During the Civil Disobedience Movement, who led “Red Shirts” of North-Western India ?

During the Civil Disobedience Movement in the 1930s, the 'Red Shirts' or 'Khudai Khidmatgars' (Servants of God) were led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in the North-West Frontier Province [c1][c2]. Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as the 'Frontier Gandhi' or 'Badshah Khan', organized this volunteer brigade pledged to non-violence and the freedom struggle [c1][t4]. The movement was originally a social reform organization focusing on education and eliminating blood feuds among the Pathans but became highly politicized after joining the Indian National Congress in 1929 [c2][t3]. Under his leadership, the Red Shirts played a pivotal role in the Civil Disobedience Movement, notably during the Qissa Khwani Bazaar massacre in Peshawar, where they faced severe British repression with unwavering non-violence [t1][t6]. His influence transformed the traditionally martial Pathans into a disciplined force of non-violent revolutionaries [c5][t4].

Sources

1. [1] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > The Second Civil Disobedience Movement > p. 288
2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Civil Disobedience Movement the Salt Satyagraha and Other Upsurges > p. 375
3. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Civil Disobedience Movement > p. 810
4. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khudai_Khidmatgar