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The Tamil Race Pride Of India -

The Tamil people are an ethnic group from South Asia. They have a written history of more than 2,000 years. Traditionally, they have been living in the southern parts of India, and the northeastern parts of Sri Lanka.

The Tamil people number around 74 million in the world. Of that, there are about 63,000,000 in India; about 3,600,000 live in Sri Lanka; about 1,500,000 live in Malaysia; and about 250,000 live in Singapore. The remaining Tamil people live in many other places. Other peoples are related to the Tamil people by language, culture, and ancestry. Some of them are Brahui people, Kannadigas, Malayalis, Telugu people, Tuluvas, and Gonds.

Tamil people identify themselves with their language, Tamil. In recent times, they have broadened the definition of Tamil people. They now also include descendants of Tamil speaking people even when they no longer speak Tamil language.

History[change | change source]
The history of Tamil people has three broad time periods as described below.

The pre-classical period[change | change source]
No one is sure about the exact origins of the Tamil people. Some historians believe that they migrated to India around 6000 BC. Some connect them with the Elamite people of ancient Iran. Some historians believe that people of the Indus Valley Civilization were either Tamil or a similar Dravidian race. However, nothing is sure about the origins of the Tamil people.

In Tamil Nadu, the earliest presence of Tamil people dates back to around 1000 BC on wards. Archeologists have found many burial places of megalithic era. The style of burials is same as described in classical Tamil literature. Recent excavations at these sites have also provided samples of early Tamil writing, dating back to at least 500 BC (The Hindu, 2005). [1]

The classical period[change | change source]
About 2,300 years before, at around 3rd century BC onwards, three royal families emerged in the lands of the Tamil people: the dynasties of the Cholas, the Cheras, and the Pandyas. Each one of them controlled a separate part of the Tamil-speaking nation. The classical Tamil literature and many inscriptions discovered also describe many smaller local rulers of that period. These kings and rulers frequently fought among themselves, and also with rulers of Sri Lanka. However, they had one common thing: they all supported arts and literature. The classical Tamil literature of that period record many practices peculiar to Tamil people. These practices still continue.

At that time, agriculture and trading were two main economic activities of Tamil people. They even traded with many other countries, including places in Europe. In Karur (Tamil Nadu), archeologists found a large number of coins of Ancient Rome. The Pandyas sent at least two ambassadors to the Roman Emperor Augustus. Archeologists have also found Tamil writings in broken pieces of pottery in the Red Sea.

An unnamed traveler from ancient Greece had described in Greek language ports of the Pandya and Chera kings. He had detailed the items exported by the Tamil people. These items included black pepper, pearls, ivory, silk, diamonds, sapphires, and tortoiseshell.

The classical period ended at around 4th century. People from northern parts of India invaded the lands of the Tamil people. For Tamil people, this was a dark period of their history. This dark phase ended with the rise of the Pallava dynasty.

The imperial and post-imperial periods[change | change source]
Historical records tell about Pallavas from the 3rd century. But, only after 300 years, during the 6th century, they became powerful. Pallava dynasty did not have Tamil origin, but they adopted the language and the Tamil ways. They modeled their kingdom on the lines of empires of north India like the Mauryan Empire and Gupta Empire. The Pallavas also encouraged the worship of Shiva and Vishnu; and built large temples. During their reign, caste system became rigid.

In the 9th century, the Cholas and the Pandyas defeated Pallavas. By the 10th century, the Cholas had established a big empire, covering most of south India and Sri Lanka. They had a strong navy. Their navy reached Thailand, Burma and Sumatra. They also had a strong trading links with China. By the 12th – 13th centuries, the power of the Cholas had declined. For some time, Pandyas became powerful. However, by that time Muslim rulers invaded Tamil lands. The Pandya dynasty came to an end by the 16th century.

Over a period of time, western parts of Tamil lands were developing in a separate manner. By the 13th century, the Cholas and the Pandyas had lost control over these areas. The people living there developed their own language and culture. By the 15th century they had a separate language, Malayalam language, now the language of the Indian state of Kerala.

After 16th century no major rulers emerged to rule Tamil lands. But, there were many smaller local rulers. For some time, rulers from the present day Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh also ruled over the Tamil lands. By the 17th century, Europeans from the United Kingdom, France and Denmark started to establish their settlements in Tamil lands. They fought many battles. Finally, the British won, and by the end of the 18th century, most of the Tamil lands came under the British rule.

Tamils in Sri Lanka[change | change source]
Historians of Sri Lanka say that Tamil people reached Sri Lanka only after 7th century during the invasions of the Chola dynasty. The Tamil people ruled parts of Sri Lanka from time to time, and played important role in the ruling of Sri Lanka. In the 10th century, the Chola kings made Sri Lanka a part of their kingdom. This continued until late 11th century.

After decline of the Chola power in Sri Lanka, different rulers ruled Sri Lanka, the Arya Chakaravarthi dynasty from 1215. The Arya Chakaravarthi dynasty ruled over large parts of northeast Sri Lanka until 1619. By this time the Portuguese and the Dutch won many areas of Sri Lanka. However, in 1796, the British won entire Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka became part of the British Empire..

