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TWO APOSTLES OF NON-VIOLENCE: Gandhi and the “Frontier Gandhi” in a Rare Inscribed Photograph

Candid portrait of Mahatma Gandhi and Abdul Ghaffar Khan taken by his grand-nephew, Kanu Gandhi (1917–1986), whose family lived at Gandhi's ashram. Kanu received his first camera in 1936 and was permitted to photograph Gandhi on the strict conditions that he would never use flash, the ashram would not finance his photography and Gandhi... TWO APOSTLES OF NON-VIOLENCE: Gandhi and the “Frontier Gandhi” in a Rare Inscribed Photograph

Candid portrait of Mahatma Gandhi and Abdul Ghaffar Khan taken by his grand-nephew, Kanu Gandhi (1917–1986), whose family lived at Gandhi's ashram. Kanu received his first camera in 1936 and was permitted to photograph Gandhi on the strict conditions that he would never use flash, the ashram would not finance his photography and Gandhi himself would never pose for the camera.

This important signed photograph depicts Mahatma Gandhi alongside Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the legendary Pashtun independence leader widely known as the “Frontier Gandhi”. Captured in an informal interior setting, the image brings together two of the most significant advocates of non-violent resistance within the Indian freedom movement.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan, founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar (“Servants of God”) movement in the North-West Frontier Province, became one of Gandhi's closest political and philosophical allies. Deeply influenced by Gandhian principles of non-violence and civil disobedience, Khan organised one of the most remarkable anti-colonial resistance movements of the 20th century among the Pashtun communities of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Photographs depicting Gandhi and Ghaffar Khan together possess particular historical resonance, symbolising a rare political and spiritual alliance that transcended region, language and religion during the final decades of British rule in India. Their partnership represented one of the most powerful demonstrations of non-violent resistance across the subcontinent and remains a potent symbol of inter-communal cooperation and shared moral purpose.

The photograph bears Gandhi's handwritten Hindi inscription, “Bapu”, presented to Anand T Hingorani as a personal gift. More than a conventional autograph, the inscription reflects the close and longstanding relationship between Gandhi and the Hingorani family, whose association with him extended beyond politics into one of personal trust and familial affection.

Anand T Hingorani occupied a uniquely intimate position within Gandhi's circle. A participant in the Dandi March and later associated with the preservation and dissemination of Gandhian writings, Hingorani maintained a relationship with Gandhi that endured for many years. Preserved within the family for decades, the present photograph forms part of an important archive documenting the personal, political and intellectual world surrounding Mahatma Gandhi during the final phase of India's struggle for independence.

This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as a reference for the condition of each lot.

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