Sufi Amba Prasad

Amba Prasad, (1858-1919) also known as "Sufi" Amba Prasad, was an Indian nationalist and pan-Islamist leader notable for his involvement in the agrarian unrest in Punjab in 1900s and subsequently in the Revolutionary movement for Indian independence.Harvnb|Ahluwalia|1965|p=353] Prasad was born in 1858 in the north Indian city of Moradabad, then in the United Provinces (now in Uttar Pradesh). Prasad was born without his right hand. He later worked as a journalist in Moradabad when he became involved in the emerging nationalist movement. He was at this time the editor of the "Peshwa". His editorials were noted for sarcastic and unsparing criticisms of the Punjab government policies. He was incarcerated twice in 1897.Harvnb|Rai|1978|p=19] Harvnb|Yadav|Singh|2006|p=25] In the 1900, Prasad became involved in the agrarian movement that was emerging in Punjab in response to the much criticised Bari Doab Canal act and the Colonization act.His associates at the time included Sardar Ajit Singh (uncle of Bhagat Singh), Mahasha Ghaseeta Ram, Kartar Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai. In 1906, Prasad was one of the key founding members of the Bharat Mata Society.Harvnb|Radhan|2002|p=351] A crackdown later forced him to flee India for Nepal in 1907, where he was granted asylum by Deva Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. Prasad later fled India for Persia.Harvnb|Gupta|1972|p=84]

Around the 1910s, Indian nationalists groups, especially pan-Islamic ones, were growing in Turkey and Persia under the leadership of Sardar Ajit Singh and Sufi Amba Prasad who began their worked there around 1909.Harvnb|Yadav|1992|p=29] The recruits to these groups included young radicals of the likes of Rhishikesh Letha, Zia-ul-Haq, and Thakur Das. By 1910, the activities of these groups and their publication, the "Hayat", had come under the observation of British intelligence, while .Harvnb|Yadav|1992|p=30] However, Ajit Singh's departure in 1911 brought the Indian revolutionary activities to a grinding halt, while British representations to Persia successfully curbed whatever activity that remained in the country.

However, as World War I began, Prasad again became involved in the Indian revolutionary conspiracy. He was at this time associated with Indian revolutionaries of the likes of Har Dayal and Mahendra Pratap.Harvnb|Punjab Government|1962|p=14] Sufi worked with the revolutionaries of the Berlin Committee in Mesopotamia and Middle East, attempting to spread propaganda among Indian troops of the Indian expeditionary force. His attempts were directed at organising Indian troops into a nationalist force incursions from the western border of India from Persia, through Baluchistan, to Punjab. Amba Prasad was joined during the war by Kedar Nath Sondhi, Rishikesh Letha and Amin Chaudhry. These Indian troops were involved in the capture of the frontier city of Karman and the detention of the British consul there, and also successfully harassed Percy Sykes' Persian campaign against the Baluchi and Persian tribal chiefs who were aided by the Germans. [Harvnb|Sykes|1921|p=101] Harvnb|Herbert|2003|p=] The Aga Khan's brother was killed while fighting the rebels. [cite web
author = Singh, Jaspal
publisher = panjab.org.uk
url=http://www.panjab.org.uk/english/histGPty.html
title= "History of the Ghadar Movement"
accessdate=2007-10-31] The rebels also successfully harassed British Forces in Sistan in Afghanistan, confining them to Karamshir in Baluchistan, and later moving towards Karachi. Some reports indicate they took control of the coastal towns of Gawador and Dawar. The Baluchi chief of Bampur, having declared his independence from British rule, also joined the Ghadarites. It was not before the war in Europe turned for the worse for Turkey and Baghdad was captured by the British forces that the Ghadarite forces, their supply lines starved, were finally dislodged. They retreated to regroup at Shiraz, where they were finally defeated after a bitter fight during the siege of Shiraz. Amba Prasad Sufi was killed in this battle, but the Ghadarites carried on guerrilla warfare along with Iranian partisans until 1919. [cite web
author = Asghar, S.B
publisher = www.dawn.com
url=http://www.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/050612/dmag14.htm
title= A famous uprising
date=June 12, 2005
accessdate=2007-11-02] The works of Amba Prasad had a significant impact on Bhagat Singh.

References

*Harvard reference
Surname1 = Punjab Government
Given1 = Public Relations Dept
Year = 1962
Title = Advance
URL =
Publisher = Punjab
ISBN=.
*Harvard reference
Surname1 = Ahluwalia
Given1 = M. M.
Year = 1965
Title = Freedom Struggle in India, 1858 to 1909
URL =
Publisher = Rajit Printers & Publishers
ISBN=.
*Harvard reference
Surname1 = Gupta
Given1 = Manmathnath.
Year = 1972
Title = History of the Indian revolutionary movement
URL =
Publisher = Somaiya Publications
ISBN=.
*Harvard reference
Surname1 = Rai
Given1 = S. M.
Year = 1978
Title = Punjabi Heroic Tradition, 1900-1947
Year = 1978
Publisher = Punjabi University
ISBN=.

*Harvard reference
Surname1 = Yadav
Given1 = K.C.
Surname2=Singh
Given2= Babar
Year = 2006
Title = Bhagat Singh: Making of a Revolutionary : Contemporaries' Portrayals
URL =
Publisher = Hope India
ISBN= 8178710595.
*Harvard reference
Surname1 = Radhan
Given1 = O. P.
Year = 2002
Title = Encyclopaedia of Political Parties
URL =
Publisher = Anmol Publications Pvt ltd
ISBN= 8174888659.
*Harvard reference
Surname1 = Yadav
Given1 = B. D.
Year = 1992
Title = M. P. T. Acharya, Reminiscences of an Indian Revolutionary
URL =
Publisher = Anmol Publications Pvt ltd
ISBN= 8170414709.