Abdurrahman Peshawari, also known as Peshawarli Abdurrahman Bey or Abdurrahman Samdani, was born in 1886 in Peshawar, then the capital of British India's North-West Frontier Province. His father, Ghulam Samdani, was a wealthy Kashmiri contractor who migrated to Peshawar in 1880 and endowed two mosques there. One of 13 children, Abdurrahman was well-educated locally and studied at Aligarh. Fair-skinned and a wrestling enthusiast, he admired Ottoman history, leading his brothers to nickname him "Turki Lala" (Turkish Older Brother). To delve into the life and achievements of Lala Turki, various sources were consulted, including a document published by Tarih Haber in 2014 and a blog by Fahri Sarrafoğlu published in 2024.
Driven by Islamic Solidarity
Driven by a sense of Islamic solidarity, Peshawari volunteered for the Ottoman Empire in 1912. That year, the Indian Red Crescent Society sent a medical delegation to Istanbul led by Dr. Ahmed Mukhtar Ansari. The team comprised five doctors, seven paramedics, and ten male nurses, arriving on December 30 and working at Kadırga Hospital. After receiving medical training, Peshawari served in the Ottoman army as a medic and soldier until 1918. He served in Beirut and the Balkans and fought in the Gallipoli campaign against the British navy, where he was wounded three times.
Service to the Turkish Republic
After World War I, he dedicated himself to the new Turkish Republic, working directly under Atatürk's leadership in two critical roles. In 1920, he became one of the first journalists at the Anadolu Agency (AA), founded on Atatürk's instructions to spread nationalist messages during the War of Independence. Abdurrahman Peşaverî played an active role in the Turkish War of Independence and, as a founding employee of the Anadolu News Agency, he informed Western public opinion about Greek massacres in Anatolia.
Diplomatic Mission to Afghanistan
Kemal Atatürk dispatched him to Kabul as the first representative of the Grand National Assembly. After a difficult four-and-a-half-month journey evading the British, he reached Kabul, where King Amanullah Khan gave him a palace. An interesting personal account of the conversation between Anadolu Agency and Abdurrahman Peshawari's nephew was published in 2023, describing his dedication. "His mother wanted him to come to Peshawar and see her. Of course, other relatives also wanted this. But he refused. At that time, Peshawar was under British Indian rule. He said he would not visit a country that had become a slave. 'My homeland is under occupation. I will not go to lands under British occupation.' When his mother begged, he replied: 'Mother, I cannot return while Anatolia is under occupation.'"
Mr. Salim Khan states, "We were raised with a love for Türkiye. Our uncle Peshawari is buried in Türkiye. Türkiye is not only his country but also ours." He served as the first ambassador of the Grand National Assembly (GNA) government to Afghanistan from 1920 to 1922. During his tenure, a significant step was taken with the Turkish-Afghan Friendship Treaty signed in Moscow on March 11, 1921. Securing the GNA's first foreign recognition through a Treaty of Friendship was a major achievement for Abdurrahman Peshawari.
Tragic Death and Legacy
On the night of May 21, 1925, he was shot by three unknown men in Nişantaşı. The bullet damaged his lung and spine, paralysing him. He breathed his last on June 30, 1925, and was buried in Maçka Cemetery. A marble tombstone was erected by his friend Esad Fuad Tugay. Some claim that he was mistaken for Hüseyin Rauf Orbay, a prominent Turkish politician and prime minister of Turkey in 1922-23, due to his fair complexion.
Commemoration and Preservation
A photo exhibition was held in Istanbul in May 2025 to honour the 100th anniversary of Peshawari's death. The exhibition was organised by the Turkish Ministry of National Education, Istanbul University, and the Yunus Emre Institute. Even President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has fondly remembered Turki Lala and his heroic struggle. A report by TRT Haber in 2023 highlighted how Peshawari's nephew, Mr. Salim Khan, is preserving his legacy. His family home in Peshawar is adorned with photographs of his uncle with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. These are considered primary sources documenting his legacy in Turkey and Pakistan. A dedicated book titled "Abdurrahman Peşaveri" was published in 2024 by the Turkish Red Crescent Academy.
Need for Greater Recognition
Pakistan needs to preserve the history of such legends, who displayed undaunting courage, vision, and spirit, and revitalised the enduring bond with the Ottoman Empire as well as the Republic of Türkiye. Lala's family has been preserving this legacy through its efforts. The Pakistan Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate in Istanbul have honoured Lala Turki for his historic struggle, but more needs to be done to preserve this bond. There are also some formal and informal forums working for this cause, including the Abdurrahman Peshawari Brotherhood Platform, the Yunus Emre Institute, Mr. Salim Khan's archives in Peshawar, Anadolu Agency, and TRT Haber. There is a dire need to build on these platforms through collaboration between Turkish and Pakistani academia and the embassies and consulates of Türkiye and Pakistan in their respective countries. The story can also be promoted through digital and social media, as well as the medium of cinema. Dedicated websites and docudramas could be developed to highlight the everlasting story of such legends.
In a nutshell, Abdurrahman Peshawari lived the life of a legend and fought for a cause that he considered more important than anything else, leaving a legacy of a genuine bond of friendship and brotherhood between the people of Pakistan and Türkiye forever.
Adeela Naureen and Waqar K Kauravi are freelance journalists. They can be reached at adeelanaureen@gmail.com and waqarkauravi@gmail.com.
