''Nonviolent Soldier of Islam'' is a biography of
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Abdul Ghaffār Khān (; 6 February 1890 – 20 January 1988), also known as Bacha Khan () or Badshah Khan (), and honourably addressed as Fakhr-e-Afghan (), was a Pakistani Pashtun, independence activist, and founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar ...
(1890-1988), an ally of
Gandhi's in the
Indian independence movement
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
. Originally written by
Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the '' Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English li ...
in English, foreign editions have also been published in Arabic
[ and several other languages.][ The book was originally published in the United States in 1984 as ''A Man to Match His Mountains: Badshah Khan, nonviolent soldier of Islam''. A second edition was published in 1999 with the title ''Nonviolent soldier of Islam: Badshah Khan, a man to match his mountains''. Both editions include an afterword by Timothy Flinders. The 1999 US edition contains a new foreword by Easwaran, and an enlarged section of photographs of Khan. The book has been reviewed in magazines,][ newspapers,][ and professional journals.] The book inspired the making of the 2008 film '' The Frontier Gandhi: Badshah Khan, a Torch for Peace''.[Allan M. Jalon (2008, Oct. 19).]
A Gandhi-like force for peace
" ''Los Angeles Times'' (retrieved 3 April 2010)
Topics covered
Both US editions of ''Nonviolent Soldier'' are divided into four major parts. Parts one through three tell the story of Khan's life up to Indian independence in 1947. Part four, by Flinders, contains an afterword that describes Khan's life after 1947, and also contains a chronology, as well as a glossary, bibliography, index, maps, and extensive notes on sources.
Reviews and influence
Reviews have appeared in the ''New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'',[ Bill McKibben (1989, May 21). "A guru who offers no guarantees: Easwaran teaches a practical method of self-mastery." '']New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'', pp. 4-5. Review of ''Gandhi the Man'', ''A Man to Match His Mountains'', ''Meditation'', '' The Mantram Handbook'', and ''Conquest of Mind''. the ''Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'', the ''Christian Science Monitor
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρισ ...
'', the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'', ''The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'',[ Bill McKibben (1984, Sep. 24). "Notes and Comment" (in "The Talk of the Town"; discusses Easwaran's ''A Man to Match His Mounts'', a biography of ]Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Abdul Ghaffār Khān (; 6 February 1890 – 20 January 1988), also known as Bacha Khan () or Badshah Khan (), and honourably addressed as Fakhr-e-Afghan (), was a Pakistani Pashtun, independence activist, and founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar ...
). ''The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'', pp. 39-40. "A straightforward yet devoted biography.... By his example, han
Han may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group.
** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
asks what we ourselves, as individuals made from the same stuff as he, are doing to shape history" (pp. 39-40). '' Frontline (India)'',
and ''Kashmir Images''.[; Worldcat states the journal "Provides local and regional news coverage for Srinagar, India"]
In 1985, the ''Washington Post'' stated that "Eknath Easwaran's great achievement is telling an American audience about an Islamic practitioner of pacifism at a moment when few in the West understand its effectiveness and fewer still associate it with anything Islamic."[ A year later, after Badshah Khan had won the ]Bharat Ratna
The Bharat Ratna (; ''Jewel of India'') is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred in recognition of "exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without distinctio ...
, India's highest civilian honor, the same paper again quoted from the book:
In the journal ''History Compass'', a review of resources for teaching about Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
and Pushtu
Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani ().
Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...
populations, stated that ''Nonviolent Soldier of Islam'' was a "highly readable book for the popular market hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
incorporates some of the clearest discussions of an Islamic version of something akin to liberation theology.... its explicitly Gandhian perspective might serve as a useful counterpoint to colonial perspectives" (pp. 548–549).[
In late 2001, the book was discussed in ''Whole Earth'' magazine, which stated that "Perhaps no time is more apt than now to study the life of Abdul Ghaffar Khan."][ (NB: ''Whole Earth'' magazine, ISSN 0749-5056, was preceded by '']Whole Earth Review
''Whole Earth Review'' (''Whole Earth'' after 1997) was a magazine which was founded in January 1985 after the merger of the '' Whole Earth Software Review'' (a supplement to the '' Whole Earth Software Catalog'') and the ''CoEvolution Quarterl ...
'' and later ''Whole Earth Magazine''; in 2003 it was superseded by th
Whole Earth website
The book was also reviewed in '' Yes! Magazine'',[Carolyn McConnell (2006),]
Book Review: Nonviolent Soldier of Islam: Badshah Khan by Eknath Easwaran
, '' Yes! Magazine'', Issue 37 (Spring 2006) (ISSN 1089-6651), accessed 3 April 2010. and elsewhere.[Aisha Muhammed (2002)]
Islam and Nonviolence
review at ''Pace e Bene'' (NB: website states also published in ''The Wolf'', Winter 2002, and also anthologized in a 2009 book)[Nick Megoran (2002, May 11), posted at Eurasianet.org]
/ref>
The publisher quoted Mubarak Awad
Mubarak Awad is a Palestinian-American psychologist and an advocate of nonviolent resistance.
