Sufi Amba Prasad | |
|---|---|
 Sufi Amba Parshad in Iran 1909 | |
| Born | Amba Prasad 1858 (1858) |
| Died | 21 January 1917(1917-01-21) (aged 58–59) |
| Resting place | Shiraz,Iran |
| Known for | 1907 Punjab unrest,Hindu–German Conspiracy |
Amba Prasad (1858 — 21 January 1917) also known asSufi Amba Prasad, was an Indian nationalist andpan-Islamist leader notable for his involvement in the agrarianunrest in Punjab in 1907 and subsequently in theRevolutionary movement for Indian independence.[1] Prasad was born in 1858 in the north Indian city ofMoradabad, then in theUnited Provinces. Prasad was born without his right hand. He later worked as a journalist in Moradabad when he became involved in the emerging nationalist movement. He was at this time the editor of thePeshwa. His editorials were noted for sarcastic and unsparing criticisms of the Punjab government policies. He was incarcerated twice in 1897.[2][3]
In 1900, Prasad became involved in the agrarian movement that was emerging in Punjab. His associates at the time includedSardar Ajit Singh (uncle ofBhagat Singh), Mahasha Ghaseeta Ram, Kartar Singh andLala Lajpat Rai. In 1906, Prasad was one of the key founding members of the Bharat Mata Society.[4] A crackdown later forced him to flee India for Nepal in 1907, where he was granted asylum byDeva Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. Prasad later fled India for Persia.[5][6]
Around 1910, Indian nationalists groups, especially pan-Islamic ones, were growing in the Ottoman Empire and Persia under the leadership ofSardar Ajit Singh and Sufi Amba Prasad who began their work there around 1909.[7] The recruits to these groups included young radicals of the likes of Rhishikesh Letha, Zia-ul-Haq, and Thakur Das. By 1910, the activities of these groups and their publication, theHayat, had come under the observation of British intelligence.[8] However, Ajit Singh's departure in 1911 brought the Indian revolutionary activities to a grinding halt, while British representations toPersia successfully curbed whatever activity that remained in the country.[8]
However, as World War I began, Prasad again became involved in theHindu–German Conspiracy. He was at this time associated with Indian revolutionaries of the likes ofHar Dayal andMahendra Pratap.[5] Sufi worked with the revolutionaries of theBerlin Committee in Mesopotamia and Middle East, attempting to spread propaganda among Indian troops of the Indian expeditionary force. His attempts were directed at organising Indian troops into a nationalist force incursions from the western border of India from Persia, throughBaluchistan, to Punjab. Amba Prasad was joined during the war by Kedar Nath Sondhi, Rishikesh Letha and Amin Chaudhry. These Indian troops were involved in the capture of the frontier city of Karman and the detention of the British consul there, and also successfully harassedPercy Sykes' Persian campaign against the Baluchi and Persian tribal chiefs who were aided by the Germans.[9][10] TheAga Khan's brother was killed while fighting the rebels.[11]
The rebels also successfully harassed British forces inSistan in Afghanistan, confining them to Karamshir in Baluchistan, and later moving towards Karachi. Some reports indicate they took control of the coastal towns of Gawador and Dawar. The Baluchi chief of Bampur, having declared his independence from British rule, also joined the Ghadarites. It was not before the war in Europe turned for the worse for the Ottoman Empire andBaghdad was captured by the British forces that the Ghadarite forces, their supply lines starved, were finally dislodged. They retreated to regroup at Shiraz, where they were finally defeated after a bitter fight during the siege ofShiraz. Amba Prasad Sufi was killed in this battle, but the Ghadarites carried on guerrilla warfare along with Iranian partisans until 1919.[10][12] The works of Amba Prasad had a significant impact onBhagat Singh.
| Background |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Ghadar | ||
| Berlin Committee | ||
| Indian figures | ||
| German figures | ||
| Conspiracy | ||
| Counter-intelligence | ||
| Related topics | ||