THE SAYEDS OF KAYAN

Kayan is a valley in Soshi districts of Baghalan province, situated in northern Afghanistan, having 27000 sq. km Ismaili fiefdom. The forefathers of these Sayeds mostly resided in this valley, making them known as the Kayani Sayeds. Nothing is known about their origin except that Sayed Nadir Khan writes in "Tarikh-i Gharib" (Bombay, 1938) that his forefather, Shah Salih came from Iran to Herat and Kandahar. He then proceeded towards Hazarajat and settled at last in the province of Baghalan. Granted that this tradition is genuine, it means that it was most probably the period of Imam Gharib Mirza (d. 1496).

When these Sayeds settled in Afghanistan, the Safavids had captured whole Iran in 1500 A.D. and proclaimed Shiism as state religion. This despotic and bigoted dynasty ordered the merciless slaughter of the Sunnis and Sufis in Iran. Most of them migrated towards Afghanistan. It is however not confirmed whether these Sayeds belonged to these oppressed people or they are really Sayeds from among the Shia Ismailis. They never collected religious dues in Afghanistan nor imposed their headships on religious ground during the early period of their settlement. There was a minor group of Hindu residing in Kabul, who professed Ismailism secretly. They however practiced taqiya and hid themselves in the mantles of the Hindus. The local Ismailis in Afghanistan were the only people to know their faith and link with the Imam. The Afghan Ismailis collected the tithe and delivered to them, who remitted it to the Imam in Iran. According to the narration of Sayed Nadir Khan, "About 120 years ago, our forefathers were under Bairam Diyal and his fathers and they were the Hindus living in Kabul. Their descendants also are in Kabul and our ancestors delivered their oblations to them in Kabul."

In 1915, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah sent special message through Mukhi Aziz, the son of Varas Amir Chand (1837-1911) of Amritsar, to the descendants of the above Ismailis in Kabul to wear Muslim costumes and adopt Islamic names. Their Mukhi Fakir Chand responded the call of the Imam at first. He exposed publicly and assumed the name of Faqir Muhammad. But his people embodied very small group, missed a chance to divulge their Islamic identity as the Ismailis. On the other hand, there was not a single Ismaili center in Afghanistan to perform their rites and ceremonies freely even within the walls, therefore, the above small group kept aloof from the Ismaili tradition and assimilated in Hindu community. Some old persons among them however remained firm in their belief and continued to send their tithe in Kabul Jamatkhana.

The Sayeds of Kayan served the Afghan jamats as local rulers for a long period. The first among them was Sayed Abdul Hadi, who in his advanced age had made a trip of Mahallat from Kabul. Imam Hasan Ali Shah appointed him as the mukhi of Central and Northern parts of Afghanistan. He was the first mukhi in Afghanistan, who administered the offices of dai and khalifa. His son Shah Hussain succeeded him.

 

ABDUL HADI

 

SHAH HUSSAIN

 

JAFAR KHAN GAWHAR KHAN

 

FARIDUN KHAN TIMOR KHAN NADIR KHAN

 

SHUJA KHAN HASAN MANUCHEHR NASIR GAWHAR MANSUR SADI NURUDDIN RAWNAQ QADIR KHAN

Nothing is known about the early life of Shah Hussain or his services as a mukhi. Sayed Nadir Khan is also silent in his "Tarikh-i Gharib" on the subject. He was however the first among the Afghan jamat to see Imam Hasan Ali Shah at Kandahar in 1842. He died in 1854 and left behind seven sons, two of them were appointed as the mukhi, viz. Sayed Jafar Khan and Sayed Gawhar Khan.

The next who followed was Sayed Jafar Khan, who served as a mukhi for 40 years. He was an influential figure during the regime of Sher Ali Khan. The tradition has it that once Imam Hasan Ali Shah sent four Arabian horses as a gift to Sher Ali Khan through Sayed Jafar Khan and Mirza Ahmed. Sher Ali Khan kept the horses in Kataghan for breeding. The people of Kataghan still remember the race of the horses as Barnaj and Barata. He died in 1894 and his younger brother, Sayed Gawhar Khan succeeded him.

Gawhar Khan is related to have been appointed by Imam Aga Ali Shah (d. 1885), which seems incorrect, as the death of Sayed Jafar Khan took place in 1894, or nine years after the death of Imam Aga Ali Shah. His followers delivered him the tithe in Kulab, Bukhara. The tenure of his office lasted for four to five years, and died in 1898. His son, Fridun Khan, succeeded him.

