Eastern Roots and Scholarly Networks: Khaliq Ahmad Nizami’s Contribution to the Historiography of Sufism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58575/ki.v5i1.90Keywords:
Khaliq Ahmad nizami, Historian, Sufism in South Asia, Indo-Muslim historiography, Chishti Sufi order, Indo-Persian scholarshipAbstract
Khaliq Ahmad Nizami (1925–1997) plays an important role in modern studies of Sufism in South Asia. As a historian, biographer, and cultural interpreter, his work was influenced by the eastern traditions he grew up in and the wider scholarly networks that supported his career. This article examines Nizami’s contribution to Sufi history by exploring his intellectual origins, his engagement with Persian and Arabic texts, and his interactions with academic circles in India and beyond. It places his work within the larger discussion of Indo-Muslim history, highlighting his unique approach. He combined thorough archival research with a deep understanding of Sufi beliefs and social history. By mapping Nizami’s connections with other scholars, institutions, and archives, this study shows how his interpretive framework linked medieval texts with modern historical analysis. While earlier studies have recognized his role in recording Chishti and other Sufi lineages, this paper uncovers the deeper intellectual foundations of his work and the networks that expanded his influence. It also addresses the gap in history regarding how intellectual backgrounds and scholarly cooperation shaped the narratives of Sufism in the Indian subcontinent.
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References
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Bibliography:
Primary Sources by Khaliq Ahmad Nizami
1. Nizami, Khaliq Ahmad. The Life and Times of Shaikh Nizam-u’d-din Auliya. Delhi: Idarah-i Adabiyat-i Delli, 1991.
2. Nizami, Khaliq Ahmad. Some Aspects of Religion and Politics in India during the Thirteenth Century. Delhi: Idarah-i Adabiyat-i Delli, 1961.
3. Nizami, Khaliq Ahmad.Medieval India: A Miscellany, Vols. 1–3. Delhi: Asia Publishing House, 1972–1982.
4. Nizami, Khaliq Ahmad.On History and Historians of Medieval India. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1983.
5. Nizami, Khaliq Ahmad.State and Culture in Medieval India. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1985.
6. Nizami, Khaliq Ahmad. Sufism and Indian Mysticism. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1992.
7. Nizami, Khaliq Ahmad.Studies in Medieval Indian History and Culture. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1966.
Secondary Sources
1. Alam, Muzaffar, and Sanjay Subrahmanyam. Writing the Mughal World: Studies on Culture and Politics. New York: Columbia University Press, 2012.
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3. Eaton, Richard M. The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204–1760. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.
4. Ernst, Carl W., and Bruce B. Lawrence. Sufi Martyrs of Love: The Chishti Order in South Asia and Beyond. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.
5. Hermansen, Marcia K. “The ‘Other’ Sharia: Sufi Commentaries on the Shari‘a.” The Muslim World 83, no. 3–4 (1993): 181–200.
6. Rizvi, S.A.A. A History of Sufism in India, Vols. 1–2. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1975–1983.
7. Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1975.
8. Troll, Christian W. Sayyid Ahmad Khan: A Reinterpretation of Muslim Theology. Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1978.
9. Zaman, Muhammad Qasim. The Ulama in Contemporary Islam: Custodians of Change. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002.
Archival and Miscellaneous Sources
1. Aligarh Muslim University Archives. “Records of the Department of History, 1947–1985.” AMU Manuscripts Collection, Aligarh.
2. National Archives of India. “Medieval Persian Records of the Delhi Sultanate.” NAI, New Delhi.
3. Personal correspondence of Khaliq Ahmad Nizami with Syed Hasan Askari, 1955–1978. Private collection, New Delhi.
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