The modern period[change | change source]
During the British Raj, the British combined all Tamil lands and gave them a new name, the Madras Presidency. The Madras Presidency became a part of the British Raj. Similarly, the British combined Tamil lands of Sri Lanka and other regions of Sri Lanka in 1802. This became the Ceylon colony, also a part of the British Empire. When India became independent in 1947, Madras Presidency became a part of India. Ceylon became independent in 1948, and the Tamil lands remained a part of independent Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka.

After India’s independence in 1947, Madras Presidency became Madras State. It covered the areas of present day Tamil Nadu, coastal parts of Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, northern Kerala, and the southwest of Karnataka. The Government of India rearranged (1956) the boundaries of many states of India based on language. Thus, the present day state of Tamil Nadu came into existence.

At the beginning, there was a demand for an independent country for the Tamil people. However, the constitution of India gave major rights to the states, and protected the speakers of regional languages from compulsory speaking and use of Hindi. This satisfied most of the Tamil people, and presently there is no demand for a separate country for Tamil people outside the federal system of India.

However, in Sri Lanka, the government did not give sufficient rights to people who spoke Tamil language. During 1970s, this led to a demand for independence of Tamil people from Sri Lanka. In early 1980s, the situation became very bad. A civil war broke out. Currently, peace negotiations are under way.

Geographic distribution[change | change source]
Tamil people live in many geographical regions. Sections below describe them.

In India[change | change source]
Most of the Tamil people of India live in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Most of the people living in Pondicherry of India are also Tamil people.

Tamil people have been traditionally living in some other parts of India - for examples, Hebbar and Mandyam Tamils of southern Karnataka, the Tamils of Palakkad in Kerala, and the Tamils of Pune, Maharashtra. For last one hundred years or so, Tamil people went to many other parts of India for jobs or business. Some of them settled in these places.

In Sri Lanka[change | change source]
Presently, there are two groups of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The first group is Sri Lankan Tamils. They are descendants of the Tamil people who lived in the old Jaffna kingdom or who migrated to the East coast. The second group is Hill Country Tamils. They descended from the Tamil people who went to Sri Lanka from India as laborers in the 19th century-early 20th century. The first group mostly lives in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. The second group mostly live in the central highlands.

In 1949, some political developments in Sri Lanka were adverse for Tamil people of Sri Lanka. Many Tamils people lost their citizenship of being citizens of Sri Lanka. Under an agreement between the governments of India and Sri Lanka, about 40% of these Tamils could get back their citizenship. Many others had to shift to India. These developments brought the two groups of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka closer. By 1990s, most of the Tamil people had got back their citizenship.

Now on these days tamil speaks in all over the world and it is one of the most popular language after english

In other places[change | change source]
Beginning from the 18th century, many poor Tamil people went as laborers to many countries of the British Empire. Some of these countries were Malaya, South Africa, Fiji, Mauritius and the Caribbean. At the same time, many Tamil businessmen also went to places in Burma and East Africa. Many Tamils still live in these countries.

Special mention may be made of Singapore. The government has made Tamil language as one of the national languages although only 4.2% of the people speak Tamil language in Singapore.

By 1980s many Tamil people of Sri Lanka were facing ethnic conflicts. Many of them fled to Australia, Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. Today, the largest concentration of Tamils outside southern Asia is in Toronto, Canada.

In recent years, many young Tamil professionals from India (particularly computer programmers) have gone to Europe and the United States.

Culture[change | change source]
Language and literature[change | change source]
Tamil people call their language as "the Tamil mother." They identify themselves based on their language.

Tamil language, like other languages of south India, is one of the Dravidian languages. It is not related to the Indo-European languages of the north India. Although modern speakers of Tamil language use a number of words of Sanskrit and English, Tamil language has maintained its original classical character. The Government of India has recently recognized Tamil language as one of the classical languages of India.

Classical Tamil literature is varied. For example, they cover poetry and lyrics; works of ethics and philosophy; and many other types of literary works. Notable works in classical Tamil literature include the Tirukkural by Thiruvalluvar, The Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature and the works of Auvaiyar. Over many centuries, the written Tamil has changed very little. Thus, even modern Tamil people are able to read and enjoy these classical literary works.

Modern Tamil literature is also varied. It has many aspects: for example, Indian nationalism, historical romanticism, and social realism. In recent years, many works of Tamil language in Sri Lanka describe the tragedy of ethnic conflict and civil war. Tamil people living in many other places have also produced literary works.

Some of the note-worthy poets are Bharathiyar, Barathidasen, etc... of end of 19th century who depicts the originality of Tamil culture and India, penned several notarary poems on Tamil and National interest.

Visual arts[change | change source]
Tamil visual arts have three main forms: architecture, sculpture and painting. The theme is generally religious, showing aspects of Hinduism.

Tanjore painting is the most important form of painting of Tamil people. The painting originated in a place named Tanjore (modern name: Thanjavur). This style of painting originated in the 9th century. In this style of painting, the painter paints on a piece of cloth. Sometimes, the painter also decorates the painting with threads of gold and silver, and precious gems. There is one other type of important painting style. Painters make paintings on the walls of temples. Tamil paintings use rich colors and show minute details.

