The Great Gama
The Great Gama (born Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt) was a legendary and undefeated titan of Pakistani Pehlwani wrestling, widely revered as the foremost national hero of the sport and one of the most formidable strongmen in history. As a foundational figure of the Pakistani martial tradition, he occupied a position of unparalleled prestige, earning the title Rustam-e-Hind during his early career and remaining undefeated across an extraordinary professional span of more than fifty-two years. Born in 1878 into a prominent Punjabi-Kashmiri family of Jabbowal, his legacy reached its ultimate cultural peak following his migration to Pakistan in 1947, where he became a living symbol of the newly formed nation’s physical strength and indomitable spirit.
The Great Gama’s career is defined by his transition from the arenas of British India to his final years in Lahore, where he was embraced as a national icon. Following the partition, he established himself as the patriarch of a Pakistani wrestling dynasty, most notably through his mentorship of his nephews, the Bholu Brothers, who carried the torch of Pakistani wrestling dominance onto the international stage for decades. His residence in Lahore served as a site of pilgrimage for athletes and admirers, cementing his status as a "primary example" of the invincible champion motif within the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. This family influence persisted long after his death in 1960, with descendants such as Kalsoom Nawaz occupying prominent roles in the nation's political and social fabric.
Beyond the physical feats of his youth—which included securing a version of the World Heavyweight Championship in 1910—the Great Gama remains the apex of Pakistani wrestling heritage. He represents the refinement of the ancient wrestling tradition into a uniquely Pakistani cultural asset, blending the discipline of the akhada with the national identity of a sovereign state. Whether viewed as a paragon of physical endurance or as the "Rustam" of his age, The Great Gama persists as a central figure in the history of global grappling, personifying the deep-seated pride and athletic prowess of the Pakistani people.
