The Sunni saint cult and shrine of Ahmad-i Jam has endured for 900 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 expertise from Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization. Two seminaries (madrasa) that teach Sunni curricula to males and females were added. Sunni and Shiʿi pilgrims visit to venerate their saint. Jami mystics still practice ʿirfan ('gnosticism'). Analyzed are Ahmad-i Jam's biography and hagiography; marketing to sultans of Ahmad as the 'Guardian of Kings'; history and politics of the shrine's catchment area; acquisition of patronage by shrine and shaykhs; Sufi doctrines and practices of Jami mystics, including its Timurid-era Naqshbandi Sufis.
Review
‘An innovative contribution to the history of a 900 year-old Sunni shrine in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The longevity of Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad-i Jam's shrine rests on his descendants who venerate his memory and protect his legacy, despite the divisions between Sunnis and Shiites. Today, the shrine is part of Iran’s rich cultural heritage and the center of Friday prayers for Turbat-i Jām’s Sunnis and for the Hawza-yi ‘ilmiyya Ahmadiyya. This fascinating book not only displays an intimate knowledge of textual sources, but is also reflective of the author’s experience visiting major shrines in Iran. Highly recommended.’ Denise Aigle, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR Orient & Méditerranée, Paris
‘An exhaustive, thoroughly researched and entirely original study of a little-known but significant Sufi lineage in North Eastern Iran. Mahendrarajah has not only examined all the textual sources detailing its complex history, but also visited the town of Jam, where this Sufi group of Sunni orientation remains active without hindrance. Warmly recommended.’ Hamid Algar, University of California, Berkeley
‘This rich and enlightening book presents a multi-faceted portrait of a Sufi order, a family, and a shrine over ten centuries, up to the present. Mahendrarajah has mastered social and political history, architectural analysis and doctrinal developments; his work should interest all scholars of Iran and its culture.’ Beatrice F. Manz, Tufts University
‘This book represents an essential resource for studying the quasi-permanent or slowly evolving functions of Sufi institutions in Khurasan from the Middle Ages to the present. One of the great values of Shivan Mahendrarajah’s book is the innovative multi-disciplinary approach he has applied to the subject.’ Eszter Luca Csontos, Acta Orientalia
‘… a very fine analysis of the hagiographic process in an interlocking of durations reconstituted with great precision.’ Stéphane A. Dudoignon, Die Welt des Islams (in French)
Book Description
Explores the emergence, florescence, decay, and rejuvenation of the Sunni saint cult and shrine-complex of Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad-i Jam over nine-hundred years.
About the Author
Shivan Mahendrarajah is a Research Fellow with the Institute of Iranian 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 educated at Columbia University and the University of Cambridge; and studied Arabic at Damascus University and Persian at the University of Tehran.
The Sunni saint cult and shrine of Ahmad-i Jam has endured for 900 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 expertise from Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization. Two seminaries (madrasa) that teach Sunni curricula to males and females were added. Sunni and Shiʿi pilgrims visit to venerate their saint. Jami mystics still practice ʿirfan ('gnosticism'). Analyzed are Ahmad-i Jam's biography and hagiography; marketing to sultans of Ahmad as the 'Guardian of Kings'; history and politics of the shrine's catchment area; acquisition of patronage by shrine and shaykhs; Sufi doctrines and practices of Jami mystics, including its Timurid-era Naqshbandi Sufis.
Review
‘An innovative contribution to the history of a 900 year-old Sunni shrine in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The longevity of Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad-i Jam's shrine rests on his descendants who venerate his memory and protect his legacy, despite the divisions between Sunnis and Shiites. Today, the shrine is part of Iran’s rich cultural heritage and the center of Friday prayers for Turbat-i Jām’s Sunnis and for the Hawza-yi ‘ilmiyya Ahmadiyya. This fascinating book not only displays an intimate knowledge of textual sources, but is also reflective of the author’s experience visiting major shrines in Iran. Highly recommended.’ Denise Aigle, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR Orient & Méditerranée, Paris
‘An exhaustive, thoroughly researched and entirely original study of a little-known but significant Sufi lineage in North Eastern Iran. Mahendrarajah has not only examined all the textual sources detailing its complex history, but also visited the town of Jam, where this Sufi group of Sunni orientation remains active without hindrance. Warmly recommended.’ Hamid Algar, University of California, Berkeley
‘This rich and enlightening book presents a multi-faceted portrait of a Sufi order, a family, and a shrine over ten centuries, up to the present. Mahendrarajah has mastered social and political history, architectural analysis and doctrinal developments; his work should interest all scholars of Iran and its culture.’ Beatrice F. Manz, Tufts University
‘This book represents an essential resource for studying the quasi-permanent or slowly evolving functions of Sufi institutions in Khurasan from the Middle Ages to the present. One of the great values of Shivan Mahendrarajah’s book is the innovative multi-disciplinary approach he has applied to the subject.’ Eszter Luca Csontos, Acta Orientalia
‘… a very fine analysis of the hagiographic process in an interlocking of durations reconstituted with great precision.’ Stéphane A. Dudoignon, Die Welt des Islams (in French)
Book Description
Explores the emergence, florescence, decay, and rejuvenation of the Sunni saint cult and shrine-complex of Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad-i Jam over nine-hundred years.
About the Author
Shivan Mahendrarajah is a Research Fellow with the Institute of Iranian 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 educated at Columbia University and the University of Cambridge; and studied Arabic at Damascus University and Persian at the University of Tehran.