Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali, after whom Bhopal University was named Barkatullah University.
Amidst the controversy arising out of the proposal to change the name of Barkatullah University of Bhopal to Vagdevi Bhojpal University, many people are turning the pages of history to know about Barkatullah Bhopali, by whose name this university is currently known. Barkatullah’s name was added to Bhopal University, established in 1970, in 1988. The Executive Council of the University has approved the proposal in which the University is to be named after Vagdevi Bhojpal in place of Barkatullah. The proposal has been sent to the Governor (who is also the Chancellor of the University) for final approval.
Obviously the name change debate has given rise to voices of support and opposition. Those opposing the name change are calling such efforts an insult and ingratitude to the memory of the great freedom fighter Barkatullah Bhopali. Who was Barkatullah Bhopali? Read his story.
India’s freedom struggle was fought on foreign soil also
The fight for independence against British slavery was fought not only at home but on foreign soil. Even among the Indians who came abroad for studies or other reasons, the pain of slavery was no less than that of the natives. Barkatullah Bhopali was also one of them. After being born in Bhopal in 1862, he received his initial education there. The wounds of the failure of the revolution of 1857 were fresh. But anger among the people towards the British remained intact. In the generation that was growing up, there were many teenagers who considered it necessary to study and especially to know English in order to fight ahead.
Barkatullah Bhopali.
Barkatullah first entered Wilson College, Bombay with this very purpose. Soon he became famous there due to his patriotic activities. At the same time, the famous Aalim-e-Deen Maulana Riazuddin Dehlavi was going to London. He saw possibilities for progress in Barkatullah. They took them along. While studying there, Barkatullah continued writing and speaking on the economic exploitation of India by Britain and the resulting plight of the people and expressing his anger against the British rule.
carried out of london
Due to his anti-British articles and passionate speeches, Barkatullah soon came under the radar of police and intelligence agencies. The warning to stop had no effect on them. Then he was ordered to leave Britain. Instead of returning to India, Barkatullah turned to America. Alexander came in contact with Russell Webb. There also he launched a campaign for independence. In an American magazine “The Friend”, he continuously wrote articles on the plunder and atrocities of the British government in India and the atrocities on the people.
On the advice of Maulana Mahmood Hasan, he went to Japan. Appointed Professor of Urdu in Tokyo University. But even there he did not forget the real objective of India’s independence. Here he published the newspaper “Islamic Fraternity” in Japanese and English languages to present India’s side. His articles in this newspaper and other newspapers and magazines activated and made aware many people in Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaya (Malaysia) in favor of India’s independence.
Barkatullah University of Bhopal.
Among the founders of Ghadar Party
Due to his deep command over many languages including Urdu, Arabic, Persian and English, his anti-British writings had wide spread and influence. Not only his writings but his speeches as a powerful orator left a deep impression in every country he could reach, including India, England, Japan, America, Germany, Turkey and Afghanistan. His efforts were not alone. Before the First World War, Barkatullah along with Lala Hardayal and Krishnaji Verma were among the founders of the Indian Association of Pacific Coast in California. Later this organization became famous by the name of Ghadar Party, whose objective was to overthrow the British rule in India.
To expand this party, Barkatullah Bhopali along with Parmanand and Lala Hardayal toured America and Canada extensively and made thousands of Indians living there aware and appealed to come forward for the independence of the country. After the ban on the party in America and the arrest of Lala Hardayal, Barkatullah reached Germany via Turkey to take the campaign forward. Here he had his first meeting with revolutionary king Mahendra Pratap. Champak Raman Pillai, Virendra Nath Chattopadhyay, Dr. Prabhakar, Dr. Hafeez, Trimul Acharya, Dr. A. Mussoorie, Khari Naams Parsi, Dr. Tarak Nath Das, Chandra Kumar Chakraborty and Harendra Nath Gupta etc., supporters of freedom, united here and were engaged in deciding the direction of the struggle.
Prime Minister of the exile government formed in Kabul
The capital of Afghanistan was established in Kabul on 1 December 1915. India’s government-in-exile has an important place in the freedom struggle. The Prime Minister of this government formed under the leadership of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh was Barkatullah Bhopali. The aim of the government was to achieve India’s independence by gathering international support against British rule.
The First World War started in 1914. Britain’s enemy nations, especially Germany and Türkiye, wanted to weaken British rule in India. To take advantage of this opportunity, Indian revolutionaries active abroad made a comprehensive plan. The Berlin Committee and other revolutionary organizations working in Germany tried to incite rebellion in India by using Afghanistan as their base. This government had declared itself the legitimate government of independent India and the British rule as illegal.
#WATCH | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Executive Council of Barkatullah University in Bhopal officially approves a proposal to rename the institution to ‘Vagdevi Bhojpal University’.
Speaking about this, the University Registrar Samar Bahadur Singh says, “An Executive Council meeting pic.twitter.com/jlthMfqvN8
— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2026
India claims sovereignty for the first time on foreign soil
The government-in-exile had made extensive diplomatic efforts to garner international support against Britain. The aim of the government was to prepare the Afghan Amir for war against Britain and to get support from Germany, Türkiye, Russia, China and Japan. Waging an armed revolution in India was also included in the objectives of the government. to this government
Got support from some influential people of the Afghan court. But Afghanistan’s Amir Habibullah Khan did not take the risk of direct conflict with Britain.
As a result this government could not get formal recognition. Due to increasing British pressure, Raja Mahendra Pratap and Barkatullah Bhopali etc. had to leave Kabul in 1919. Although this government could not practically liberate India, still its importance is extraordinary. It was the first exiled national government of India. It claimed the sovereignty of India on foreign soil for the first time. This government became the source of inspiration for the Azad Hind government established by Subhash Chandra Bose in 1943. This government dealt a deep blow to England’s credibility in the international world.
kept fighting even when ill
The activities of the government-in-exile continued till 1920. After being disappointed with Afghanistan, Barkatullah also went to Russia. He had a good meeting with Lenin. Assurance of help was also received. But the matter could not progress further. The next stop was Berlin. Meanwhile, Barkatullah continued writing in newspapers and giving speeches in conferences and meetings against Britain and in favor of India’s independence. In a conference in Switzerland, he met Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Hakim Ajmal Khan and Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari. There was a long discussion between them on ways to intensify the conflict.
Pandit Nehru advised Barkatullah to return to India. But he said that he would set foot on his home soil only after getting free from the shackles of British slavery. But this was not possible in his life. Diseases had surrounded him. Gadar Party colleagues kept raising money for his treatment. Even in these circumstances he was not ready to stop and rest. He departed from this world on 27 September 1927, fighting for the dream of independence to come true.
Also read: Which is the most polluted country in the world? Pakistan, Bangladesh or Tajikistan
