Nathar Shah

Sultan Syed Shah Mutaharuddin Suhrawardi
Dada Hayat Mir Qalandar Tabal-e-Aalam Baadshah Nathar Shah Wali Baba-e-Nathar Sarmast Dhool Samandar
Born	Syed Shah Mutaharuddin 969 CE Anatolia
Died	1038 CE (aged 69) Tiruchirapalli, Chola Empire
Venerated in	Islam, especially in the Indian subcontinent
Major shrine	Tiruchirapalli
Controversy	Halimah Saadiya (adopted daughter)
Influenced	Abdur Rahman Siddiqi Sultan Syed Baba Fakhruddin Syed Shah Hayder Wali Syed Shah Khadir Wali Syed Rahmatullah Baba
Tradition or genre	Hanafism

Holy foot impressions of Baba Fakhruddin, successor of Natahr Wali in Penukonda, AP

Sultan Syed Shah Mutaharuddin Suhrawardi (969–1039),^[1] also called Dada Hayat Mir Qalandar or Nathar Wali or Nadir Shah, was a Muslim preacher and mystic from Anatolia who in the 9th-10th century moved to Tamil Nadu, India, where he travelled about preaching Islam.^[2] He went to Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, ^[3][4] The Tamil Warrior tribe converted by his preaching are known as Ravuttars in Tamil Nadu and Kerala are one of the earliest Muslim communities in the region.^[5][6][7] The most important Islamic building in the city is Nathar Shah's Mosque, which contains the tomb of the saint Sultan Nathar Shah.^[8] According to legend it is atop the grave of the three-headed Hindu demon Tiriasuran whom Dada killed.^[3]

Early life

According to the source Tabl-e-Aalam, Nathar Shah was born Syed Shah Mutaharuddin into an aristocratic Persian Muslim Syed family of great influence and landholdings in Anatolia to the Emir of Bahanasa, Syed Shah Ahmed Kabeer, and Syeda Fathimunnisa. His younger brother, Syed Shah Jalaluddin became the Emir of Bahanasa after he left.

Life in Tiruchirapalli

Nathar Wali left his comfortable life in search of murshid(spiritual preceptor).^[3][9] He was a Qalandar (unmarried saint) who came to India along with 900 Qalandars to spread Islam. Before coming to India, he became the Mureed (Student) of Ibrahim Garamseel near the Pakistan region. After that, he traveled his journey towards different parts of India, and at last he reached Trichy and settled there. During this time, Tiruchirappalli was a part of the Chola Empire under the reign of Rajendra I, although Nathar Wali has never interacted with him. He was said to have performed miracles. Along with his qalandars, he came to Tiruchirapuram, which is now known as Tiruchirappalli, and led a religious life with his qalandars in a flower garden there.^[10]

Disciples

• Sultan Baba Fakhruddin Suhrawardi Qalandar
• Abdul Qadir Shah al-Hamid Sohrawardi

Death

He died in Tiruchirappalli in 1039 and was buried there, and a mosque constructed at the spot. Tiruchirappalli's followers call him "Natharnagar".^[11]

References

1. Arnold, T. W. (1896). The Preaching of Islam. Charles Scribner and Sons. p. 267.
2. Shafique Ali Khan (1985). Two Nation Theory: As a Concept, Strategy and Ideology. Royal Book Company. p. 70. Retrieved 15 September 2013. - Nathar Wali (died in 1039) is supposed to be the earliest Muslim Sufi who dedicated his life to Islam in the south.
3. Susan Bayly (22 April 2004). Saints, Goddesses and Kings: Muslims and Christians in South Indian Society, 1700–1900. Cambridge University Press. pp. 137–. ISBN 978-0-521-89103-5. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
4. Numismatic Society of India (1962). The journal of the Numismatic Society of India. Numismatic Society of India, P.O. Hindu University. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
5. Pandian, Soorian Kasi (1996). India, That Is, Sidd. Allied Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7023-561-3.
6. Hiltebeitel, Alf (1991). The Cult of Draupadī: Mythologies: from Gingee to Kurukṣetra. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 978-81-208-1000-6.
7. Gandhi, Indira (1981). Prime Minister Indira Gandhi Speaks on Foreign Policy, 1981. External Publicity Division, Ministry of External Affairs, [Government of India.
8. Wright, Colin. "General view of Nathar Shah's Tomb, Tiruchchirappalli". www.bl.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
9. Susan Baylyy (22 April 2004). Saints, Goddesses and Kings: Muslims and Christians in South Indian Society, 1700–1900. Cambridge University Press. pp. 117–. ISBN 978-0-521-89103-5. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
10. Hiltebeitel, Alf (1991). The Cult of Draupadī: Mythologies: from Gingee to Kurukṣetra. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 978-81-208-1000-6.
11. "Hazrat Tabl-e-Aalam Badashah Nathar Auliya (R.A) Baba Natharvali". Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi. 18 July 2018.