In their sculpture, artists use bronze. Several pieces of sculptures are found throughout Tamil Nadu, particularly in temples. Most of them are very old, dating from the 7th century onwards. The sculptures show very minute details, including details of ornaments and dress. Many sculptures also show movement with fine details. Two important examples of such sculptures are: the cave sculptures at Mamallapuram and Nataraja statue at Chidambaram.

There are many temples in the lands of Tamil people. The gates of these temples, called Gopuram, are higher than other parts. Earlier Gopurams were simple in construction. From 13th century onwards, they became bigger and have engravings and paintings. The engravings and paintings show scenes and characters from Hindu mythology. Temples at Thanjavur. Chidambaram and Srirangam are very big and fine examples of temples of Tamil people.

Tamil art is an important tradition of Indian art.

Performing arts[change | change source]
The Tamil people have many performing arts. The classical Tamil literature has many details of these performing arts.

Classical music of Tamil people is carnatic music. The classical Tamil literature records details about the carnatic music. This is a vocal music with use of musical instruments. Carnatic music is completely religious.

Tamil folk music is very different from the carnatic music. The folk music shows a lot of excitement. The songs may convey folklore and other popular tales.

Bharatanatyam is the main dance of the Tamil people. Generally one dancer performs this dance. The dance tells a story through movements of parts of body, particularly hands. Until 1930s, girls known as devadasis performed this dance in temples. Now, it has become common, and there are many famous dancers who perform this dance. Tamil people also have many types of folk dances performed in villages. Sometimes they perform such a dance before the village goddess called Mariamma.

Tamil people also have a long tradition of theatrical performance. In villages, performers perform in the open. They dance and sing, and some times tell stories. These stories may be religious stories or on any other topic.

Tamil Nadu has a well-developed tradition of stage theatre tradition. Presently, both classical and folk performing arts survive in modern Tamil society.

Tamil people like to watch movies. Tamil movies are famous for technical details, artistic presentation, and entertainment. Most of the Tamil movies will have some songs and dances. Kollywood is the popular term for the Tamil film industry

Religion[change | change source]
Most of the Tamil people are Hindus. However, many are Muslims and Christians. At one time, Jainism was one of the major religions of Tamil people. However, presently there are only few thousand Tamil Jains.

The most important Tamil Muslims festivals are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

In Tamil Hinduism, the most popular deity is god named Murugan. He is a form of Karthikeya, the son of Shiva. The Tamil people also worship mother goddess Amman or Mariamman. Many Tamil people also worship Kannagi, a folk heroine. Throughout Tamil lands, there are many temples of Shiva, Vishnu, and Ganesha (Ganpathi). In rural areas of Tamil Nadu, people worship many local gods and goddesses. They call them aiyyanar.

There were many saints known as Alvars and Nayanars. In the 10th century, Ramanuja propagated his philosophy about worship and also accepted lower caste-Hindus as his disciples. There were many other notable Tamil saints. The Ramayana has many parts based in Tamil regions and according to legends, many of Rama's soldiers were Tamil people.

The most important Tamil festivals are Pongal and the Tamil New Year. Pongal is a harvest festival and people celebrate this in mid-January. Tamil people also celebrate Diwali. Two other important Hindu festivals of Tamil people are Thaipusam, and Adipperukku.

Martial arts[change | change source]
A Tamil legend states that the Cholas, Chera and Pandyan kings fought many wars in the 1st century. The war lasted for about one hundred years. During this period, the Tamil people perfected many martial arts. All these styles of martial arts still exist. They also developed many weapons.

There are many types of martial arts. For example, in a special type of martial art, a person would use a stick of about 1.6 meters long. By moving the stick he would try to defend against attack by several persons. In another type of martial art, persons get training to defend themselves without using any weapons, by using their hands and legs.

Varma Kalai (Tamil: வர்மக்கலை) is a martial art and esoteric healing art originating from ancient Tamil Nadu in South India. The name literally translate as "The Art of Vital Points". It is an element of the Tamil martial art Kuttu varisai.[1]

In some parts of Tamil Nadu, notably Alanganallur (near Madurai), some Tamil people hold annual event around Pongal festival: called " Manju virattu " in Tamil (bullfighting}).

Movements[change | change source]
Periyar Ramasami, a social leader of Tamil people started a movement named Self-respect Movement. It was to promote self-respect and remove social evils like casteism. Many people call this movement as the Dravidian movement. All political parties of Tamil Nadu draw their principles from this movement.

Scholars of India and Sri Lanka have developed a vocabulary in Tamil language for words of science and technology.

In the 1960s, the government of Tamil Nadu held a World Tamil Conference. The Conference has been meeting regularly.

In 1999, many Tamil people organized a World Tamil Confederation. Its purpose is to protect and promote Tamil culture and bring a sense of togetherness amongst Tamils in different countries. The Confederation has since adopted a Tamil flag and Tamil song [2] to act as symbols for the Tamil people living in different countries. The words on the flag quote the opening line of a poem by the classical poet Kanian Poongundranaar. These words mean: “All lands are our home; all people are our kin.”

In Sri Lanka, the Federal Party (later the Tamil United Liberation Front) took the lead in Tamil politics. However, by 1980s, political movements took a back seat in Tamil politics of Sri Lanka. Many military groups had started conflicts, and a civil war broke out. The Tamil Tigers emerged as the most important force amongst these military groups. The Tamil Tigers are fighting to establish its own government in areas where Tamil people are in majority. Presently they control many areas, and are negotiating for peace.

source wikipedia

Documenting the Tamil Rod Piercers of Goddess Marriammen

I have shot this ritual intensively and it is not just Tamil folks but even non Tamils who undergo this cheek piercing.. there is immense pain, sometimes the devotee goes into a trance or positive possession..I shot this event at Juhu Mahim and Sion Koliwada ..
I also shot a hijra who came every year to get his cheek pierced during this festival of Mother Marriammen .Because he took part in this event all the hijras from Sion Dharavi adjoining areas came to support him danced and made merry..This part of my hijra documentary has been completely disabled from public view .

I shot this event at Mahim beach and other Tamil pockets and I was introduced to this feast accidentally by Bhima Davendar of Nehru Nagar now my closest friend ..lots of celebrity wives come to the renovated Marriammen Temple here ,,in this slums in posh Juhu area.

Bhima introduced me to Lakshmi a Tamil from Salem her pujari brother Ganesh at Mahim Fishermens Colony and I shot this event for many years , demonic possession and some amazing stories in pictures .. I even bought my foreigner friends to shoot this event .

Soon I became a known face among the Tamils over 10 years or more and I met Shanmukhnanda and Sundar my two trusted friends and they touched me deeply when they placed my name on their Marriammen Festival banner .. Photography by Firoze Shakir and I became their wellwisher fan for life ..Whether I shoot this feast elsewhere I dont know but yes Juhu and Worli I do not miss come what may.

I will pierce my cheeks one day most probably at Worli ,, to show my spiritual oral solidarity with the Tamils who have been very kind hospitable to me ..and when I am at Worli I shoot their slums the Worli Gutter and the ragpickers that have worked hard struggled bought up their kids , educated them and a vegetable seller Ganesh is saving money to become a cinematographer.

Most of my Tamil friends call me in advance and I have one regret I wish I could learn Tamil ..as they treat me like a brother Tamil ..during the procession they come ask me to have tea cold drink and this is my India of love hope humanity hidden away from tourist brochures and public glare ,, this is the India I live and relive and love to shoot and share .

Lakshmi from Mahim has settled down in Salem the great Mother Marriammen temple town and wants me to come there but my legs are manacled to my work in Mumbai..

I was accosted by a drunk at Juhu Beach a Tamil he did not know me may have been from another suburb was not understanding why I was shooting the piercings , he threatened me to pierce my cheeks and i told him get the rod go ahead ..thanks to Shanmukhnanda who barged in and spoke to him in Tamil and calmed him down..Most of these people are not happy being photographed or documented ,,, so this time I shot more videos less stills.

And I remember as I understand some Tamil when my friend told him that I too do a ritual when I cut my head during Moharam.. so Goddess Marriammen calls me to shoot her , her people her followers and  I gladly come here ,,

Here at Nehru Nagar after the beach piercings I aborted my photography did not shoot the rod removal and my friend Bhima and his wife called me at home the next day to find out if everything was OK with me .

I would love to shoot Thaipussam in the Far East but I dont have the money or sponsor so I shoot the similar rituals here in Mumbai.

The most unusual ritual this time at Juhu was a man with 6 short swords pierced in his back..he was from Salem.

So this is my genre . I shoot pain overcoming pain...and ritualistic rhapsody of pain.

Marriammen Feast Juhu Beach 2015 ,,Cheek Piercings

This was the next segment after the morning rituals and animal sacrifice at the Marriammen Temple Nehru Nagar Juhu ..

I came to Juhu beach at about 5 pm searching fr my friend Bhima Davendar , who helps insert the rods in the cheeks of the devotees .. but he was stuck up in the traffic so I shot Shekar of Nehru Nagar ,, pushing the 18 feet rods in the mouths and inserting hooks in the backs of the devotees ,, with the hooks they will pull cars , rickshahs or be hung from trains ,,

I was really not interested in shooting stills as I shot this  event for over 10 years or more instead I shot videos on my mobile phone ,,

Later I shot Shanmukhnanda my friend from Madras Wadi Worli ,, he was also one of the guys helping the devotees insert the rods in their mouths and hooks in the back..

I left from here with Shanmukhnanda , I was walking back to the Marriammen Temple for the ritual of removing of the rods but I was  barefeet tired dehydrated and my blood sugar was making me uneasy as I had not eaten anything ..

This is a long series all part of my Hope And Hindutva series at Flickr,com

Shivas Third Eye On My Fingers

These are natural agate or Akeek ,,I bought them many years at Ajmer from Kapil Aggarwal , a great devotee of Kwajah Garib Nawaz and a jeweller from Jaipur , he would set up his gemstone stall at Sola Khamba and we became friends ,I bought almost every size of this natural eye stone ,, for  both my hands and made a huge heavy pendant of eyes too that because of the weight I wear  sometimes only ..

