Khan Ata (Allama Mashriqi’s Father) & the

Historic Newspaper, The Vakil Amritsar

By Nasim Yousaf
Allama Mashriqi’s father, Khan Ata Mohammad Khan, was a prominent Punjabi writer and
political/religious activist. Khan owned and ran The Vakil, a major bi-weekly newspaper from
Amritsar in British India. Khan was a man of means and an influential figure in South Asia
during his time, as such a brief biography of his contributions is important for researchers and
students as well as for the history of South Asia.

Khan Ata (1846-1925), son of Diwan

Kamaluddin Khan, came from a well-to-do
family and was a Rajput by caste. His
ancestors held prominent positions in the
Mughal Empire courts (details of his
ancestry have appeared in various books).
Khan Ata had property in Batala and
Amritsar, which was passed down from his
family. Khan Ata emerged as a recognized
author and was well-versed in various
languages, including Arabic, Persian,
Urdu, and English. His works were a mix
of books, articles, reports, and poems. His
social circle consisted of prominent
individuals of the time, including Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan, Mirza Asadullah Khan
Ghalib, Maulana Shibli Nomani, Maulana
Abdullah Al-Imadi, Mohsin-ul-Mulk,
Nawab of Loharu, Syed Jamaluddin
Afghani and Mufti Sadruddin Azurda. In
recognition of Khan Ata’s outstanding
contributions to literature as well as for
raising substantial funds for the Hejaz
railway, the Emperor of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, Sultan Abdul Hamid II (who ruled from
1876 –1909) bestowed upon him the Tamgha-i-Majeedia (a high-status medal).

Perhaps one of Khan Ata’s most significant contributions to society was his newspaper, Vakil.
After the fall of the Mughal Empire, British influence began to rise quickly and some Muslims
felt that the Indian subcontinent’s Islamic and Indian heritage was being replaced by English
values. The Muslim community also seemed demoralized and detached from the overall political
struggle for freedom. The newspaper Vakil, which was owned by Khan Ata, was launched in
1895 in order to provide a voice for Muslim political thought. The newspaper was published by
Rose Bazar Press in Amritsar (British India) and had different editors (including Maulvi Insha
Ullah Khan, Sheikh Ghulam Mohammad, and Maulana Abdullah Al-Imadi) from time to time.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad also joined Vakil’s editorial team at about age fifteen and remained
part of said team for the next five years. He was under the tutelage of Khan Ata before launching
his own newspapers and literary works and entering politics.

The Vakil emerged as a highly reputable and prominent newspaper and had subscribers in India
and abroad. In 1900, the annual subscription fee with mailing charges for Vakil was six rupees
for Indians and ten shillings for overseas subscribers (Vakil, Sept. 17, 1900). The newspaper
carried a variety of content as well as some commercial advertisements, while its book depot
published materials on the Ottoman Empire along with Allama Mashriqi’s works Tazkirah and
Khitab-Misr (Mashriqi’s speech at the first global Khilafat Conference in May 1926 in Cairo).

Vakil critically examined the Muslim community’s activities and promoted nationalism and a
strong character based on Islamic values. The newspaper was at the forefront of safeguarding the
political rights of Muslims. For example, the newspaper actively reported on the Khilafat
Movement in India as well as the Turkish Ottoman Empire, First World War, and the activities
of Muslims in various parts of the world. In 1900, Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II sent an
appeal to Muslims of the world to support the construction of a railway connecting Damascus to
the holy cities of Medina and Mecca. Khan Ata was at the forefront of promoting this effort and,
through his newspaper, launched a campaign asking Muslims to donate to the project. The
people responded and a considerable amount of money was donated (as was reported in various
books).

As Vakil gained in prominence, the newspaper faced its share of challenges. During the First
World War, censorship of the Vakil was ordered. And again in 1919, an order of pre-censorship
was passed against Vakil. Khan Ata provided strong leadership during these times and the
newspaper was able to make it through the adversity and remain at the forefront of Urdu
journalism for decades.

Khan Ata and Vakil were recognized by many individuals for their contributions. Muhammad
Ali wrote in Comrade (dated Feb 17, 1912): “…Vakil has represented the best type of Urdu
journalism. Its views have always been broad, wise and dignified. It has exercised an intellectual
tolerance and comprehension which is rare even amongst the better class of English journalism
in this country [British India].” Engineer Asghar Ali wrote in his book entitled They Too Fought
for India's Freedom, “Among all the Urdu papers of this time, Vakil was regarded as the most
sober and serious paper having most weighty opinions on national affairs.” Gail Minault stated
in his book entitled The Khilafat Movement: “…Wakeel had the greatest influence and
circulation of any Urdu newspaper, dealt freely with Aligarh matters and Turkish-Egyptian
relations, and raised money for the Hejaz railway.”

Today, Vakil continues to draw attention from Eastern and Western writers and has been
referenced or quoted in various books, including Professor Andrew Tait Jarboe’s book entitled
War News in India. Professor Jarboe was gracious enough to email me the names of source
materials where he “found several excerpts from Vakil.” Original copies of the Vakil can be
found in the Lahore Museum. Some parts of Vakil have also been translated into English and can
be accessed at some major research libraries (*see note below).

In short, Vakil shaped Muslim political, religious, and cultural values in the Indian sub-continent
during the British Empire. It influenced the thinking of many and helped generate the spirit of
freedom - among Allama Mashriqi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and others – to liberate India
from British rule. As such, the founder of Vakil, Khan Ata, made a lasting contribution to the
history of the region.

Khan Ata Mohammad Khan passed away on July 5, 1925 and was buried in Batala in India.
Following his death, Vakil continued to be published until about July 28, 1931.

*Note: Translated extracts of Vakil can be found in various files [ex. IOR/L/R/5/192] and are
available in the Asian & African Studies Reading Room of the British Library. The newspaper is
also available in microfilms entitled “Selections from the Indian newspapers,” published in
Punjab and available in major libraries of the world, including the Center for Research
Libraries (Chicago, USA).

The author has thus far published many books and articles. The author also published an article
on Khan Ata in the book “Men Like Allama Mashriqi Are Born Once In Centuries: A Collection
of Articles.” More information about the author can be found online and on social media.

Copyright © 2018 Nasim Yousaf

***

The above piece was published by:

The Kashmir Monitor, January 17, 2018

State Times, January 19, 2018
The Miracle January 19, 2018
The Sikh Times, August 17, 2018
Isma Times, January 16, 2018
Muslim Mirror, January 19, 2018
Indian Muslim Observer, Feb 06, 2018
Nagpur Today, January 16, 2018
South Asian Pulse Jan 17, 2018
Indian Muslim Council, January 16, 2018
Fast Kashmir, January 17, 2018