Sayed Faridun Khan (1875-1908) executed the office of the mukhi for 10 years and died at the age of 33 years in 1908 at Kulab. He had no male issue. He is noted to have composed some poems and painted few pictures. His younger brother, Sayed Timor Khan, succeeded him.

Sayed Timor Khan was born in 1900 in Kulab, Bukhara. He was about 24 years old during the death of his brother. It was the period of Habibullah Khan (1901-1919), the son of Abdur Rahman (d. 1901) when Sayed Timor Khan succeeded. He presented a petition to the ruler that he could not live in exile, therefore, the amir allowed him to return to his homeland. He however settled with his relatives in Kabul, where his followers flocked and delivered tithe. He was however marked by the government and was exiled to Kandahar, where he remained for two years. Habibullah Khan was killed in 1919 and was succeeded by his son, Amanullah (1919-1929), who issued orders that all the exiled people of his father and grandfather could freely return to their homeland, and also issued a decree of delivery of the properties that had been seized from them. Sayed Timor Khan returned to his native place, Kayan and appointed his younger brother, Sayed Nadir Khan as a mediator between himself and the government for the protection of his dynasty and followers.

In his advanced age, Sayed Timor Khan came in Kabul, and was disappointed to see his brother sunk in pleasure life and returned to Kayan, where he died in 1924. He had not nominated his successor from among his three sons, Shuja Khan, Hasan Khan and Manuchehr Khan. He had some poetical talents. His Diwan lithographed in Bombay in 1932 by his friends.

Sayed Nadir Khan (1900-1971) had a wide and intensive struggle against his brother’s son, Shuja Khan, who claimed that he was a true heir of his father. Mohammad Hasan from Torkman Hazarajat and some other people from northern areas also supported him. With his spies he had planted in all directions, Sayed Nadir Khan easily inflicted a defeat to Shuja Khan and became an absolute leader of the Ismailis.

General Muhammad Nadir Shah (1929-1933) had also captured Kabul and proclaimed as a king of Afghanistan. Sayed Nadir Khan seized an opportunity and declared his loyalty to General Muhammad Nadir Shah. He also mobilized his 3000 warriors and sent in the front of civil war in Aibak and defeated Arozu Qul. He also sent his troop in Kunduz against Ibrahim Beg Laqai. In sum, his men played a key role in favour of the ruling government. Sayed Nadir Khan thus gained full authority to subdue the opponents, both Ismailis and non-Ismailis and consolidated his influence in whole northern part of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, some Ismaili leaders including Mohammad Hasan, the son of Sayed Kazim from Torkman went to Bombay and submitted a report against Sayed Nadir Khan. Imam Sultan Muhammad issued a farman in 1927, addressing to Sayed Nadir Khan that he should not interfere in the affairs of the jamats of Kabul, Sari Khish, Torkman and Farza, and the elders should not apply force while collecting tithe or create disturbances and riots between the jamats. The Imam also offered that they should visit Bombay for bringing solution of their disputes in any suitable occasion. It is said that Sayed Nadir Khan did not take its serious notice and the elders of the jamats also refrained themselves to involve in the issues. He propagated against Mohammad Hasan and his father that, "Mohammad Hasan and his father Sayed Kazim were infidels, who converted and guided the jamats on the path of mulhid (heretics) and zandik (atheists)."

Sayed Nadir Khan seems to have laid foundation of a hierarchic system, such as the fixation of his own khalifas and vakils in all locations. Most of the Ismailis were unaware of other side of the coin. The khalifas and vakils were entrusted the collection of religious dues alongwith the oblations of nazrana and dast-boshi, the products of jamat, such as hand woven cloths, goods, wheat, cattles, horses, ghee made from fat of animals, etc. They also preached the doctrine of the sanctity of hierarchy system, or hudud al-din (ranks of religion), so that the jamats might venerate them on religion basis. They are also said to have introduced some immoral practices in the name of self-devotion to attract the youth class, ranking it as the religious ethics. This self-devotion practice ultimately paved a way of a free society of males and females. It is also said that many people did not like the chastity of their families, therefore, they renounced their allegiance with them and embraced the Ithna Ashari Jamat. It boosted to the propagandists to brand them as extremists (ghali, a verbal pronoun derived from gholov in Arabic, its plural being ghallat).

