The Khudai Khidmatgar (“servants of God” actually meaning “volunteer servants”) was a non-violent movement against British occupation of the Indian subcontinent led by Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a Pashtun freedom fighter, in the North-West Frontier Province.⁣
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Initially, the movement focussed on social reform as a means of improving the status of Pashtuns against the British. ⁣
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The movement was led by Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known locally as Bacha Khan, Badshah Khan, or Sarhadi Gandhi.⁣
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To spread further awareness on Pashtun issues Abdul Ghaffar Khan founded the magazine Pakhtun in May 1928. ⁣
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Under the influence of Abdul Ghaffar Khan the movement advocated non-violent protests and justified their actions through an Islamic context.⁣
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Over time, the movement turned political, leading to the British taking notice of its growing prominence in the region.⁣
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Following the arrest of Khan and other leaders in 1929, the movement formally joined the Indian National Congress after they failed to receive support from the All-India Muslim League.⁣
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Finally in March 1930, almost on the eve of the Qissa Khwani Bazaar Massacre the Khudai Khidmatgar were formed.⁣
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Members of the Khudai Khidmatgar were organised and the men stood out because of the bright red shirts they wore as uniforms, while the women wore black garments.⁣
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Khudai Khidmatgars strongly opposed the proposal for the partition of India, siding with the Indian National Congress and All India Azad Muslim Conference.⁣
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In June 1947, the Khudai Khidmatgars declared the Bannu Resolution, demanding that the Pashtuns be given a choice to have an independent state of Pashtunistan, composing all Pashtun territories of British India, instead of being made to join Pakistan. However, the British Raj refused to comply with the demand of this resolution.⁣
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After the partition of India, the Khudai Khidmatgars faced a backlash from the new Pakistani government. The government of the Khudai Khidmatgars was dismissed and their movement banned, with many members of the organisation being targeted in the Babrra massacre that occurred on August 12, 1948. ⁣