Mir Syed Ali Hamdani or Shah Hamdan

The great Sayyid, ‘Ali Hamadani, or Shah-i-Hamadan(“King of Hamadhan”, Iran), also known as Amir-i-Kabir(“the Great Commander”). or the great Amir, or Ali-i-Sani. He was born on Monday, 12th Rajab 714 A.H. (1314 A.C.) at Hamadan in Iran. The chronogram Rahmatullah gives the date of his birth, viz, 714 A.H., and should be taken as his chronogrammatic name.  He was very influential in spreading Islam in Kashmir and has had a major hand in shaping the culture of the Kashmir valley.

His name was Ali, and titles were Amir-e-Kabir, Ali Sa’ani, Shah-e-Hamadan and Mir. Besides them, the Chroniclers had mentioned several other titles: Qutub-e-Zaman, Sheikh-e-Salikan-e-Jehan, Qutub-Ulp-Aktab, Moih-Ul-Ambiya-o-Ul-Mursaleen, Afzal-Ul-Muhaq-e-qeen-o-Akmal-Ul-Mudaq-e-qeen, Al-Sheiyookh-Ul-Kamil, Akmal-Ul-Muhaqqiq-Ul-Hamadani etc.

EARLY LIFE :->

He was born in a noble family in Hamadan. His mother’s name was Fatima and his father’s was Sayyid Shihab-ud-Din bin Mir Sayyid Muhammad Husaini.

EDUCATION:->

Sayyid Hamadani came from an educated family. He was intelligent and quick of mind, and became Hafiz-i-Quran in his very early boyhood. He studied Islamic theology, acquired knowledge, and learnt tasawwuf or the mysticism of the Sufis under the tuition of Sayyid ‘Ala-ud-Din Simnani, who was his maternal uncle. He became, in the first instance, a disciple of Sheikh Abu’l Barakat Taqi -ud -Din ‘Ali Dusti and, after his death, of Shaikh Sharaf-ud-Din Mahmud Muzdaqani in Ray. The spiritual pedigree of Shaikh Muzdaqani has been recorded by Shah Hamadan. Muzdaqani desired him to complete his education by extensive travel in the world, which Shah Hamadan undertook and consquently visited several countries. He journeyed for about twenty-one years, and thus came in contact with several Sufis (mystics) and ‘ulama'(divines) of the age, and profited by association with them.

Spiritual Training:->

Hazrat Ala-Uddin, then, entrusted him to Sheikh Abul Bracket for spiritual training, and after his demise he proceeded to Sheikh Mahmud Mizdiqani, a renowned saint of the time. The saint put him to severe tests and thus removed pride and haughtiness from him and inculcated in him virtues of humility.

Travels:->

According to Amin Ahmad Razi’s Haft Iqlim, Shah Hamadan travelled three times over the whole world and met 1,400 saints. After the completion of his travels, Shah Hamadan returned to his native place. It was after his return that the rise of Timur forced him to leave for Kashmir. Seven hundred Sayyids are said to have accompanied him to the valley in the reign of Sultan Shihab-ud-Din in 774 A.H. Shihab-ud-Din, the reigning monarch of Kashmir, had gone out on an expedition against the ruler of Ohind. Qutb-ud-Din, the Sultan’s brother, who subsequently succeeded him, was then acting for him. After four months’stay, Shah Hamadan left for the scene of battle, and persuaded the belligerents to come to peace. Shah Hamadan then proceeded to Mecca, and came back to the valley in 781 A.H. in the time of Sultan Qutb-ud-Din. After a stay of about two and a half years, he went to Ladakh in 783 A.H. en route for Turkistan. The third visit of Shah Hamadan took place in 785 A.H., but he had to leave Kashmir on account of ill-health, and stayed at Pakhli for ten days at the request of the ruler of that place whose name was Sultan Muhammad.

Illness and Death:->

From Pakhli, Shah Hamadan repaired to the vicinity of Kunar where, after a short stay, he had a relapse on the 1st of Zilhijja, he drank water several times, and on the night of the same day he breathed his last at the age of 72. On his death bed Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim. was on his lips, and this, strangely enough, gives the date of his demise. Shah Hamadan was buried in Khuttalan.

Influence on Kashmiri culture:->

Shah-e-Hamadan has been on the principal historical figures who have shaped the culture of Kashmir. The conversion of the valley to Islam was furthered by the presence of Shah Hamadan is undoubted. His prominent co-workers were :- 1) Mir Sayyid Haider, 2) Sayyid Jamal-ud-Din, 3) Syed Kamal-i-Sani, 4) Sayyid Jamal-ud-Din Alai, 5)  Sayyid Rukn-ud-Din, 6) Sayyid Muhammad, 7) Sayyid Azizullah. They established hospices all over the country which served as centres for the propagation of their religion in every corner of Kashmir, and by their influence definitely furthered the acceptance of the faith of the Prophet of Arabia. Two well-known incidents, in which two of the leading Sanyasis or Hindu Ascetics of the time, together with their followers, accepted Islam at the hands of Shah Hamadan after a trial of their ‘Supernatural ‘ powers, apparently convinced the priest-ridden Kashmiri of the greatness of the Sayyid’s creed.

The present Ziyarat or shrine of Shah Hamadan on the vitasta is said to have been erected in 798 A.H. on the spot where one of these trials took place. This Ziyarat first built by Sultan Qutb-ud-Din, therefore, really represents the great Sayyid’s chillah-khana or the place of retreat and devotion, and not his tomb, which is in Khatlan. It is constructed chiefly of the wood of the deodar pine, and is equipped with a pyramidal steeple of timber capped with brass, and altogether is quite fine to look at.

Shah Hamadan was not only a saint but an author too. He wrote the Zakhirat-ul-Muluk, a treatise on political ethics and the rules of good government, in the persian language. Shah Hamadan was also a Poet. His ghazals or odes are naturally Sufistic. Shah Hamadan was a Multi-dimensional personality. He was a social reformer besides being a preacher. He brought substantial reforms in the lives of ordinary Kashmiris, getting rid of practices like black magic and Sati. He made Islamic teachings known to the people in Kashmir, improved their beliefs, made efforts for the building of their character and laid down a full-proof system for the propagation of the Islam. He introduced the Central Asian architecture in the valley and when fused with the Kashmiri architecture, gave rise to a new style. The most famous example of this is the Khanqah-e-Mualla, the monastery dedicated to him in Kashmir. This building, which contains the room where he stayed on his first visit to the valley, is a beautiful model of wooden architecture of Kashmir, with engravings on walls. Friday prayers are said there where hundreds gather to pray. The sacred relics include the Prophet’s flag, the pillar of the Prophet’s tent, and Shah Hamadan’s walking stick. Non Muslims are not allowed to enter his Khanqah which has a temple of the Hindu goddess Kali within the same premises.Even today the wall of the khanqah facing the river has vermilion smeared on it by the local Kashmiri Pandits , who have been allowed to pray there freely .

His position with respect to Hindus:->
Before Shah-i-Hamadan left Kashmir he ordered the then king Sultan Qutubudin to impose the following sanctions on non-Muslims:

They will respect Muslims.
They will not adopt Muslim names.
If any relation of theirs wants to embrace Islam, they will not oppose it.
They will not sell intoxicating drinks.
They will not give up their traditional dress so that they can be distinguished from Muslims.

Reference:

Sufi,G.M.D (1996). Kashmir Under The Mughals. Kashir: Being A History Of Kashmir(pp.84-92) Delhi:Capital Publishing House.