THE POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION OF MAULANA UBAIDULLAH SINDHI: FROM PAN-ISLAMISM TO INDIAN NATIONALISM

Abstract

This study analyses the political transformation of Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi from Pan-Islamism to Indian nationalism in the light of his political experience in Kabul from 1915 till 1922. Existing studies have focused on his revolutionary activities, the Silk Letter Movement, and his political ideas, but very few studies have examined the factors in historical context which led him to abandon his Pan-Islamist ideology for Indian nationalism. This study examined Sindhi’s ideas about the political situation in Afghanistan, his proposed Provisional Government plan of Free India, Islamic solidarity and collaboration with non-Muslims that revolutionized his political thoughts. The study is based on a qualitative historical approach, drawing on primary and secondary sources, including the autobiographical writings of Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi, his letters, contemporary accounts, and British intelligence reports. The results indicate that Sindhi’s ideological transformation was not a sudden activity but slowly transformation influenced by practical political practice. The study discusses that his transformation represented a significant intellectual role to the Indian freedom movement by reconciling Islamic identity with inclusive territorial nationalism. It also ensures that Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi vision is relevant to the ongoing discussions of nationalism and religious identity, interfaith relations and anti-colonial political thinking about religious issues in South Asia.