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85-462: The order was founded by Umar al-Khalwati in the city of Herat in medieval Khorasan (now located in western Afghanistan ). However, it was Umar's disciple , Yahya Shirvani , who founded the “Khalwati Way.” Yahya Shirvani wrote Wird al-Sattar, a devotional text read by the members of nearly all the branches of Khalwatiyya. The Khalwati order is known for its strict ritual training of its dervishes and its emphasis of individualism. Particularly,

170-528: A consulate in Herat to help further strengthen its relations with Afghanistan . In addition to the usual services, the consulate works with the local officials on development projects and with security issues in the region. On 12 August 2021, the city was captured by the Taliban during the 2021 Taliban offensive . Herat has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSk ). Precipitation

255-563: A darwish convent and a fire temple". There were about 444,000 houses occupied by a settled population. The men were described as "warlike and carry arms", and they were Sunni Muslims . The great mosque of Herāt was built by Ghiyasuddin Ghori in 1201. In this period Herāt became an important center for the production of metal goods, especially in bronze , often decorated with elaborate inlays in precious metals. Mongols The Mongols laid siege to Herat twice. The first siege resulted in

340-722: A Christian community, with a Nestorian bishop. In the last two centuries of Sasanian rule, Aria (Herat) had great strategic importance in the endless wars between the Sasanians, the Chionites and the Hephthalites who had been settled in the northern section of Afghanistan since the late 4th century. At the time of the Arab invasion in the middle of the 7th century, the Sasanian central power seemed already largely nominal in

425-600: A city-state and made an alliance with Mahmud of Ghazni. Yet, in 1175, it was captured by the Ghurids of Ghor and then came under the Khawarazm Empire in 1214. According to the account of Mustawfi, Herat flourished especially under the Ghurid dynasty in the 12th century. Mustawfi reported that there were "359 colleges in Herat, 12,000 shops all fully occupied, 6,000 bath-houses; besides caravanserais and mills, also

510-560: A curfew. In May 1999, a rebellion in Herat was crushed by the Taliban, who blamed Iran for causing it. After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan , on 12 November 2001, it was captured from the Taliban by forces loyal to the Northern Alliance and Ismail Khan returned to power (see Battle of Herat ). The state of the city was reportedly much better than that of Kabul. In 2004, Mirwais Sadiq , Aviation Minister of Afghanistan and

595-641: A few years later. The city reached its greatest glory under the Timurid princes , especially Sultan Husayn Bayqara who ruled Herat from 1469 until 4 May 1506. His chief minister, the poet and author in Persian and Turkish, Mir Ali-Shir Nava'i was a great builder and patron of the arts. Under the Timurids, Herat assumed the role of the main capital of an empire that extended in the West as far as central Persia . As

680-629: A head." The city remained in ruins from 1222 to about 1236. In 1244, a local prince Shams al-Din Kart was named ruler of Herāt by the Mongol governor of Khorāsān and in 1255 he was confirmed in his rule by the founder of the Il-Khan dynasty Hulagu . Shamsuddin Kart founded a new dynasty and his successors, especially Fakhruddin Kart and Ghiyasuddin Kart, built many mosques and other buildings. The members of this dynasty were great patrons of literature and

765-617: A huge role in the Urabi insurrection in Egypt. The order helped others oppose British occupation in Egypt. The Khalwati groups in Upper Egypt protested British occupation due to high taxes and unpaid labor, which, in addition to drought, made living very hard in the 1870s. Their protests blended with the large stream nationalist protests that lead up to the Urabi insurrection. It can be said that

850-699: A number of historic sites, including the Herat Citadel and the Musalla Complex . During the Middle Ages , Herat became one of the important cities of Khorasan , as it was known as the Pearl of Khorasan . After its conquest by Tamerlane , the city became an important center of intellectual and artistic life in the Islamic world. Under the rule of Shah Rukh , the city served as the focal point of

935-402: Is described by Estakhri and Ibn Hawqal in the 10th century as a prosperous town surrounded by strong walls with plenty of water sources, extensive suburbs, an inner citadel, a congregational mosque, and four gates, each gate opening to a thriving market place. The government building was outside the city at a distance of about a mile in a place called Khorāsānābād. A church was still visible in

