hindustani fanatics, india's pashtuns, and deobandism – connections

Hindustani Fanatics, India’s Pashtuns, and Deobandism – Connectionsthe heir-apparent to the throne of Tonk. Soon, Sayed Ahmad Shah received the allegiance of the immediate members of Shah Abdul Aziz’s family,and he then had the religious and financial base that would support his movement as he continued to preach about the need for an all-out war for theliberation of Dar-ul Islam. Large numbers were involved in his preaching and approximately 15,000 men and women took an oath of allegianceto him in a single month. More importantly, a man named Wilayat Ali, a son of one of Sayed Ahmad Shah’s key supporters in Patna, joined themovement at this time and would eventually inherit the entire movement. 46Sayed Ahmad Shah left for Mecca with a very large group of followers and was away from India for a period as long as six years. Accordingto Charles Allen, when he returned to India an important change occurred in his preaching:“He went ashore briefly in Bombay and was feted as a saint by all sections of the Muslim community of the city. Again, there was talk ofprophecies being fulfilled and of the approach of the end of days – and it seems to have been at this point that Mahdism first entered Syed 47 Ahmad’snewly enlarged religious vocabulary.” 48There had been others proclaiming themselves Mahdis in this period and one, in particular is noteworthy in its connection to modern extremists.Charles Allen explains a harbinger from the past that is seen again today:“…adherents, who had proclaimed themselves the Mahdawis and set up a cult characterized by extreme asceticism, and violence towardsother Muslims. ‘They always carried swords and shields, and all kinds of weapons,’ wrote the chronicler Nizamuddin Ahmad in his history Tabaqati-Akbari,‘and going into cities and bazaars, wherever they saw anything that was contrary to the law of the Prophet, at first they forbade these things,with gentleness and courtesy. If this did not succeed, they made people give up the forbidden practices, using force or violence.’ The Mahdawi cult 49gained many converts among the Afghan leadership in India, so many in fact that it eventually provoked an orthodox backlash and was declared aheresy. Nevertheless, the belief in a messiah figure who would appear from the mountains to the west as the King of the West took hold in all sectionsof the Muslim community in India, becoming increasingly popular as Muslim power there waned.” 50Allen continued:“There was thus a well-established predisposition among all sections of the Muslim community in India to respond to the call of the trueImam-Mahdi in a time of religious crisis, and this now became an established part of Amir Syed Ahmad’s Wahhabi platform in India: the belief thatthe end of days was drawing nigh and with it the imminent return of the Hidden Imam-Mahdi, the King of the West.” 5146. Ibid, pp. 160-163.47. This is an alternate spelling of “Sayed.”48. Charles Allen, pg. 73.49. These people maintained the expectation of the coming of Imam Mahdi that was especially strong in western India. The members of the Mahdawi sect were fierce fanaticstoward those failing to share their beliefs.50. Ibid, pg. 74.51. Ibid, pg. 74.Tribal Analysis Center, 6610-M Mooretown Road, Box 159. Williamsburg, VA, 23188