Sufi Amba Prasad

2021-11-04T08:14:14Z

2401:4900:55A5:1417:C909:1D8F:4454:E29D:

{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Sufi Amba Prasad
|image = SufiAmbaprasad.jpg
|image_size =
|caption = Sufi Amba Parshad in Iran 1909
|birth_name = Amba Prasad
|birth_date = {{Birth year|1858}}
|birth_place = [[Moradabad]], [[British Raj|British India]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1917|01|21|1858|||df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Shiraz]], [[Qajar dynasty|Persia]]
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|resting_place = Shiraz, Iran
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|nationality = Indian
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|other_names =
|known_for = [[1907 Punjab unrest]], [[Hindu–German Conspiracy]]
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'''Amba Prasad''' (1858 — 21 January 1917) also known as ''[[Sufi]]'' Amba Prasad, was an Indian nationalist and [[Pan-Islamism|pan-Islamist]] leader notable for his involvement in the agrarian [[1907 Punjab unrest|unrest in Punjab in 1907]] and subsequently in the [[Revolutionary movement for Indian independence]].<ref name=Ahluwalia>{{Harvnb|Ahluwalia|1965|p=353}}</ref>
Prasad was born in 1858 in the north Indian city of [[Moradabad]], then in the [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United 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 the ''Peshwa''. His editorials were noted for sarcastic and unsparing criticisms of the Punjab government policies. He was incarcerated twice in 1897.<ref name=Rai>{{Harvnb|Rai|1978|p=19}}</ref><ref name=Singh25>{{Harvnb|Yadav|Singh|2006|p=25}}</ref>

In 1900, Prasad became involved in the agrarian movement that was emerging in Punjab. His associates at the time included [[Sardar Ajit Singh]] (uncle of [[Bhagat Singh]]), Mahasha Ghaseeta Ram, Kartar Singh and [[Lala Lajpat Rai]]. In 1906, Prasad was one of the key founding members of the Bharat Mata Society.<ref name=Radhan351>{{Harvnb|Radhan|2002|p=351}}</ref> A crackdown later forced him to flee India for Nepal in 1907, where he was granted asylum by [[Deva Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana]]. Prasad later fled India for Persia.<ref name=Advance14/><ref name=Gupta84>{{Harvnb|Gupta|1972|p=84}}</ref>

Around 1910, Indian nationalists groups, especially pan-Islamic ones, were growing in the Ottoman Empire and Persia under the leadership of [[Sardar Ajit Singh]] and Sufi Amba Prasad who began their work there around 1909.<ref name=Yadav29>{{Harvnb|Yadav|1992|p=29}}</ref> 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, the ''Hayat'', had come under the observation of British intelligence.<ref name=Yadav30>{{Harvnb|Yadav|1992|p=30}}</ref> However, Ajit Singh's departure in 1911 brought the Indian revolutionary activities to a grinding halt, while British representations to [[Persia]] successfully curbed whatever activity that remained in the country.<ref name=Yadav30/>

However, as World War I began, Prasad again became involved in the [[Hindu–German Conspiracy]]. He was at this time associated with Indian revolutionaries of the likes of [[Har Dayal]] and [[Mahendra Pratap]].<ref name=Advance14>{{Harvnb|Punjab Government|1962|p=14}}</ref> Sufi worked with the revolutionaries of the [[Berlin 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, through [[Balochistan (region)|Baluchistan]], 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 (city)|Karman]] and the detention of the British consul there, and also successfully harassed [[Percy Sykes]]' Persian campaign against the Baluchi and Persian tribal chiefs who were aided by the Germans.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sykes|1921|p=101}}</ref><ref name=Herbert>{{Harvnb|Herbert|2003|p=}}</ref> The [[Aga Khan III|Aga Khan]]'s brother was killed while fighting the rebels.<ref>{{cite web
| author = Singh, Jaspal
| publisher = panjab.org.uk
| url=http://www.panjab.org.uk/english/histGPty.html
| title= ''History of the Ghadar Movement''
| accessdate=2007-10-31
}}</ref>

The rebels also successfully harassed British forces in [[Sistan]] 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 and [[Baghdad]] 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 of [[Shiraz]]. Amba Prasad Sufi was killed in this battle, but the Ghadarites carried on guerrilla warfare along with Iranian partisans until 1919.<ref name=Herbert/><ref>{{cite web
| author = Asghar, S.B
| publisher = www.dawn.com
| url=http://www.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/050612/dmag14.htm
| title= A famous uprising
| date=12 June 2005
| accessdate=2007-11-02
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070803144344/http://www.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/050612/dmag14.htm |archivedate = 2007-08-03}}</ref> The works of Amba Prasad had a significant impact on [[Bhagat Singh]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Citation
| surname1 = Punjab Government
| given1 = Public Relations Dept
| year = 1962
| title = Advance
| publisher = Punjab
}}
*{{Citation
| surname1 = Ahluwalia
| given1 = M. M.
| year = 1965
| title = Freedom Struggle in India, 1858 to 1909
| publisher = Rajit Printers & Publishers
}}
*{{Citation
| surname1 = Gupta
| given1 = Manmathnath.
| year = 1972
| title = History of the Indian revolutionary movement
| publisher = Somaiya Publications
}}
*{{Citation
| surname1 = Rai
| given1 = S. M.
| year = 1978
| title = Punjabi Heroic Tradition, 1900-1947
| publisher = Punjabi University
}}
*{{Citation
| surname1 = Yadav
| given1 = K.C.
| surname2=Singh
| given2= Babar
| year = 2006
| title = Bhagat Singh: Making of a Revolutionary : Contemporaries' Portrayals
| publisher = Hope India
| ISBN= 81-7871-059-5
}}
*{{Citation
| surname1 = Radhan
| given1 = O. P.
| year = 2002
| title = Encyclopaedia of Political Parties
| publisher = Anmol Publications Pvt ltd
| ISBN= 81-7488-865-9
}}
*{{Citation
| surname1 = Yadav
| given1 = B. D.
| year = 1992
| title = M. P. T. Acharya, Reminiscences of an Indian Revolutionary
| publisher = Anmol Publications Pvt ltd
| ISBN= 81-7041-470-9
}}
{{Hindu-German Conspiracy}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Prasad, Sufi Amba}}
[[Category:Revolutionary movement for Indian independence]]
[[Category:Hindu–German Conspiracy]]
[[Category:Pan-Islamism]]
[[Category:1919 deaths]]
[[Category:1858 births]]

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Sufi Amba Prasad