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1020-526: Is frequently visited by Muslims, many of whom consider him to be a saint . Alternate spellings or transcriptions of this name are: Sümbül Efendi, Sünbül Efendi, Şeyh Sümbül, Sümbül Sinan, and Sünbül Sinan. Sünbül is the Turkish word for the hyacinth flower which is often purple in color. This biographical article about a person notable in connection with Islam is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This biographical article about

1105-438: Is known as pir of the pirs which by all the 12 tariqa orders have their silsilas from. He also added that Umar al-Khalwati is a shaykh that died in seclusion after being in it for 40 days. He continued to point out that all the other orders have their silsila from Khalwati. Because in order to achieve self-fulfilment a murid or dervish need to practice Khalwa. Then we have the others that attribute Umar al-Khalwati as its founder, or

1190-543: Is mentioned in the provincial lists that are included in various royal inscriptions, for instance, in the Behistun inscription of Darius I (ca. 520 BC). Representatives from the district are depicted in reliefs, e.g., at the royal Achaemenid tombs of Naqsh-e Rustam and Persepolis . They are wearing Scythian -style dress (with a tunic and trousers tucked into high boots ) and a twisted Bashlyk that covers their head, chin and neck. Hamdallah Mustawfi , composer of

1275-751: Is next to the Koca Mustafa Pasha Mosque in Istanbul . The site of his tomb was once his Tekke and mosque. The Tekke itself was once a convent that was abandoned and handed over to the Khalwatis by Sultan Bayezid II (1481–1512) to use as a Tekke. Almost all of the sheikhs who sat at the post of grand sheikh of this order are buried at the Tekke, including another noted Sheikh of this order, Merkez Efendi (d.1552) in Yenikapı . The tomb

1360-688: Is the largest percentage of total land use (36%). Sunbul Efendi Others In terms of Ihsan : Sünbül Sinan Efendi (1452 CE , Merzifon  – 1529, Istanbul ) was the founder of the Sunbuliyye Sufi order (also spelt Sunbuli ). The Sunbuliyye were a derivative of the Khalwati (also spelt Halveti and Halvetiye) order. Sünbül Efendi's successors, the next generations were settled in Nurullah town by Konur , Icel Province around 1550. The tomb of Sümbül Sinan Efendi

1445-468: Is the native language of Herat and the local dialect – known by natives as Herātī – belongs to the Khorāsānī cluster within Persian. It is akin to the Persian dialects of eastern Iran, notably those of Mashhad and Khorasan Province , which borders Herat. This Persian dialect serves as the lingua franca of the city. The second language that is understood by many is Pashto , which is the native language of

1530-415: Is very low, and mostly falls in winter. Although Herāt is approximately 240 m (790 ft) lower than Kandahar , the summer climate is more temperate, and the climate throughout the year is far from disagreeable, although winter temperatures are comparably lower. From May to September, the wind blows from the northwest with great force. The winter is tolerably mild; snow melts rather quickly, and even on

1615-588: The Afghan National Army (ANA) 207th Corps . Herat was one of the first seven areas that transitioned security responsibility from NATO to Afghanistan. In July 2011, the Afghan security forces assumed security responsibility from NATO. Due to their close relations, Iran began investing in the development of Herat's power, economy and education sectors. In the meantime, the United States built

1700-505: The Afsharid Persia in 1732. After Nader Shah 's death and Ahmad Shah Durrani 's rise to power in 1747, Herat separated from Persia became part of Afghanistan . It became an independent city-state in the first half of the 19th century, facing several Qajar Iranian invasions until being incorporated into Afghanistan in 1863. The roads from Herat to Iran (through the border town of Islam Qala ) and Turkmenistan (through

1785-631: The Conquest of the Western Turks . By 659–661, the Tang claimed a tenuous suzerainty over Herat, the westernmost point of Chinese power in its long history. This hold however would be ephemeral with local Turkish tribes rising in rebellion in 665 and driving out the Tang. In 702 AD Yazid ibn al-Muhallab defeated certain Arab rebels, followers of Ibn al-Ash'ath , and forced them out of Herat. The city

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1870-576: The Islamic world . All these cities had Sufi shaykhs performing miracles for the nomads. Thus, these Turkish nomads were easily converted to mystical Islam when the Sufi shaykhs promised them union with Allah. Yahya Shirvani entered Baku at this time of religious fervor and political instability, and he was able to start a movement. Yahya Shirvani was able to gather ten thousand people to his movement. Yahya had many popular, charismatic disciples to spread

1955-640: The Ottoman Empire . After Chelebi Khalifa's death, the power was passed to his son-in-law, Sunbul Efendi . He was considered a very spiritual man that saved the Koca Mustafa Pasha Mosque . According to the miraculous account, the new sultan Selim I , was suspicious of the Khalwati order and wanted to destroy its tekke . Selim I sent workers to tear down the tekke , but an angry Sunbul Efendi turned them away. Hearing this, Selim I went down there himself only to see hundreds of silent dervishes gathered around Shaykh Sunbul dressed with his khirqa . Selim

2040-649: The Seleucid Empire . However, most sources suggest that Herat was predominantly Zoroastrian . It became part of the Parthian Empire in 167 BC. In the Sasanian period (226–652), 𐭧𐭥𐭩𐭥 Harēv is listed in an inscription on the Ka'ba-i Zartosht at Naqsh-e Rustam ; and Hariy is mentioned in the Pahlavi catalogue of the provincial capitals of the empire. In around 430, the town is also listed as having

2125-596: The Shi’i enemy. With the reign of Sulayman the Magnificent and Selim II the order entered a revival. They had links with many high-ranking officials in the Ottoman administration and received substantial donations in cash and property, which helped to recruit more members. By this time, members of the Khalwati order broke ties with the common people, who they previously aligned themselves so closely. They attempted to rid

2210-744: The Timurid Renaissance , whose glory is thought to have matched Florence of the Italian Renaissance as the center of a cultural rebirth. After the fall of the Timurid Empire , Herat has been governed by various Afghan rulers since the early 18th century. In 1716, the Abdali Afghans inhabiting the city revolted and formed their own Sultanate, the Sadozai Sultanate of Herat . They were conquered by

2295-415: The "first pir ". However, Umar- Khalwati was considered a mysterious man who did very little to spread the order. Shaykh Yahya Shirvani was considered "the second pir" that was responsible for the spread of the Khalwati order. Yahya Shirvani lived during a time of great political instability in the wake of the Mongol invasion. After the Mongol invasions, Turkish nomads began to gather into urban centers of

2380-529: The 14th-century geographical work Nuzhat al-Qulub writes that: Herāt was the name of one of the chiefs among the followers of the hero Narīmān , and it was he who first founded the city. After it had fallen to ruin Alexander the Great rebuilt it, and the circuit of its walls was 9000 paces. Herodotus described Herat as the bread-basket of Central Asia . At the time of Alexander the Great in 330 BC, Aria

2465-523: The Arab forces in a battle of Qohestān in 651-52 AD, trying to block their advance on Nishāpur , but they were defeated. When the Arab armies appeared in Khorāsān in the 650s AD, Herāt was counted among the twelve capital towns of the Sasanian Empire. The Arab army under the general command of Ahnaf ibn Qais in its conquest of Khorāsān in 652 seems to have avoided Herāt, but it can be assumed that

2550-536: The Great was born in Herat, and in Safavid texts, Herat is referred to as a'zam-i bilād-i īrān , meaning "the greatest of the cities of Iran". In the 16th century, all future Safavid Persian rulers, from Tahmasp I to Abbas I, were governors of Herat in their youth. By the early 18th century Herat was governed by the Abdali Afghans . After Nader Shah 's death in 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani took possession of

2635-622: The Khalwati order. The Sufi sheikh, Chelebi Khalifa, moved the headquarters of the Khalwati order from Amasya to Istanbul . Here, they rebuilt a former church into a tekke , or Sufi lodge. The tekke became known as the Koca Mustafa Pasha Mosque . These buildings spread throughout the region as Khalwati's popularity grew. The order spread from its origins in the Middle East to the Balkans (especially in southern Greece, Kosovo and North Macedonia , to Egypt, Sudan and almost all corners of

