Ashfaqulla Khan (October 22, 1900 - December 19, 1927) was a freedom fighter in Indian independence movement. The British authorities considered him a terrorist because of his active participation in Kakori train robbery.
The Lion Among Men
The hero in chains walked upright and with resolve between soldiers who led him to the hangman’s post. Those who were there forgot their positions and prestige and gazed at him with wonder and admiration. Once at the foot of the steps leading to the post, he covered them in two leaps and stood facing the post. When they removed the chains, he put forward his arms, drew the rope towards him and kissed it. He said, "My hands are not soiled with the murder of man. The charge against me is false. God will give me justice".Then he prayed in clear, ringing tones "La ilahi il Allah, Mohammed Ur Rasool Allah".The hangman’s noose came round his neck. The moment the lever was pressed, the plank on which he stood moved quickly and he went down into the pit below. He joined the band of the brave immortal heroes of the land. This hero was Ashafaqulla, the immortal revolutionary .
Movie about the Indian Independence Movement : Rang De Basanti (2006)
During the British Raj era, there was major descrimination and abuse of the indian population,
ReplyDelete> economy and industry, by the british. Nothing in Indian history of this time was unique except one thing. It was the height of the british empire, and during this time period, around 1857, there was the great Indian Sepoy Rebellion. That was the
first great Indian challange to British rule in India since the
arrival of the British East India company in Calcutta in the 1700's.
Also, prior to 1857, Bihar, UP and Bengal were the centers of North
Indian intellectuals. After the
Sepoy Rebellion, the British took draconian steps to "put out" the
rebellion, and any possibility of it happening again. This is the key
point. The British set out to eradicate the intellectual class that was present larely in the Ganges belt (UP, Bihar, Bengal).
Perhaps many people don't know this, but prior to the Sepoy Rebellion, UP, Bihar and Bengal were the cradle of North Indian Intelligensia, but within 15-20 years after the Sepoy Rebellion, the intelligensia had
been decimated, and higher education was largely banned in UP, and Bihar. This harsh attitude towards UP and Bihar especially, was maintained by the British for good part of the next 90 years, until independence in 1947.