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Great account. Had they not been acquitted they all would have been transported for life to the Andamans!

Reading this book on the Trial of the Ali Brothers and their "co-conspirators" in 1921 has been an eye-opener for me. It shows beyond any doubt that the Indian Muslims played their part in the struggle for Indian independence, promotion of Hindu-Muslim unity, and in following Gandhiji faithfully. It should be a source of pride for all Indian Muslims who are frequently required by some extremists to prove (using the words of Tim Sebastian of the BBC) "their loyalty to India every six months". Both Maulana Mahomed Ali and Shaukat Ali were the products of Aligarh and Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew was the chief of the agitation in Amritsar that ended with the notorious Jallianwala bagh massacre ordered by General Dyer. It shows the strong commitment of Shri Shankaracharya for promoting Hindu-Muslim unity. All of the six accused (except Shri Shankaracharya) were sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment. Thank you RBSI for posting this book; I now know more about Indian history. It also shows that the British did follow proper court procedures although the judgemnet seems to have been made before the trial.

The way this trial was conducted reminds me of the equally infamous trial of King Bahadur Shah Zafar in Delhi in 1858. I see strong parallels. Both were 'Kangaroo courts' with judgements ready before the trials.