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2720-564: The Khalwati's fight to improve living conditions eventually lead to the larger nationalist protests. The situation varies from region to region. In 1945, the government in Albania recognized the principal tariqas as independent religious communities, but this came to an end after the Albanian Cultural Revolution in 1967. In 1939 there were twenty-five Khalwatiyya tekkes in Albania , Macedonia and Kosovo . In 1925

2805-572: The Khalwatiyya from other tariqas is that for them it is through participation in the communal rites and rituals that one reaches a more advanced stage of awareness, one that the theorists of the order described as a face-to-face encounter with Allah. Herat Herāt ( / h ɛ ˈ r ɑː t / ; [Dari]) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan . In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as

2890-566: The Pashtuns. The local Pashto dialect spoken in Herat is a variant of western Pashto , which is also spoken in Kandahar and southern and western Afghanistan. Religiously, Sunni Islam is practiced by the majority, while Shias make up the minority. The city has high residential density clustered around the core of the city. However, vacant plots account for a higher percentage of the city (21%) than residential land use (18%) and agricultural

2975-520: The Persian language are in the majority. There is no current data on the precise ethnic composition of the city's population, but according to a 2003 map found in the National Geographic Magazine , Persian-speaking Tajik and Farsiwan peoples form the majority of the city, comprising around 85% of the population. The remaining population comprises Pashtuns (10%), Hazaras (2%), Uzbeks (2%) and Turkmens (1%). Persian

3060-687: The Taherids from Khorasan in 873. The Sāmānid dynasty was established in Transoxiana by three brothers, Nuh , Yahyā , and Ahmad . Ahmad Sāmāni opened the way for the Samanid dynasty to the conquest of Khorāsān, including Herāt, which they were to rule for one century. The centralized Samanid administration served as a model for later dynasties. The Samanid power was destroyed in 999 by the Qarakhanids , who were advancing on Transoxiana from

3145-437: The above are almost all now mosques and/or places of visitation by Muslims for prayer. The hallmark of the Khalwatiyya tariqa , way, and its numerous subdivisions is its periodic retreat ( khalwa ) that is required of every novice. These can last between three days to forty days. The khalwa for some offshoots of the Khalwatiyya is essential in preparing the pupil, murid . The collective dhikr follows similar rules throughout

3230-459: The arts. By this time Herāt became known as the pearl of Khorasan . If anyone asks thee which is the pleasantest of cities, Thou mayest answer him aright that it is Herāt. For the world is like the sea, and the province of Khurāsān like a pearl-oyster therein, The city of Herāt being as the pearl in the middle of the oyster. Timur took Herat in 1380 and he brought the Kartid dynasty to an end

3315-401: The border town of Torghundi ) are still strategically important. As the gateway to Iran, it collects high amount of customs revenue for Afghanistan. It also has an international airport . Following the 2001 war , the city had been relatively safe from Taliban insurgent attacks. In 2021, it was announced that Herat would be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . On 12 August 2021, the city

3400-613: The capital of Herat Province , situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains ( Selseleh-ye Safēd Kōh ) in the fertile valley of the Hari River in the western part of the country. An ancient civilization on the Silk Road between West Asia , Central Asia , and South Asia , it serves as a regional hub in the country's west. Herat dates back to Avestan times and was traditionally known for its wine . The city has

3485-492: The capital of the Timurid empire, it boasted many fine religious buildings and was famous for its sumptuous court life and musical performance and its tradition of miniature paintings. On the whole, the period was one of relative stability, prosperity, and development of economy and cultural activities. It began with the nomination of Shahrokh , the youngest son of Timur, as governor of Herat in 1397. The reign of Shahrokh in Herat

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3570-642: The city and became part of the Durrani Empire . In 1793, Herat became independent for several years when Afghanistan underwent a civil war between different sons of Timur Shah . The Iranians had multiple wars with Herat between 1801 and 1837 (1804, 1807, 1811, 1814, 1817, 1818, 1821, 1822, 1825, 1833). The Iranians besieged the city in 1837 , but the British helped the Heratis in repelling them. In 1856, they invaded again, and briefly managed to take

