House of Mirwaiz
The first family of Kashmir
Daanish Bin Nabi
Kashmir has a number
of religious institutions. One among them is the seat of Mirwaiz—which literally means head-preacher. In contemporary
Islamic world this seat of “power” does not exist nor does it exercise so much
influence as it does in Kashmir. This ‘Seat of Power’ is almost seven hundred
years old and was recognized soon after the Muslim rule was established in
Valley.
There are no authentic
sou
Conversely, the term Mirwaiz is not mentioned in Sir Walter
Lawrence Classic, The Valley of Kashmir published
in 1895, which is considered to be one of the authentic sources on modern Kashmir
history. On other hand noted writer Zareef Ahmad Zareef says, “Ancestors of Mirwaiz
travelled to Kashmir with caravan of Mir Syed Ali Hamadani (commonly known in
Kashmir as Amir Kabir) in the 13th
century. His family ancestors settled in Tral area of Kashmir. It’s basically
from Tral that Mirwaiz family first migrated to Fateh Kadal and then settled
down in Raze Kadal or Rajouri Kadal (both are interiors of Srinagar city) and
preached Islam to common people.”
There are two main
Mirwaiz lineages in the valley. The better known lineage is based in Srinagar
with its seat at the historic Jamia Masjid, Srinagar. The other lineage is in south
Kashmir. Each lineage is traditionally the preserve of a single family that
traces its roots to an ancestor with Amir
Kabir. Only one or two members of the family can attain this title at a
time after achieving a thorough and complete knowledge in the Quran and Sunnah
from a University or an Islamic institute. In early days Mirwaiz were trained by special teachers or parents until proper
Islamic Institutes and universities came into being.
With its historic
seat at Jamia Masjid Srinagar, the grand mosque is situated at Nohwhatta, in
the middle of the old city which extends up to an area of 384 feet by 381 feet.
The mosque occupies an important political space in the turbulent history of
Kashmir. Built by Sultan Sikander in around 1400 AD, Jamia was later on
extended by his son during the golden period of Zain-ul-Abidin, also known as Budshah.
On every Friday,
thousands of Muslims from every walk of life assemble at the grand mosque and listen
to Mirwaiz sermon. The mosque can accommodate more than 33,000 people offering
prayer at a time.
The oldest and most
authentic record on Mirwaiz family can be found in a book written in 1910 AD by
Mohammad Din Fauq namely Tehreek-i-Kashmir.
The author briefly at the end of the book writes, “The first Mirwaiz who
migrated with Shah-e-Hamadan in 13th century was commonly known as Las Bab. His actual name was Ghulam Rasool
who died in 1261 AD leaving behind a son Mohammad Yahya who became Mirwaiz
after the death of Mirwaiz Ghulam Rasool. Las
Bab’s father was Molvi Abdul Salam who was taught by Akhundzada Mohammad
Rafique. Sheikh Arif and Sheikh Amanullah Pampori were his other two teachers
who taught him Islamic jurisprudence and other Islamic teachings.
The chain of Mirwaiz family
continued from this time, but no authentic record was found till Afghan rule.
As most contemporary Kashmiri historians are of the view that it was during
Afghan rule that the post or title of Mirwaiz was officially declared. However,
the incumbent Mirwaiz Umar Farooq confirms that it was in 1812-13, the period
when Afghan rule was dwindling that the title was officially declared. The
Mirwaiz of the time was Molvi Abdul Salaam. Though another noted Kashmiri
historian Fida Hasnain is of the view that it was Molvi Sideeq Ullah who was
officially declared Mirwaiz of Kashmir by the Afghan regime. Some Kashmiri
historians believe that it was Choudary Khushi Mohammad Naazir, Minister of
State, in Pratap Singh (18 July 1848 to 23 September 1925) regime that the
title Mirwaiz was actually declared.
Mridu Rai in her book
Hindu Rulers, Muslim Subjects also supports
this view and writes, “The title of Mirwaiz had been used at least since 1901.”
However, every contemporary historian have consensus that no permanent grant
from the Central Afghan regime was provided to the chair of Mirwaiz. From
Afghan regime to Dogra regime, there is again missing links about who succeeded
after whom in the chain of Mirwaizship. A period of almost 128 years from 1752
to 1880 has no authentic source about the succession of Mirwaiz.
