Quick Info
| Profession | Wrestler |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 22/05/1878 |
| Age | 82 years (died on 23, May, 1960) |
| Birthplace | Jabbowal village, Amritsar |
| Date of Death | 23/05/1960 |
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Bio/Wiki
| Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt, commonly known as The Great Gama, was a Kashmiri Muslim pehlwani wrestler and strongman in British India and later Pakistan. In the early 20th century, he was an undefeated wrestling champion. Undefeated in a career spanning more than 52 years, he is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. After the partition of India in 1947, Gama moved to Pakistan, where he died in Lahore on 23 May 1960. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 5'7" |
|---|---|
| Weight | 110 kg |
Personal Life
| Gama moved to Lahore in early 1947 ahead of Indian independence and partition. | |
| During the Hindu-Muslim riots at the time of partition, Gama saved hundreds of Hindus from Muslim mobs in Lahore. | |
| In his final years, he relied on government pension and received financial support from industrialist G.D. Birla, who donated Rs. 2000 and provided a monthly pension of Rs. 300. |
Family
| Father | Muhammad Aziz Baksh |
|---|---|
| Siblings | Younger brother: Imam Bakhsh (1883-1977) |
| Spouse | Wazeer Begum |
| Children | 5 sons, 4 daughters |
| Nephew | Bholu Pahalwan (trained by Gama after retirement; held Pakistani wrestling championship for almost 20 years) |
Career
| At age 10, became well-known for wrestling in his village. | |
| At age 15, entered a strongman competition with 400 wrestlers and finished in top 15; named winner by Maharaja of Jodhpur. | |
| At age 17 in 1895, challenged and drew with Indian champion Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala. | |
| On 23/12/1902, lifted a 1200 kg stone alone in Baroda; required 25 men to lift it later. | |
| In 1910, won world heavyweight championship (Rustam-e-Zamana) in London by defeating Stanislaus Zbyszko, Benjamin Roller, and others. | |
| After return from England, defeated Raheem Bakhsh Sultani Wala to win Rustam-e-Hind title. | |
| Won Indian version of world wrestling championship in 1927. | |
| Remained undefeated over 52-year career; retired in 1952 at age 74. | |
| At age 10 around 1888, competed in a national exercise competition held by the Rajah of Jodhpur, Jaswant Singh. | |
| In 1898 at age 20, challenged wrestlers of the Subcontinent and defeated Ghulam Mohiuddin of Datia. | |
| On 23/12/1902, lifted a 1200 kg stone alone in Baroda; the stone required 25 men to lift it later and is now kept in the Baroda Museum. | |
| In 1904, defeated Badri Brahman Pahalwan in Revan. | |
| Toured London and defeated prominent international wrestlers including 'Doc' Benjamin Roller (USA), Maurice Deriaz (Switzerland), Johann Lemm (Switzerland), and Jesse Peterson (Sweden). | |
| On 15/10/1910, awarded a version of the World Heavyweight Championship (Rustam-e-Zamana). | |
| After retirement, trained his nephew Bholu Pahalwan. |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Gama was known as 'Rustam-e-Hind' and 'Rustam-e-Zamana'. | |
| 2. His diet included 2 gallons of milk, 6 desi chickens, and almond paste tonic drink. | |
| 3. During training, Gama did 5000 squats and 3000 pushups daily. | |
| 4. He lifted a stone over 1,200 kilograms in Baroda. | |
| 5. Gama bested top wrestlers from countries like the USA and France. | |
| 6. Bruce Lee admired and followed Gama's training regimen. | |
| 7. First trained by his father; later trained by Maharaja of Datia after father's death. | |
| 8. Challenged opponents to first defeat his brother Imam Bakhsh (6'3" tall) before facing him, deterring many challengers until 1950s. | |
| 9. During 1947 partition riots in Lahore, saved lives of Hindus on Mohni Road. | |
| 10. Born in the Kashmiri Butt caste in Jabbowal village, Amritsar District, Punjab Province of British India. |