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The Shrine of Baba Farid ( Punjabi and ur, بابا فرید درگاہ) is a 13th-century
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
shrine located in Pakpattan,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, that is dedicated to the
Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
mystic
Fariduddin Ganjshakar Farīd al-Dīn Masʿūd Ganj-i-Shakar ( ; – 7 May 1266) was a 13th-century Punjabi Sunni Muslim preacher and mystic, who was one of the most revered and distinguished Muslim mystics of the medieval period. He is known reverentially as B� ...
, popularly known as Baba Farid. The shrine is one of the most important in Pakistan, and was among the first Islamic holy sites in
South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;; ...
– providing the region's Muslims a local focus for devotion. The shrine is also revered by
Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ' ...
, who include Baba Farid's poetry into the
Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the rel ...
– regarded by Sikhs to be the eternal Guru. The shrine played a central role in the conversion of locals to Islam over the course of several centuries. Chiefs of the highly revered shrine once controlled a politically autonomous state that was defended by soldiers drawn from local clans that pledged loyalty to the shrine and descendants of Baba Farid. Today the shrine is considered to be the most significant in Punjab, and attracts up to two million visitors to its annual ''
urs Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or ''Urus'' (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc. t ...
'' festival.


Location

The shrine is located in the town of Pakpattan, in the Pakistani province of
Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprisin ...
, near the right bank of the
Sutlej River The Sutlej or Satluj River () is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroads region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. The Sutlej River is also known as ''Satadru''. It is the easternmost tributary of the Ind ...
.


Background

Turkic settlers had arrived in the region around Pakpattan in the 13th century a result of pressures from the expanding
Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...
, and so the city already had a Muslim community with its own mosque by the time of Baba Farid's arrival. Baba Farid established a ''Jama Khana'', or convent, in what was then known as ''Ajodhan'' that attracted large masses of devotees who would gather at the convent daily in hopes of securing ''ta'widh'', or written blessings and amulets. Devotees would in turn offer a ''futuh'', or gift to the shrine in return. By the 13th century, the belief that the spiritual powers of great Sufi saints were attached to their burial sites was widespread in the Muslim world, and so a shrine was built to commemorate the burial site of Baba Farid after he died in 1265. In keeping with Sufi tradition in
Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprisin ...
, the shrine maintains influence over smaller shrines throughout the region around Pakpattan that are dedicated to specific events in
Baba Farid Farīd al-Dīn Masʿūd Ganj-i-Shakar ( ; – 7 May 1266) was a 13th-century Punjabi Sunni Muslim preacher and mystic, who was one of the most revered and distinguished Muslim mystics of the medieval period. He is known reverentially as B� ...
's life. The secondary shrines form a ''
wilayat A wilayah ( ar, وَلاية, wālāya or ''wilāya'', plural ; Urdu and fa, ولایت, ''velâyat''; tr, vilayet) is an administrative division, usually translated as "state", "province" or occasionally as "governorate". The word comes fr ...
'', or a "spiritual territory" of the shrine, with Pakpattan serving as the capital of Baba Farid's spiritual territory, or ''wilayat''. The shrine and its ''wilayat'' also bound local tribes together with a collective identity based on reverence for the shrine.


