The Political position of Ulemas of Daru-l Ulum Deoband

Abstract

The article contains the political positions and experiences of the ulemas of the Daru-l Deoband school, as well as a brief history of the institution. Daru-l Deoband, founded in 1866 as a madrasan in the Indian town of Deoband, is not only an educational institution that provides religious education, but is also considered a school of thought. The establishment of Daru-l Deoband was mainly spearheaded by ulemas in India and they also established the main principles of the madrasan. The second half of the 19th century was a politically difficult period for India. It was the beginning of the national liberation struggle of the Indian people against the colonial rule of the British. In such turbulent times, Deobandi scholars could not stay out of political processes. Along with the Hindu people, Muslim scholars also took an active part in the national liberation struggle and even led some uprisings. In the first half of the 20th century, there were two different views among the Deobandi scholars regarding the future of Indian Muslims: the first group wanted the Indian state to remain independent and intact, while the second group advocated the need to create a separate state for Muslims. The first group belonged to the Ulama of India and supported Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement. And the second group created the organization of Islamic scholars. As a result, the independent state of Pakistan was established in 1948. Deobandi scholars continued to influence the politics of Pakistan through various parties. Over time, two groups were formed based on the Deobandi idea. The first is the Tablighi Jamaat, the second is the Taliban movement. The first of these was engaged in religious missionary work, while the second had political ambitions. The article analyzes the political side of the Daru-l-Ulum Deoband school and focuses on the two organizations mentioned above.