Abstract:

The relations between the Indian subcontinent and the Turks started with the Hephthalites prior to Islam and continued with the Ghaznavids after Islam. Although the last Indo-Turkish Empire had ruled the region until the Indian uprising of 1857, afterward, the Indian subcontinent came under the rule of the British. The people of the region, which had become a colonial state, considered it their duty to be on the side of the Ottoman State because they were satisfied and grateful for the administration the Turkish rulers had implemented in their lands. After the Ottoman Empire took over the caliphate, a spiritual bond was established between the Muslims of the subcontinent and the Ottoman Empire, and the relations between these two societies gradually increased. The people of the subcontinent followed the situation of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Wars with concern and provided all kinds of material and moral support to their religious brothers and the last independent Muslim Turkish State. In this context, Indian Muslims during the Balkan Wars had two important activities supporting the Ottoman Empire. One was the Indian Red Crescent Society, and the other was the Anjuman-i Khuddâm-i Kaaba [Society of the Servants of Kaaba]. This article discusses the situation of the Ottoman Empire during the Balkan Wars, the activities of Indian Muslims, and their reflections on Urdu literature.

Keywords: