RELATIONS OF THE SUFIS WITH THE RULERS OF DECCAN (14^" -17^" CENTURIES) ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF Bottor of ^I)Uo£iopI)p IN HISTORY BY FATIMA MARYAM UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PROF. TARIQ AHMED CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH-202002 (INDIA) 2012 ABSTRACT Scope of the work: This thesis studies the emergence of Muslim culture in the medieval Deccan with a particular focus on the impact of various Sufi orders. It charts their spread in the Deccan, studies the establishment of khanqahs in various cities and analyses the attitude of different orders vis-a-vis the medieval ruling elite. The study takes into account a broad time-span which begins with the foundation of the Bahmani kingdom in 1347, covers the period of the succession states that emerged on the debris of the Bahmani kingdom, and ends with the disintegration and Mughal conquest of the last surviving independent kingdoms of Bijapur and Golconda in 1686 and 1687 respectively. In this long time-span the thesis notices the flowering of several Sufi orders: some major orders such as the Chishtis and the Qadiris, and also those who had a comparatively limited popularity in the Deccan such as Shattaris, Junaidis, Nimatullahis and Naqshbandis. All these orders had slight differences in their trajectories of thought and in their stance towards the temporal authorities. The study of these differences remains the main focus of my study. The region of Deccan became a fertile ground for mystics even before the Muslim political annexation began, and the process received an impetus during the Tughlaq period. Muhammad bin Tughlaq's Deccan experiment and the subsequent exodus of Muslim population from north to the south converted Deccan into a Muslim cultural centre and nurtured the formation of the Bahmani kingdom, the earliest Muslim state established south of the Narmada. From this time onwards Deccan also became a subject of discussion among the Sufi circles of Delhi. The present study traces the emergence of Sufi orders in this region, analysis the trajectories of their thought and evaluates their relations with the changing political scenario during the Bahmani and later its succession states. It also makes an attempt to identify the drift in ideals among some later Sufis of the Deccan that eventually lead to growth of popular Islam in the area. Muslim Culture and Suflsm in the Medieval Deccan: With the establishment of the Bahmani Sultanate, Deccan became a fertile ground for Sufis and cities such as Daulatabad, Gulbarga, and Bidar became urban centres and places of Sufi settlements. Organised mystic efforts in the Deccan had begun as a result of Muhammad bin Tughlaq's historic decision to make Devagiri, a second administrative capital of the Sultanate. A large number of Sufis had to migrate which affected the khanqah life of Delhi. The shifting to Daulatabad though caused a serious setback to the Sufis initially, it made Daulatabad, Khuldabad, Gulbarga, Bidar, Bijapur, Gujarat and Malwa, in due course of time, active mystic centres in the south. Some of the major Sufi orders which operated in the Deccan may be classified into two: the north Indian immigrant orders, such as Chishtis, Junaidis and Shattaris; and the 'Alien' orders such as Qadiris, Naqshbandis and Nimatullahis. The former group of Sufis had migrated from the north while the latter group came to the Deccan from Persia, Central Asia and places outside the subcontinent and established themselves in Bidar, Bijapur and Aurangabad. The credit for introducing the Chishti order in the Deccan goes to Shaikh Burhan-ud-din Gharib (d. 1338) an illustrious successor of Nizam-ud-din Auliya, who settled in Daulatabad. His younger brother Muntajab-ud-din Zarbakhsh also acquired great fame. During the 13*- 14* centuries, the Chishti order held its sway in the Deccan. Eminent Sufis such as Amir Hasan Sijzi (d. 1335), Shaikh Zain-ud-din Daud (d. 1369) and Saiyid Gesudaraz and others made the Chishti order deeply entrenched in the society. Burhanpur, Gulbarga, Bidar, Daulatabad, Aurangabad and Bijapur became known centres of the order in Deccan. Among the Junaidis, who settled at Khuldabad, many were well known jurists, qazis and imams of their times. Shaikh Ayn-ud-din Ganj-ul-ilm (d. 1392) was a great scholar and a prolific writer but most of his works have not survived now. The thesis notes that some of the later Chishti and Junaidi Sufis of the Deccan drifted away from their principles after the establishment of Bahmani kingdom. They neglected the moral ethos, accepted grants and jagirs, became loyal to the ruling authority and appointed their own family members as successors, all of which was looked down upon by the early Sufi masters. The Shattaris made their way to the Deccan in the late 15* century. They sharply reacted to the Shiite policies of Adii