Muhammad Iqbal And The Turks

Muslim Turkic relations with India were first established as a result of the Ghaznavid military expeditions to India. Following the Ghaznavids, the Turk dominion over the subcontinent, which lasted for approximately eight centuries, came to an end with the downfall of the Mughal Turks State by the British in 1857. The presence of the Caliphate within the Ottoman State further strengthened the close ties between Indian Muslims and Turks. Rebelling against the exploitation of his homeland by the British, Muhammad Iqbal admired the Turks for their refusal to compromise on independence, their passion for liberty, and the respect they commanded for their efforts in this pursuit. He empathized with the joys and sorrows of the Turks, considering them as his own. Iqbal, with his profound affection for the Turks, not only shared spiritual sentiments but also gathered material support from the Indian populace through meetings he organized. Iqbal, who articulated that the exemplary successes of the Turks in their struggle for liberation altered the subcontinent’s perception of the seemingly invincible British, emphasized the significance of independence and highlighted how the Turks inspired and guided the people of the subcontinent with courage. Iqbal, who maintained good relations with significant Turkish figures of his time, exchanged ideas with Said Halim Pasha, who is recognized as the founding leader of the Pan-Islamism movement. Admiring the great effort and bravery demonstrated by Turks in independence struggle, Iqbal regarded them as the savior of the deteriorating situation and the leader of the Islamic world. This study presents Iqbal’s views and poems about the Turks.