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Dashtaki Sayyids of Shiraz

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Dashtaki Sayyids of Shiraz
EraAround 400 AH
LineageHusayni Sayyids
NamingDashtaki Sayyids
Geography
Origin'Ali Abu Sa'id, from the 12th generation of Imam al-Husayn (a)
Residenceresiding in Dashtak district of Shiraz, one of the cities of Iran
Well-known Figures
FiguresSayyid Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki, Grand Vizier of Shah Tahmasp I
ScholarsSayyid Ali Khan al-Madani ● Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki ● Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki, founders of the Shiraz School of Philosophy


Dashtakī Sayyids of Shiraz (Persian: سادات دَشتَکی شیراز) are among the scientific, religious, and political families of Iran, whose lineage goes back to the twelfth generation of Imam al-Husayn (a). This family settled in the Dashtak district of Shiraz from the 5th/11th century and played a role in various scientific, philosophical, political, and cultural fields throughout history.

During the Safavid period, many members of this family, who were previously followers of the Sunni sect, converted to Imami Shi'ism and were influential in promoting Shi'a thoughts. The Shiraz School of Philosophy, centered on figures such as Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki, presented a synthesis of Peripatetic Philosophy, Illuminationism, and Shi'a Theology and paved the way for developments that culminated in Mulla Sadra's Al-Hikma al-muta'aliya.

In the political arena, Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki achieved the position of Grand Vizier (Sadr-i A'zam) during the reign of Shah Tahmasp Safavi. Other members of this family also held governmental and administrative positions during the Zand Dynasty and Qajar periods. Among the personalities of this family, one can mention Sayyid Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki Shirazi, Sayyid Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki, Sayyid Ali Khan al-Madani, Amir Jamal al-Din 'Ata' al-Husayni, and Mirza Hasan Husayni Fasa'i, who played a role in expanding Shi'a culture, authoring scientific works, and training students.

Lineage of Dashtaki Sayyids of Shiraz

Around 400 AH/1009-10, 'Ali Abu Sa'id, from the twelfth generation of Imam al-Husayn (a), migrated to Shiraz with his family and settled in the Dashtak district of this city. Since his descendants lived in this district, his children became known as "Dashtaki Sayyids." "Dashtak" was one of the old districts of Shiraz, which was known as an independent district until the time of Karim Khan Zand.[1]

Dashtaki Sayyids; From Migration to Settlement in Shiraz

In the introduction to the book Farsnama-yi Nasiri, the prominent individuals of the Dashtaki Sayyids family are divided into four groups based on their place of residence:

  • A group like Mirza Muhammad Ma'sum Dashtaki Shirazi who resided in Mecca.
  • A group like Nizam al-Din Ahmad who migrated to Hyderabad, Deccan, India.
  • A group who resided in Shiraz; some stayed there, and others, like Sayyid Ali Khan al-Madani, returned to Shiraz after years of residence in Mecca and India.
  • A group of this family, who were mostly descendants of Sayyid 'Ali Khan al-Madani, migrated to Fasa and settled in various parts of it.[2]

Based on another report, a branch of the Dashtaki Sayyids family migrated to Herat in the Timurid period at the invitation of Shahrukh and Sultan Abu Sa'id Timurid, under the leadership of Amir Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki Shirazi (d. 840/1436-7) and Asl al-Din Wa'iz Shirazi.[3]

Conversion of Dashtaki Sayyids to Shi'ism

Zabihollah Safa, a researcher and professor at the University of Tehran, reports about the inclination of the Dashtaki Sayyids family to Shi'ism during the Safavid period that this dynasty, like many people of their time, were followers of the Sunni sect; but after the Safavid movement, they converted to Shi'ism.[4]

