The Shrine and Cult of Mu'in al-din Chishti of Ajmer

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The reissue of this classic on Shaykh Mu'in al-din Chishti, one of the most revered mystics of the Indian subcontinent, has been long awaited. Currie places him in a historical context, pointing to his social and cultural importance and also traces the history of the shrine at Ajmer in Rajasthan, an important centre of pilgrimage even today.

This book defines the role of Sufi mystics in Islam, and places Shaykh Mu'in al-din in a historical context, disentangling the Mu'in of history from the legendary creation of later chronicles. The author traces the reasons behind the rise of the legend and why it assumed the form it did. He also describes the history of the shrine, and the customs and hierarchy of attendants that have grown up around it in the last five hundred years.

This well written and researched classic will appeal to all visitors to Chishti's dargah. Students and scholars of religion, Islamic studies, history, and philosophy will find it a valuable addition to their repertoire.

About the Author:

P. M. Currie was educated at Sherborne, Cambridge, and Oxford, where he obtained a D. Phil, A retired civil servant he has had postings in Jamaica, Washington, London, and Bonn.

Excerpts from Review:

'Currie's is a classic in a very real sense of being a well-researched early paradigmatic model for probing a major Muslim religious phenomenon in its medieval Indian social-cultural contexts.'

-Asim Roy, University of Tasmania, Australia

'the book represents the first attempt at a comprehensive study of an Islamic centre of pilgrimage in South Asia.'

-Anthropos

'...Currie's work is founded on painstaking research.'

-Journal of Islamic Studies

'Currie has made a detailed study of the shrine and its growth.'

-The Statesman