Leading Indian publishing house Roli Books released the autobiography of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan on Friday. The book, titled ‘Frontier Gandhi: My Life and Struggle’, is a translation of the original Pashto manuscript, done by the famous translator Imtiyaz Ahmad Sahibzada.
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, affectionately known as Badshah Khan, was one of the greatest figures of the Indian Freedom Struggle during the British Raj. Inspired by MK Gandhi and his concept of Satyagraha, Badshah Khan applied these principles in the North-Western regions of undivided India, earning himself the title of ‘Frontier Gandhi’.
Badshah Khan was arguably the most powerful leader of the Pashtun community in the 20th century and struggled all his life to uplift his community. He was also an influential leader in newly-formed Pakistan, though he spent most of his life after independence in prison or house arrest. However, despite Badshah Khan being such an influential personality, his personal life is lesser-known. He wrote his autobiography in 1969, and the one published by Roli Books, ‘Frontier Gandhi’ is the only complete English translation of the book.
Roli Book had announced in January that they would publish the autobiography of Badshah Khan. The book was listed for pre-order on Amazon on February 06, which also marked the 131st Birth Anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. The publishing giant also released a trailer for the book on YouTube.
About the Translator
Imtiyaz Ahmad Sahibzada is an expert translator of the Pashto language. Prior to Badshah Khan’s autobiography, Imtiyaz also translated Khan’s son, Abdul Ghani Khan’s collection of poems, titled ‘The Pilgrimage of Beauty’. He translated the autobiography at the request of the great-granddaughter of Khan’s close aide Qazi Ataullah, Shandana Humayun Khan. Imtiyaz has also served at various political and bureaucratic positions in the Government of Pakistan, including is four-year term as the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) of Pakistan.
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