The dastarbandi (succession ceremony when a
turban is tied on to the new incumbent of any office or position) ceremony of Molvi
Ghulam Rasool (13 Sep 1855 to 30 July 1909) came about in 1880’s. It was
Mirwaiz Ghulam Rasool who founded Anjuman-i-Nusrat-ul-Islam in 1899 which was a
learning center for Muslims. It was a revolutionary step because till then only
Aligharh Muslim University had come into being as there was no other
educational institution in entire South Asia for Muslims.
Anjuman-i-Nusrat-ul-Islam flourished greatly till Ghulam Mohammad Baskhi’s time.
It had five Middle, eight Primary Schools and three High Schools under its
belt. Mirwaiz Ghulam Rasool founded Anjuman-i-Nusrat-ul-Islam to counter the
Biscoe School which only provided western education and only elite family was
able to afford its expensive dues. That is why he was given the title of Sir Sayyid-e-Kashmir.
According to Zareef Ahmed
Zareef, “There were two branches of Mirwaiz dynasty. One was known as Mirwaiz Kalan and another as Mirwaiz Khord. Mirwaiz Kalan’s sect was preaching pure doctrine of Islam while Mirwaiz Khord’s sect was preaching traditional Islam
which had mixed traditions with Buddhist and Hinduism religions. Both the
branches of Mirwaiz family were paternally related.”
While giving the
details of the era after 1901 AD, Sir Walter Lawrence writes, “Kashmiri Muslims
were increasingly divided along loyalties owed to one of the two Mirwaizes
prominent in Srinagar: the Mirwaiz of the Jamia Masjid or the Mirwaiz of
Khanqah-i-Mualla (also known as the Shah-i-Hamadan Shrine), more broadly
representatives of the Sufi path.”
Molvi Ahmed-Ullah
(1867AD to 1931AD) succeeded his second brother Molvi Ghulam Rasool in 1909 and
became Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir. The Khilafat Movement from 1919 onwards began
to play a role in the Muslim agitation in India. It had a huge impact in
Kashmir as well. Mirwaiz Ahmad Ullah Shah supported the movement. He also tried
his best to persuade the Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir to support the leaders
and masses in every way possible. But all his efforts were put off by brute repression
and arbitrary arrest and tortures. Zareef says, “Mirwaiz and his family
supported the Khilafat movement overwhelmingly without doubt. Gandhi being a
Hindu started and supported the movement, so it was also duty of every Muslim
and of entire Kashmir to support the movement and Mirwaiz was the vanguard of
the movement in Kashmir.”
One of the sermons
mentioned in Hindu Rulers, Muslim Subjects, Rai writes, “In
1923, on the occasion of the Juma-al-Vida, when nearly 20,000 Muslims had
gathered at the Jama Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz Molvi
Ahmed-Ullah talked about the dissension caused by the
Arya Samajis who, he suggested with no small degree of exaggeration, were even
digging up the dead for the purpose of converting them from Islam. He urged the
Muslims to unite in order to combat the ‘Arya threat’ and support the movement.”
Till 1930, Mirwaiz Ahmed-Ullah
did not make it a political seat but with the political upheaval in late 1930’s
and with death of Mirwaiz Ahmed-Ullah in 1930, this pious seat also became
political. The dastarbandi of Molvi Attiqulla soon followed after his death in
1931 (1872AD to 1962AD).
“Molvi Attiqulla was
the most incompetent in the lineage of Mirwaiz family. He did not deliver the
sermons on Fridays at Jamia Masjid Srinagar as he was not a good orator and had
very little knowledge as well,” says Shams Rehman, Mirwaiz aide and author of
the book Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Ke Teen
Kirdar.
In 1925, a young boy from the lineage of Mirwaiz
family, Mohammad Yusuf Shah (1892AD to 1968 AD) was studying at the highest Muslim
educational institute namely Dar-ul-Ullom Deoband. He had gained exposure of both
International politics and Islam as well. At Deoband Molvi Yusuf Shah was
tutored by Anwar Shah Kashmiri the imminent scholar of Islam. It was Anwar Shah
who taught him Islamic Hadith and other Islamic teaching for almost 10 years. Armed
with the teachings and exposure, Molvi Yusuf Shah was set to take the seat of
Mirwaiz in Kashmir.