I did not meet Kapil this year , but he visits Mumbai and supplies gemstones the the dealers at Bhendi Bazar ..he has come home too .. he wanted to set up a stall in Mumbai but it did not materialize .

This stone in the shape of the eye is highly holistic both to Hindus and Muslims , its very difficult to get this in good shape and form.

I bought a huge Tibetan Turquoise after Kapil mediated with another gemstone dealer to give it to me at a fair price .

I also got a Topaz colored Quartz 3800 carat its like a huge weight round my neck , it was on a silver chain , most of my silver jewelry I had to sell when bad times hit me a few years back..but I still have a very rare exotic collection of Sufi chunky jewelry.. each with a back story.

My wife miraculously goes to Karbala and Iran for Ashura Moharam  every year but till date I never asked her to get me a gemstone ,,

The Great Humble Maharajah

I have known Maharajah in white clothes in my picture for many years now , he plays the musical instruments at the Marriammen feast in the mornings before the animal sacrifice rituals ..and his music is very hypnotic ,, I once went into a trance and collapsed on the floor of the Temple .

Maharajah beckoned me into the Marriammen Temple .. but I was busy shooting outside , and later I entered the Temple with Ganesh the Butcher of Mother Marriammen.. I  follow protocol and respect of the temple ..though all the priests here know me very well.. as a photographer I maintain decorum try not to get carried away and take my photography for granted .. there rituals are primary my photography is secondary .

Later in the evening Maharajah helps the guys get their cheeks pierced , insert hooks in the back and inserting needles in the arms backs of men women kids from which limes are hung in clusters .

Women get their tongue pierced too by small needle like Trishuls ,

There is a Maha Puja to Goddess Marriammen on the beach , this Goddess of Fertility , Small Pox and Goddess of Peace Humanity ..

The animal sacrifice is graphic ,and very different , but as a photographer I am merely shooting it so you should use your discretion and not judge me harshly ,, as mentioned time and again I dont endorse my views on their rituals and because they trust me , they invite me ,, since 2005 .

And this is one of my favorite segments I have shot it passionately ,, and hope to pierce my cheeks with a  18 feet rod too show my moral solidarity with the Tamils my friends and fellow Indians .

I also hope to visit Salem to shoot the Mother Marriammen feast one day..when  I have more time and financial stability .

Mehboob e Elahi .. Dargah Of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

Sultan-ul-Mashaikh, Mehboob-e-Ilahi, Hazrat Shaikh Khwaja Syed Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya (1238 – 3 April 1325) (Urdu: حضرت شیخ خواجہ سیّد محمد نظام الدّین اولیاء‎), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, was a famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in the Indian Subcontinent, an order that believed in drawing close to God through renunciation of the world and service to humanity. He is one of the great saints of the Chishti order in India.[1] His predecessors were Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Bakhtiyar Kaki and Moinuddin Chishti. In that sequence, they constitute the initial spiritual chain or silsila of the Chisti order, widely prevalent in the Indian subcontinent.

Nizamuddin Auliya, like his predecessors, stressed love as a means of realising God. For him his love of God implied a love of humanity. His vision of the world was marked by a highly evolved sense of secularity and kindness.[2] It is claimed by the 14th century historiographer Ziauddin Barani that his influence on the Muslims of Delhi was such that a paradigm shift was effected in their outlook towards worldly matters. People began to be inclined towards mysticism and prayers and remaining aloof from the world.[3]

Life[edit]
Nizamuddin Auliya was born in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh (east of Delhi). At the age of five, after the death of his father, Ahmad Badayuni, he came to Delhi with his mother, Bibi Zulekha.[4] His biography finds mention in Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document written by Mughal Emperor Akbar’s vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak.[5]

At the age of twenty, Nizāmuddīn went to Ajodhan (the present Pakpattan Sharif in Pakistan) and became a disciple of the Sufi saint Fariduddin Ganjshakar, commonly known as Baba Farid. Nizāmuddīn did not take up residence in Ajodhan but continued with his theological studies in Delhi while simultaneously starting the Sufi devotional practices and the prescribed litanies. He visited Ajodhan each year to spend the month of Ramadan in the presence of Baba Farid. It was on his third visit to Ajodhan that Baba Farid made him his successor. Shortly after that, when Nizāmuddīn returned to Delhi, he received news that Baba Farid had died.


Chilla Nizamuddin Auliya, residence of Nizamuddin Auliya, towards the north-east from Humayun's tomb, Delhi
Nizāmuddīn lived at various places in Delhi, before finally settling down in Ghiyaspur, a neighbourhood in Delhi undisturbed by the noise and hustle of city life. He built his Khanqah here, a place where people from all walks of life were fed, where he imparted spiritual education to others and he had his own quarters. Before long, the Khanqah became a place thronged with all kinds of people, rich and poor alike.

Many of his disciples achieved spiritual height, including Shaikh Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Delhi,[6] and Amir Khusro,[5] noted scholar/musician, and the royal poet of the Delhi Sultanate.

