Abadi Bano Begum was born in 1850 in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. She was a prominent voice in the Indian Independence movement. She was also known as Bi Amma and was one of the first Muslim women to participate actively in politics and freeing India from British Raj.
She was married to a senior official, Abdul Ali Khan in the Rampur state and the couple had one daughter and five sons. Unfortunately, her husband died at a very young age and all the responsibilities came upon her to look after her children. To educate her children she had to pawn her jewelry due to lack of resources. She sent her children to English-medium school in the town of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh even though she was uneducated. Two of her sons Maulana Mohammad Ali Jouhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali became leading figures of the Khilafat movement and also the Independence movement. They played an important role during the Non-Cooperation movement against the British Raj.
Abadi Bano Begum was a part of Khilafat Committee and she even took part in active politics. In 1917, to release Annie Besant and her two sons from prison, she joined the agitation. As she could get the support of women in the freedom movement, Mahatma Gandhi encouraged her to speak. The Muslim community of British India was deeply moved by the speech she delivered in 1917 during the sessions of the All-India Muslim league. To galvanize support for the Khilafat movement she travelled extensively throughout India.
Khilafat and Indian independence movements benefited greatly from the fundraising efforts of Abadi Bano Begum. A number of women-only gatherings were addressed by Begum Hasrat Mohani, wife of Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Basanti Devi, Sarala Devi Chaudhurani, and Sarojini Naidu, who encouraged women to donate to the Tilak Swaraj Fund, which was established by Bal Gangadhar Tilak to support Indian freedom. Until her death in 1924, she was active in the freedom movement.
Source: Purvi Taneja, Contributor for CCRT