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The Pirzada (Peerzada) family | |
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Current region | Turkey Iran Afghanistan Pakistan India Bangladesh |
Etymology | Persian for "Son of a saint" |
Pirzada is historically described as official owners of Sufi mausoleums and shrines in Muslim lands, with their earliest mentions being in Baghdad, Iraq, during the period of the Ilkhanate, Timurids and Mamluks. Often a Pirzada was a descendant of those buried within the tomb they were assigned to, hence most of the Pirzadas are Syeds.
The word Pirzada comes from a Persian word, Pir (Persian : پیر) which means elder [1] and the suffix zada means; son of. It also serves as surname for their ascendants in many Indo-Aryan cultures and their accompanying languages, with Pirzada translating into "the son of a saint" in Persian. Today, predominantly-Muslim families bearing the name can be found in various regions around the world, including Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Much of their lineage can be traced to the central Asian plateaus, consisting of the Soviet Union's former republics, such as Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Chechnya, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Much of the modern-day Pirzada diaspora derives from the mass migration of the community from Central Asia towards several different areas immediately at a date that is estimated to be sometime during the 15th century.
The origins of Pirzadas as they lay in Central Asia also translated into their presence in the realms of the former Ottoman Empire. As late as 1710, Ottoman census records indicate Pirzadas residing in Turkish municipalities such Istanbul, Denizli, Bursa, and Tokat, with their professions revolving around textiles, finance, and military service. Cüneyt Pirzada held the rank of Binbaşı, or Major, in the Kapıkulu Süvarileri, or Six Divisions of Cavalry of the Ottoman Empire, as per records from 1741. The Pirzadas of Turkey also practiced carpet-weaving in much the same fashion as their counterparts in the Indian subcontinent, with Ottoman tax receipts displaying a thriving artisan practice in Tokat as late as 1874.
Pirzadas were first recorded in modern-day Persia during the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1785 to 1925. Census records indicate their first presence being in the village of Urmia, close to the border with Azerbaijan, in the year 1783, although they had been a mainstay in the region for close to a century prior. Originally a farming community, Pirzadas eventually began to emerge as an astute family of financial bankers in the cities of Tehran and Qom, with tax records indicating their roles as facilitators of mercantile trade and credit among officials of the Qajar dynasty and foreigners wishing to ship their wares to Persia. Some Pirzadas eventually harnessed their financial backgrounds for the purpose of the Qajar themselves, with an upwards of six generations of the family serving as civil servants and bureaucrats for the government till the last-recorded instance of 1911. In addition, Pirzadas combined their expertise in textiles and finance in order to benefit from Isfahan's status as the artisan hub of Islamic crafts and goods, as the family not only wove, but handled the business behind their own autonomous carpeting businesses.
The Pirzadas of Afghanistan were relatively few in number: the community never expanded beyond a few dozen patrons of a single family, although a minority of them are found in the city of Ghazni.
The Pirzadas in Bangladesh are a diverse group, descending from various different Sufi pirs. The Pirzada is considered to be the one who is nominated by the Sufi to the gaddi nasheen . [2] Among the notable historic personalities who were known by the title of Pirzada are Pirzada Muhammad Ahmadullah, a Sufi saint of Rajshahi, and the Pirzada of Sylhet who lead the Muharram Rebellion in 1782. [3]
The earliest recorded instance of the surname lays in a Mughal court official named Nur-ud-din Pirzada, who served at the Serai Nurmahal in the city of Nurmahal in Punjab, in 1693. By the time the Indian subcontinent was fully under control of the British Empire, Ehsan Pirzada ran a carpet-weaving guild in Amritsar that wove rugs for use by members of the British royal family, and Anglo aristocrats that resided in the British Raj, such as Sir John Lawrence, the first British governor of the Punjab province, United India.
Pirzada/Peerzada or Pir/Peer as a last name is used by Kashmiri Muslims in the Kashmir Valley. [4] [5]
The origins of Pirzadas in Kashmir can be traced back to Middle East. most of the Muslim Pirzada/Peerzadas in Kashmir belong to the Syed caste, who moved to the Indian Himalayas from Iran [6] and Central Asia [7] [8] in the 14th century to spread Islamic religious preachings. [9] [10] [11]
Pirzadas are affiliated with sayeds or Pirs family, although there does exist a diversity in regards to the sects and subdivisions of the faith. By religion, are almost entirely Muslim. Almost 70% Pirzadas found around the world are Sunni Muslims. Peerzadas in Pakistan and Northern India sympathize with the Sunni branch of Islam, while almost all of the remaining 30% minority within them who actively profess faith in the Aga Khan and subsequently the practices of the Shia Muslim.
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Syed Ali Shah Geelani was an Islamist, pro-Pakistan Kashmiri-separatist leader in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, regarded as the father of the Kashmiri jihad.
All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) is an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations formed on 9 March 1993, as a united political front to raise the cause of Kashmiri independence in the Kashmir conflict. Mehmood Ahmed Saghar was the first convener of the APHC-PAK chapter when the alliance was established in 1993. The alliance has historically been viewed positively by Pakistan as it contests the claim of the Indian government over the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The organisation is split into two main factions, those being the Mirwaiz and Geelani factions. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is the founder and chairman of Mirwaiz faction and Masarat Alam Bhat is the interim chairman of Geelani faction, who succeeded Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the founder of the faction after his death.
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Khan is an ancient Indo-European surname and in the variant of 'Khan' of Mongolic origin, used as a title in various global regions, and today most commonly found in parts of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and Iran.
