Historical Connections between South Asia and Anatolia and the Intellectual Convergence of Akif and Iqbal

Abstract

This article offers a comprehensive analytical study of the historical, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual relations between the Muslims of South Asia and Anatolia, reflecting a long-standing and multifaceted connection between these two great regions. The introduction draws on historical references to demonstrate how the mutual interactions among Arab, Turkish, and Indian civilizations gave rise to a unique Islamic civilization characterized by rich scholarly, commercial, and Sufi dimensions. It then explores the relations between the Seljuks of Rum, the Abbasid Caliphate, and the Delhi Sultanate, illustrated through official decrees, gifts, sermons, and other symbols issued by the Caliph. The core of the article focuses on the intellectual contributions and roles of two eminent poet-thinkers, Mehmet Akif Ersoy and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, during a time when the Muslim world was engulfed in decline, foreign domination, and intellectual confusion. Both figures urged their nations to rise beyond mere lamentation or nostalgia for the past, and instead embrace paths grounded in knowledge, unity, selfhood, wisdom, religious consciousness, and moral values. They critically examined both the positive and negative aspects of Western civilization and encouraged their people to harmonize with modernity while remaining rooted in their own cultural and religious traditions.