Razakars (Hyderabad)
1940s Muslim anti-accession militia in Hyderabad / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Razakars ("volunteers") were a paramilitary volunteer force in Hyderabad State, formed in the lead up to the Annexation of Hyderabad to make up for the inadequate size of the Hyderabadi army.[1]
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Formation | 1938 |
---|---|
Founder | Bahadur Yar Jung |
Dissolved | 1948 |
Type | Paramilitary volunteer force |
Purpose | Support of the Nizam, Sir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, resisting the integration of Hyderabad State into India |
Headquarters | Hyderabad |
Region served | Hyderabad State |
Leader | Bahadur Yar Jung Qasim Razvi |
Affiliations | Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen |
Formed in 1938 by the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Bahadur Yar Jung,[2] they expanded considerably during the leadership of Qasim Razvi before India's invasion of Hyderabad. Made up of both Muslims and Hindus,[3] some Razakars were deployed against rebels in Telangana who were launching an insurrection (Telangana Sayuda Poratam) against the state's feudal lords like doras and deskhmukhs,[4] although by 1948, the Communists began working in collaboration with the Razakars.[5]
During the period November 1947–August 1948, when Hyderabad was under a Standstill Agreement with India, the Indian government made repeated demands to the Nizam of Hyderabad to disband the Razakars, which were all turned down. In the eventual armed invasion launched by India, dubbed a 'police action', the Razakars formed the main resistance to the Indian Army.[6] The Nizam surrendered and agreed to disband the Razakars.[7] Qasim Razvi was initially jailed and then allowed to move to Pakistan where he was granted asylum.[8]