Gama Pehlwan, born Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt, was an Indian wrestler widely regarded as one of the greatest pehlwans in the history of South Asian wrestling. Active in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, he is celebrated for an undefeated career spanning over five decades and for holding the World Heavyweight Championship in catch-as-catch-can wrestling. He is popularly known as The Great Gama and Rustam-e-Hind (Champion of India).
| Birth name | Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt |
|---|---|
| Known as | Gama Pehlwan, The Great Gama, Rustam-e-Hind |
| Born | 22 May 1878, Jabbowal, Amritsar district, Punjab, British India |
| Died | 23 May 1960, Lahore, Pakistan |
| Community | Kashmiri Muslim (Butt) |
| Discipline | Pehlwani (kushti), catch-as-catch-can wrestling |
| Height | Approximately 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Notable title | World Heavyweight Champion (1910) |
| Patron | Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala |
| Career span | circa 1888–1952 |
Gama was born into a family of wrestlers in the village of Jabbowal in Amritsar district. After the early death of his father Muhammad Aziz Baksh, he was brought up under the guidance of his maternal grandfather Nun Pehlwan and later his uncle Ida Pehlwan. The family later moved to Datia in central India, where the young Gama trained under the patronage of the local ruler.
His training routine became part of wrestling folklore: it is said to have included thousands of baithaks (squats) and dands (Hindu push-ups) daily, along with running, swimming and a high-protein diet of milk, ghee, almonds and meat.
Gama's career was closely linked to the princely state of Patiala, where Maharaja Bhupinder Singh became his lifelong patron. He spent much of his active career at the royal akhara in Patiala, alongside his younger brother Imam Baksh Pehlwan, who was himself a renowned wrestler.
Gama's wrestling style combined the traditional pehlwani grappling of the Indian subcontinent with techniques adapted for international catch-as-catch-can rules. He was known for explosive strength, exceptional stamina and a low centre of gravity that compensated for his modest height.
An iconic feat associated with him is the lifting of the Gama Stone, a roughly 1,200 kg (2,650 lb) cylindrical stone preserved at the Baroda Museum in Vadodara, which he is said to have lifted and carried in 1902.
Gama Pehlwan is regarded as a foundational figure in modern South Asian wrestling. His success in Europe brought international visibility to Indian akhara traditions at a time when colonial narratives often dismissed indigenous physical culture. His training regimen continues to be cited as a model in akharas across India and Pakistan, and he has been an acknowledged influence on later martial artists, most famously Bruce Lee, who is reported to have studied descriptions of Gama's exercises.
His family produced a continuing line of celebrated wrestlers, including his nephew Bholu Pehlwan and the wider Bholu brothers, and through them several generations of Pakistani wrestlers. On 22 May 2022, Google honoured his 144th birth anniversary with a Doodle, reflecting his lasting place in popular memory.