Abstract
The Azad Islamia Madrassa Utmanzai, an educational institution founded by Abdul Ghaffar khan in the Charsadda area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, served as a breeding ground of freedom fighters in the first half of the twentieth century. Abdul Ghaffar khan, a feudal lord of Hashtnagar and the Red Shirt leader, was impressed by the thoughts of Sheikhul Hind Maulana Mahmoodul Hassan, Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi and Maulana AbulKalam Azad, the wellknown political stalwarts of India being in the forefront of the Indian freedom struggle. The Deoband Madrassa and the JamiaMillia Delhi, the two known religious Institutions of the time, looked after by the political stalwarts, served as role model for the Azad Madrassa Utmanzai. Deoband and Jamia Millia, however, survived the adversities of the time and serves the subcontinent up to the present day. The Azad Madrassa, on the other hand, could not survive longer than two decades. This article explains the structure, goals, resources, functions and direction of the Madrassa and explores facts as to why the institution remained shrouded in obscurity.