Biographies of Sufis of India from 12th to 19th century. It covers a span of eight hundred years. Sufi movement in India starts from 12th century. Shaikh Ali Hujveri wrote Kashful Mahjub, third important source on Sufism in Lahore, Punjab. Large number of Tazkiras of Sufis were written by ulema and mashaikh in Persian and Urdu. Siyarul Aulia is the first Tazkira of mashaikh of India, compiled by Saiyad Muhammad Mubarak Alavi Kirmani during 14th century. This volume covers the biographies of Sufis of India in English language. Scholars and students, who are not able to consult Tazkiras of Sufis in Persian and Urdu language, will be able to consult the biographies of the Sufis in English language.
S.M. Azizuddin Husain is a well known medieval historian. He served as, Head Department of History, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Languages, Hony. Director, Dr. Zakir Husain Archives, Director, Prem Chand Archives and Literary Centre and Coordinator, Jamia Cultural committee, Jamia millia Islamia, New Delhi. He has also served at Raza Library, Ministry of Culture, Government of India as its Director. A.M.U., Aligarh, has honoured him as "Sir Syed Fellow". Indian Council of Historical Research, Ministry of Education, Government of India, has awarded "Senior Academic Fellowship" to him to work on Biographies of Sufis of India. He served as Professor Azad Chair, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad. At present he is Advisor Bhartiya Bhasha Samiti, Government of India, Ministry of Education, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.
He has penned thirty six books and has also brought out sixtyone publications during his tenure at Raza Library. He has to his credit one hundred eighteen published articles and has presented two hundred eighty three articles in National and International seminars.
He has supervised seventeen Ph.D. and ten M.Phil Scholars and has organized twenty National and International Seminars as well. At present he is Honorary Professor, Maulana Azad Urdu Universtiy, Hyederabad and working on a project -History of Medieval Deccan.
ufis came to India during 12th century AD and divided whole India into their vilayats and worked for the promotion of learning and communal harmony. Punjab and Kashmir was the entry point for sufis. They worked upto Kerala. They worked in Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Carnatic, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Malwa, Deccan and Kerala.
Punjab and Kashmir was the entry point of Sufis coming from Central Asia and Iran. But some of the Sufis came to Deccan and Kerala directly. Some of Sufis first stayed in Multan or Delhi and then moved to Deccan. Earlier they settled down in Multan and Lahore. Sufis played a dynamic role for the promotion of learning and communal harmony in India, since 12th century A.D. That is why Allama Iqbal pays tribute to Shaikh Ali Hujveri and Mir Saiyad Ali Hamedani in these words.
سید ہجویر مخدوم امم مرتد او پیر سنجر را حرم خاک پنجاب از دم او زنده گشت صبح ما از مهر او تا بنده گشت
سید السادات سالار محم
دست او معمار تقدیر امم
Sufis worked in India from 12th century AD. Haji Rumi came to Bijapur in 1137 AD. He was declared as "Aftab-i-Aulia". Saiyad Mazhar Ali came from Rume to Trichnapalli in 1225 AD. Shah Hayat Qalander came from Rume and made Berar as his vilayat in 1260 AD. Sultan Mohd Babaji came from Rume to Deccan in 1271 AD. Saiyad Hisamuddin Tegh-i-Barehna made Gulbarga as his vilayat in 1281. Some Khulafa of Shaikh Nizamuddin Aulia (D.1325) also came to Deccan. Some scholars and historians had written that Muhammed bin Tughlaq (1325-51) transferred his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. Capital of Delhi was never shifted. Muhammed bin Tughluq only sent some ulema and mashaikh to Daulatabad. British historians and Indian colonial historians, who have written History of Deccan, did not cover the role and contribution of Sufis in Deccan. Even Prof. Haroon Khan Sherwani doesn't write it in his History of Deccan, From 20th century western historians are writing about Sufis of Deccan. We don't have Tazkiras of Sufis of Deccan of earlier period. We get Tazkiras of Sufis of Deccan at a much later stage. Mostly these Tazkiras were written in Urdu. Persian Tazkiras are very balanced. Mostly the authors of these Tazkiras were contemporary or near contemporary of those Sufis whose biographies they have recorded. Tazkiras written during 19th century in Urdu are having lot of exaggeration which is misread by Western scholars. Instead of examining their statements, they just copy it.
Whatever, I am today and doing whatever is just due to my teacher Professor Saiyad Nurul Hasan, former Chairman, Department of History, AMU, Aligarh, and former Minister of Education, Government of India, and the founder of Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi.
Before my retirement in December, 2017, I decided to work on Biographies of Sufis of India. I am highly grateful to Indian Council of Historical Research for giving me Senior Academic Fellowship to work on this project. It is not possible to cover this work in one book so I have divided it into volumes. I worte first volume on Sufis of Punjab A Biographical study (13th to 18th century AD) published in 2021. Punjab means the region watered by five rivers. The second volume on Sufis of Deccan A Biographical Studuy, was published in 2024. Now the third volume Sufis of India - A Biographical Study, is before you.
I am thankful to Prof. S. Ainul Hasan, Vice-Chancellor, Maulana Azad National Urud University, Hyderabad, for appointing me as Honorary Professor, Haroon Khan Sherwani Centre for Deccan Studies, as Professor, Maulana Azad Chair and Honorary Professor Centre for Urdu Culture Studies. His support was highly meaningful for me. I am highly grateful to Prof. Ishtiyaq Ahmad, Registrar, for his kind support. I am equally indebted to Prof. Sami Siddiqui, Director of the Centre.
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