3655-514: The city eventually submitted to the Arabs, since shortly afterward an Arab governor is mentioned there. A treaty was drawn in which the regions of Bādghis and Bushanj were included. As did many other places in Khorāsān, Herāt rebelled and had to be re-conquered several times. Another power that was active in the area in the 650s was Tang dynasty China which had embarked on a campaign that culminated in

3740-733: The city on 25 October; it led directly to the Anglo-Persian War . In 1857 hostilities between the Iranians and the British ended after the Treaty of Paris was signed, and the Persian troops withdrew from Herat in September 1857. Afghanistan conquered Herat on 26 May 1863, under Dost Muhammad Khan , two weeks before his death. The famous Musalla of Gawhar Shah of Herat, a large Islamic religious complex consisting of five minarets, several mausoleums along with mosques and madrasas

3825-589: The city with their families. Between 10 and 20 March 1979, the Afghan Army in Herāt under the control of commander Ismail Khan mutinied. Thousands of protesters took to the streets against the Khalq communist regime's oppression led by Nur Mohammad Taraki . The new rebels led by Khan managed to oust the communists and take control of the city for 3 days, with some protesters murdering any Soviet advisers. This shocked

3910-699: The cost of thousands of civilians killed. This massacre was the first of its kind since the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919, and was the bloodiest event preceding the Soviet–Afghan War . Herat received damage during the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s, especially its western side. The province as a whole was one of the worst-hit. In April 1983, a series of Soviet bombings damaged half of the city and killed around 3,000 civilians, described as "extremely heavy, brutal and prolonged". Ismail Khan

3995-469: The countryside northeast of the town on the road to Balkh , and farther away on a hilltop stood a flourishing fire temple , called Sereshk, or Arshak according to Mustawfi . Herat was a part of the Taherid dominion in Khorāsān until the rise of the Saffarids in Sistān under Ya'qub-i Laith in 861, who, in 862, started launching raids on Herat before besieging and capturing it on 16 August 867, and again in 872. The Saffarids succeeded in expelling

4080-413: The different branches of the Khalwatiyya order. The practice of dhikr is described as repetitive prayer. The practitioner is to be repeating Allah's name and remembering Allah. The dervish is to be attentive to Allah in their repetitive prayer. They are to be completely focused on Allah, so much so that an early Sufi master says "True dhikr is that you forget your dhikr." Another practice that distinguishes

4165-415: The district and ends 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Herat. Herey is mentioned in Sanskrit as a yellow or golden color equivalent to Persian "Zard" meaning Gold (yellow). The naming of a region and its principal town after the main river is a common feature in this part of the world— compare the adjoining districts/rivers/towns of Arachosia and Bactria . The district Aria of the Achaemenid Empire

4250-403: The first Persian-speaking city to be captured by the Taliban. The Taliban's strict enforcement of laws confining women at home and closing girls' schools alienated Heratis who are traditionally more liberal and educated, like the Kabulis, than other urban populations in the country. Two days of anti-Taliban protests occurred in December 1996 which was violently dispersed and led to the imposition of

4335-400: The government, who blamed the new administration of Iran following the Iranian Revolution for influencing the uprising. Reprisals by the government followed, and between 3,000 and 24,000 people (according to different sources) were killed, in what is called the 1979 Herat uprising , or in Persian as the Qiam-e Herat . The city itself was recaptured with tanks and airborne forces , but at

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4420-434: The government. He was a leader that represented the old Khalwati order, one for the masses. Niyazi gave the common people and their spiritual aspirations a voice again in the Khalwati order. Niyazi's poetry demonstrates some of the Khalwati's aspects of retreat. He writes in one of his poems: Most scholars believe that the Khalwati went through a revival during the 18th century when Mustafa ibn Kamal ad-Din al-Bakri (1688-1748)

4505-514: The hands of Faik to whom the defense of Herāt had been entrusted by Nuh III. In 994, Nuh III invited Alptegin to come to his aid. Alptegin, along with Mahmud of Ghazni, defeated Faik and annexed Herāt, Nishapur and Tous . Herat was a great trading center strategically located on trade routes from Mediterranean to India or to China. The city was noted for its textiles during the Abbasid Caliphate , according to many references by geographers. Herāt also had many learned sons such as Ansārī . The city