Rasul Ja'fariyan, a Shi'a cleric and history researcher, also writes that some scholars converted to Imami Shi'ism after the victory of the Safavids, and the Dashtaki family of Shiraz is among these individuals.[5] In contrast, Ibn Tabataba, a historian of the 5th/11th century, in his work Muntaqilat al-Talibiyya, introduces the Dashtaki family upon migration to Shiraz as Alids and Shi'a migrants whose lineage goes back to Zayd b. Ali b. al-Husayn (a).[6]

Exegetical Works of Dashtaki Sayyids

Some members of the Dashtaki family of Shiraz, with a Shi'a approach and utilizing the principles of Islamic Philosophy and Imami Theology, have also written exegetical works. Among these works, the following can be mentioned:

  • Al-Hashiya 'ala Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by Abu l-Ma'ali Muhammad Sadr al-Din III (828–903 AH), son of Ghiyath al-Din Mansur I.
  • Two exegeses titled Matla' al-'irfan fi tafsir al-Qur'an and Tuhfat al-fata fi tafsir Hal Ata, by Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki.
  • Two exegeses Shafi' al-hashr (exegesis of Sura al-Hashr) and Safir al-'arshi fi tafsir Ayat al-Kursi, by Amir Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki, son of Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki.
  • Two books Amthal al-Qur'an and the correction of Tafsir Kashf al-asrar wa 'uddat al-abrar, by 'Ali Asghar Hekmat, the maternal grandson of Mirza Hasan Fasa'i.[7]

Dashtaki Sayyids and the Shiraz School of Philosophy

The Shiraz School of Philosophy, alongside the Tehran School of Philosophy and the Isfahan School of Philosophy, is considered one of the important currents of thought and Islamic Philosophy in Iran, which flourished in the 8th/14th to 10th/16th centuries. This school, centered on philosophers such as Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki, Jalal al-Din Dawani, and later Mulla Sadra, presented a synthesis of Peripatetic Philosophy, Illuminationism, and Shi'a Theology. Shirazi philosophers, by utilizing the works of Avicenna, Suhrawardi, and Fakhr al-Razi, engaged in criticizing and reconstructing philosophical concepts and paved the way for developments that culminated in Mulla Sadra's Al-Hikma al-muta'aliya. The interaction between Philosophy, Mysticism, and Kalam in this school turned it into one of the intellectual traditions in the Islamic world.[8]

Political Position of Dashtaki Sayyids in the Safavid Era

Amir Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki (866–949 AH) is introduced as one of the most prominent political figures of the Dashtaki family in the Safavid era, who reached the position of Sadr (Grand Vizier) during the time of Shah Tahmasp I;[9] but his theological differences with Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki, one of the Shi'a jurists, led to his resignation from this position and return to Shiraz.[10] Another political figure of this family was Mirza Jani Fasa'i, who was the ruler of Fasa during the time of Karim Khan Zand and was in charge of the government of Isfahan during the short period of Ja'far Khan Zand, and after the end of the Zand Dynasty, he was considered one of the statesmen of the Qajar era and one of the policy-makers of the beginning of this period.[11]

Dignitaries and Scholars of Dashtaki Sayyids of Shiraz

Sayyid Ali Khan al-Madani Dashtaki Shirazi

Main article: Sayyid Ali Khan al-Madani

Mirza Sayyid 'Ali Khan al-Madani al-Makki, a descendant of Ghiyath al-Din Dashtaki, was born in Medina in 1052/1642 and became famous as "al-Madani" due to this birth.[12] After his scientific growth in Mecca, he went to Hyderabad, Deccan, India, and alongside his father and a group of scholars of various sciences, became one of the scientific figures of his time and played a role in promoting the Persian language and Shi'a culture, and then returned to Mecca in 1113/1701-2.[13] He taught jurisprudential, exegetical, and theological works in Al-Masjid al-Haram and paved the way for coexistence and resolving differences between Sunnis and Shi'as. Three years later, he came to Iran at the invitation of Shah Sultan Husayn Safavi. After residing in Isfahan, Mashhad, and Shiraz, he taught at the Mansuriyya School of Shiraz and passed away in 1118/1706-7, and his body was buried in the shrine of Shah Cheragh in Shiraz.[14]

