In the 1930s, which Indian leader from the North West Frontier Province raised a non violent volunteer corps of about 100,000 Pashtuns called the Khudai Khidmatgars (Servants of God) and affiliated this movement with the Indian National Congress?

Introduction / Context:
In the history of India's freedom struggle, many regional leaders organized local movements that contributed to the larger national effort. In the North West Frontier Province, a remarkable non violent movement was led by a Pashtun leader who created a volunteer corps known as the Khudai Khidmatgars, or Servants of God. This force followed Gandhian principles of non violence and was closely associated with the Indian National Congress. This question asks you to identify that leader by name.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The time frame is the 1930s.
• The region is the North West Frontier Province (now in Pakistan).
• The volunteer corps is called the Khudai Khidmatgars, meaning Servants of God.
• The corps consisted of large numbers of Pashtun volunteers and was affiliated with the Indian National Congress.

Concept / Approach:
The key figure associated with the Khudai Khidmatgar movement is Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, often called Frontier Gandhi because of his commitment to non violence and his close relationship with Mahatma Gandhi. He organized tens of thousands of Pashtuns into a disciplined, non violent movement for social reform and political rights. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel were also top leaders of the Indian National Congress but did not lead the Khudai Khidmatgars. Therefore, the correct answer must be Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the name of the volunteer corps, Khudai Khidmatgars, and its meaning, Servants of God.Step 2: Recall that this movement was based among the Pashtun population in the North West Frontier Province and followed non violent methods.Step 3: Remember that Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, also known as Frontier Gandhi, was the leader who organized this corps in the 1930s.Step 4: Recognize that Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was a prominent Congress leader and scholar, Nehru was a national leader and later Prime Minister, and Patel was known as the Iron Man of India, but none of them led the Khudai Khidmatgars.Step 5: Select Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan as the leader described in the question.

Verification / Alternative check:
Biographical sketches of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan always highlight his role in founding and leading the Khudai Khidmatgar movement. They emphasize his commitment to non violence, his deep faith, and his efforts to reform Pashtun society through education and social service. Standard history texts on the Indian national movement describe how he and his volunteers joined Congress led campaigns, especially during the Civil Disobedience Movement. None of the other listed leaders is associated with creating a separate volunteer corps of Pashtuns under the name Khudai Khidmatgars, which confirms that the correct answer is Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was a senior Congress leader and the first Education Minister of independent India, but he did not lead the Khudai Khidmatgars.
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India and a central leader of the national movement, yet he was not the founder of this Pashtun volunteer corps.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the Iron Man of India and led many campaigns, especially in Gujarat, but he did not organize the Khudai Khidmatgar movement in the North West Frontier Province.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes pick a very famous national level leader, such as Nehru or Patel, whenever they see a question involving the Congress, even if the question is about a specific regional movement. Another mistake is to forget that many different leaders across India adopted non violent methods and are not all the same person. To avoid such errors, associate the title Frontier Gandhi and the name Khudai Khidmatgars specifically with Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. This clear link will help you answer related questions accurately.

Final Answer:
The leader who raised the Khudai Khidmatgars, or Servants of God, in the 1930s was Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.