History


Establishment

By the time of Baba Farid's death, the belief that the spiritual powers saints were attached to their burial sites was widespread in the Muslim world, and so following the death of Baba Farid in 1265, a shrine was built at the place of his burial near his convent. The shrine complex eventually grew to encompass not only the tomb itself, but also a mosque, a ''langar'', and several other related buildings. In 1281, Sheik Ala ad-Din Mauj Darya was appointed as spiritual successor of Baba Farid. Under his authority, the shrine's popularity grew spectacularly, and the countryside around the shrine began to revere the shrine. In 1315, the Sufi mystic
Amir Khusrow Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253–1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian culture, Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived under the Delhi Sultanate. He is an iconic figure in the cultural his ...
noted in detail that the 50th anniversary of Baba Farid's death was celebrated by an ''
urs Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or ''Urus'' (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc. t ...
'' festival which attracted devotees who heard recitations of the saints deeds, and were treated to entertainment by an ensemble of
dervish Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity (''tariqah''), or more narrowly to a religious mendicant, who chose or accepted material poverty. The latter usage i ...
es. Various secondary shrines devoted to Baba Farid also began to be established around the 14th century that extended the shrine's spiritual territory, or ''wilayat'', though the shrines were built by commoners, rather than royal patrons. The network of shrines defined tracts in Punjab as being areas belonging to the spiritual kingdom of Baba Farid, where spiritual powers of the saint could protect travelers. It was noted that beyond borders of Baba Farid's ''wilayat'' lay the ''wilayat'' belonging to the
Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya The Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya ( ur, ) is a 13th-century shrine located in the city of Multan, in Pakistan's Punjab province. The tomb is dedicated to the Muslim mystic Bahauddin Zakariya, founder of the Suhrawardiyya order of Sufism. It c ...
in Multan.


Tughluq Sultanate

The shrine's reputation continued to grow and had spread beyond the border of medieval Islamic India. The shrine was visited by the Arab explorer
Ibn Battuta Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berber Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, largely in the Muslim wo ...
in 1334, who recounted that the Egyptian Shaikh Burhan-ud-dun al-Araj foretold in
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
that Ibn Battuta would meet Baba Farid's descendants.
Tamerlane Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...
seized Pakpattan in 1398, and prayed at the shrine for increased strength. He spared the town's inhabitants out of respect for the shrine. During the era of the
Tughluq dynasty The Tughlaq dynasty ( fa, ), also referred to as Tughluq or Tughluk dynasty, was a Muslim dynasty of Indo- Turkic origin which ruled over the Delhi sultanate in medieval India. Its reign started in 1320 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the ...
between 1321 and 1398, the shrine received official patronage from the royal court in Delhi after the founder of the dynasty,
Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq ) (Ghazi means 'fighter for Islam')ref name="sen2"> (died c.1325) was the Sultan of Delhi from 1320 to 1325. He was the first sultan of the Tughluq dynasty. During his reign, Ghiyath al-Din Tughl ...
, became attracted to the "spiritual power" of Mauj Darya. Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq was noted to have made frequent visits to the shrine when he was Governor of Punjab and ruled from nearby
Dipalpur Dipalpur ( pa, ; ur, ), also spelt Depalpur, is a city in the Okara District of Pakistani province of Punjab that served as headquarters of Depalpur Tehsil, the largest Tehsil of Pakistan. It is situated 25 kilometres from the district capit ...
. The 14th century chronicler Shams-i Siraj 'Afif noted that the Governor, and future Sultan, brought his son and nephew, the future Sultans
Muhammad bin Tughluq Muhammad bin Tughluq (1290 – 20 March 1351) was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from February 1325 until his death in 1351. The sultan was the eldest son of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. In 1321, the youn ...
, and
Firuz Shah Tughlaq Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1309 – 20 September 1388) was a Muslim ruler from the Tughlaq dynasty, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388.
to the shrine, where they participated in the turban-tying ceremony known as ''dastar bandi'', which conferred symbolic authority in a way similar to a
coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...
ceremony. Tradition maintains that Muhammad bin Tughluq was a disciple of the shrine's second ''diwan'', Mauj Darya, who had performed the ''dastar bandi'' ceremony for Muhammad bin Tughluq. Muhammad wished to construct a fine shrine for his spiritual master Mauj Darya, but the master refused to permit construction until he died. Following Sheik Ala ad-Din's death in 1335, Muhammad bin Tughluq ordered construction of a shrine for him that eventually became one of the finest works of Tughluq architecture, which dwarfed even the tomb of Baba Farid. Firuz Tughluq undertook repairs at the shrine of Baba Farid in the 14th century, and began to grant robes to honour descendants of Baba Farid. Eventually, subsequent ''diwans'' of the shrine became closely associated with the Tughluq court in Delhi, and the shrine began to increasingly rely upon royal patronage.
Tamerlane Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...
visited the shrine in 1398 during his invasion of northern India.


