Leader of the non-violent independence movement in British India’s Northwest Frontier, known as the Frontier Gandhi.
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890 – 20 January 1988) (Pashto/Urdu: خان عبد الغفار خان, Hindi: ख़ान अब्दुल ग़्फ़्फ़ार ख़ान) was a Pashtun political and spiritual leader known for his non-violent opposition to British Rule in India. A lifelong pacifist, a devout Muslim, and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, he was also known as Badshah Khan (also Bacha Khan, Urdu, Pashto: lit., “King Khan”), and Sarhaddi Gandhi (Urdu, Hindi lit., “Frontier Gandhi”). In 1985 he was nominated for the Nobel peace prize. In 1987 he became the first non-citizen to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.