He died on the morning of 3 April 1325. His shrine, the Nizamuddin Dargah, is located in Delhi.[7] and the present structure was built in 1562. The shrine is visited by people of all faiths, through the year, though it becomes a place for special congregation during the death anniversaries, or Urs, of Nizamuddin Auliya and Amīr Khusro,[4] who is also buried at the Nizāmuddīn Dargāh.

Key beliefs[edit]
Besides believing in the traditional Sufi ideas of embracing God within this life (as opposed to the idea that such partial merger with God is possible only after death), by destroying the ego and cleansing the soul, and that this is possible through considerable efforts involving Sufi practices, Nizamuddin also expanded and practised the unique features introduced by past saints of the Chisti Sufi order in India. These included:

Emphasis on renunciation and having complete trust in God.
The unity of mankind and shunning distinctions based on social, economic, religious status.
Helping the needy, feeding the hungry and being sympathetic to the oppressed.
Strong disapproval of mixing with the Sultans, the princes and the nobles.
Exhortation in making close contact with the poor and the downtrodden
Adopting an uncompromising attitude towards all forms of political and social oppression.
A bold stance in favour of Sema, which some considered unislamic. Perhaps this was with the view that this was in consonance with the role of music in some modes of Hindu worship, could serve as a basis of contact with local people and would facilitate mutual adjustments between the two communities.[8] In fact Qawwali, a form of devotional music, was originally created by one his most cherished disciples: Amir Khusro.
Nizamuddin did not much bother about the theoretical aspects of Sufism, believing rather that it were the practical aspects that counted, as it was anyway not possible to describe the diversified mystical experiences called spiritual states or stations which a practicing Sufi encountered. He discouraged the demonstration of Keramat and emphasised that it was obligatory for the Auliya (which roughly means the friends of God) to hide the ability of Keramat from the commoners. He also was quite generous in accepting disciples. Usually whoever came to him saying that he wanted to become a disciple was granted that favour. This resulted in him being always surrounded by people from all strata of society.

Ancestral history[edit]
The eldest son of 'Alī al-Naqī was Ḥasan al-'Askarī and the other son was Ja'far Bukhārī. After the death of 'Ali al-Naqi, Hasan al-Askari became the accepted Imām of both Shī'ah and Sunnī Muslims. Ḥasan al-'Askarī was killed at the age of 28. He had one son, Muḥammad al-Mahdī, who, at the age of five after the death of his father, disappeared from public view. That was in the time of the 'Abbāsid Caliphs. Knowing about the killings of all the Imāms and family members of the descendants of Muḥammad, Ja'far Bukhārī migrated to Bukhara in Uzbekistan[citation needed]. After a few generations, one of his descendants called 'Alī, known as Dāniyāl, the grandfather of Nizāmuddīn Auliyā', migrated to the city of Badāyūn in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Ancestral lineage[edit]
Hazrat Muhammad Sm.
'Alī bin Abī Ṭālib
Husayn bin 'Alī
[Hazrat Sayed [Ali ibn Hussain|'Alī bin al-Husayn]] Zayn-ul'Ābidīn
Muḥammad al-Bāqir
Ja'far al-Ṣādiq
Mūsā al-Kāḍhim
'Alī al-Riḍā
Muḥammad al-Taqī
'Alī al-Naqī
Hazrat Sayed Ja'far Bukhārī
Hazrat Sayed 'Alī Aṣghar Bukhārī
Hazrat Sayed Abī 'Abdullāh Bukhārī
Hazrat Sayed Aḥmad Bukhārī
Hazrat Sayed 'Alī Bukhārī
Hazrat Sayed Husayn Bukhārī
Hazrat Sayed 'Abdullāh Bukhārī
Hazrat Sayed 'Alī, known as Dāniyāl
Hazrat Sayed Aḥmad Badāyūnī
Hazrat Sayed Nizāmuddīn Auliyā'
Spiritual history[edit]

Mughal princess Jahan Ara's tomb (left), Nizamuddin Auliya's tomb (right) and Jama'at Khana Masjid (background), at Nizamuddin Dargah complex, in Nizamuddin West, Delhi
He was merely sixteen or seventeen years old when he first heard the name of Farīduddīn Ganjshakar, and feelings of love and respect arose in his heart right then. He narrates to his disciples that he never felt the same after hearing or even meeting any other Sufi. The love kept increasing like a burning fire. If his classmates would like to have some work out of him they used to invoke the name of Bābā Farīd, and he never refused anything asked in his name. He didn't feel the same for anyone else in his entire lifetime. He became his disciple after completing his studies at the age of 20. He visited him thrice in his lifetime.