Mughal

The founder of
Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
,
Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated wor ...
, visited the shrine in the early 1500s to collect compositions of Baba Farid's poetry from Sheikh Ibrahim, the 12th generation descendant of Baba Farid.
Mughal Emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...
Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
in 1571 paid his respects at the shrine and implored Baba Farid.
Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
in 1629 issued a royal decree declaring that revenues from the region around Pakpattan would be used for the shrine's upkeep, and that ''khadims'', or "servants", of the shrine would also receive royal support.


''Chisti''

Local Caretakers of Baba Farid known as ''Chisti'' the shrine's caretakers, and other disciples of the shrine formed an autonomous polity centred on the shrine. Local people would pledge allegiance to the shrine and its caretakers, and were reportedly able to raise an army of 10,000 men to defend the shrine and ''Chisti''. In 1757, the shrine's army attacked the Raja of
Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. Bikaner city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Formerly the capital o ...
but were routed. The army of devotees was able to defend the ''Chisti'' Emirate against Sikh attacks in 1776. The shrine and its independent state were conquered by the Sikhs in 1810 who further enriched the shrine.


Sikh

Baba Farid's poetry came to be revered within
Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
, and was incorporated into the Sikh holy book, the
Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the rel ...
– the shrine thus assumed importance as a place of Sikh devotion in addition to its function as a Muslim shrine. Maharaja
Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...
of the
Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...
captured the shrine in 1810. He later visited the shrine, and pledged an annual sum of 9,000 rupees towards its upkeep. The shrine began to be a centre of contention between the Sikh and Muslim community as a result of joint devotion to the shrine.


British

British colonial rule over the shrine commenced following the defeat of the Sikh Empire in 1849. The British colonial regime maintained ties with shrine, and sought to employ it towards the goal of "indirect rule" over the region through political and social systems that predated their arrival. >>


Modern era

Following the
Partition of British India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. T ...
in 1947, the shrine no longer served as a source of intercommunal conflict, and instead began to be identified exclusively as a Muslim shrine. The shrine assumed even greater importance within Pakistan, as Pakistani pilgrims often find it difficult to visit Chisti shrines in
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
and
Ajmer Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
on account of poor relations between Pakistan and India. As a result, Baba Farid's shrine has emerged as the "unrivaled centre" of Chisti Sufism in Pakistan. Though Sikhs and Hindus in India are now largely cut-off from the shrine, commemorations of his annual ''urs'' are held in
Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha ...
. In April 2001, 36 devotees were crushed at a stampede at the shrine as pilgrims rushed towards the ''Behishti Darwaza'' at the opening of the anuual ''urs'' festival. Following the September 11 attacks, caretakers of the shrine denounced extremist and exclusivist interpretations of Islam. On 25 October 2010, a bomb exploded outside the gates of the shrine, killing six people. In recent years, the founder and chairman of the
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI; ur, , ) is a political party in Pakistan. It was founded in 1996 by Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who served as the country's prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The PTI is one of the thre ...
, former cricketer
Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...
, has regularly visited the shrine at night.


Layout

The shrine complex includes not only the tomb of Baba Farid, but also those of his hereditary successors. The complex also includes the site of the city's old mosque which predated Baba Farid's arrival to the city. The small tomb of Baba Farid is made of white marble with two doors – one facing east named the ''Nūrī Darwāza'' or 'Gate of Light', and another facing south named the ''Bahishtī Darwāza'', or 'Gate of Paradise'. A long covered corridor surrounds much of the building. Inside the mausoleum are two white marbled graves – one belonging to Baba Farid, and the other to his eldest son. The space inside the tomb space is limited; not more than ten people can be inside at one time. The building is not segregated by gender, but an area exists that is exclusively for use of women.


