Indian Independence

Abadi Bano Begum (1852-1924), known affectionately as Bi Amma, was the mother of the Ali Brothers and one of the first Muslim women to enter Indian nationalist politics, mobilizing women for the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements while observing purdah.

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890–1988), known as Badshah Khan and the Frontier Gandhi, was a Pashtun independence leader and apostle of non-violence who founded the Khudai Khidmatgar movement. A close ally of Gandhi, he opposed Partition and received the Bharat Ratna in 1987.

Ashfaqulla Khan (1900-1927) was an Indian Muslim revolutionary and poet who co-organized the 1925 Kakori train robbery with Ram Prasad Bismil to fund the anti-colonial Hindustan Republican Association, and was executed by the British for his role in it.

Brigadier Mohammad Usman (1912–1949) was a distinguished Indian Army officer who chose to serve India after the 1947 Partition. He commanded the 50th Parachute Brigade in the First Kashmir War and was killed at Tithwal in 1949. Awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, he is remembered as the Hero of Naushera.

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1905–1977) was an Indian lawyer, freedom fighter, and statesman who served as the fifth President of India from 1974 until his death in office in 1977. A Congress member and cabinet minister, he is remembered partly for signing the 1975 proclamation of Emergency.

Hasrat Mohani (1875-1951) was an Indian Muslim poet, journalist, and freedom fighter who coined the slogan 'Inquilab Zindabad' and was the first to demand complete independence for India, combining Urdu literary mastery with radical anti-colonial politics.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) was a leading Islamic scholar and independence leader of the twentieth century. A theologian, journalist, and statesman, he served as president of the Indian National Congress and India's first Education Minister, shaping thought and modern India.

Mohammad Ali Jauhar (1878-1931) was an Indian Muslim leader, journalist, and orator who co-led the Khilafat Movement with his brother Shaukat Ali, forged a Hindu-Muslim alliance with Gandhi, and spent his final years advocating for Muslim political rights at the Round Table Conference in London.

Shaukat Ali (1873-1938) was an Indian Muslim leader who co-led the Khilafat Movement with his brother Mohammad Ali Jauhar. Known as the organizational force behind the movement, he was instrumental in forging the Hindu-Muslim alliance with Gandhi and spent years imprisoned for his activism.