Spiritual lineage[edit]
Muhammad ﷺ
'Alī bin Abī Ṭālib
al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī
'Abdul Wāḥid Bin Zaid Abul Faḍl
Fuḍail Bin 'Iyyādh Bin Mas'ūd Bin Bishr al-Tamīmī
Ibrāhīm bin Adham
Hudhaifah al-Mar'ashī
Abu Hubairah Basri
Mumshad 'Uluw al-Dinawarī
Start of the Chishti Order:

Abū Isḥāq al-Shāmī
Abū Aḥmad Abdāl
Abū Muḥammad bin Abī Aḥmad
Abū Yūsuf bin Sāmān
Maudūd Chishtī
Sharīf Zandānī
Usmān al-Hārūnī
Mu'īnuddīn Chishtī
Quṭbuddīn Bakhtiyār Kākī
Farīduddīn Mas'ūd
Nizāmuddīn Auliyā'
Students[edit]
He had more than 600 khalifas (a khalifa is a disciple who is given the authority to take his own disciples and thus propagate the spiritual lineage) who continued his lineage all over the world. Some of his most famous disciples are:

Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi[edit]
He was the spiritual successor of Nizamuddin Auliya. He is considered fifth amongst the big five of the Chisti order in India (the others being Moinuddin Chishti, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Fariduddin Ganjshakar, Nizamuddin Auliya). His shrine is in Chirag Dilli, New Delhi, India.

Amīr Khusro[edit]
He was the most loved disciple of his master. He was so close to his master that once Nizāmuddīn Auliyā' said, "If sharī'ah allows me I would like him to be buried with me in the same grave."[citation needed] He also said that whoever comes to visit his grave must visit the grave of Amīr Khusro first and then his. He died within a few months of his master's death. He was buried at the feet of his master. His shrine is in Nizāmuddīn Dargāh, New Delhi.

Akhi Siraj Aainae Hind[edit]
He was given the title of Āainae-Hind (Mirror of India) by Nizāmuddīn Auliyā' and lived with him for a long time. He was amongst the earliest disciples of Nizāmuddīn Auliyā', who sent him to Bengal. His shrine is in Gaur, West Bengal.

Burhanuddin Gharib[edit]
He is also amongst the earliest disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya and lived with the master until his last breath. After the death of Nizamuddin Auliya, he went to the Deccan, and the place where he lived became famous thereby. His shrine is in Khuldabad in Maharashtra.

Jalaluddin Bhandari[edit]
He is also amongst the earliest disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya. He ran the Langar khana of Nizamuddin Auliya. After the death of Nizamuddin Auliya, he went to the Deccan with Burhanuddin Gharib, and became famous by the name of Bhandari. His shrine is in Fatehabad in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.

Syed Mahmood Kashkinakar[edit]
He holds a very special position among those who follows chishti Sufi. He is believed to be alive in the invisible world even after his death in the visible world. There are miracles in the literature of the Chisti order which are attributed to this.

Ajan Fakir[edit]
Ansari

Quotations[edit]
The wilayat (domain) of gnosis and faith can suffer decay. The wilayat of compassion can not.
The love of Auliya (saints) is stronger than their reason.
The lock of spiritual perfection has very many keys. All those keys are to be possessed. If one does not open it, others can.
He who has knowledge, reason, and love, is deserving to become a caliph of the Sufi sheikhs.
So long as is possible, give relief to your heart, because the heart of a good Muslim is the palace of the manifestations of Allah.
Descendants[edit]
Nizamuddin Auliya did not marry. However he had one brother named Jamaluddin. He told him, "your descendants will be my descendants". Jamaluddin had one son named Ibrahim. He was nurtured by Nizamuddin Auliya after Jamaluddin's death. Nizamuddin Auliya sent his nephew to Bengal in Eastern India along with one of his disciples (khalifa) Akhi Siraj Aainae Hind, known as Aaina-e-Hind. Alaul Haq Pandavi (the master (Pir) of Ashraf Jahangir Semnani) became his disciple and khalifa. Ala-ul-Haq Pandwi married his sister-in-law to Ibrahim. They had one son, Fariduddin Tavaela Bukhsh, who became a well known Chisti Sufi of Bihar. He was married to the daughter of Alaul Haq Pandavi. He became the khalifa of Hazrat Noor Qutb-e-Aalam Padwi (the eldest son and spiritual successor of Alaul Haq Pandavi). His shrine is in Chandpura, Bihar Sharif, Bihar. Many of his descendants are well known Sufis, namely Moinuddin Sani, Naseeruddin Sani, Sultan Chisti Nizami, Bahauddin Chisti Nizami, Deewan Syed Shah Abdul Wahab (his shrine is in Choti Takiya, Biharsharif), Sultan Sani, Amjad Hussain Chisti Nizami, among others. He spread Chisti Nizami order all over Northern India. Ijaza of his Silsila (order) is present in all the existing khanqahs of Bihar. His descendants still reside in Bihar Sharif and can be found in many parts of the world.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia also had one sister named Bibi Ruqayya who is buried next to Bibi Zulekha, the mother of Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia in Adhchini village in Delhi.Nizamuddin Auliya did not marry. He brought his Pir/Shaikh's grandson named Khwaja Muhammad Imam, who was the son of Bibi Fatima (Daughter of Baba Farid and Badruddin is'haq)as mentioned in Seyrul Aulia book, Nizami bansari, The life and time of Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia by Khaliq Ahmed Nizami. Still the descendents of Khwaja Muhammad Imam are the caretakers of dargah sharif.

