Shāh-e-Hamadan and the Transformation of Kashmir
Many of the beautiful aspects we associate with Kashmir are closely related to Shāh-e-Hamadan, Shaykh Mīr Sayyid ʿAlī Hamadānī. He was a Sayyid, a Sufi Shaykh, a polymath, a craftsman, and a social reformer who reshaped the cultural DNA of the Kashmir valley.
Here are some interesting facts about the Shaykh:
- Following the emergence of the need to reform the caste-ridden society of Kashmir, his master, Shaykh Sharaf ad-Dīn Maḥmūd Muzdaqānī, advised him to travel to Kashmir.
- Before that, he had already traveled around the world three times over a span of 21 years, spreading the teachings of Islam in many countries, including China, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Pakistan, and Turkistān.
- During his travels, he gathered around 700 Sayyids (though some historians claim that while many of them were Sayyids, not all were) from regions such as Iran, Iraq, Kabul, Kandahār, and Bukhārā, before proceeding to Kashmir.
- When Sayyid Hamadānī arrived in Kashmir, there were reportedly 12,000 idol-makers in the region. Not only did he preach the beautiful teachings of Islam to them, but he also provided alternative and more productive professions for their livelihoods.
- The renowned Kashmiri shawl, celebrated around the world, was introduced and established as an industry by Sayyid Hamadānī.
- Shaykh Hamadānī introduced numerous arts and crafts to Kashmir, as many of his followers were skilled artisans. These included shawl weaving, carpet-making, papier-mâché, calligraphy, silverwork, brass smithing, and bookbinding. Historians note that he transformed Kashmir into a “minor Persia.”
- Shaykh Hamadānī himself earned his living through cap-making, demonstrating his humility and dedication to self-sufficiency.
- He authored more than 50 books on various subjects. His most famous work is Zakhīrat al-Mulūk, which deals with politics, governance, and social behavior.
- Shaykh Hamadānī is also credited with introducing the philosophy of Ibn ʿArabī to South Asia. He wrote Hall al-Nuṣūṣ ʿalā al-Fuṣūṣ, a commentary on Ibn ʿArabī’s Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam.
The great philosopher-poet Allāma Iqbāl wrote about him:
Sayyid-us-Sādāt Salār-e-ʿAjam
Dast-e ū Miʿmār-e-Taqdīr-e-Ummam
“The Sayyid of Sayyids and a leader of Iran;
his hand shaped the destiny of nations.”
- Islamic Culture In Kashmir
- World Religions and Islam: A Critical Study
- The History Of Sufism In India
- Muslim Mirror etc.