In 1931, Molvi Attiqulla
quietly steps down from Mirwaiz seat and dastarbandi of Molvi Yusuf Shah took place
on the same day. Yusuf a fierce orator, worked to purify the society from evils
which had been mixed to Islam from other religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. Mirwaiz
Yusuf was also the first Kashmiri who did translation and Tafseer(interpretation) of Quran in Kashmiri language. This
translated and Tafseer Quran was sent
to Saudi Arabia for authentication as Kashmiri language was not comprehensive. The
translation was approved by Saudi scholars and was published in Saudi Arabia.
By that time, Sheikh
Mohammad Abdullah - a young schoolmaster with a post-graduate degree in Chemistry
from Aligarh Muslim University - started emerging on the political scene in
Kashmir. In the beginning he was a protégé of Molvi Yusuf Shah. It was Mirwaiz Yusuf
who introduced young Sheikh at Jamia Masjid to the masses of Kashmir. Both of
them served terms in the Maharaja's prisons. In 1932, both of them with some
other youngsters established the All Jammu & Kashmir Muslim Conference,
which became the main platform for opposition to the Maharaja. Soon after, they
fell apart and the Muslim Conference faced internal discord.
By the middle of 1932 there
developed an active, and at times, violent, political rivalry within Muslim
ranks in Srinagar between supporters of Sheikh Abdullah, the Shers or 'Lions'
(after Sheikh Abdullah, who used to be referred to by his admirers as the 'Lion
of Kashmir'), on the one hand and the followers of Mirwaiz Mohammad Yusuf Shah,
the Bakras or 'Goats' (after the beards sported by Islamic clergy), on the
other hand.
In 1939, the Muslim
Conference was formally dissolved and replaced by the Jammu & Kashmir
National Conference, a body concerned with social and political issues, such as
land reform, than with matters of Islamic theology.
In Blazing Chinar, autobiography of Sheikh Abdullah, it is mentioned
that it was on instruction of Sir Mohammad Iqbal that Sheikh dissolved the
Muslim Conference to National conference. The claim by Sheikh Sahib is strongly
refuted by Shams Rahman.
Shamas Rahman in his book
mentions that Sir Iqbal was the main ideologue of Two-Nation theory and he
would have never given such an idea to Sheikh Sahib as Muslim Conference was
for the Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan.
In 1941, Molvi Yusuf Shah
with others revived the Muslim Conference. According to Shams Rahman, “in 1946 Mirwaiz
Yusuf Shah went to Pakistan to meet Mohammad Ali Jinnah to discuss the future
of Kashmir. When he tried to return from Pakistan he was not allowed to enter
back to valley by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru’s agents and certain conditions were set
for his return. One of conditions was to accept Kashmir’s accession with India
which Mirwaiz Yusuf never accepted.” In Pak administered Kashmir (PaK), he rose
to become its third President.
In Kashmir, from 1947 to
1961, the post of Mirwaiz was not that strong and effective. Molvi Atiqullah,
the uncle of Molvi Yusuf Shah was appointed as the Mirwaiz by Sheikh Abdullah.
Molvi Atiqullah remained ill during maximum time. Mirwaiz Manzil (Mirwaiz
House) was also locked down for entire 14 years.
According to Shams Rahman, “this
was the period when the Mirwaiz family had to face a lot of hardships to meet
their daily needs. During this time Jamia Masjid was also kept under check from
authorities and no Friday sermons were allowed.”
After the death of Molvi Atiqullah
in 1961 Molvi Mohammad Farooq, at the age of 18 (14 December 1944 to 21 may
1990) was officially appointed as Naib Mirwaiz
by Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad—the then Prime Minister of J&K because Molvi Yusuf
Shah was still alive in PaK. In a traditional way dastarbandi of Molvi Farooq
took place at Jamia Masjid. Till 1968, Molvi Mohammad Farooq acted as Naib Mirwaiz, it was only after the
death of his uncle Molvi Yusuf Shah that Molvi Mohammad Farooq became
Mirwaiz-i-Kashmir.
