Abstract
British created the North West Frontier Province-NWFP? (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-KP2) in 1901. Since
its creation, it has gone through continuous freedom movement until 1947. British kept it as a
Chief Commissioner province. They were reluctant to introduce constitutional reforms within it at
par with rest of the Governors’ provinces in British India which played a significant role in stirring
up anti-British feelings in KP. In the beginning of 20‘ century, party politics emerged in KP. It
began with the establishment of urban-based provincial branches of the Indian National Congress
(INC) and the All India Muslim League (AIML) in KP. In 1920s, Khan Brothers (Dr. Khan Sahib and
his younger brother Abdul Ghaffar Khan) became prominent socio-political leaders of the region.
They started an organized movement and founded the Khudai Khidmatgars (KKs). Abdul Ghaffar
Khan’s son Abdul Wali Khan also played a vital role as a freedom fighter in British India. His anti-
British struggle is of much significance. In this paper, the role of KP in general and Abdul Wali Khan
in particular during freedom movement has been focused. The central theme of the paper is: How
the political scenario in India from 1921 to 1947 under British Raj shaped the formative phase of
Abdul Wali Khan’s political career.
