Formation of Bombay Khilafat Committee in 1919

The question asks about the year a Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay specifically to defend the temporal powers of the Khalifa. This event is linked to the broader Khilafat Movement in India.

Context: The Khilafat Movement

The Khilafat Movement was a significant political and religious movement started by Muslims in British India during the early 20th century. Its main goal was to pressure the British government regarding the future of the Ottoman Sultan, who was considered the Caliph (Khalifa) – the religious leader of Muslims worldwide. Indian Muslims were concerned that the British government would dismember the Ottoman Empire after World War I, which they believed would undermine the Khalifa's religious authority and temporal powers.

Formation of the Committee

• In response to these concerns, various Khilafat Committees were established across India.
• One such important committee was formed in Bombay.
• This committee was established in March 1919.
• Its primary objective was to organize and mobilize support for defending the Khalifa's traditional rights and powers.

Therefore, the correct year the Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay to defend the Khalifa's temporal powers is 1919.