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Shah Hamadan of Kashmir
Many saints have graced the valley of Kashmir but no one is identified with Kashmir the way Sahah-e-Hamadan is.
His real name was Ali and he was the descendent of Prophet Muhammad through Imam Zain-ul-Abideen. He was born in Central Asia around 1313.
Syed Hamadani came from an educated family and received his early education from his maternal uncle. For spiritual training, he was sent to Shaykh Abul Brakat, a renowned saint of the time. He was initiated in the Kibriya Order and received khilafat from Shaykh Abul Miamin Najamuddin Muhammad-bin-Muhammad Azani.
After his spiritual training, he spent six years in seclusion. Since traveling was considered a part of essential training in mysticism, he was ordered to travel to the known world by his Shaykh. As a result, he undertook the Hajj three times and traveled around the world for twenty-one years.
Mongol Emperor Tamer Lane did not like his presence in Central Asia and he ordered him to leave the Khanate. He arrived in Kashmir along with seven hundred Syeds and his followers. He had already sent two of his closest followers into Kashmir. By the time he arrived in Kashmir, the local ruler had already became the followers of one of his disciple
Shah Hamadan did not stay in the valley permanently but visited on various occasions. First during the reign of Sultan Shahabuddin, he stayed for six months. On his second visit Qutubuddin was the ruler; he stayed for a year.
During his travels he met one thousand and four hundred Sufi saints and Sadhus and made numerous followers
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Shah Hamadan had a multi-dimensional personality. He was a social reformer besides being a preacher. Among the seven hundred followers, who accompanied him to Kashmir, were men of arts and crafts who popularized Shawl-making, cloth weaving, pottery and calligraphy.
On his third visit to Kashmir, he fell ill and died after five days in 1394.His convent known as Khanqah-e-Mualia and is said to have Prophet's flag, the pillar of the Prophet's tent, and Shah Hamadan's walking stick.
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