Maulana Kabir
Maulana Kabir | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | 15th-century |
Burial place | Mulla Kabir Cemetery, Naushahr, Srinagar 34°07′38″N 74°48′19″E / 34.127085°N 74.805377°E |
| Occupation | Academic administrator |
| Era | 15th-century |
| Notable work | Commentary on Sharh-i-Mulla |
| Title | Shaykh al-Islām |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced | |
Maulana Kabir (also known as Mulla Kabir Nahwi) was a 15th-century Kashmiri Islamic scholar, theologian, and academic administrator during the reign of Sultan Zayn al-Abidin (r. 1420–1470 CE) in the Kashmir Valley. He served as tutor to the Sultan and was later appointed Shaykh al-Islam and rector of the Dar-ul-Ulum, a residential university established by the Sultan in the capital, Naushahr (present-day Nowshera in Srinagar).[1]
Early life and education
Maulana Kabir was born in the Kashmir valley.[2] He is primarily documented in historical chronicles as a polymath and tutor to the young prince Shahi Khan, who later ascended the throne as Sultan Zayn al-Abidin.[3]
Historical accounts indicate that Maulana Kabir left Kashmir and moved to Herat for a period in the reign of Sikandar Shah Miri to pursue advanced studies in the fields of fiqh, hadith, tafsir and languages. However, Zayn al-Abidin invited him to return to Kashmir after ascending the throne.[4][5]
Educational Administration
After returning to Kashmir, Maulana Kabir was appointed Shaykh al-Islam, a position which some sources describe as unprecedented in the valley at the time.[6]
Zayn al-Abidin subsequently established the Dar-ul-Ulum, a residential university near his newly built royal palace at Naushahr,[7] and appointed Maulana Kabir as its rector[8] while also providing residential accommodation for him. The institution, sometimes referred to by modern historians as the University of Naushahr, was subsidized through state patronage.[9] The institution additionally served as a hub for the translation of Sanskrit and Arabic texts into Persian.[9]
Alongside Maulana Kabir, various other scholars including Mulla Ahmad Kashmiri, Mulla Hafiz Baghdadi, Mulla Parsa Bukhari, Mulla Jamal-ud-din Khar-Zami, Mir Ali Bokhari, and Mulla Yousuf Rashidi served as educators at the Dar-ul-Ulum.[1][10][11] The Sultan is reported to have attended Maulana Kabir's lectures at the institution.
Maulana Kabir is also credited with having written commentary on Sharh-i-Mulla.[9][12]
Cemetery
Following his death, Maulana Kabir was buried near the site where the Dar-ul-Ulum once stood in Nowshera.[4] His burial ground, known as the Mazar of Mulla Kabir, still survives in Srinagar.[6] Characterized by Kashmir's Sultanate-period funerary architecture, the site features large reused stone blocks and a Timurid-influenced brick gateway, or pishtaq.[13] Modern descriptions note that the site remains relatively neglected and overgrown with elm and mulberry trees.[13]
Other notable scholars of the area buried near his grave include Mulla Hasan Afaqi[14] and Mulla Hafiz Baghdadi.[15]
References
- 1 2 J & K Research Biannual. Directorate of Libraries, Research, Museums and Archaeology. 1976. p. 29.
- ↑ Sufi 1979, p. 75.
- ↑ Zutshi, N. K. (1976). Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin of Kashmir: An Age of Enlightenment. Nupur Prakashan. p. 25.
- 1 2 Shah, Sayid Ashraf (2021-11-21). Awlya-i-Kashmir: Sufi culture of Kashmir. Ashraf Fazili. p. 162.
- ↑ Khoyihami 1960, p. 415.
- 1 2 Didamari 2019, p. 85.
- ↑ Lāʼibrerī, K̲h̲udā Bak̲h̲sh Oriyanṭal Pablik (1997). Khuda Bakhsh Library journal (in Urdu). K̲h̲udā Bak̲h̲sh Oriyanṭal Pablik Lāʼibreri.
- ↑ Lone, Shabir Ahmad; Begum, R. Abida; Begum, S. Nazeemunnisa; Mir, Javaid Ahmad; Lone, Mohammad Ishaq (24 February 2025). "THE RENAISSANCE KING: ZAIN-UL-ABIDIN'S REIGN IN KASHMIR" (PDF). International Journal of Educational Review, Law And Social Sciences (IJERLAS Journal). 5 (2). Radja Publika: 415. eISSN 2808-487X.
- 1 2 3 Sufi 1979, p. 148.
- ↑ Allauddin, Shaikh; Rout, R. K. (1996). Libraries and Librarianship During Muslim Rule in India. Reliance Publishing House. p. 97. ISBN 978-81-85972-95-4.
- ↑ Bamzai, Prithvi Nath Koul (8 October 1962). A History of Kashmir (PDF). Delhi: Metropolitan Book Co.(Private) Ltd. p. 304.
- ↑ Jan, G.R. (2010). "PERSIAN LITERATURE OF MEDIEVAL KASHMIR (14TH – 16TH CENTURY)" (PDF). The Journal of Central Asian Studies. 19: 123.
- 1 2 Hamdani, Sameer (2025-10-28). City of Kashmir: Srinagar: A Popular History. Hachette India. ISBN 978-93-5731-722-1.
- ↑ Khoyihami 1960, p. 228.
- ↑ Khoyihami 1960, p. 414.
Sources
- Sufi, G.M.D. (1979), Islamic Culture in Kashmir, Light & Life Publishers, ISBN 9788183390446
- Khoyihami, Hassan Shah (January 1960). Tazkirah Auliya-e-Kashmir: Tarikh-e-Hasan; Vol. 3 تذکرۂ اولیائے کشمیر (in Urdu). Srinagar, kashmir: Ghulam Mohammad Noor Muhammad Tajiran Kutub.
- Didamari, Muhammed Azam (2019) [First published in Persian in 1747]. Waqiat-i-Kashmir (in Urdu). Translated by Ahmad, Shamsuddin. Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Research Center.