It can be said as Mughul dynasty
prospered under Emperor Akbar, it was Molvi Mohammad Farooq who cemented the
Mirwaiz family in Kashmir. He was the vanguard of every secessionist movement
in Kashmir.
Soon after Molvi Mohammad
Farooq took charge as Naib Mirwaiz,
he had to face his first challenge. The crisis over the theft of the
Moe-i-Muqaddas made the young Mirwaiz a focal figure in Kashmir. However, the
old feud between the families of Mirwaiz and the Sheikh continued. The young
Mirwaiz Farooq was arrested on October 10, 1965 when he became vocal in support
of plebiscite in Kashmir.
In 1963, the Mirwaiz family regained its political
significance when Mirwaiz Farooq became leader of Awami Action Committee during
the Moi-Muqudas agitation. He was the one who dominated Kashmir political scene
during this agitation and became a rallying point for masses in the absence of
a viable leadership.
When the crisis over the
theft of the Moe-i-Muqaddas was put off by Indian intelligence, soon there was
another chance provided to young Mirwaiz Farooq to prove his credentials when
Sheikh signed Kashmir accord with Indira Gandhi. He overwhelmingly opposed the
Sheikh's accord with Mrs.Gandhi and accused the former of selling Kashmir for
the sake of power.
He was once a foe of India
because he believed that New Delhi was propping up the National Conference and
its leaders in total disregard of his own importance as a Muslim leader but Mirwaiz
Farooq in 1977 entered into an alliance with the Janata Party to negate the
influence of Sheikh over masses.
Soon Mirwaiz Farooq entered
into an alliance with Dr. Farooq Abdullah who inherited power from his father
Sheikh Abdullah. The accord, which was a brief one, came to be known as
Double-Farooq Accord which ended the Sher—Bakra rivalry.
Mirwaiz Farooq sent his son
and daughter to schools run by Christian missionaries, once, when this was
pointed out, he retorted: "If I sent my children to Anjuman-i-Nusrat-ul-Islam,
teachers there would not guide them properly as they love and have soft corner
for them. I teach Quran and other religious books to my son and daughters at
home.”
Every Friday, after noon
prayers, he used to deliver 'khutba'
(a discourse on current religious and political happenings). With the political
scenario vastly changing in Kashmir and separatist parties choked of their
political space by the Indian authorities in Kashmir. The separatists for the
first and last time came under one party and named it Muslim United Front
(MUF). Mirwaiz Farooq also supported and took active part in MUF.
Mirwaiz Manzil played its
role as headquarters for the MUF activists and some of the major meetings of
the MUF were also held in Manzil. As there was covert and overt support for MUF
from every corner of Kashmir, Indian government allegedly rigged the assembly elections
of 1987. It changed the political scenario of Kashmir once and for all. Members
of MUF were arrested and tortured in various army and police camps of the
valley. Was Mirwaiz Farooq also arrested and tortured? Again there are
different views on this point between the contemporary historians of Kashmir, while
some support the argument, others oppose it.
Molvi Mohammed Farooq was
assassinated on 21st May 1990 by unknown gunmen. Soon after his
assassination the following Friday his son Umar Farooq’s (23rd March
1973 – present) dastarbandi took place at Jamia Masjid Srinagar. Like his
father Mirwaiz Umar was also 17 years of age. He follows his father’s footsteps
in politics and on Kashmir issue as well. Sometimes by being neutral and soft
on Kashmir issue while sometimes taking tough stand like he did during 2010
agitation on the vexed issue of Kashmir.
Dr. Sheikh Showkat who teaches
Law at CUK writes, “Crowd receptions and preoccupation with overseas trips are
not an answer to this demand. Neither Kashmiri society can afford this
extravagance nor are these ventures going to add anything to the stature of
Umar Farooq. Proper response on the other hand can make Mirwaiz family a
decisive factor of twenty first century Kashmir politics.”
In the age of technology
and social networking only time will decide if he will be able to achieve
anything for Kashmir.
The author can be mailed at
daanishnabi@gmail.com
