Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam Lahore: Social Welfare, Religious Identity, and Community Solidarity in Colonial Punjab

Social Welfare, Religious Identity, and Community Solidarity in Colonial Punjab

Abstract

Abstract
This paper explores the multidimensional contributions of the Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam Lahore (AHIL) in colonial Punjab between 1884 and 1947. It focuses on AHIL’s social welfare activities—particularly orphan care, healthcare, and education—as mechanisms for preserving Muslim religious identity and fostering communal solidarity in the face of colonial rule and missionary activity. By establishing a network of institutions, AHIL sought to resist religious conversion, promote Islamic values, and empower the Muslim population socioeconomically. Through historical analysis of AHIL’s strategies and institutions, this paper contributes to a broader understanding of indigenous Muslim reform movements in colonial South Asia and their role in the emergence of Muslim nationalism. This article argues that Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam played a pivotal role in shaping a distinct Muslim identity in colonial Punjab through its wide-ranging social welfare work addressing issues of education, medicine, Islamic values, and communal cohesion amidst colonial and missionary pressures.