Significance


Sufism

The
Chishti Order The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Chisht, a ...
of Sufism was the first great Sufi order to take root in the capital of medieval Islamic India,
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
. The shrine, along with the ''Chisti''
Ajmer Sharif Dargah Ajmer Sharif Dargah (also Ajmer Dargah, Ajmer Sharif or Dargah Sharif) is a Sufi tomb (''dargah'') of the revered Sufi saint, Moinuddin Chishti, located at Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. The shrine has Chishti's grave (Maqbara). Location Ajmer Shari ...
and
Nizamuddin Dargah Nizamuddin Dargah is the dargah (mausoleum) of the Sufi saint Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya (1238–1325 CE). Situated in the Nizamuddin West area of Delhi, the dargah is visited by thousands of pilgrims every week. The site is also known for its e ...
, were the first to be established within Islamic India. The trio of shrines allowed local Muslims for the first time to access to Islamic holy sites without having to journey to the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europea ...
. Built in the town that was known in medieval times as ''Ajodhan'', the old town's importance was eclipsed by that of the shrine, as evidenced by its renaming to "Pakpattan", meaning "Pure Ferry" – referencing a river crossing made by pilgrims to the shrine. The shrine was central to a process which resulted in the conversion of local Jat tribes to Islam over the course of several centuries.


Sikhism

Baba Farid's poetry was incorporated into the Sikh holy book, the
Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the rel ...
– and so the shrine assumed importance as a place of Sikh devotion in addition to its function as a Muslim shrine. Maharaja
Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...
of the
Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...
captured the shrine in 1810. He later visited the shrine, and pledged an annual sum of 9,000 Rupees towards its upkeep. The shrine began to be a centre of contention between the Sikh and Muslim community as a result of joint devotion to the shrine.


Political

The shrine has since been a key factor shaping Pakpattan's politics. Patronage from the Tughluq royal court began during the life of the second ''diwan'' Mauj Darya, and subsequent ''diwans'' became increasingly associated with the Tughluq court – the third ''diwan'' of the shrine, Mu'izz ad-Din was even placed in government service in
Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth- ...
by Muhammad Tughluq, while his brother was deemed "Shaikh ul-Islam" of India.
Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
in 1692 issued a ''farman'', or royal decree, that descendants of Baba Farid known as be extended support from the Mughal court. The number of descendants was so large, that they formed a new class of landowners in the region around Pakpattan who were privileged relative to the agricultural clans that were found in the area. The new class of landowning descendants of Baba Farid became known as the ''Chisti'', who were patronized by rulers in Delhi in order to extend Delhi's sovereignty over Punjab. The shrine's hereditary caretakers, or ''diwan'', eventually began to assert themselves as political administrators by operating a network of forts and devotee-soldiers. The religious duties of the ''diwan'' became increasingly fulfilled by a network of preachers and "subordinate religious specialists", while the ''diwan'' focused efforts at administration of the Pakpattan city-state. British colonialists in the late 19th century noted that the ''Chisti'' were influential, but relied entirely on tenant farmers from local agricultural clans. ''Chistis'' are reported to have owned 9% of all land in
Montgomery District Montgomery District was an administrative district of the former Punjab Province of British India, in what is now Pakistan. Named after Sir Robert Montgomery, it lay in the Bari Doab, or the tract between the Sutlej and the Ravi rivers, extendi ...
in the late 19th century. Local agricultural clans remained loyal to the ''Chisti'' descendants of the shrine, and swore spiritual allegiance to the ''Chisti'' descendants of Baba Farid, rather than to Baba Farid himself. Clans would offer brides to the ''Chisti'' clan in a mark of allegiance to the ''Chisti''. Over time, the clans became to closely associated themselves with both the shrine, and ''Diwan''.


