Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani Shāh-e-Hamadān | |
|---|---|
میر سید علی همدانی | |
 Hamadani as depicted on aTajikistani banknote | |
| Title | Shāh-e-Hamadān |
| Personal life | |
| Born | c. 1314 CE(710AH) |
| Died | 1384 (aged 71–72)(786 AH) |
| Resting place | Kolab,Timurid Empire (present-dayTajikistan) |
| Children | Mir Muhammad Hamadani |
| Parent | Syed Shahab Ud Din (father) |
| Notable idea(s) | Zakhirat-ul-Muluk,Risalah Maktubaat,Awraad-ul-Fatehah,Chahal Asrar |
| Other names |
|
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni[1] |
| Jurisprudence | Shafi’i |
| Tariqa | Kubrawiya |
| Creed | Ashari |
Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (Persian:میر سید علی همدانی;c. 1314–1384 CE) was a PersianSufi saint, scholar, poet and missionary of theShafi’iKubrawiya order, widely revered for spreadingIslam in Kashmir andCentral Asia. He played a pivotal role in shaping the region's religious, cultural, and economic landscape through his teachings, writings, and introduction of Persian handicrafts. Hamadani authored numerous treatises on Sufism andIslamic theology, includingDhakhirat al-Muluk andRisala-i Nuriyya, and established religious institutions across Persia, Central Asia, andSouth Asia. His legacy endures through theKhanqah-e-Moula shrine inSrinagar and his lasting influence on Kashmiri culture.
Hamadani was also addressed honorifically throughout his life as theShāh-e-Hamadān ("King of Hamadan"),Amīr-i Kabīr ("the Great Commander"), andAli Sani ("secondAli").[2]
Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani was born around 1314 inHamadan, Persia (modern-dayIran), into aSayyid family claiming descent from theProphet Muhammad through his cousinAli ibn Abi Talib.[3][4]
His father, Sayyid Shihabuddin, was a local governor, and his family was steeped in Islamic scholarship and Sufism. Hamadani studied under prominent Sufi masters of the Kubrawi order, including Sharafuddin Mahmud Mazdaqani, mastering theology, mysticism, and Persian poetry.[3]
His early education emphasized the Kubrawi focus on spiritual purification and divine remembrance (dhikr), which shaped his later missionary work.[3]
Hamadani spent his early years under the tutelage ofAla ad-Daula Simnani, a famousKubrawiya saint fromSemnan,Iran, the first of the Sufis to criticize the teachings of the School ofIbn Arabi in general, and the concept of "oneness of being" (waḥdat al-wujūd) in particular. As a successor of Simnānī, Hamadānī was an heir to this debate, and Asrār al-Nuqṭah must be viewed in this context.[5]
Sayyid Ali Hamadani travelled widely and preached Islam inAfghanistan,Uzbekistan,China,Syria,India (Kashmir), andTurkestan.[6][7]
The third visit of Sayyid Ali was caused by the third invasion of Persia byTimur in 1383, when he conquered Iraq and decided to oust theAlid Sayyids of Hamadan, who, until his time, had played an important part in local affairs. Sayyid Ali, therefore, left Hamadan with 700 Sayyids and set out towards Kashmir, where he expected to be safe from the wrath of Timur. He had already sent two of his followers, Syed Taj ad-din Hamadani and Mir Syed Hasan Semnani Hamadani, to take stock of the situation. Shib ad-Din became a follower of Mir Syed Hasan Semnani, and so Hamadani was welcomed in Kashmir by the king and his heir apparentQutbu'd-Din Shah. At that time, the Kashmiri ruler, Qutub ad-Din Shah, was at war withFiruz Shah Tughlaq, theSultan of Delhi, but Hamadani brokered a peace. Hamdani stayed in Kashmir for six months. AfterSharaf-ad-Din Abdul Rehman Bulbul Shah, Hamadani was the second important Muslim to visit Kashmir. Hamadani went toMecca and then returned to Kashmir in 1379/80 CE, during the reign of Qutub ad-Din, and spent a year spreading Islam in Kashmir before returning toTurkestan viaLadakh in 1381/82 CE. He returned to Kashmir for the third time in 1383/84 CE to stay for a longer period, but had to return earlier owing to illness. Hamadani died on his way back to Central Asia at a site close to the present-day town ofMansehra in North-WestPakistan.[8] His body was carried by his disciples toKulab,Tajikistan, where his shrine is located.[9]
Hamadani died in 1384, with historical accounts differing on the location—either in theKunar Valley (modern-dayAfghanistan) orSwat (modern-dayPakistan), on his way fromSrinagar toMecca and was buried inKulob,Khatlan,Tajikistan, where his shrine remains a site of veneration.[10][11]
In Kashmir, he is revered as “Shah-e-Hamadan,” (The King of Hamadan) and theKhanqah-e-Moula in Srinagar attracts thousands of pilgrims annually.[12]
Hamadani's teachings influenced subsequent Sufi orders in Kashmir, including theRishi order, and his writings continue to be studied in Islamic scholarship.[10]
His introduction ofhandicrafts laid the foundation for Kashmir's textile industry, and his emphasis on ethical governance inspired rulers in the region. Modern scholars view him as a key figure in the Islamisation of Kashmir and Central Asia, blending spiritual and cultural contributions.[3]
Historical Eidgah Srinagar is also known asEidgah Shah-i-Hamdan. Hamadani started organized efforts to convert Kashmir to Islam. Hamadani is regarded as having brought various crafts and industries from Iran into India, notably carpet weaving; it is said that he brought 700Sayyids with him to the country.[13][9][14]
The growth of the textile industry in Kashmir increased its demand for fine wool, which in turn meant that Kashmiri Muslim groups settled in Ladakh, bringing with them skills such as minting and literary writing.[15][16][17]
Hamadani wrote a book on politics, governance, and social behaviour, called theZakhirat ul-Muluk.[18][19]
Hamadani was a prolific author, producing over 70 treatises and books on Sufism, Islamic theology, and ethics.[3]
Syed Abdur-Rehman Hamdani, in his bookSalar-e-Ajjam, lists 68 books and 23 pamphlets by Sayyid Ali Hamadani.[20]
One manuscript (Raza Library, Rampur, 764; copied 929/1523) contains eleven works ascribed to Hamadani (whosesilsila runs toNaw'i Khabushani; the manuscript contains two documents associated with him).[21]
His writings combined Kubrawimysticism with practical guidance, influencing both scholars and laypeople in the regions he visited.
His most notable works include:
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