Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt, better known as Gama Pahelwan was one of the greatest wrestlers of his times. Before partition he was the champion of undivided India, holding the title of Rustam-e-Hind and also recognised as the world champion. Reportedly he remained unbeaten in a career spanning 52 years and his feats set a standard that was astonishing to contemplate.
His descendants who were also skilled and strong wrestlers succeeded in keeping the tradition intact. Unfortunately they did not get the due credit and recognition that they deserved. One of them was Gama’s younger brother Imam Baksh. He was a towering giant of a wrestler. Standing 6 feet 3 inches, he had a physique to match the world’s best wrestlers.
In April 1910, Imam Baksh, along with his brother Ahmed Baksh and another Pahelwan named Gamu, traveled to England to compete in European wrestling tournaments. In one bout Imam Baksh defeated Swiss champion John Lemm. The bout brought forth all the skills and strengths of the sport and Imam Baksh got the opportunity to showcase his strength.
Gama’s rising stature
Thereafter, the great Gama himself acknowledged the rising stature of his younger brother. In a historic wrestling event in 1918 in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Gama passed on the title of Indian Champion to Imam Baksh after he defeated Rahim Sultaniwala in just 20 minutes.
This victory solidified Imam’s reputation as a formidable wrestler, even earning praise from Henry Werner, a knowledgeable wrestling expert. Werner believed that Imam Baksh was no less than Gama in any way, but due to various reasons Imam Baksh did not get as much publicity and credit as his older brother Gama.
In the mid-1940s, Gama added a stipulation for all his challengers. The condition was that any wrestler, who wanted to challenge him, would first have to defeat his younger brother Imam Baksh. Imam Baksh’s contributions to the sport and his enduring spirit remain an integral part of wrestling history of India.
Sons continue tradition
Imam Baksh’s sons–Bholu, Hassu, Azam, Aslam, Akram and Goga Pahelwan continued the family tradition. In the world of wrestling, they became famous as the Bholu Brothers. The family’s involvement in wrestling included the ownership and operation of several wrestling gyms.
Bholu’s akhada known as Dar-ul-Sehat, was located in Karachi. It was a basic mud wrestling arena within a courtyard. Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liaqat Ali Khan, allotted this building to the Gama family to be used for training the nation’s youth. The Government of Pakistan used to provide a special grant to Bholu Pahalwan’s family as recognition for their services to the sport.
Bholu Pahelwan
Bholu’s real name was Manzoor Hussain and he was the eldest son of Imam Baksh. He lived in Amritsar as a boy but moved to Lahore in 1947 after partition. He fought his first match in March 1939 at Minto Park (now called Iqbal Park) in Lahore against Ahmad Baksh. In a glittering career Bholu defeated European wrestlers including Karl Pojello, George Zbisko, Emil Koroshenko, Baron Von Heczey, and Jeji Goldstein. He won the Rustom-e-Pakistan title in April 1949 by defeating the top ranked Pakistani wrestler, Younus Gujranwalia of Punjab.
Bholu received the Pride of Performance award from the Pakistan government in 1962. He died on March 6, 1985 in Pakistan. His son Nasir Bholu was also a good wrestler.
The next son after Bholu was Hassu (real name Hussain Bakhsh). He was a part of the Bholu Brothers, but he gave up wrestling at an early stage, and hence he is not as well known as his brothers.
Azam Pahelwan
Azam (alias Raja) was born in 1925, in Amritsar, India. He was an introvert and religious person. He faced many grapplers in Pakistan, India, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. He was amazingly flexible and agile. Whenever thrown on the mat, he always landed on his feet. With a body weight of only 180 pounds, he could tackle super heavyweights like Gora Singh and Baron Von Heczey. He defeated the American Champion, Ron Reed.
Akram Pahelwan
Akram was born in 1930 in Amritsar, and when he became an adult, he was approximately 120 kg and stood 6 feet tall. In 1953, he was given the name “Double Tiger” in East Africa after his victories there. Akram lost some of his fights but remained active in professional wrestling until he lost an important match of his career against Japan’s Antonio Inoki in 1976.
Aslam Pahelwan
Aslam Pahelwan was an adopted son of Gama. He was huge, weighed more than 300 pounds, and stood 6 feet 4 inches. He was trained by the famous Hamida Pahelwan, one of the elite wrestlers during the British Raj.
Goga Pahelwan
Goga’s real name was Moazzam and he was born in 1937 in Amritsar. He was trained by the Great Gama for 15 years. He was lightly built but displayed lightning quick reflexes. Goga battled with several famous wrestlers including Tiger Joginder, Ganpat Andolkar, Eric Taylor, Earl Maynard, Karl Kox and others.
However, after the Second World War had ended, the European public’s interest in wrestling began to fade. Sponsors were difficult to find and the tours by Indian wrestlers gradually reduced. Not many were willing to see them in action any more. The great Indian wrestlers of undivided India became the last torch bearers of a famous tradition but are fondly remembered by fans even today.
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