4590-426: The late 15th century to the mid-19th century mostly focused in Egypt, considered the reform period of the Khalwati order. The order lost popularity in 1865, but many of its leaders branched off to form different orders to expand Islam throughout Africa. The order resided mostly in large urban areas. The origins of the Khalwati order are obscure but according to a Khalwati shaykh named Osman Shehu (born 1970 died 2017,

4675-442: The mountains does not lie long. The eastern reaches of the Hari River , including the rapids, are frozen hard in the winter, and people travel on it as on a road. India, Iran and Pakistan operate their consulate here for trade, military and political links. Of the more than dozen minarets that once stood in Herāt, many have been toppled from war and neglect over the past century. Recently, however, everyday traffic threatens many of

4760-551: The name of Islam. The region of Herāt was under the rule of King Nuh III , the seventh of the Samanid line—at the time of Sebük Tigin and his older son, Mahmud of Ghazni . The governor of Herāt was a noble by the name of Faik , who was appointed by Nuh III. It is said that Faik was a powerful, but insubordinate governor of Nuh III, and had been punished by Nuh III. Faik made overtures to Bogra Khan and Ughar Khan of Khorasan . Bogra Khan answered Faik's call, came to Herāt, and became its ruler. The Samanids fled, betrayed at

4845-419: The northeast, and by the Ghaznavids , former Samanid retainers, attacking from the southeast. Ghaznavid Era Sultan Maḥmud of Ghazni officially took control of Khorāsān in 998. Herat was one of the six Ghaznavid mints in the region. In 1040, Herat was captured by the Seljuk Empire . During this change of power in Herat, there was supposedly a power vacuum which was filled by Abdullah Awn , who established

4930-413: The order of folk Islam to a more orthodox order. The Khalwati was very conscious of their public image and wanted the order to become more of an exclusive membership for the upper class. From here, the Khalwati order broke off into many suborders. In 1650s rose one of the most famous Anatolian Khalwati shaykhs, Niyazi al-Misri . Niyazi was famous for his poetry, his spiritual powers, and public opposition to

5015-511: The order promoted individual asceticism ( zuhd ) and retreat ( khalwa ), differentiating themselves from other orders at the time. The order is associated as one of the source schools of many other Sufi orders. There were two major historical movements of the Khalwati order. The first one started in the late 14th century and ended in the 17th century. The first historical movement marks its origins and spread in vast area, now being part of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. The second movement began in

5100-468: The order, including Pir Ilyas. The time of greatest popularity for Khalwati order was during the thirty-year reign of “ Sufi Bayazid II ” (1481–1511) in Ottoman Turkey. During this time, the sultan practiced Sufi rituals, which, without a doubt, brought in many people to the order who wanted to advance their political career. This is the time period where members of the upper class, Ottoman military, and higher ranks of civil services were all involved with

5185-403: The orders were abolished in Turkey and all tekkes and zawiyas were closed and their possessions confiscated by the government, and there is no data available on the status of the Khalwatiyya. In Egypt there are still many active branches of the Khalwatiyya. Modernity has affected the orders to have quite different forms in different environments. They vary depending on the locality, personality of

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5270-404: The province in contrast with the role of the Hephthalites tribal lords, who were settled in the Herat region and in the neighboring districts, mainly in pastoral Bādghis and in Qohestān . It must be underlined, however, that Herat remained one of the three Sasanian mint centers in the east, the other two beings Balkh and Marv . The Hephthalites from Herat and some unidentified Turks opposed

5355-421: The remaining unique towers by shaking the very foundations they stand on. Cars and trucks that drive on a road encircling the ancient city rumble the ground every time they pass these historic structures. UNESCO personnel and Afghan authorities have been working to stabilize the Fifth Minaret. The population of Herat numbered approximately 592,902 in 2021. The city houses a multi-ethnic society and speakers of

5440-401: The shaykh and the needs of the community. There may also be different prayer practices, patterns of association, and the nature of relations linking the disciples to the shaykh and to each other. The Khalwati order had many tekkes in Istanbul , the most famous being the Jerrahi , Ussaki , Sunbuli , Ramazani and Nasuhi . Although the Sufi orders are now abolished in the Republic of Turkey ,