Sayyid Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki Shirazi

Main article: Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki

Sayyid Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki Shirazi (828–903 AH) was one of the scientific figures of Shiraz in the 9th/15th century. He specialized in Philosophy, Kalam, literature, Fiqh, and Mysticism and was known by titles such as "Sayyid Sanad," "Sayyid al-Hukama," "Sadr al-'Ulama," and "Sayyid al-Mudaqqiqin." Among his important works are "Al-Sharh al-kabir 'ala Sharh al-jadid al-Tajrid" and "Ithbat al-Wajib Ta'ala." He is considered one of the founders of the Shiraz School of Philosophy, and his scientific debates with Jalal al-Din Dawani had a profound impact on the formation of Al-Hikma al-muta'aliya and the thoughts of Mulla Sadra.

Sayyid Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki

Amir Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki Shirazi (10th/16th century), son of Sayyid Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki Shirazi, known as "Ustad al-Hukama" and founder of the Dashtaki School, was a philosopher, theologian, jurist, and teacher in Shiraz. He was the founder of the Mansuriyya School and the teacher of Sadr al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki and is considered one of the founders of the Shiraz School of Philosophy. In 906/1500-1, at the request of Shah Tahmasp I Safavi, he went from Shiraz to Tabriz and was appointed to the position of Sadr.[15]

Sadr al-Din Muhammad II Dashtaki

Sadr al-Din Muhammad II Dashtaki, son of Ghiyath al-Din Mansur Dashtaki, was skilled in Philosophy, Kalam, Fiqh, and scientific debates and continued his father's path in the Shiraz School of Philosophy.[16]

Amir Jamal al-Din Ata' al-Husayni (Jamal Husayni Dashtaki)

Jamal al-Din 'Ata' Allah Husayni Dashtaki Shirazi, known as "Jamal Husayni," was a scientific and cultural figure of the late 9th/15th and early 10th/16th centuries.[17] He lived in Herat and was one of the ministers of Sultan Husayn Bayqara, later attaining the position of Ashraf-i Diwan. After the death of the Sultan in 911/1505-6, he refused to accept the position from his successors and passed away in early 927/1521.[18] His important work is "Rawdat al-ahbab," which deals with the biography of the Prophet, his Companions, and the Tabi'un in three parts.[19]

Asil al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki

Asil al-Din Muhammad Dashtaki (d. 883/1478-9) migrated to Herat during the reign of Sultan Sa'id Abu Sa'id Gurkani. He was engaged in teaching at the Shahrukhiyya School and was considered one of the scholar-authors of his time. Among his important works are "Mazarat-i Herat" and "Durj-i durar siyar Khayr al-bashar".[20]

Mirza Nizam al-Din Ahmad Makki Shirazi

Mirza Nizam al-Din Ahmad Makki Shirazi, son of Mirza Muhammad Ma'sum, was born in Ta'if in 1027/1618 and spent his growth and education in Mecca. In 1055/1645, at the invitation of Sultan 'Abd Allah Qutb Shah, the ruler of Deccan India, he traveled to Hyderabad. Since the Sultan had no children, he married his daughter to Mirza Nizam al-Din and accepted him as his own son, entrusting him with government affairs. He died in Hyderabad, Deccan, India in 1085/1674-5.[21]

Mirza Nizam al-Din Ahmad b. Ibrahim Dashtaki

Mirza Nizam al-Din Ahmad b. Ibrahim Dashtaki (d. 1015/1606-7), known as "'Allama," whose lineage reaches Ghiyath al-Din Mansur with four intermediaries, was known by the titles "Sultan al-Hukama" and "Sayyid al-'Ulama." His most important work is the book "Ithbat Wajib al-Wujud," which is written in three versions: "Kabir," "Wasit," and "Saghir".[22]

