The Sufi Saint of Jam

Erscheinungsjahr 2022
ISBN: 978-1-108-83969-3
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 294 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 599 g

Reihe: Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization

The Sunni saint cult and shrine of Ahmad-i Jam has endured for 900 years. The shrine and its Sufi shaykhs secured patronage from Mongols, Kartids, Tamerlane, and Timurids. The cult and shrine-complex started sliding into decline when Iran's shahs took the Shi'i path in 1501, but are today enjoying a renaissance under the (Shi'i) Islamic Republic of Iran. The shrine's eclectic architectural ensemble has been renovated with private and public funds, and expertise from Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization. Two seminaries (madrasa) that teach Sunni curricula to males and females were added. Sunni and Shi'i pilgrims visit to venerate their saint. Jami mystics still practice 'irfan ('gnosticism'). Analyzed are Ahmad-i Jam's biography and hagiography; marketing to sultans of Ahmad as the 'Guardian of Kings'; history and politics of the shrine's catchment area; acquisition of patronage by shrine and shaykhs; Sufi doctrines and practices of Jami mystics, including its Timurid-era Naqshbandi Sufis.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mahendrarajah, Shivan

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Naher & Mittlerer Osten
• Geisteswissenschaften Islam & Islamische Studien Islam: Spiritualität & Mystik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction; Part I. The Saint: 1. Biography and Hagiography; 2 Saintdom and Patronage; Part II. The Successors: 3: Ilkhanid/Kartid Eras to the Timurid Age; 4: Safavid/Mughal Eras to the Islamic Republic; Part III. The Shrine: 5. Setting, Architecture and Administration; 6. Agro- and Hydro-Management; 7. Public Service in the Catchment Area; 8. Sacred Topography and Islamic Learning; Part IV. The Sufis: 9. Doctrines and Practices; Conclusion.

Über Autor(innen)

Mahendrarajah, Shivan
Shivan Mahendrarajah is a Research Fellow with the Institute of Iranian Studies, School of History, University of St Andrews. He is the co-editor of Afghanistan: The Journal of the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies. He has traveled extensively in the Islamic world, and returns often to Afghanistan and Iran. Shivan was educated at Columbia University and the University of Cambridge; and studied Arabic at Damascus University and Persian at the University of Tehran.