Islamic Philosophy from Its Origin to the Present: Philosophy in the ...

204 Part 3: Islamic Philosophy in History
THE SCHOOL OF SHIRAZ AND ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY IN INDIA
The rise of interest in Islamic philosophy in India not only coincides
with the life of the School of Shiraz but was also directly affected by
it. The works of this school as well as a number of scholars trained in
it reached India and played a major role in the rise of interest in the
Islamic intellectual sciences, especially philosophy, in that land. The
reception of the works of the Safavid philosophers such as Mullå |adrå
in India was based on the ground prepared by the propagation of the
teachings of the School of Shiraz in the Subcontinent not only in philosophy
and theology but also in medicine and the natural and mathematical
sciences.
The influence of the School of Shiraz in India goes back to the
Lodhi period and especially the reign of Sikandar Lodhi, who was
much interested in philosophy. It is he who invited Raf¥‘ al-D¥n Sh¥råz¥,
who had been a disciple of Dawån¥, to migrate to India to teach both
the religious sciences and philosophy. 42 Later, Shåh appleåhir ibn Ra∂¥ al-
D¥n, the foremost student of Khafr¥, became among the most important
figures of the School of Shiraz who journeyed to India and played
a major role in the history of Indian Islam especially in Daccan. 43 A
descendent of the Ismå‘¥l¥ imams, he lived in Kashan, where he studied
with Khafr¥ and where he soon became a celebrated philosopher,
gnostic, and scientist of his own. Many people would travel to Kashan
to meet him. Even the Safavid king, Shåh Ismå‘¥l, became devoted to
him. This interest aroused jealousy at court, however, where his enemies
accused him of being an Ismå‘¥l¥ and even a heretic. These provocations
continued until the shah turned against him and ordered him
to be killed, but the prime minister, who was a Sufi and a disciple of
Shåh appleåhir, informed him beforehand of the danger; so Shåh appleåhir set
out with his family for Daccan, India, and never returned to Persia.
Shåh Ismå‘¥l later realized his error and invited him to return to his
homeland, an invitation that was refused. Shah appleåhir settled in
Ahmadnagar in Daccan, where soon he became well known to the
extent that the king brought him to his court. When the king’s son fell
ill, Shåh appleåhir openly declared his own Shi‘ism and asked the king to
give alms in the name of the Twelfth Imam. When the son was miraculously
cured, the king accepted Twelve-Imam Shi‘ism in 928/1513.
This event had a major role in the spread of Shi‘ism and the Shi‘ite
sciences in the Daccan. While in such position of eminence, Shåh appleåhir
continued to write to his teacher, Khafr¥, and even sent him his works
for criticism and correction.
Shåh appleåhir wrote a number of philosophical and literary works
in addition to acting as a major public figure. His philosophical works