5525-437: The son of Ismail Khan, was ambushed and killed in Herāt by a local rival group. More than 200 people were arrested under suspicion of involvement. In 2005, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) began establishing bases in and around the city. Its main mission was to train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and help with the rebuilding process of the country. Regional Command West , led by Italy, assisted

5610-414: The surrender of the city, the slaughter of the local sultan's army of 12,000, and the appointment of two governors, one Mongol and one Muslim. The second, prompted by a rebellion against Mongol rule, lasted seven months and ended in June 1222 with, according to one account, the beheading of the entire population of 1,600,000 people by the victorious Mongols, such that "no head was left on a body, nor body with

5695-446: The ulama to be too close to folk Islam and too far from the shari'a . The ulama also held a cultural hostility towards them, which made the ulama intolerant of the Sufis. The order began to transform itself over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries as it became more embedded in Ottoman social and religious life. A good example of this is the branch of the order founded by Sha`ban-i Veli (d. 1569) in Kastamonu . Whereas Sha`ban

5780-429: The waning power of the Caliphate became apparent, native rulers once again established themselves independent. Among these, the Saffarids of Seistan shone briefly in the Afghan area. The fanatic founder of this dynasty, the coppersmith's apprentice Yaqub ibn Layth Saffari, came forth from his capital at Zaranj in 870 AD and marched through Bost , Kandahar , Ghazni , Kabul , Bamiyan , Balkh and Herat, conquering in

5865-453: The west to defeat the Sasanians in 642 AD and then they marched with confidence to the east. On the western periphery of the Afghan area, the princes of Herat and Seistan gave way to rule by Arab governors but in the east, in the mountains, cities submitted only to rise in revolt, and the hastily converted returned to their old beliefs once the armies passed. The harshness and avariciousness of Arab rule produced such unrest, however, that once

5950-451: Was a retiring ascetic who kept a low profile in the 16th century, by the 17th century his spiritual follower `Omer el-Fu'adi (d. 1636) wrote multiple books and treatises that sought to cement the order's doctrines and practices, in addition to combatting a growing anti-Sufi feeling that later took shape in the form of the Kadizadeli movement. Also during this period, the order sought to reassert its Sunni identity, by disassociating itself with

6035-423: Was astonished by Sunbul's spiritual power and canceled the plans to destroy the tekke . The attacks from the ulama , the orthodox religious class, were more serious in the long run. Their hostility were on many Sufi orders, not just the Khalwatiya. Their criticism was a political concern, which suggested that they Khalwatis were disloyal to the Ottoman state, and a doctrinal concern, that the Sufis were thought by

6120-647: Was considered the reformer who renewed the Khalwati order in the Egypt. The Khalwati order still remains strong in Egypt where the Sufi orders do receive a degree of support from the government. The Khalwati order also remains strong in the Sudan . However, not all scholars agree with al-Bakri's influence. Frederick de Jong argues in his collected studies that al Bakri's influence was limited. He argues that many scholars speak of his influence, but without much detail about what he actually did. Jong argues that al-Bakri's influence

6205-682: Was dynamited during the Panjdeh incident to prevent their usage by the advancing Russian forces . Some emergency preservation work was carried out at the site in 2001 which included building protective walls around the Gawhar Shad Mausoleum and Sultan Husain Madrasa, repairing the remaining minaret of Gawhar Shad's Madrasa, and replanting the mausoleum garden. In the aftermath of the Afghan Civil War (1928–1929) , Herat

6290-495: Was enlarged and embellished under the Timurids. The tomb of the poet and mystic Khwājah Abdullāh Ansārī (d. 1088), was first rebuilt by Shahrokh about 1425, and other famous men were buried in the shrine area. In the summer of 1458, the Qara Qoyunlu under Jahan Shah advanced as far as Herat, but had to turn back soon because of a revolt by his son Hasan Ali and also because Abu Said 's march on Tabriz. In 1507, Herat

