Khomeini, the man who changed course of world history, was a Kashmiri

Syed Ali Safvi

SRINAGAR, June 4: Much has been written and said about the founder of Islamic revolution of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini (RA), but very few people know that the iconic figure who changed the course of world history traced his family roots to Kashmir.
According to historians, one of Khomeini’s ancestors, Syed Shahab-ud-Din Hyder, had arrived to Kashmir in 766 Hijri and got settled here.
“According to ‘Aasar-e Bastani Azarbaijan’, volume 2, Syed Shahab-ud-Din Hyder was the grand¬son of Safi-ud-Din Ardabili,” says Syed Mohammad Anis Kazmi, a noted historian of Kashmir. “There is also a mention of Syed Shabab-ud-Din and his two brothers in ‘Shajrat-ut-Toyiba’.”
According to Kazmi, one of the brothers of Shahab-ud-Din is buried at Habak Magam while another – Syed Qutub-ud-Din, popularly known as Peer Haaj Mitha - is buried in Jammu.
Moti Lal Saqi has also given a detailed account of Peer Hajj Mitha in “Sheeraza Urdu”, he says.
Kazmi says that the progeny of Shahab-ud-Din lived in Kashmir at Namchibal, Khanqah for a long time.
“Shahab-ud-Din is buried at Namchibal and his shrine is popularly known as ‘Bab Syed Hyder’,” he says.
Shahab-ud-Din’s son, Syed Mohammad Jabalil Amli, is also buried at Namchabal and his shrine is popularly known as “Syed Sahib”, he adds.
“Detailed account of this family is given in ‘Kohl-ul Jawahir’, written by Allama Ibn-e Raza, and published from Lahore in 1264 Hijri,” says Kazmi. “One Photostat copy of the book was sent to Ayatullah al-Uzma Marashi al-Najafi (R.A.) about 40 years ago and another copy is with Justice Hakeem Imtiyaz.”
The family, according to Kazmi, lived in Kashmir until Khomeini’s grandfather, Syed Ahmad, moved to Iran.
“Syed Jabalil Amli’s son was Syed Abdul Gani; Syed Gani’s son was Syed Hassan; His son was Syed Nowroz; Nowroz’s son was Syed Abdul Hadi; Hadi’s son was Aqa Syed Hussain; Hussain’s son was Syed Amir-ud-Din; Amir-ud-Din’s son was Syed Safdar; Safdar’s son was Syed Buzurg; Syed Buzurg’s son was Syed Ahmad, the grand¬father of Syed Ruhullah Khomeini,” says Kazmi.
According to him, all of them, except Syed Ahmad and Syed Safdar, are buried in Kashmir.
“Some of them are buried at Khanqah-e Sokhta, some are buried at Daulatabad, and some at Rang Paristan Surteng,” he says.
As per Kazmi, Syed Safdar and his son Syed Buzurg had migrated from Kashmir and settled in Calcutta (now Kolkatta) where Syed Ahmad was born. However, Syed Buzurg came back to Kashmir, he adds.
“Meanwhile, Syed Ahmad had gone to Iraq for religious studies. After completing his studies, he came back to Kashmir, but left for Iran with one Haji Baqir Khan Irani where he got married with an Iranian girl,” Kazmi says. “Syed Ahmad stayed back in Iran and settled there.”
Pertinently, some historian claim that Syed Ahmad lived in Lucknow and migrated to Iran from there. However, according to a statement of Khomeini's elder brother, Syed Morteza Pasandideh, Syed Ahmad’s point of departure was Kashmir, not Lucknow.
According to Kazmi, from 1261 Hijri to 1390 Hijri, no one knew about the whereabouts of Syed Ahmad.
“It was only in 1390 Hijri when Ayatollah Khomeini was living in exile in Iraq and then Iraqi president had asked all non-Iraqi’s to leave Iraq that Ayatollah Aga Syed Yousuf Kashmiri invited him to Kashmir,” says Kazmi. “To which, Ayatollah Khomeini replied, ‘I would have loved to visit my ancestral home, Kashmir, but I am afraid I can't’.”
Kazmi says after going through the letter of Ayatollah Khomeini, Aga Yousuf wrote back to him, asking for more details about his ancestors.
“In reply to Aga’s letter, Khomeini wrote ‘I only know that my grandfather, Syed Ahmad Kashmiri, had migrated to Iran about 130 years ago. He got married and settled here’,” Kazmi says.
All the letters of Ayatollah Khomeini which he had written to Aga Yousuf are preserved in the personal library of Aga sahib, Kazmi adds.