Shahi rulers of Bijapur and deeply influenced the life of the people. They developed a close relationship with the rulers and tried to influence them through their teachings. Shaikh Muhammad Ghaus of Gwalior (d. 1562) was the most important Sufi of this order and Shaikh Abdullah Shattar (d. 1485) arrived in Deccan with many followers and laid the foundations of the Shattari order in the region. Burhanpur emerged as one of the strongest and most influential centre of the Shattaris. Shaikh Arif (d. 1585), Shaikh Tahir (d.l594) and Shaikh Isa (d. 1622) played a prominent role in establishing the order there. Later, Shaikh Burhan started strenuous mystic activity in Burhanpur and holds the same position for the Shattari order as Muhammad Gesudaraz holds for the Chishti order. He never approved of participation of Sufis in the politics and was critical of those who accumulated wealth. He maintained a madrasah where students came from all parts of the country. Among the 'alien' orders, the Qadiri order reached Deccan in the 15 century. Bijapur emerged as the chief centre of the order and soon Warangal, Ahmadnagar, Kumool, Hyderabad, Golconda, Burhanpur and Khandesh became its active centres of activity. The Qadiris of the Deccan, with the exception of the Nimatullahis, were direct descendants of Abdul Qadir Jilani (d. 1166) of Baghdad and championed his teachings of remaining aloof from the rulers. Saiyid Shah Ismail (d. 1456), Ibrahim Makhdumji (d.l564). Shah Abul Hasan Qadiri (d. 1635) and Saiyid Shah Jamal (d. 1590) and Abdul Latif Laobali (d. 1637) were known Sufi masters of the Qadiri order who settled and preached in different locales in Deccan. The Nimatullahis, which was a branch of the Qadiri order, became a part of the ruling class by marrying in royalty and accepting jagirs and lands. They took active part in mulki (locals) and non-mulki (foreigners/aliens) politics, enthroning and dethroning rulers, participating in wars etc. With time, they became part of the royalty, nobility and the army. Nimatabad was named after Shah Nimatullah Kirmani. His grandson, Nurullah was elevated to the status of malik- ul-mashaikh and was given precedence over other Sufis. Later, Shah Nimatullah's son Shah Khalilullah (d. 1455) also came and settled in Bidar along with his two sons, both of whom were married in the royal family. The NimauUahis thus developed matrimonial ties with the royal family and became involved in the political intrigues as well. The nature of their activities suggest a clear departure from the teachings of the founder of the Qadiri order and is also in contrast with the non-involvement of other Qadiri contemporaries in the political affairs of Bidar. The last of the Sufi orders to reach Deccan was the Naqshbandi order in the 16* century. The Naqshbandis were the most sober and orthodox among all Sufi orders and strictly attached themselves to the principles established by their ancestors in India and abroad. This thesis looks at how these Sufi orders flourished in the newly emerging centres, and analyses in what respects they differed fi-om their north-Indian counterparts and how they were reacting to the attempts of the rulers to enlist their cooperation. The kingdoms that rose after the breakup of the Bahmani Kingdom sought the help of Sufis in the consohdation of their power. They offered rich endowments to the Sufis who in return would give them moral support and whipped the public opinion in their favour. However, each order had its own ideology and definite principles in regard to the relations with the state. The Deccan Sufis adjusted their religious attitudes and that of their khanqahs to the evolving social and political ethos. Though many of them gained an officially sanctioned status, they gradually compromised on some of their most fundamental principles. Structure of the work: The thesis covers the period from the earliest arrivals of Muslims in the Deccan, the establishment of different ruling dynasties, the formation of Sufi linkages and establishment of khanqahs, and their relations with the ruling elite till the end of 17* century. The study begins with a detailed analysis of the early arrival of Muslims in the Deccan, first as traders and then as conquerors. Drawing both from traveller's accounts and secondary sources, the chapter suggests that much before the political annexation of the region began, Deccan had already witnessed the presence of Muslim colonies and had flourishing trade relations with other parts of Islamic world. We also get names of Sufis who were present at this time, though their accounts are no longer extant. The reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq (r. 1325-1351) proved a turning point in the history of Islam in Deccan. During this period, we find the emergence of a substantial Muslim culture which later came to sustain the early Muslim kingdoms in the 14 century.