6375-514: Was in charge. Al-Bakri was considered a great shaykh who wrote many books, invented Sufi techniques, and was very charismatic. He travelled throughout Jerusalem, Aleppo, Istanbul, Baghdad, and Basra. Before he died he wrote 220 books, mostly about adab . It is said that he saw the prophet nineteen times and al-Khidr three times. In many cities, people would mob al-Bakri to receive his blessing. After al-Bakri died, Khalwati dome scholars believe that al-Bakri set “a great Sufi renaissance in motion.” He

6460-590: Was known by the Old Persian name of Haraiva (𐏃𐎼𐎡𐎺), and in classical sources, the region was correspondingly known as Areia ( Aria ). In the Zoroastrian collection of Avesta , the district is referred as Haroiva . The name of the district and its principal town is a derivative from that of the local river, the Herey River (from Old Iranian Harayu , meaning "with velocity"), which goes through

6545-556: Was limited to adding a prayer litany to the Khalwati rituals. He made his disciples read this litany before sunrise and called it the Wird al-sahar. Al-Bakri wrote this prayer litany himself and thought it necessary to add it to the practices of the Khalwati order. Jong argues al-Bakri should not be attributed with the revival of the Sufi order for his limited effect. Members of the Khwalti order were involved in political movements by playing

6630-412: Was marked by intense royal patronage, building activities, and the promotion of manufacturing and trade, especially through the restoration and enlargement of the Herat's bāzār. The present Musallah Complex, and many buildings such as the madrasa of Gawhar Shad , Ali Shir mahāl, many gardens, and others, date from this time. The village of Gazar Gah , over two km northeast of Herat, contained a shrine that

6715-565: Was obviously an important district. It was administered by a satrap called Satibarzanes , who was one of the three main Persian officials in the East of the Empire, together with the satrap Bessus of Bactria and Barsaentes of Arachosia. In late 330 BC, Alexander captured the Arian capital that was called Artacoana . The town was rebuilt and the citadel was constructed. Afghanistan became part of

6800-746: Was occupied by the Uzbeks but after much fighting the city was taken by Shah Isma'il , the founder of the Safavid dynasty , in 1510 and the Shamlu Qizilbash assumed the governorship of the area. Under the Safavids, Herat was again relegated to the position of a provincial capital, albeit one of particular importance. At the death of Shah Isma'il the Uzbeks again took Herat and held it until Shah Tahmasp retook it in 1528. The Persian king, Shah Abbas

6885-495: Was seized by Taliban fighters as part of the Taliban's summer offensive . The area of Herat, along with areas like Piranshahr , Damghan and Aleppo , are noted to be sites for archaeological interests and exploration. Ancient Herat is first recorded in ancient times, but its precise date of foundation is unknown. Under the Persian Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC), the surrounding district

6970-539: Was the last stronghold of Saqqawist resistance, holding out until 1931 when it was retaken by forces loyal to Mohammad Nadir Shah . In the 1960s, engineers from the United States built Herat Airport , which was used by the Soviet forces during the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Even before the Soviet invasion at the end of 1979, there was a substantial presence of Soviet advisors in

7055-541: Was the leader of the Khalwati Karabas order in Junik, Kosovo) Al-Hasan Al-Basri was the founder of the Khalwati order. Many parts are against this fact due to the intern conflicts that exist in the tariqa on who is the founding fathers. Shaykh Osman continued and added that Khalwa or seclusion is a practice that Al-Hasan Al-Basri mainly lived by and is the fundamental practice in the Khalwati order. Al-Hasan Al-Basri

7140-532: Was the leading mujahideen commander in Herāt fighting against the Soviet-backed government. After the communist government's collapse in 1992, Khan joined the new government and he became governor of Herat Province . The city was relatively safe and it was recovering and rebuilding from the damage caused in the Soviet–Afghan War. However, on 5 September 1995, the city was captured by the Taliban without much resistance, forcing Khan to flee. Herat became

7225-546: Was the scene of conflicts between different groups of Muslims and Arab tribes in the disorders leading to the establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate . Herat was also a center of the followers of Ustadh Sis . In 870 AD, Yaqub ibn Layth Saffari , a local ruler of the Saffarid dynasty conquered Herat and the rest of the nearby regions in the name of Islam. ...Arab armies carrying the banner of Islam came out of

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