. ▁I q bal ▁demanded ▁a ▁Muslim ▁state , ▁regardless ▁of ▁whether ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁self - g overn ment , ▁or ▁whether ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁within ▁the ▁British ▁Empire . ▁ ▁I q bal ▁is ▁widely ▁cred ited ▁for ▁his ▁work ▁in ▁encourag ing ▁the ▁political ▁re ju ven ation ▁and ▁emp ower ment ▁of ▁Muslim s , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁poet ▁not ▁only ▁in ▁India ▁and ▁Pakistan , ▁but ▁also ▁in ▁Iran ▁and ▁Muslim ▁nations ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁ ▁Independ ence ▁of ▁Pakistan ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Indian ▁re bell ion ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁Muslim ▁soldiers ▁and ▁regional ▁k ings ▁fought ▁the ▁forces ▁al lied ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁in ▁different ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Raj . ▁The ▁war ' s ▁spark ▁arose ▁because ▁the ▁British ▁attacked ▁the ▁" Be ast ly ▁custom s ▁of ▁Indians " ▁by ▁forcing ▁the ▁South ▁Asian ▁soldiers ▁to ▁handle ▁En field ▁P - 5 3 ▁gun ▁cart rid ges ▁gre ased ▁with ▁l ard ▁taken ▁from ▁sla ugh tered ▁p igs ▁and ▁t allow ▁taken ▁from ▁sla ugh tered ▁c ows . ▁The ▁cart rid ges ▁had ▁to ▁bit ten ▁open ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁gun pow der , ▁effectively ▁meaning ▁that ▁se po ys ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁b ite ▁the ▁l ard ▁and ▁t allow . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁manifest ation ▁of ▁the ▁dis reg ard ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁exhib ited ▁to ▁Muslim ▁and ▁H indu ▁religious ▁trad itions , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁re jection ▁of ▁P ork ▁in ▁Islam