The first Indian provisional government in exile

 

When at the end of 1914 the WW1 broke out, Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh took a bold and epoch making decision of travelling to Europe to seek for International allies to fight against British Colonialism and drive the brutal exploitationary regime out of the Indian soil by force. He got in close touch with Birendra Nath Chattopaddhay through Indian activists who were connected with Congress politics earlier and were active in Europe fighting for emancipation of their dream of a free Motherland.

Shyamji Krishna Varma, Lala Hardayal and others arranged the union. Switzerland being a neutral country was the venue. By that time Moulavi Barkatullah had also joined hands with Chatto, Pillai and others of Berlin Indian Committee. Chatto, being an energetic and efficient leader had by then established a good liaison with German Foreign office. He had organised and brought under his leadership a large section of Indians studying and working in different countries of Europe.

He also had established contact with some of the underground revolutionary leaders on the ground in India like Bagha Jatin. Chatto arranged for sending arms to them from Germany with the consent and help of German hierarchy so that they can wage guerrilla warfare against the colonial British forces to weaken its grip on India. His dream was to forge a unity of foreign countries supporting Indian Freedom and form an Army comprising of Indian POWs in the hands of Germany and Ottomans and Indian youth staying in  different countries of Europe.

This is what Raja Mahendra Pratap also was thinking. Since they had concurred on the Indo-Turco-German alliance, a plan of action had to be worked out. It was decided that the aforesaid Ad-hoc Indian Army would invade India from the west with Afghan help and the different freedom loving Tribes of NWFP and Kashmir would immediately join them so that they can march forward. They hoped that on seeing the success of the Revolutionary forces different Cities and areas would revolt against the British, under respective freedom loving leaders, who had been fighting against the British rule in India since long.

The plan suited the Germans and Ottomans fine since the enemy was common and they were already engaged in War with the British. With a political background of working with Congress leadership for quite some time and having a Royal descendance (in India, respect to Royal heritage is enormous, as we know) young Mahendra Pratap Singh became a natural choice to lead the heterogeneous Front. We will see other elements with common goal joining them later. His exposure to world politics while taking part in Balkan War and South Africa Campaign also influenced the decision. First he met the German Supremo Kaiser Wilhelm.

Chatto could arrange the audience easily thanks to his German Foreign Office connections. Kaiser being confident about the plan and Singh's will and conviction gave his go ahead signal. Mahendra Pratap wanted to spend some time with German Army to gain first hand experience about their functioning. It was promptly arranged.  All set, he was honoured by the Kaiser with an Order of the Red Eagle and got German Credentials to proceed with his Mission. Their next stop was Vienna where they met the Khedive of Egypt Abbas Hilmi who ensured his support to the cause of waging war for India's Freedom.

On this trip Raja Mahendra Pratap was having Moulavi Barkatullah with him who worked hard to create the bridge of communication with the Islamic World. Now their destination was Istanbul. There they had several meetings with the Turkish Ottoman leaders and finally the Sultan's Son in Law and Defence Minister Enver Pasha assured them about the full support of the Ottoman Empire. After getting Turkish Credentials they proceeded towards Kabul. At Isfahan they were met by a 2000 strong contingent of forces courtesy the Ottomans and reached Kabul on 2 October 1915.

There they met Emir of Afghanistan Habibullah and handed over the German and Turkish letters of support to form a Provisional Indian Government in Exile to wage War against Britain. The Emir promised to support them to execute their plan and many in the Afghan Royal family were very enthusiastic about it. Part of Afghanistan was also conquered earlier by the British and they fought to take possession of the whole country though never succeeded. So the Royal sentiment was sympathetic towards the Indian cause.

On 1 December 1915 finally the First Indian Provisional Government in Exile was formed in a formal function arranged at the Palace of Afghanistan Emir Habibullah. Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh was the President and Moulavi Barkatullah became the Prime Minister. Besides Moulavi Ubaidullah Sindhi was declared the Home Minister,Moulavi Bashir the Minister of War and Champakaran Pillai the Foreign Minister. German Foreign Office had a great role to play in this and their representatives Otto von Hentig and Oscar Neidermeyer were the main players on the ground.

Here in the cabinet we find some new names. Moulavi Ubaidullah Sindhi and Moulavi Bashir came from Darul Uloom Deoband. They had been Professors there. Being antagonistic to the British policy of disintegration of the Ottoman Khilafat, they decided to travel to Afghanistan first and from there to other countries of the Muslim world to fight for Islam and its Caliph.

They came to Kabul and started to work there to persuade the Afghan Emir and leadership to rise to the occasion. Some of their colleagues including the Deoband chief Mahmoodul Hasan travelled further to other countries. The Deobandi leadership also found that they could further their cause by joining hands with this Provisional Government with their followers in fighting and defeating the British. Champakaran Pillai was a leader of the Berlin Committee, which later was transformed into Indian Independence Committee that was a broad based conglomerate of various groups of Indians working for Independence.

Chatto, in the meantime had contacted the Khairi Brothers who were very influential in the Indian Western Frontiers and could help a great deal in organising the Tribals of North West Frontier Province of India. Moulavi Barkatullah became Editor of Afghan news journal Siraj-al-akhbar where he and Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh used to write inflammatory articles to arouse the people to fight against British brutality. The Prime Minister declared Jihad against British India. The Government in Exile was getting prepared to start the invasion. But the Afghan Emir took a go slow strategy. His stake of going against the British was high.

So he was weighing the situation. The German and Turkish Ottoman emissaries also tried their best but could not get a clear go ahead signal from him. By 1917 things in different fronts in WW1 started to go against the Germans and they finally lost interest in the plan. Meantime, the President Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh established contact with the Bolsheviks of Russia. He tried to get the support of Nationalist China and Japan as well.

After the success of the Russian Revolution Mahendra Pratap visited Leningrad and met Trotsky and Lenin to seek their support. Meetings went well and the Communist leadership was positive but real support was difficult to come by. The infant Bolshevik Russia was fighting its own problems of counter revolution to create solid ground under its feet. In the meantime curtains were being drawn on WW1,the British/French/US side emerging as the clear winners. There being no hope of success the First Indian Provisional Government in Exile was dissolved.

Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh was only 32 years of age and the Afghan Emir was under heavy pressure to extradite him so that the victors British could trap him and put him under trial for sedition.  He eas feclared a fugitive and a bounty on his head was also declared. But he being from a Royal family himself, was in a very good relationship with many in the Royal family including the would be King Amanullah.

So he remained in Afghanistan and when Amanullah became the Ruler after the death of Emir Habibullah in a palace conspiracy, Mahendra Pratap was even sent to different countries including Tibet(where he met the Dalai Lama) and Japan to represent Afghan interest. In 1925 he finally relocated to Japan and published World Federation magazine which tried to utilise the tumultuous time between the two World Wars to preach for a free India. In 1940 when WW2 was fast approaching, he formed an Executive Board of India while he was still in Japan. Later the work was taken up by Rash Behari Bose and still later by Netaji Subhash.

His later achievements in life on his return to India has been enumerated earlier. It will not be out of place to mention here that Mahendra Pratap Singh was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize as early as in 1932. Our deepest respect remain for this Revolutionary Freedom Fighter.
(Concluded)


The writer is a travel enthusiast and history buff.