The Khaksar movement was established by Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi in 1931, with the aim of freeing India from the rule of the British Empire.

[6][7] Around 1930,[a] Allama Mashriqi, a charismatic Muslim intellectual whom some considered to be of anarchist persuasion,[9] revisited the principles for self-reform and self-conduct that he had laid out in his 1924 treatise, entitled Tazkira.

He incorporated them into a second treatise, Isharat, and this served as the foundation for the Khaksar movement,[8] which Roy Jackson has described as being "... essentially to free India from colonial rule and to revive Islam, although it also aimed to give justice and equal rights to all faiths.

He offered a force of 30,000 well-drilled soldiers for the internal defence of India, 10,000 for the police, and 10,000 to provide help for Turkey or to fight on European soil.

[citation needed] On 19 March 1940 just 3 days before All India Muslim Leagues most momentous meeting, at least 32 or as much as 300 Khaksars, including their Pivotal Leader Agha Zaigham were mercilessly killed by the Punjab Police under the command of the SP Mr. D. Gainsford in Lahore.

[10] Due to the movement's rigid manifesto and strict policies to adhere to their own ideology, it often came into conflict with the ruling British government.

[5] During the partition itself, the Khaksars took a vow to do what they could to protect those in distress; this resulted in many lives being saved, including Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims.

[citation needed] The Khaksar was banned in India after the government launched a crackdown against organizations dedicated to promoting communal hatred or preaching violence in the aftermath of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

[6][15] Mashriqi had said in 1931 that the Khaksar movement had three distinct objectives; "to emphasize the idea of superiority of God, unity of the nation and service to mankind".

The movement workers were required to bear their own expenses and find spare time for work of social welfare in the community.

[20] Some Khaksar's wore the Punjabi style turban on their head with the cloth flowing down and a fan shaped shamla peaking up.