Abstract
The ongoing attempt examines role of landed elite of the Shahpur District in transforming political scenario of the Colonial Punjab (1923-1947). Owing to their huge owned pieces of fertile land, the landed aristocrats of the Shahpur District played a crucial role in politics of the Punjab in an era of rapid sociopolitical and constitutional changes. The research paper has reflected the formation of the Unionist Party, clash between the Unionist Party and the All India Muslim League, socio-political and constitutional reforms introduced by the Unionist Government and role of the landed elite of the Shahpur District in these
reforms. The manifesto of the Unionist Party attracted landed aristocracy of the Shahpur District and renowned landed elite of the District including Umar Hayat Tiwana, Firoz Khan Noon, Khizr Hayat Tiwana, Allah Bakhsh Tiwana, Muhammad Hayat Qureshi and Sultan Ali Nnngiana joined it. The Unionist Party remained in power from 1923 to 1947 and its leadership tried very hard to maintain communal harmony, to control law and order and uplift the rural areas of the Punjab. In addition to this, the power struggle between the All India Muslim League and the Unionist Party has been minutely evaluated, that how both the
parties came close to each other by signing Sikandar-Jinnah Pact and what were the reasons of conflict between the Quaid-i-Azam and Khizr Hayat Tiwana. The research paper further encapsulates role of landed aristocrats of the Shahpur District, that how they joined the Unionist Party and how some of them parted their ways and joined the All India Muslim League’s struggle for a separate homeland of the South Asian Muslims. The researcher has presented in this paper, role of landed elite of the Shahpur District in political scenario of the Colonial Punjab keeping in mind Gaetano Mosca’s Elite Theory that has been employed to validate this work.
Manzoor Abbas Maken, Maqbool Ahmad Awan. (2021) Political Scenario of Colonial Punjab 1923-1947: Role of Landed Elite of the Shahpur District, Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society, Volume 34, Issue 1.
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