Later History of the Chishti Silsila
It is usually accepted that the history of the Chishti order in India can be
divided into four distinct phases.
15
These are as follows: 1. Era of the Great
Shaykhs (approximately 1200 to 1356); 2. Era of the provincial
khanqah
(14
th
and 15
th
centuries); 3. Rise of the Sabiriyya branch (15
th
century
onwards); 4. Revival of the Nizamiyya branch (18
th
century onwards).
The first phase encompasses the lives and activities of the saints who
established their
khanqah
in Rajasthan, Punjab and what today comprises
Uttar Pradesh. These, in chronological order, were: Muinuddin Chishti of
Ajmer, Hamiduddin Suvali of Nagaur, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki of Delhi,
Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar of Pakpatan, Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi,
Nasiruddin Chiragh-i Dilli and other
khalifas
of NizamuddinAuliya: Maulana
Muwayyid ud din, Shams ud-DinYahya, Qadi Muhyiuddin Kashani,Ala’-ud-
din Nili, Fakhruddin Zarradi, and Shihab-ud-din Imam. The Chishti
silsila
established by Muinuddin Chishti reached its peak during the lifetime of
Nizamuddin Auliya. The
khilafat
of Nasiruddin Chiragh-i-Dilli ended the
era of the great shaykhs, as none of the
khalifas
of Nizamuddin Auliya in
Delhi, including Nasiruddin Chiragh himself, could match the spirituality,
personal appeal, and fame of their Shaykh. Nasiruddin did not find any of his
disciples worthy of being entrusted with the relics bequeathed to him by
Nizamuddin Auliya, choosing rather to have them buried with him. His
death marks the end of the centralized organization of the Chishti order
and the emergence of provincial centres.
It was the disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya who carried the Chishti
silsila
to other parts of India. It was taken to Bengal by Siraj-ud-din, to the Deccan
by Burhan-ud-din Gharib (Burhanpur), to Gujarat by Sayyid Hasan, Shaykh
15
For this see Nizami, K.A. Chishtiyya, in EI, Leiden,
