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

233 Pages·2006·30.306 MB·English

by  P. M. Currie

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M Ley INDIANA UNIVERSITY
THE SHRINE AND CULT OF
MU‘IN AL-DIN CHISHTI OF AJMER
Shaykh Mu‘in al-din Chishti was one of the most revered mystics of
the Indian subcontinent in the thirteenth century. His tomb in
Rajasthan is a centre of pilgrimage even today.
This book defines the role of Sufi mystics in Islam, and places Shaykh
Muin 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, sociology, and philosophy will find it a valuable addition
to their repertoire.
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.
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This volume is sponsored by
the Inter-Faculty Committee for South Asian Studies
University of Oxford
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Oxford University South Asian Studies Series

THE SHRINE AND CULT OF
MU‘IN AL-DIN CHISHTI
OF AJMER
P. M. CURRIE
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CY9L
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A004
INCIARA UNIS

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OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
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OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
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Published in India
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© Oxford University Press, 1989
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
Database right Oxford University Press (maker)
First published 1989
Oxford India Paperbacks 1992
New edition 2006
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ISBN 13: 978-019-568329-5
ISBN 10: 019-568329- 3
* Printed by De Unique, New Delhi 110 018
Published by Manzar Khan, Oxford University Press
YMCA Library Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi 110 001
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To my Father
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Original from
Digitized byG oogle INDIANA UNIVERSITY
Contents
List of Plates and Figures viii
Acknowledgements
Transliteration
. The Role of Saints in Islam

S The Quest for the Mu ‘in al-Din Chishti of History 20
N The Legend of Mu‘in al-Din Chishti 66
L A History of the Shrine of Mu‘in al-Din Chishti 97
A
The Pilgrimage to Ajmer 117
V
The Khuddam 141
A
N The Sajjada-Nishin 148
E The Administration of the Dargah 164
The Endowments and Finances of the Dargah 174

Y Conclusion 185
S
-
Appendices
Appendix I The English texts to inscriptions 189
of importance in the Ajmer Dargah
Appendix II Phonetic transliteration of terms
used in the text 193
Appendix III Documents of offerings made
to the khuddam 195
Appendix IV A digest of Mughal madad i-
ma‘ash documents 198
Bibliography 201
Index 213
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Figures
Sketch map of Mu‘in al-din’s travels according to
the Siyar al Awliya’, Siyar al-‘Arifin, Siyar al-Aqtab
and the Hasht Bahisht. front endpaper
Genealogy of the Sajjada-Nishins of the Ajmer Dargah. back endpaper
Figure 4.1 Plan of the Shrine of Mu‘in al-din Chishti. page 104
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Acknowledgements
I would like to record my gratitude to Simon Digby for his
supervision and encouragement, to the many in Ajmer who
assisted me, to the Oriental Institute and Exeter College,
Oxford, for financial support, to Imam Muhammad Ahmad
Ovaisi and Afsaneh Mashaikhi for help with the translations,
and to my father for the index. :
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