Due to the fear of persecution hovered upon them, none among those who understood them, could raise their voice. One family among them however came forth, who ruled over the Ismailis of Siasang and Behsud districts, including Wardak province. They condemned the doctrine of self-devotion. There were 13 family members; the most famous were Akhund Mohammad Shafi (d. 1947), Akhund Zargham and Akhund Sarwar or Mohammad Sarwar. They were not rooted in Ismailism, but well-versed in Islamic doctrines, the interpretation of Holy Koran and Sufism. With their meagre knowledge, they converted many people into Ismailism. Akhund Mohammad Shafi administered the affairs of Afghan jamats independently, who supported him. He openly opposed Sayed Nadir Khan and refused to pay him the religious dues. It is recounted that once he told to the agent of Sayed Nadir Khan that, "Concerning the keeping of the religious dues with him or me will make no difference. Whenever he will transfer the religious dues to Imam in Bombay, I will then also follow it." Nevertheless, Akhund Mohammad Shafi secretly arranged the delivery of the religious dues to the vakil of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, called Mukhi Nanak in Kabul. It prompted Sayed Nadir Khan to amplify his propaganda that, "The jamat belonging to Akhund Shafi are mulhid and zandik." Sayed Nadir Khan however was able to procure tithe in Siasang and Behsud jamats soon after the death of Akhund Mohammad Shafi in 1947 through his son, Akhund Abdul Ali, who had advanced his support to him.

Sayed Nadir Khan was on very intimate terms with the ruling government of General Mohammad Nadir Shah and his son Mohammad Zahir Shah (1929-1973) and also other ruling classes. His elder son, Sayed Nasir Naderi, secured seats during the two parliamentary elections. He was also elected in the parliament in 1969 as a deputy of parliament. In order to boost his influence, he married to the daughter of a Looy Khan, a very influential Sunni Pushtun chief.

Sayed Nadir Khan seems to have never hampered in Ismaili concepts, but inserted the practices of immoralities. As it has been evaluated, the 95 percent of jamat were illiterate and 99 percent of them were unaware of the fundamental beliefs of Ismailism. The only knowledge among them is the memorizing of the names of the Imams and jamats, and nothing else. Sayed Nadir Khan subdued his opposition one after another.

The Ismailis of Shibar, Iraq and Kalu districts, Bamiyan province, Siasang, Behsud and Quli Khish districts, Wardak province and Torkman and Shikhali districts, Parwan province, also called Hazarajat have confined themselves to agriculture and animal husbandry. They were the poorest jamat in the central part of Afghanistan and wandered in search of bread and butter. Since 1946, they gradually drifted towards the city until the end of 1980 and almost 90 percent of them settled in Kabul, while the Ismailis of the northern areas remained in their old nests unmoved. The significant benefit of the emigrants was the education, which they gave to their children.

Around 1946-47, a learned man, called Mulla Sultan Murad (1915-1998), the son of Mulla Sikandar (d. 1926), the son of Mulla Abdullah, an origin of Quli Khish district, had been set forth for discussion on fundamental principles of Ismailis. He was noted for his knowledge, piety and honesty, and if not exaggeration, he was the founder of movement and a pioneer of renaissance of Ismaili thoughts and doctrines. Later on, Ramzan Ashuri in the same district joined him. These two persons played vital role in awakening the Hazarajat jamat and disclosed the curious cults of Sayed Nadir Khan.

 

[HISTORICAL REVIEW OF AFGHANISTAN] [AFGHANS OF AFGHANISTAN] [ISMAILI MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN] [ISMAILIS IN AFGHANISTAN]

[RITUAL PERFORMANCES & CEREMONIES] [THE SAYEDS OF KAYAN] [SPLIT IN AFGHAN JAMAT]

[IMAM’S REPRESENTATIVE IN AFGHANISTAN] [ANOTHER SPLIT IN AFGHAN JAMAT] [WAZIR CAPTAIN AMIR ALI KARIM IN KABUL]

[AFGHAN DELEGATIONS IN BANGLADESH] [NADERISM] [CASUALTIES & MIGRATION OF THE ISMAILIS]

[AFGHAN DELEGATIONS IN PESHAWAR] [CONCLUSION] [BIBLIOGRAPHY]

[LINKS TO ARTICLES ON THE WEB]


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