Ashfaqulla Khan Biography: Age, Height, Career, Family, Personal Life, Movements

Ashfaqulla Khan Biography: Ashfaqulla Khan was born in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on October 22, 1900. He was the youngest of Shafiqur Rahman and Mazharunissa’s six offspring. His father was a member of the police force. When Mahatma Gandhi called for the Non-Cooperation Movement, Ashfaqulla was a high school student. This had a significant impact on him and molded him into a liberation fighter. The British government labeled him a terrorist due to his participation in the Kakori train hijacking.

After the Chauri Chaura incident, Mahatma Gandhi’s withdrawal from the Non-Cooperation Movement depressed the Indian youth significantly. Ashfaqulla was one of these individuals. He felt compelled to immediately liberate India and joined the extremists.

He became acquainted with Ram Prasad Bismil, a prominent Shahjahanpur revolutionary and member of the Arya Samaj. In spite of their religious differences, they shared the goal of liberating India from British control.

On August 8, 1925, the revolutionaries held a meeting in Shahjahanpur. They decided to rob the train carrying government funds in order to purchase armaments. In the village of Kakori on August 9, 1925, a group of extremists composed of Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla, Rajendra Lahiri, Thakur Roshan Singh, Sachindra Bakshi, Chandrashekar Azad, Keshab Chakravarthy, Banwari Lal, Mukundi Lal, and Manmathnath Gupta robbed a train transporting government funds. This event is renowned throughout history as the infamous Kakori Train Robbery.

The police apprehended Ram Prasad Bismil on the morning of September 26, 1925. Ashfaqulla was still on the run. He moved from Bihar to Banaras and began working for an engineering firm there. He was employed there for ten months. Now he desired to study engineering abroad, which will aid him in the liberation struggle. He traveled to Delhi for this reason. He placed his trust in one of his Pathan acquaintances, who pretended to assist him but ultimately turned him over to the police. Ashfaqulla was incarcerated in Faizabad. His attorney was his brother Riyasatullah, who fought the case. The Kakori train robbery case concluded with the execution sentences of Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, and Roshan. The remainder received life sentences.

The execution of Ashfaqulla Khan occurred on December 19, 1927.

Bahadur Shah Zafar Biography: Age, Height, Career, Family, Personal Life, Movements

Ashfaqulla Khan Biography

Born	22 October 1900 (Shahjahanpur, British India)
Died	19 December 1927 (Faizabad Jail British India)
Nationality	Indian
Father	Shafiq Ullah Khan
Mother	Mazhoor-Un-Nisa
Religion	Islam
Elder Brother	Riyasat Ullah Khan
Poet	Ashfaqulla Khan used to write Urdu poems using the pen name of ‘Hasrat’.
Organization	Hindustan Republican Association
Known As	Indian Freedom Fighter
Kakori Train Robbery	The Kakori train robbery, during the Indian independence movement against the British Indian government, was planned by Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan.
Death Sentence	Ashfaqulla Khan was sentenced to death for his involvement in the Kakori conspiracy.
Death	On Monday, 19 December 1927, Ashfaqulla Khan was hanged.
Popular media portrayal	The Bollywood movie Rang De Basanti, starring Aamir Khan, depicts the life of Ashfaq Ullah Khan. His part was played by Kunal Kapoor.

Ashfaqulla Khan and Indian Freedom Movement

Ashfaqulla Khan Biography: Ashfaqulla was among the many Indian adolescents who felt despondent when Mahatma Gandhi abandoned the non-corporation movement following the Chauri Chaura incident in 1922. He believed that India should be liberated as quickly as possible, so he joined the revolutionaries and befriended Bismil.

The Hindustan Republican Association was established by Asfaqullah Khan and Ramprasad Bismil. The Association was founded by Shachindra Nath Sanyal. The objective of the association was to liberate India from British control.

Later, when the British ignored their pleas for independence, the revolutionaries decided to make themselves heard through their actions. Accordingly, on August 8, 1925, they convened a meeting in Shahjahanpur and decided to rob the government treasury carried in the 8 Down Saharanpur-Lucknow passenger train.

On August 9, 1925, Ashfaqulla Khan and eight other revolutionaries, led by Ram Prasad Bismil, robbed a train. The British Government was stunned by the act and dispatched the Scotland Yard police to investigate.

Within a month, the C.I.D. gathered the evidence and made the decision to apprehend the revolutionaries. On the morning of September 26, 1925, Ram Prasad Bismil and others from Shahjahanpur were apprehended, but Ashfaqulla went into hiding and moved to Banaras, from where he traveled to Bihar and worked for ten months in an engineering firm.

Ashfaqulla was apprehended after he was betrayed by a Pathan acquaintance who informed the police that he was planning to flee the country. He had traveled to Delhi to investigate his options. The then-superintendent of police, Tasadduk Husain, unsuccessfully attempted to play communal politics between Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan.

Ashfaqulla Khan and Portrait of Living

Ashfaqulla Khan and his associates were portrayed in the Aamir Khan-starring Bollywood film Rang De Basanti, with Kunal Kapoor playing the role of Ashfaqulla Khan.

Ashfaqulla Khan Death

Ashfaqulla Khan was incarcerated in Faridabad and a case was filed against him. Four individuals, including Ashfaqulla Khan and Ram Prasad Bismil, were given the death penalty for their roles in the Kakori conspiracy.

Before being hanged on December 19, 1927, Ashfaqulla Khan caressed the hanging rope and recited the ‘Shahada’ in Urdu. Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan were executed on the same day, albeit in separate prisons.