Autonomous state

The oath of allegiance also included a pledge to militarily defend the shrine and the ''Chisti''. The Khokars, Bhattis, Dhudhis, and Hans clans at were reportedly able to raise an army of 10,000 men to defend the shrine and ''Chisti'' if needed. In 1757, the shrine's ''diwan'' Abd as-Subhan raised an army from the clans in order to attack the Raja of
Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. Bikaner city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Formerly the capital o ...
, and was able to extend the shrines territory to the opposite bank of the Sutlej River. The army of devotees was able to repel a Sikh attack against Pakpattan in 1776, resulting in the death of Heera Singh Sandhu, founder of the Sikh
Nakai Misl The Nakai Misl ( pa, ਨਕਈ ਮਿਸਲ (Gurmukhi), (Shahmukhi)), founded by Sandhu Jats, was one of the twelve Sikh Misls that later became the Sikh Empire. It held territory between the Ravi and Sutlej rivers southwest of Lahore in what ...
state. The shrines cavalries were able to pursue retreating Sikh soldiers, killing several thousand more.


Practices


Charity

Gifts and donations to the shrine are redistributed to other devotees, in a practice that follows Baba Farid's example. Baba Farid's shrine subsequently became a centre of wealth redistribution throughout the western Punjab. The shrine maintains a ''langar'', or canteen, which serves free meals to the poor.


''Adab'' traditions

A system of elaborate rituals developed around the shrine that integrated local clans into the social and religious structure of the shrine. A 1623 collection of biographies regarding Baba Farid's life, the ''Jawahir al-Faridi'', noted that the shrine's major rituals had in fact been established during Badr ad-Din's position of ''diwan'' that was inherited immediately following Baba Farid's death. Such traditions included the tying of a turban (''dastar bandi'') to signify inheritance of Baba Farid's spiritual authority, the regularization of
qawwali Qawwali ( Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali: কাওয়ালি ( Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing, originating from the Indian subcontine ...
music, establishment of the shrine's free kitchen, and opening of the tomb's southern door to allow visitors to the ''urs'' festival to directly pass the shrine's most sacred area. Devotees would also pass through the shrine's ''Beheshti Darwaza'' in order to symbolically enter paradise. Pilgrims regarded the ferry journey across the Sutlej River towards the shrine as a metaphorical journey of salvation in a boat piloted by the saint, in a ritual that may echo the Hindu concept of '' tirtha'', or crossing of a river
ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
from the mundane into the spiritual world. A system of social hierarchy developed as a result of the shrine's '' Adab''. The ''diwan'' and his family were considered the most important, followed by the shrine's ''khalifas'', members of the ''Chisti'' class, chiefs of local agricultural clans.


Shrine guardianship

By the 13th century, a widespread belief had taken root in Muslim societies that a Sufi saint's spiritual powers could be inherited by his descendants. Upon the death of Baba Farid, his son Badr ad-Din Sulaiman was deemed to be Baba Farid's prime successor, setting a pattern of hereditary acquisition of the position. The successorship of Badr ad-Din's son, Shaikh Ala ad-Din Mauj Darya, in 1281 further cemented this tradition. The chief caretaker and spiritual authority of most shrines is typically referred to as a ''
sajjada nashin The ''Sajjāda nashīn'' ( fa, سجاده نشین; lit. " ne whosits t aprayer mat") is a term of Persian origin, used chiefly within the Sufi traditions of South Asia referring to the successor or hereditary administrator of a Sufi master who ...
'', though at Baba Farid's shrine, the title for the position in taken from the royal courts of medieval Islamic India, and is instead referred to as '' diwan.'' The ''diwan'' is traditionally believed to inherit the ''
baraka Baraka or Barakah may refer to: * Berakhah or Baraka, in Judaism, a blessing usually recited during a ceremony * Barakah or Baraka, in Islam, the beneficent force from God that flows through the physical and spiritual spheres * Baraka, full ''ḥa ...
'', or spiritual power, of Baba Farid. The ''diwan'' of the Pakpattan shrine historically has not maintained spiritual authority in the region by himself – rather, the shrine's authority was also spread among a '' baradari'', or network of Baba Farid's descendants that lived in the regions surrounding the shrine, who in turn were sometimes themselves ''sajjada nashins'' of small shrine dedicated to pious descendants of Baba Farid. Members of the ''baradari'' were often owned large tracts of land granted to them by various rulers, or were local village officials. By the 19th and 20th centuries, the network of ''sajjada nashins'' in the Baba Farid ''wilayat'' maintained a network of authority that paralleled the region's official administrative system. The success of each ''diwan'' or ''sajjada nashin'' was tied to his ability to attract official patronage and increase donations, in order to further promote the shrine's prestige, and to distribute among subsidiary shrines located in the region surrounding Pakpattan. Resources directed towards subsidiary shrines were used to maintain social services, such as the ''langar'' which served free meals to the poor. Hospitality provided at the ''langar'' further heightened the status of a ''Sajjada nashin''.


