Ayodhya mosque may be named after warrior Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah
(Sourced from PTI)
The proposed mosque in Ayodhya that is set to be built following the Supreme Court verdict in the Babri Masjid case may be named after Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, a warrior of the 1857 mutiny against the British. A discussion was already underway on whether it should be named after Mughal emperor Babar, as the Babri mosque was named after him, or someone else.
"The Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation (the Trust constituted by the Sunni Waqf Board to oversee the construction of the mosque) is seriously considering naming it after Shah, who was known as the 'Lighthouse of Rebellion' in the Awadh region," Trust Secretary Athar Hussain said.
To make the Ayodhya mosque project a symbol of communal brotherhood and patriotism, the Trust has decided to dedicate the project to Shah, who represented these values and was also a true follower of Islam. Hussain said, "We have got suggestions regarding the same from different platforms. It is a good suggestion. We will officially announce it after deliberations."
During the freedom struggle, Shah had launched revolts in the Awadh region. He made the local mosque, Masjid Sarai, located in the Chowk area of Faizabad his headquarters. As he liberated Faizabad and a larger part of the Awadh region, he used the premises of this mosque to hold meetings with rebel leaders.
British officers like George Bruce Malleson and Thomas Seaton have made mentions of his courage, valor, and organizational capabilities. Malleson has repeatedly mentioned Shah in the History of Indian Mutiny, a book on the Indian revolt of 1857. Shah was martyred on June 5, 1858.
According to historian Ram Shankar Tripathi, besides being a practicing Muslim, Shah was also the epitome of religious unity and the Ganga-Jamuni culture of Ayodhya. In the 1857 revolt, royalties like Nana Sahib of Kanpur and Kunwar Singh of Arrah fought alongside Shah. His 22nd Infantry Regiment was commanded by Subedar Ghamandi Singh and Subedar Umrao Singh in the famous Battle of Chinhat.
The Supreme Court in 2019 ruled in favor of the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot an alternative five-acre plot to the Board for a new mosque at a prominent place in UP. The State allotted a five-acre land in Dhannipur, Ayodhya and the blueprint of the mosque was unveiled on December 19.
