*Bi Amma Abadi Bano Begum Amrohvi*

Abadi Bano Begum was a unique and unparalleled freedom fighter connected with India’s First War of Independence in 1857. Regrettably, this lady’s patriotism and sacrifice have not been discussed in history in the same way as other thousands of freedom fighters have been remembered. 

Abadi Bano Begum was born in 1850 in Mohalla Darbar Siyan, Amroha. She belonged to a distinguished and well-placed family of the city. Her grandfather Ghulam Maula Khan and father Muzaffar Ali Khan were counted among the eminent people of the city in their time. 

When Bi Amma grew up, she was married in 1868 to Faiz Abdul Ali Khan, who held a responsible position in the court of Rampur. Bi Amma had four sons and one daughter with him. After the birth of her fourth son, Bi Amma’s husband passed away suddenly, because of which she had to live a life of struggle and hardship. 

She came to Amroha with her two elder sons, Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali. There she first educated the children with full dedication, and then, by selling her jewelry, she got Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali to graduate from Aligarh and later had them complete post-graduation in Modern History from Lincoln College, Oxford, London. 

When Mohammad Ali returned from Oxford with an M.A. in 1898, he served in the Baroda Civil Service for 7 years. Bi Amma’s fundamental purpose in shaping the personalities of both her sons was to make them fighters for India’s independence — in which Bi Amma not only succeeded, but both her sons went on to become important figures in the history of free India as the “Ali Brothers.” 

The Khilafat Movement of the Ali Brothers is a golden chapter in the country’s freedom struggle. Seeing their struggle for Khilafat and India’s independence, Mahatma Gandhi took Bi Amma along with him. In this way, Bi Amma and her sons Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali became leading figures in the freedom movement because of their truthfulness, capability, and learning. Regarding the freedom struggle, in areas where Muslims were in the majority, Mahatma Gandhi sought Bi Amma’s help. 

In 1923, a gathering of Indian freedom fighters was held in Delhi. When the first convocation ceremony was held at Jamia Millia Islamia, and the research scholars wore gowns, Bi Amma removed her burqa in the gathering, saying: _“The British government has unveiled the walls of India and the English have hoisted their flag. Now I will wear the burqa only when my country’s own flag flies over the Red Fort.”_

At the age of 74, she passed away in 1924.