Name Sarmad Kashani Role Poet | Died 1661, Delhi, New Delhi | |
 | ||
Rubaian rubaiyat sarmad kashani part 14 persian poetry in punjabi
Muhammad Sa'id, mostly known as Sarmad Kashani or simply as Sarmad (Persian: سرمد کاشانی) (ca 1590 - 1661) was a Persian mystic, poet and saint who travelled to and made the Indian subcontinent his permanent home during the 17th century. Originally Jewish, he may have renounced his religion to adopt Islam. Sarmad, in his poetry, states that he is neither Jewish, nor Muslim, nor Hindu.
Contents
- Rubaian rubaiyat sarmad kashani part 14 persian poetry in punjabi
- Rubaian rubaiyat sarmad kashani part 26
- Early life
- Travels in the Mughal Empire
- Life in Delhi
- Death
- Maulana Azad and Sarmad
- References
Rubaian rubaiyat sarmad kashani part 26
Early life
Sarmad was born in Armenia around 1590, to a family of Jewish Persian-speaking Armenian merchants.
Travels in the Mughal Empire
Hearing that precious items and works of art were being purchased in India at high prices, Sarmad gathered together his wares and traveled to the Mughal Empire where he intended to sell them. Having arrived in Thatta, in present day Sindh, Pakistan, he became captivated with a boy named Abhai Chand from a Hindu family (some sources suggest the two were not lovers) whom Sarmad instructed. During this time he abandoned his wealth, let his hair grow, stopped clipping his nails and began to wander the city streets and emperor's courts a naked faqir.
Both moved first to Lahore, then Hyderabad, settling finally in Delhi.
Life in Delhi
The reputation as a poet and mystic he had acquired during the time the two travelled together, caused Mughal crown prince Dara Shikoh to invite Sarmad at his father's court. On this occasion, Sarmad so deeply impressed the royal heir that he vowed to become his disciple.
Sarmad had an excellent command of Persian, essential for his work as a merchant, and composed most of his work in this language. He produced a translation of the Torah in Persian.
Death
After the War of Succession with his brother Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb (1658-1707) emerged victorious, killed his former adversary and ascended the imperial throne. He had Sarmad arrested and tried for heresy. Sarmad was put to death by beheading in 1661. His grave is located near the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India.
Sarmad was accused and convicted of atheism and unorthodox religious practice.
Aurangzeb ordered his Ulema to ask Sarmad why he repeated only "There is no God", and ordered him to recite the second part,"but God". To that he replied that "I am still absorbed with the negative part. Why should I tell a lie?" Thus he sealed his death sentence. Ali Khan-Razi, Aurangzeb's court chronicler, was present at the execution. He relates some of the mystic's verses uttered at the execution stand:
"The Mullahs say Ahmed went to heaven, Sarmad says that heaven came down to Ahmed."
"There was an uproar and we opened our eyes from the eternal sleep. Saw that the night of wickedness endured, so we slept again."
Maulana Azad and Sarmad
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, one of the leading political personalities involved in the Indian independence movement, compared himself to Sarmad, for his freedom of thought and expression.