsia are still debating his roots and his place of belonging. Some maintain that he was a resident of Rai Bareli in UP, some believe he was a Kashmiri, and some claim that Qadeer had come from Afghanistan.

‘Resident of Rae Bareli and disciple of Jamal-ud-Din Afghani’:

“Maulana Abdul Qadeer belonged to Rai Bareli in Uttar Pradesh (UP). He was a prominent worker of the Pan Islamic Movement. He could speak English, Urdu, Persian and Arabic. As he had lived in Rawalpindi, he knew Punjabi and Pashto also,” said Prof Hassnain.

He said Qadeer had come to Kashmir in the garb of a cook or guide of an English lady.

It is pertinent to mention here that Rai Bareli had already been infested with Jehadi sentiments. It is a place to which Syed Ahmad Shaheed and Shah Ismail Shaheed belonged. Syed and Shah had launched Tehreek-e-Mujahideen to fight against oppressive Sikh rulers. Both of them were martyred at Balakote in Hazar district.

“Jamaluddin Afghani Assadabadi, the Muslim philosopher of the 20th century who propounded the theory of Pan-Islamism had come to Srinagar some years before 1931. He stayed in a lodge owned by some Kanjar, near the present day old secretariat between Guru Bazar and Sutra Shahi. After visiting the Srinagar Jamia Masjid and Khanqah-i-muala, he went to Pampore and Tral. He visited Mattan, Ashmuqam, and Pahalgam. He took off through Baltal route and crossed over Zojilla on his way to central Asia and Russia,” said Prof Hassnain.

Prof Hassnain said that the British had secretly informed the Maharaja about Afghani’s arrival and an intelligence man, probably a Pandit, was deputed to spy on him and to give reports about his every activity.

“In the CID diaries, he has been mentioned as "Mulla Jamaluddin,” Prof Hassnain said.

“Jamal-ud-Din Afghani was originally a Shia, but in order to mobilise the Muslims at large he didn’t disclose his Shia identity,” said a well known scholar Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain. “Afghani was the teacher of Rashid Raza of Egypt and Mohammad Abdahu, who inspired Hassan-ul-Bana, the founder of Ikhwanu Muslimeen.”

Inspired by a British officer:

Author Shabnam Qayoom writes in his book titled Kashmir Ka Siyasi Inqilab: “A few days before delivering his famous speech at Khanqah-e-Moula, Qadeer was riding with Major Abet, a British army officer, and the former British Resident in Dal Lake in Kashmir Sunflower houseboat owned by one Aziz Wangoo. As they were nearing Hazratbal, Qadeer saw people rushing towards the shrine; he requested Major Abet to drop him on the banks so that he could join the Friday congregation. Major Abet is believed to have said to Qadeer, ‘Tell your God to free Kashmiris from this oppressive rule.’ The British officer’s words inspired Qadeer to deliver the fiery speech.”

According to Qayoom, Qadeer had come from Uttar Pradesh and was inspired by a British officer.

‘He was a Kashmiri’:

According to Zaheer-ud-Din, Qadeer was a Kashmiri.

“Prof Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah of Hathi Khan Mohalla, Srinagar told me that during his brief stint in police department, a man, who was an employee in the police department, come to my office and introduced himself as Qadeer’s brother,” he said. “Since in Kashmir a non-state subject cannot get a job, therefore it is clear that Qadeer was a Kashmiri.”

What happened to Qadeer:

Nobody knows what happened to Qadeer after the July 13, 1931 uprising. The man who changed the course of Kashmir freedom struggle literally vanished into thin air.

However, according to Ghulam Rasool Mughal, who retired as deputy secretary, and lives near Govt Polytechnic Srinagar, Qadeer is buried between Goni Khan and Dewan Estate Bungalow.

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Martyrs of July 13, 1931

• 1. Khaliq Shora
• 2. Akbar Dar
• 3. Ghulam Ahmad Rather
• 4. Usman Misgar
• 5. Ghulam Ahmad Bhat
• 6. Ghulam Mohammad Halwayi
• 7. Ghulam Nabi Kalwal
• 8. Ghulam Ahmad Naqash
• 9. Ghulam Rasool Durra
• 10. Ameer-ud-Din Makayi
• 11. Subhan Makayi
• 12. Ghulam Qadir Khan
• 13. Ramzan Chola
• 14. Ghulam Mohammad Sofi
• 15. Naseer-ud-Din
• 16. Ameer-ud-Din Jandgaru
• 17. Mohammad Subhan Khan
• 18. Mohammad Sultan Khan
• 19. Abdul Salam
• 20. Ghulam Mohammad Teli
• 21. Fakeer Ali
• 22. Ghulam Ahmad Dar
• 23. Mughli
• 24. Abdullah Ahangar
• 25. Jana
• 26. Rasool Wakroo
• 27. Abdullah Najar, and
• 28. Asadullah Gilkar