''Diwan'' succession

Appointment of a successor for the hereditary title required "revelation" from Baba Farid's spirit to determine the inheritor of his ''baraka'', or blessed direct access to God. Selection of the inheritor was supported by consent from Baba Farid's committed devotees, and members of the ''baradari'' network of shrines.


Conflicts over succession

Conflict over succession sometimes occurred – in the 1880s during
British colonial rule The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
, those in dispute appealed to the British court system to determine which claimant had inherited revelation from Baba Farid, though the court based its decision on deference to historic customs in determining the successor. During the 1880s and 1890s, the shrine's ''diwan'' switched three times in the course of deliberations – though attendance at the shrine did not decline, and it did not appear that devotees particularly cared which person served in the role. The eventual successful petitioner, Sayid Muhammad was not considered a learned religious scholar. Erosion of the ''diwan's'' spiritual role resulted in criticism of the entire shrine system by Muslim reformist movements in the 20th century. At the time of Sayid Muhammad's death in 1934, another crisis over inheritance erupted as some members of the shrine's ''baradari'' bodies disputed the succession of a minor, Ghulam Qutb ad-Din, to the role which they argued was inappropriate to be filled by a young man. British Courts accepted Ghulam Qutb ad-Din as the next successor, and established a caretaker system for the shrine until he reached maturity, and arranged for his training and education at Lahore's prestigious Aitchison College – a plan which was met with resistance by members of the ''baradari'' who feared that an education there would signal the ''diwan's'' integration into the British values system, rather than that of Islam. British attempts at resolution were seen as interference in the shrine's religious affairs, and eroded the legitimacy of the shrine's ''diwan'' system.


Administration

The shrine is administered by the Auqaf Department.Omer Tarin, 'Hazrat Baba Farid Ganj Shakar and the evolution of the literary Punjabi:A Brief Review' in Journal of Humanities and Liberal Arts, 1995, pp.21-30 The shrine is open 24 hours a day for visitors, every day of the year.


Controversy of Bahishtī Darwāza

In 2018, on the occasion of annual urs celebration of Baba Farid, the police commissioner of
Sahiwal District Sahiwal District ( Punjabi and ur, ), formerly known as Montgomery district, is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. In 1998, it had a population of 1,843,194 people, 16.27% of which were in urban areas. Since 2008, Sahiwal District, ...
was invited by the administrative team of the shrine. As per the regulations of the shrine, the Bahishtī Darwāza is usually opened by the local police commissioner but at the same time, the shrine administration does not allow women to trespass the Bahishtī Darwāza. The shrine's administrative team therefore instructed the lady police commissioner to bring along a male police guard who will open the Bahishtī Darwāza. By violating the shrine's laws and regulations, the lady police commissioner opened the Bahishtī Darwāza along with a female District Police Officer. The said act of violation created more complications and the police department later on suspended and transferred the lady police commissioner.


See also

* List of mausolea and shrines in Pakistan * Sufism in Pakistan


References

{{Commons category, Shrine of Fariduddin Ganjshakar Pakpattan District Mausoleums in Punjab, Pakistan Sufi shrines in Pakistan Secularism in Pakistan