Religious symbols in mass politics: lessons from the Khilafat movement

The Khilafat movement of 1919 offers historical insights into the role of religious symbols in democratic mass politics. The movement shows how such symbols can effectively mobilise public participation, provided they serve a broader inclusive political agenda rather than becoming narrow ends in themselves.

Historians and political analysts point to the Khilafat campaign as a century-old case study in the intersection of faith and democratic mobilisation. The movement's success in galvanising support demonstrates both the power and potential pitfalls of deploying religious identity in electoral and political contexts.