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi spiritual guide. They are also referred to as a Hazrat and Sheikh or Shaykh, which is literally the Arabic equivalent. The title is often translated into English as "saint". In Sufism, a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his disciples on the Sufi path. This is often done by general lessons and individual guidance. Other words that refer to a Pir include Murshid and Sarkar.
Mirwaiz Mohammad Umar Farooq is the 14th Mirwaiz of Kashmir. He is a Kashmiri separatist political leader. He is also an Islamic religious cleric of Kashmir Valley.
Syed Ali may refer to:
Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani was a Sufi Muslim saint of the Kubrawiya order, who played an important role in spread of Islam in the Kashmir Valley of northern India. He was born in Hamadan, Iran and preached Islam in Central Asia and South Asia. He died in Swat on his way from Srinagar to Mecca and was buried in Khatlan, Tajikistan in 1385 CE, aged 71–72. Hamadani was also addressed honorifically throughout his life as the Shāh-e-Hamadān, Amīr-i Kabīr, and Ali Sani.
Kashmiri Muslims are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Islam and are native to the Kashmir Valley of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The majority of Kashmiri Muslims are Sunni, while Shias form a minority. They refer to themselves as "Koshur" in the Kashmiri language.
Sufism has a history in India evolving for over 1,000 years. The presence of Sufism has been a leading entity increasing the reaches of Islam throughout South Asia. Following the entrance of Islam in the early 8th century, Sufi mystic traditions became more visible during the 10th and 11th centuries of the Delhi Sultanate and after it to the rest of India. A conglomeration of four chronologically separate dynasties, the early Delhi Sultanate consisted of rulers from Turkic and Afghan lands. This Persian influence flooded South Asia with Islam, Sufi thought, syncretic values, literature, education, and entertainment that has created an enduring impact on the presence of Islam in India today. Sufi preachers, merchants and missionaries also settled in coastal Gujarat through maritime voyages and trade.
Mir Syed Shams-ud-Din Muhammad Arāqi, was an Iranian Sufi saint. Araqi was part of the order of Twelver Shia Sufis in Jammu and Kashmir who greatly influenced the social fabric of the Kashmir Valley and its surrounding regions.
Sufism in Bangladesh is more or less similar to that in the whole Indian subcontinent. India, it is claimed, is one of the five great centers of Sufism, the other four being Persia, Baghdad, Syria, and North Africa. Sufi saints flourished in Hindustan (India) preaching the mystic teachings of Sufism that easily reached the common people, especially the spiritual truth seekers in India. Sufism in Bangladesh is also called pirism, after the pirs or teachers in the Sufi tradition.
Nund Rishi was a Kashmiri Sufi saint, mystic, poet and Islamic preacher. Nund Rishi was among the founders of the Rishi order, a Sufi tradition of the region, and is also known by the titles Sheikh-Ul-Alam and Alamdar-e-Kashmir by Muslims, and referred to as Nund Lal and Sahajananda by Hindus. He influenced many spiritual teachers and saints, including Hamza Makhdoom, Resh Mir Sàeb, and Shamas Faqir.
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Sayyid Meerakh Shah Kashani, properly known as Faqir-i-Milat, was a Sufi poet and 19th - 20th century spiritual leader. He is among the founders of Anjuman Tableeg ul Islam (ATI), first Sunni Muslim organisation in Jammu and Kashmir and Madinat Ul Uloum institute. He was related to the Sufi orders of Qadiriyya, Suhrawardiyya, Naqshbandi, Kubrawiya and Chishti Order.
It is hard to believe that surnames – Peer, Wali or Khan, are common Hindu surnames. At the same time a Muslim carrying his last name as Rishi or Pandit…… sounds incredible, but it is a common feature in Kashmir.
Ever heard a Hindu by the surname Peer, Wali or Khan? Or imagine a Muslim carrying his last name as Rishi or Pandit…… Sounds incredible but it is a common feature in Kashmir, where unlike in other parts of the country, Muslims and Hindus have been sharing the same surnames since ages.
It is said that Sayid Ali Hamadani brought a large group of 700 people with him to Kashmir. However, they did not become a burden on Kashmir. Because they brought with them Iranian arts and crafts and made them well established in Kash-mir. Several industries of Hamadan and Iran became well introduced in Kashmir.
It's believed that Syeds came into Kashmir from Central Asia in the early 14th century and spread Islam in the region.
It is believed that Syeds came into Kashmir from Central Asia in the early 14th century and spread Islam in the region.
In the hierarchy, Dabla puts the peers on the top with various sub-categories including Syed, Geelani, Jeelani, Andrabi, Qadri, Hamdani, Bhukhari, Shah and others.
According to the book, Kashmiri Syed/Pir castes (Geelani, Shah, Jeelani, Bukhari, Qadri, Hamdani, Andrabi, etc.) are considered to be of top order and equivalent to Hindu Brahmins/ Kshatriyas.
She acknowledges that she got benefitted by a strong support of cul- tural and social capital prevailing at family level. The traditional association of Sayyids with knowledge appears well in Nida Sayyid's case. Sinha (2003) says that Sayyids subgroups in Kashmir are Saadat-e-Hamadaniya (Peerzada), Mantaqi, Baihaqi, Rizvi, Mosavi, Shirazi, Andrabi and Bukhari. Hence, Sayyids, as a caste-like group belong to upper strata and the women coming from this caste-like group get the benefits of cultural and social capital getting converted as caste capital.