The Development of the Yasawiyya Order in Kashmir: Origins, Pioneers, and the Process of Spread from Turkestan to the Indian Subcontinent

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Abstract

The Yasawiyya Order, one of the most significant Sufi movements of Turkistan and Central Asia, was established in the 5th/11th century by Sultan Ahmed Yasawî in and around the city of Yassi. Over time, it spread to remote parts of Central Asia, Anatolia, and the Indian subcontinent. This article specifically examines the origins and diffusion process of the Yasawiyya Order in the Kashmir region between the H. 11th and 13th / M.17th to 19th. The study employs a historical-analytical method, utilizing primary hagiographic sources, manuscript texts, and relevant academic literature. Through this approach, historical ambiguities are clarified, presenting a vivid and comprehensive picture of the Yasawiyya heritage within Kashmir’s Sufi milieu during the 11th to 13th centuries Hijri. The focal point of the article is the renowned Sufi Kadi Daulatshah Ispijabî, who passed away in H. 1126 / M. 1714. This eminent mystic, after years of activity in Siberia, arrived in Kashmir and nurtured disciples such as Molla Muhammad Muqim Sultani and Shaykh Abdulwahhab Nuri, thereby ensuring the establishment of a vibrant and active Yasawiyya tradition in the region. Prominent Yasawiyya sheikhs, foremost among them Kadi Daulatshah, authored Persian works dedicated to the education of their disciples, focusing on the beliefs and teachings of the Yasawiyya path. The article, while introducing some other prominent sheikhs of this order in Kashmir, traces the transmission of spiritual guidance and the continuation of the Yasawiyya order’s spiritual heritage among the generations and grandchildren of these sheikhs in detail. The Yasawiyya Order is a spiritual school grounded on two main lines of spiritual connectivity: first, a genealogical link directly to Sultan Ahmed Yasawi; second, the acquisition of mystical ranks and progression through the stages of spiritual training. These two pathways have endowed the order with exceptional dynamism, facilitating its spread throughout various parts of the Islamic world.