The Life and Times of Shaikh Nizam-U’D-Din Auliya

Description

One of the most charismatic personalities of South Asia, Shaikh Nizam-u'd-din Auliya was leader of the premier Chishtiyya order in Delhi from 1244—1325. A scholar and a mystic, he left a lasting impression on the life and thought, not only of his contemporaries, but also of subsequent generations. Renowned historian K. A. Nizami provides here an account of the saint's legacy and spiritual quest that displays documentary history at its best. Nizami brings alive the story of the saint's life, from his birth into an immigrant Muslim family; his childhood as a fatherless boy; his growing up years in Delhi; to his work spread over sixty years. Arguably the most popular saint of the Delhi Sultanate, the Shaikh's role in the history of South Asia was of immense significance. Revolutionary in his approach to religious activity, he was convinced that the service of man was the essence of religion. Without entering into direct conflict with the state he influenced the tone of imperial rule through his lay disciples who were also courtiers. Nizami examines here the relationship between the saint as the spiritual master and the sultan as political ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. Nizami judiciously sifts fact from fiction, through careful critical reading of records of conversation (malfuzat), biographical accounts (tazkirahs), letters, and early medieval manuscripts including the Qiwam-u'l-‘Aqa'id used for the first time here to reconstruct the Shaikh's life. In the current milieu debate rages over whether politics and religion can ever be fully separate and how identities exist and transform within these realms. This new edition with a detailed foreword by Bruce B. Lawrence is an informative and absorbing read.