Sarmad Kashani

Sarmad Kashani and Prince Dara Shikoh.

Muhammad Sa'id, mostly known as Sarmad Kashani or simply as Sarmad (Persian: سرمد کاشانی‎) (ca 1590 - 1661) was a Persian mystic, poet and saint who travelled to and made the Indian subcontinent his permanent home during the 17th century. Originally a Jew, he probably renounced his religion to adopt Islam.

Biography

Early life

Sarmad was born in Armenia around 1590, to a family of Jewish Persian-speaking Armenian merchants.[1]

Travels in the Mughal Empire

Hearing that precious items and works of art were being purchased in India at high prices, Sarmad gathered together his wares and traveled to the Mughal Empire where he intended to sell them. Having arrived in Thatta, in present day Sindh, Pakistan, he became captivated with a boy named Abhai Chand from a Hindu family (not in a sexual way, but probably because the boy reminded him of God)[2] whom Sarmad instructed. During this time he abandoned his wealth, let his hair grow, stopped clipping his nails and began to wander the city streets and emperor's courts a naked faqir.[3]

Both moved first to Lahore, then Hyderabad, settling finally in Delhi.

Life in Delhi

The reputation as a poet and mystic he had acquired during the time the two travelled together, caused Mughal crown prince Dara Shikoh to invite Sarmad at his father's court. On this occasion, Sarmad so deeply impressed the royal heir that he vowed to become his disciple.

Sarmad had an excellent command of Persian, essential for his work as a merchant, and composed most of his work in this language.[4] He produced a translation of the Torah in Persian.[5]

Death

After the War of Succession with his brother Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb (1658-1707) emerged victorious, killed his former adversary and ascended the imperial throne. He had Sarmad arrested and tried for heresy. Sarmad was put to death by beheading in 1661.[6][7] His grave is located near the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India. Aurangzeb ordered his mullahs to ask Sarmad why he repeated only "There is no God", and ordered him to recite the second part,"but God".[8] To that he replied that "I am still absorbed with the negative part. Why should I tell a lie?" Thus he sealed his death sentence. Ali Khan-Razi, Aurangzeb's court chronicler, was present at the execution. He relates some of the mystic's verses uttered at the execution stand:

The Mullahs say Ahmed went to heaven, Sarmad says that heaven came down to Ahmed.
"There was an uproar and we opened our eyes from the eternal sleep. Saw that the night of wickedness endured, so we slept again."

Maulana Azad and Sarmad

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, one of the leading political personalities involved in the Indian independence movement, compared himself to Sarmad, for his freedom of thought and expression.[9]

References

  1. ↑ See mainly: Katz (2000) 148-151. But also: Sarmad the Armenian and Dara Shikoh; Khaleej Times Online - The Armenian Diaspora: History as horror and survival.
  2. ↑ V. N. Datta, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Sarman, Walderman Hansen doubts whether sensual passions played any part in their love [sic]; puri doubts about their homosexual relationship
  3. ↑ See the account here.
  4. ↑ For some examples of his poetry, see: Poetry Chaikhana Sarmad: Poems and Biography.
  5. ↑ Fishel, Walter. “Jews and Judaism at the Court of the Mugal Emperors in Medieval India,” Islamic Culture, 25:105-31.
  6. ↑ For the motivations behind his trial as well as a detailed explanation of proceedings, see: Katz (2000) 151-153.
  7. ↑ Cook 2007.
  8. ↑ https://books.google.ca/books?id=0BI8kFya06UC&pg=PT100 Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ Votary of freedom - Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Sarmad by V. N. Datta, Tribune India, October 7, 2007
  10. ↑ For discussion on his religious identity, see: Katz (2000).

Bibliography

External resources