Ziauddin Barani
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Ziauddin Barani (1285 - 1357) was an Indian Muslim political thinker who lived in Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Firuz Shah's reign. He was best known for composing the Fatwa-i-Jahandari which details the Muslim Caste System in South Asia.
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[edit] Life
He was born in aristocratic Muslim family in 1285 in which his father, uncle, and grandfather all working in high government posts under the Sultan of Delhi. Barani never held a post, but was a companion of Muhammad bin Tughlaq for seventeen years. After Tughlaq was deposed, he fell out of favor. In "Exile" he wrote two pieces dealing with government, religion, and history, which he hoped would endear him to the new sultan, Firuz Shah Tughluq. He was not rewarded for his works and died poor in 1357. [1]
[edit] Works
[edit] Fatwa-i-Jahandari
His fatwa would condone segregation of the Muslim ashraf upper castes and ajlaf low castes, in addition to the azral undercastes or the Dalit Muslims who are regarded as "ritually polluted" by the ashraf.[2][2][3][4]
| “ | Religion and temporal government are twins; that is, head of religion and the head of government are twin brothers. [5][1] | ” |
[edit] Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi
Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi (Firuz Shah's Hisory) was an interpretation of the history of the Delhi Sultanate up to the then-present Firuz Shah Tughlaq. Then interpretation noted that the sultans who followed the rules of Barani had succeeded in their endeavors while those that did not, or those who had sinned, met the Nemesis. [1]
[edit] References
- Basham, A.L. Sources of Indian Tradition Volume 1. Columbia University Press 1958. ISBN 0-231-08600-8
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Basham p.458
- ^ a b Social Stratification Among Muslims in Indiaby Zarina Bhatty
- ^ Ambedkar, Bhimrao. Pakistan or the Partition of India. Thackers Publishers.
- ^ Web resource for Pakistan or the Partition of India
- ^ Barani, Fatawa-yi-Jahandari, folios 247b-248a
