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Abadi Bano Begum, popularly known'as 'Bi

Aroma', was born circa 1850 in a renowned


family of U. P. She came to occupy a
remarkable place in the history of Freedom
Movement of the Indo-Pakistan sub- continent
for being the fust Muslim woman of the modem
times to tBke active part in politics.
She was married to Abdul Ali Khan who was a
senior official of Rampur State. She had one
daughter and five sons including Maulana
Shaukat Ali and Maulana Muhammad Ali
Jauhar.
She became a widow at the age of thirty
.Although she did not have any fonmal
education yet, she was deeply convinced of the
advantages of acquiring modem education for
the Muslims of the Indo-Pakistan sub- continent
She educated her sons at Aligarh and Oxford;
for that she pawned her jewellery to pay for her
sons education.

During the sessions of the All India Muslim


League in 1917, she delivered the most
touching and forceful speech which left a lasting
effect on the Muslim Ummah. While her sons
were still in Jail this bold and venerable mother
kept alive the fervour for the Khilafat Movement.
She toured the country, addressed large
gatherings of people, which flocked to hear her
and exhorted them to follow the footsteps of her
great sons in their struggle for the unity and
fraternity of the Muslim Ummah. She replaced
her illustrious sons in popularity and leadership
I and the famous Urdu couplet
Boli AIrvna Mohalrvnad Ali Ki
Jaan Baila Khilafal Pay De Do"
became household words and were sung in
every nook and comer of the Sub-continent by
all sections of people irrespective of caste,
creed or sect

After the end of the Khilafat Movement Bi


Amma, however, did not survive for long and
died on November 13, 1924. Her death was a
great loss to the Muslim Nation, but Muslim
women who had come out to work with Bi
Amma were to become a political force to
reckon with and their activities were a
necessary prelude to their active participation in
the forthcoming hectic political struggle of the
Indo-Pakistan sub- continent

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