The Chisti Nizami order[edit]
Main article: Chishti Order
Nizamuddin Auliya was the founder of the Chisti Nizami order. He had hundreds of disciples (khalifa) who had Ijaza (khilafat) from him to spread the order. Many of the Sufis of the Chisti Nizami order are recognised as great Sufis; the following is a list of notable Sufis of the Chisti Nizami order, which includes his descendants as well as his disciples:

Muhammad Hussaini Gisudaraz Bandanawaz, Gulbarga (near Hyderabad), Karnataka; Alaul Haq Pandavi & Noor Qutb-e-Alam Pandwi, Pandua, West Bengal; Ashraf Jahangir Semnani, Kichaucha, Uttar Pradesh; Faqruddin Faqr Dehlvi, Mehrauli, New Delhi; Shah Niyaz Ahmad Barelvi, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh; Shafruddin Ali Ahmed & Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Chirag Dilli, New Delhi; Zainuddin Shirazi, Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh; Muhiuddin Yousuf Yahya Madani Chishti, Medina; Kaleemullah Dehlvi Chishti, Delhi; Nizamuddin Aurangabadi; Nizamuddin Hussain, and Meerza Agha Mohammad; Muhammad Sulman Taunswi, Pakistan, Mohammad Meera Hussaini, Hesamuddin Mankpuri.

Branches[edit]
Nizamuddin Auliya was an unparalleled Sufi of his time amongst all the existing Sufi orders of that time. Many of his contemporaries were doubtless very powerful spiritual leaders, but he was the most famous of all. In his career of approximately 70 years as a Sufi he saw the reign of seven rulers of the Delhi sultanate. The kings were very loyal to him and respectful of him. When he first arrived as the Qutb of Delhi he settled down at a lonely place on the outskirts of Delhi, Ghyaspur. But he became so famous that Ghyaspur became the main hub of Delhi and so densely populated that he wanted to leave that place but did not. He was buried in the campus of his khanqah. Ghyaspur is now a central locality of New Delhi, and is known after his name Nizamuddin. The area is so vast that it is divided into four parts: Nizamuddin Dargah (where his shrine is situated), Nizamuddin East, Nizamuddin West and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station.

The Chisti order branched out with Nizamuddin Auliya to form the Chisti Nizami order. A parallel branch which started with Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari, another disciple of Baba Farid, was the Chisti Sabiri branch. People started adding Nizami gracefully after their name. He spiritually made many great Sufis amongst his students, descendants and the Sufis of the Nizami order.

The branches of the Chisti Nizami order are as follows:

Naseeria[edit]
His disciple Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Dehli started the Nizamia Naseeria branch.

Hussainia[edit]
The Hussainia branch is named for Muhammad Hussaini Gisudaraz Bandanawaz. He was the most famous and loved disciple of Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Dehli. The khanqah he established in Gulbarga, Karnataka is still in existence.

Niyazia[edit]
Shah Niyaz Ahmad Barelvi, in the 19th century started the Niyazia branch.

Serajia[edit]
The Nizamia Serajia branch was started by Serajuddin Aqi Seraj. This branch is also known as Chistia Serajia.

Ashrafia[edit]
The Chistia Ashrafia branch was started by Ashraf Jahangir Semnani. He established a khanqah, still in existence at Kichaucha sharif, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Faridia[edit]
The Chistia Serajia Faridia order was started by Fariduddin Tavaelabukhsh, a descendant of Nizamuddin Auliya and a Sufi of the Serajia branch of the Chisti order. This branch is also known as Nizamia Serajia Faridia.

King's disrespect leads to his doom[edit]
One of the kings of the Delhi sultanate during Nizamuddin Auliya lifetime was Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah, the last ruler of the Khilji dynasty. Legend has it that disrespect of Nizamuddin Auliya caused the king's death. Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah used to assemble all the leading figures and famous personalities of Delhi in his court every weekend. Once a courtier complained to him that Nizamuudin Auliya never came to the court. The King declared, "Order him in my name to come to my weekend gathering, else he will be hanged." When Nizamuddin Auliya's disciple, Amir Khusrau, related this to his master, he ignored the message, and did not even answer. As the weekend approached, his disciples became concerned for his life. On the day before the weekend, Nizamuddin Auliya went to the grave of his mother and came back looking unperturbed, telling his disciples to go home and sleep as usual. The next morning, everyone was very tense and worried, but Nizamuddin Auliya remained unperturbed. Shortly, news came that there had been a rebellion in the palace, and the king had been brutally killed.

Titles[edit]
1. MEHBOOB-E-ILAHI (Beloved of Ilahi).

2. SULTAN-UL MASHAIKH (King of Masha'ikh).

3. IMAM-UL-MEHBOOBEEN (Leader of Mehboobeen).

4. MALIK-UL FUQRA WAL MASAKEEN.

6. TAJ-UL MUQARRABEEN.

5. MEHFIL-E SUKHAN (Attraction in the Gathering).

7. ZARI’ZAR BAKSH (Distributor of Gold and Silver).

8. NIZAMUDDIN BA'HATH (The Debator).

9. MEHFIL-E SHIKAN (The breaker of assemblies)

10. TABIB-E DIL (Healer of the heart)

11. GAUS-UL ALAM (Gaus of World)

12. JAG UJIYARE (Light for the World)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizamuddin_Auliya