Early life and move to the United States
Awad, a Palestinian Christian (a member of the Greek Orthodox Church), was born in 1943 in Jerusalem when it wa ...
, director of the Palestinian Centre for the Study of Nonviolence
Palestinian Centre for the Study of Nonviolence (PCSN) was founded in 1983 by Mubarak Awad, a Palestinian-American psychologist, and an advocate of nonviolent resistance.
Awad, who was born in Jerusalem, returned to the city on a tourist visa in ...
in Jerusalem, as stating that "This book is a must for every Muslim. The life of Khan can change and will challenge many readers in the Middle East."[Quoted from 1984 edition, inside front cover (paperback) or front flap (hardcover).]
In late 2001, the book was reviewed in '' Frontline (India)'', and described as "crisply written, expertly organised and gripping.... aswaran's/nowiki> subtle grasp of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan's non-violent vision of humanity makes this a very exceptional and special book."[ The reviewer, who stated that "between 1969 and 1988 I was in his han's/nowiki> presence many times," noted that
In the '']National Catholic Reporter
The ''National Catholic Reporter'' (''NCR'') is a progressive national newspaper in the United States that reports on issues related to the Catholic Church. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, ''NCR'' was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964. Hoyt want ...
'', John Dear
John Dear (born August 13, 1959) is an American Catholic priest, peace activist, lecturer, and author of 35 books on peace and nonviolence. He has spoken on peace around the world, organized hundreds of demonstrations against war, injustice and nu ...
described ''Nonviolent Soldier'' as "the best introduction to Khan."[ (accessed 26 November 2010)] Dear
Dear(s) or The Dears may refer to:
Organizations
* Duearity – a Swedish medtech company which trades on Nasdaq First North under ticker symbol DEAR.
Manga
* ''Dear'' (manga), a 2002–2007 Japanese manga series by Cocoa Fujiwara
* ''DearS'', ...
wrote that "over the past few months, as I have struggled to pray for and think about the suffering people of Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
and Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, I have carried around a favorite book, Nonviolent Soldier of Islam."[
The book inspired the making of the 2008 film '' The Frontier Gandhi: Badshah Khan, a Torch for Peace'', which won the top award for documentary films]["MEIFF Announces Winners of 2009 Black Pearl Awards]
retrieved 3 Apr 2010. at the 3rd Middle East International Film Festival at Abu Dhabi in 2009. The film's director, T. C. McLuhan, stated that, upon receiving the book's first edition in 1987 from an acquaintance, "I looked at it and thought, 'I don't know anything about this part of the world,' and three weeks later, at about 3 in the morning, I picked it up and felt all the electrons around me shift."[
]
Editions
The original edition was published in English in 1984 by Nilgiri Press Nilgiri, which literally means "Blue Mountain", may refer to:
* Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of South India
** Nilgiri mountains, a range of mountains spanning the states ...
, and a year later by Random House
Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
. Foreign (non-English) editions have been published in Arabic,Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran (December 17, 1910 October 26, 1999) was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author and translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts such as the '' Bhagavad Gita'' and the Upanishads.
Easwaran was a professor of English li ...
(1987). ''A Man to Match His Mountains'' (1st ed.), translated into Arabic by Wadih Ibrahim Atta. Palestinian Centre for the Study of Nonviolence.
link to Google-translated Arabic page
accessed 3 April 2010.
Indonesian,[Eknath Easwaran (2008). ]
Badshas Khan
'(Leo S. Perwira, trans.). Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Penerbit Bentang. Italian,[Eknath Easwaran (1990). ''Badshah Khan. Il Gandhi musulmano'' (L. Armando, trans.). Italy: Sonda. (252 pages).][Eknath Easwaran (2008). ]
Il Gandhi musulmano. Un'alternativa per Bin Laden
'. Italy: Sonda. (256 pages).
Korean,[Eknath Easwaran (2003). ]
바드샤 칸(역사인물찾기 14) (Nonviolent Soldier of Islam)
' (김문호 immunho/nowiki>, trans.). Seoul, South Korea: Silcheon Munhak (via BookCosmos). , , (452 pages) and Turkish.[Eknath Easwaran (2002). ]
Badşah han: islam'ın silahsız askeri (Badshah Khan: Nonviolent Soldier of Islam)
' (İhsan Özdemir, trans.). Istanbul, Turkey: Timaş yayınları. , (278 pages)
A second edition was published 1999 in the US by Nilgiri Press Nilgiri, which literally means "Blue Mountain", may refer to:
* Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of South India
** Nilgiri mountains, a range of mountains spanning the states ...
, and English-language editions have been published in India. The US editions are:
*
*
*
Indian editions:
*
*
See also
*'' Gandhi the Man'' (by same author, a biography of Gandhi)
*'' Bapu'' (contains record of a visit with Khan and a Khudai Kitmatgir camp)
References
{{Pashtun nationalism
1984 non-fiction books
1999 non-fiction books
Biographies (books)
Books about India
Works by Eknath Easwaran