The Sufi Saint of Jam: History, Religion, and Politics of a Sunni Shrine in Shi'i Iran

307 Pages·2021·48.03 MB·English

by  Shivan Mahendrarajah

TheSufiSaintofJam
TheSunnisaintcultandshrineofAhmad-iJamhasenduredfor900
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
Shiʿi path in 1501, but are today enjoying a renaissance under the
(Shiʿi) Islamic Republic of Iran. The shrine’s eclectic architectural
ensemble has been renovated with private and public funds, and
expertisefromIran’sCulturalHeritageOrganization.Twoseminar-
ies (madrasa) that teach Sunni curricula to males and females were
added. Sunni and Shiʿi pilgrims visit to venerate their saint. Jami
mysticsstillpracticeʿirfan(gnosticism).
AnalyzedareAhmad-iJam’sbiographyandhagiography;market-
ing to sultans of Ahmad as the “Guardian of Kings”; history and
politics of the shrine’s catchment area; acquisition of patronage by
shrineandshaykhs;andSufidoctrinesandpracticesofJamimystics,
includingitsTimurid-eraNaqshbandiSufis.
ShivanMahendrarajahisResearchFellowattheInstituteofIranian
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 edu-
catedatColumbiaUniversityandtheUniversityofCambridge,and
studiedArabicatDamascusUniversityandPersianattheUniversity
ofTehran.
Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization
EditorialBoard
ChaseF.Robinson,Freer|Sackler,SmithsonianInstitution(generaleditor)
MichaelCook,PrincetonUniversity
MaribelFierro,SpanishNationalResearchCouncil
AlanMikhail,YaleUniversity
DavidO.Morgan,ProfessorEmeritus,UniversityofWisconsin-Madison
IntisarRabb,HarvardUniversity
MuhammadQasimZaman,PrincetonUniversity
Othertitlesintheseriesarelistedatthebackofthebook.
The Sufi Saint of Jam
History, Religion, and Politics ofa Sunni Shrine
ʿ
in Shi i Iran
SHIVANMAHENDRARAJAH
UniversityofStAndrews
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www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781108839693
DOI:10.1017/9781108884853
©ShivanMahendrarajah2021
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andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
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Firstpublished2021
PrintedintheUnitedKingdombyTJBooksLimited,PadstowCornwall
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:Mahendrarajah,Shivan,author.
Title:TheSufisaintofJam:history,religionandpoliticsofaSunnishrineinShiʿi
Iran/ShivanMahendrarajah.
Description:NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,2021.|Series:Cambridge
studiesinIslamiccivilization|Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2020041198(print)|LCCN2020041199(ebook)|ISBN
9781108839693(hardback)|ISBN9781108884853(ebook)
Subjects:LCSH:Islamicshrines–Iran–Turbat-iJ¯am.|AhmadJ¯am,1049or1050-
˙
1141or1142–Shrines.|Muslimsaints–Cult–Iran–Turbat-iJ¯am.|Sufis–Iran–
Turbat-iJ¯am.
Classification:LCCBP187.55.I72T8762021(print)|LCCBP187.55.I72(ebook)
|DDC297.4/355592–dc23
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LCebookrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2020041199
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withlove

Contents
ListofPlates,Figures,andMaps pageix
ListofTables xii
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
NotesontheText xvii
ListofAbbreviations xviii
Introduction 1
PartI TheSaint
1 BiographyandHagiography 9
2 SaintdomandPatronage 32
PartII TheSuccessors
3 Ilkhanid/KartidErastotheTimuridAge 55
4 Safavid/MughalErastotheIslamicRepublic 73
PartIII TheShrine
5 Setting,Architecture,andAdministration 93
6 Agro-andHydro-management 124
7 PublicServiceintheCatchmentArea 143
8 SacredTopographyandIslamicLearning 149
PartIV TheSufis
9 DoctrinesandPractices 189
Conclusion 216
vii
viii Contents
Appendices 223
Bibliography 241
Index 261
Theplatesectioncanbefoundbetweenpp.90and91
Plates, Figures, and Maps
PLATES
1 ShrineatthecuspoftheIranianRevolution,1977
2 ShrineatthecuspoftheIranianRevolution,1977
3 L–R:KirmaniMosque,iwan,andFiruzshah’sDome.Ahmad-
iJamisburiedimmediatelybeforetheportal
4 Ahmad-iJam’stomb,atentrancetoportico(autumn2017)
5 Ahmad-iJam’stomb,picturedfromabove(winter2011/12)
6 Squinchincornerofthegunbad.TheinscriptionpraisingKart
malikMuʿizzal-Dinrunsaroundtheentirechamber
7 Furtherviewsoftheinscriptionandartworkinsidethe
gunbad
8 Crownofthegunbad
9 InterioroftheMasjid-iʿatiq.Restoredsectionscanbeseen.
LinesfromtheVictoryverse(Q48:1–6)areonstuccofrieze,
butbadlydamaged.LinesrefertomalikGhiyathal-DinKart’s
victoryovertheChaghatayMongols
10 InteriorofMasjid-iʿatiq.Closerviewofthedamaged
inscription
11 InteriorofMasjid-iʿatiq.Oneoftheoriginalarchesthat
survivedistotheleft;arestoredarchistoitsright
12 SectionofinteriorofGunbad-iSafid
13 Prayerniche(mihrab)insidetheMasjid-iKirmani
14 Safavid-erainscriptiontotheiwan(fundedbyShahʿAbbasI,
Safavi)
15 Gunbad-iFiruzshahandclassicTimuridtilework
ix