Imam Shah Tahir bin Radi al-Din II al-Husayni ad-Dakkani was an Indian (Muhammad-Shahi or Mu'mini)

Nizari The Nizaris ( ar, النزاريون, al-Nizāriyyūn, fa, نزاریان, Nezāriyān) are the largest segment of the Ismaili Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasize independent ...

Ismaili Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

, astronomer, philosopher and minister of the Shia Nizam Shahi dynasty in South India.

Early life

Imam Shah Tahir was son of Imam Shah Radi ad-Din II, a descendant of the

Fatimid Caliphs This is a list of an Arab dynasty, the Shi'ite caliphs of the Fatimid dynasty (909–1171). The Shi'ite caliphs were also regarded at the same time as the imams of the Isma'ili branch of Shi'a Islam. Family tree of Fatimid caliphs ...

of Egypt and a Nizari Ismaili Imam. After the establishment of Safavid dynasty and its surge against mysticism, he gave up Ismaili mysticism and joined Shah Ismail's court in early 1520 AD, but he had to leave Iran after Shah Ismail grew suspicious. He was a student of the great 16th century astronomer,

Shams al-Din al-Khafri Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Khafri al-Kashi (died 1550), known as Khafri, was an Iranian religious scholar and astronomer at the beginning of the Safavid dynasty. Before the arrival of Sheikh Baha'i in Iran, he was appointed as the major Sh ...

Life and career

Imam Shah Tahir arrived in

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

in mid-1520, but was ignored by the Adil Shahi monarch. He left Bijapur and moved to Parenda, where he started teaching ''

almagest The ''Almagest'' is a 2nd-century Greek-language mathematical and astronomical treatise on the apparent motions of the stars and planetary paths, written by Claudius Ptolemy ( ). One of the most influential scientific texts in history, it canoni ...

'', a treatise by

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

on astronomy. In 1522 AD, on request of Sultan Burhan Nizam Shah, he joined the court of

Ahmadnagar Ahmednagar (), is a city located in the Ahmednagar district in the state of Maharashtra, India, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 114 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar takes its name from Ahmad Nizam Shah I, who founded the town in 1494 ...

. He also acted as chief diplomat. He used to deliver lectures twice a week in the fort. He persuaded King Burhan Nizam Shah to adopt Shi'ism. He wrote many books, among them were:Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi, "A Socio-Intellectual History of Isna Ashari Shi'is in India", Vol. 1, p. 290, Ma’rifat Publishing House, Canberra, Australia (1986). # A commentary on the ''

Almagest The ''Almagest'' is a 2nd-century Greek-language mathematical and astronomical treatise on the apparent motions of the stars and planetary paths, written by Claudius Ptolemy ( ). One of the most influential scientific texts in history, it canoni ...

'' # A commentary on theology of Avicenna # ''Sharh Bab Hadi Ashr'' on theology # ''Sharh Jafariyya'' on jurisprudence # A commentary on ''Tafsir Bayzawi''

Death

He died in 1549 AD and his body was sent to Karbala to be buried near the tomb of

Husayn ibn Ali Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب; 10 January 626 – 10 October 680) was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a son of Ali ibn Abi ...

. He had four sons and three daughters, among whom Imam Shah Haider succeeded him as Imam and a minister in the court.

References

{{reflist Indian Shia Muslims Indian Shia clerics Scholars from Lucknow Shia Islam in India Shia Islam in Pakistan 1549 deaths