Mirza Hasan Husayni Fasa'i Dashtaki

Mirza Hasan Husayni Fasa'i (1237–1316 AH), a descendant of Ghiyath al-Din Dashtaki, was active in the fields of history, geography, literature, medicine, and mathematics. In his important work Farsnama-yi Nasiri, which he authored by the order of Nasir al-Din Shah between the years 1300/1882-3 and 1311/1893-4, he dealt in detail with the history, geography, social and cultural structure of Fars province and provided information about the scientific and political families of this region, including the Dashtaki Sayyids.[23]

Notes

  1. ↑ Badīʿī, "Nasab-nāma-yi Sādāt-i Dashtakī-yi Shīrāz", p. 63; Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 9.
  2. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 14.
  3. ↑ Afḍalī, "Āgāhī-hā-yi tāza darbāra-yi Amīr Jamāl al-Dīn ʿAṭāʾ al-Ḥusaynī", p. 133.
  4. ↑ Ṣafā, Tārīkh-i adabiyyāt dar Īrān, vol. 5, p. 303.
  5. ↑ Jaʿfariyān, Ṣafaviyya dar ʿarṣa-yi dīn, farhang wa siyāsat, vol. 1, pp. 36, 41, 119.
  6. ↑ Mahjūr, "Barrasī-yi mustanad-i pīshīna-yi Tashayyuʿ dar ustān-i Fārs...", p. 188; citing: Muntaqilat al-Ṭālibiyya, vol. 1, p. 233.
  7. ↑ Maʿārif, "Jāygāh-i khāndān-i Dashtakī-yi Shīrāz dar tafsīr-i Shīʿa".
  8. ↑ Kākāyī, "Āshnāyī bā Maktab-i Shīrāz (1) Mīr Ṣadr al-Dīn Dashtakī".
  9. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 14.
  10. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 14.
  11. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 14.
  12. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 9; Raḥīmī, "Pazhūhashī darbāra-yi Sayyid ʿAlī Khān Madanī wa āthār-i vay", p. 15.
  13. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 9; Raḥīmī, "Pazhūhashī darbāra-yi Sayyid ʿAlī Khān Madanī wa āthār-i vay", p. 15.
  14. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 9; Raḥīmī, "Pazhūhashī darbāra-yi Sayyid ʿAlī Khān Madanī wa āthār-i vay", p. 15.
  15. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 14.
  16. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 14.
  17. ↑ Ṣafā, Tārīkh-i adabiyyāt dar Īrān, vol. 5, p. 303.
  18. ↑ Ṣafā, Tārīkh-i adabiyyāt dar Īrān, vol. 5, p. 303.
  19. ↑ Ṣafā, Tārīkh-i adabiyyāt dar Īrān, vol. 5, p. 303.
  20. ↑ Ḥusaynī Munshī, Riyāḍ al-firdaws-i Khānī, p. 466; Iʿtimād al-Salṭana, Tārīkh-i muntaẓam-i Nāṣirī, vol. 2, p. 725.
  21. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 14.
  22. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 14.
  23. ↑ Rastgār Fasāyī, "Muqaddima", in Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, vol. 1, p. 14.

References

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  • Kākāyī, Qāsim. "Āshnāyī bā Maktab-i Shīrāz (1) Mīr Ṣadr al-Dīn Dashtakī". Khirad-nāma-yi Ṣadrā, no. 3, 1375 Sh.
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  • Rastgār Fasāyī, Manṣūr. "Muqaddima". In Fārsnāma-yi Nāṣirī, by Mīrzā Ḥasan Ḥusaynī Fasāyī. Tehran, Amīr Kabīr, 3rd ed, 1382 Sh.
  • Ṣafā, Dhabīḥ Allāh. Tārīkh-i adabiyyāt dar Īrān. Tehran, Intishārāt-i Firdaws, 8th ed, 1378 Sh.
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