THE KURDISH MUSLIM GOVERNOR WHO WROTE A SHIV LEELA

                           

 ( A Portrait of Ali Mardan Khan)

  ( Mughal king Shahjahaan welcoming Ali Mardan khan to his Darbaar)

           (Chashme Shahi Garden Kashmir)


SHAB  SHAH  E  KI MUN  DEEDAM....
    .                              
A man of Kurdish background , an adminitrator who first served under  Persian safavid kings and later Mughals. A poet, scholar , spiritualist , engineer ,builder and a specialist in laying canals and water fountains ,  Ali Mardan khan was held in high esteem by Mughal king Shahjahaan. Shahjahaan sent him as Governor of kashmir where he witnessed a phenomenon that he wrote in a persian poem.He wrote he saw shiva in his dream. I quote some parts from this long poem that begins as:

" Huma Asle Maheshwar Bood
 Shab Shahe ki mun deedam..
Gazanfar Charam dar bar bood
Shab shahe ki mun deedam"

He was in fact Maheshwara (shiva)
whom i saw last night.
Nothing except a Lion's skin he wore,
That king i saw last night.

 I quote more



(1)

Ze  Basmash Jaam-e-bar-tan,
Zunar-ish mar-e-bar gardan,
Ravanish Gang-e-bar sar-bood,
Shab Shahe ke mun deedam.
.

Body smeared with ash,
A snake around his neck as his scared thread ,
And river Ganga flowing uninterrupted from his hair,
That king i saw last night..

(2)

Ajab Sanyaasi -e-deedam
"Namoh  Narayana "Guftam
E-Khaakay paaye bosidham
Shab Shah e ki mun deedam

A strange sanyasi my eyes saw,
 At that sight , i uttered "Namoh Narayan"
I kissed the dust at his feet ,
 That king i saw last night..

In literal meaning Namoh narayana means  salutations to Lord..swami jankananda writes"

" The mantra expresses that no matter where you come from, then I respect the path you have chosen. I greet you! I bid you welcome, as I would to god. "

(3)
Umaa  Az soy e -chupp-binger,
 Ze Sad Khursheed Tabaan-tar,
Savare Kulb-e-nar bood,
Shab Shahe ke Mun deedam.


On his left , i saw Uma or Parvati ,
His face radiated like  thousand suns

seated on Bull( Nandi) ,
That king I saw last night……

(4)

Nigahay bar manay Miskeen
Namood Az Chashm e Tabaan Tar
Makanash Laamkan tar bood
Shab Shah e ki mun deedam.


Upon a poor man like me,
He cast a glance  ,
His eyes were bright and radiating,
His abode, i saw in that infinite and uninhabited Land,
That king i saw last night.

(5)
Ba poseedam khuda Hasti
Kina hasti chira Masti,
Sarosham guft shankar Bood
Shab Shah e ki mun deedam.

I asked"Are you the lord,
If not , then what is  this
Carefreeness all about?"
From sky a voice said
" He is none other than Shankara"
That king i saw last night.


(6)


Se chash-mash bar jabeen khushtar
Ze mehr o Maah Roshantar,
Hilaalash Taaj bar sar bood
Shab shahe ki mun deedam..


With three eyes shining bright like the
Sun and the moon,
Beautiful looked his forehead.
On his head, he wore the crescent as his Crown,
That king i saw last night.

(7)

Manam Mard e Musalmaanam
Ali khanam Hami daanam
Khudaaya Banda parvar bood
Shab shah e ki mun deedam


I am a muslim by faith
Ali khan ( Ali Mardan Khan ) is my name,
Beyond that i know nothing.
The lord,  the benefactor of mankind had Come himself,
That king i saw last night..

                               

I can't tell you how  much regard  and respect Ali Mardan Khan  commands from every  elder kashmiri pandit including  our generation .He made himself immortal by writing this persian Shiv Leela that remains a cherished heritage of  Kashmiri Pandits. to this day.

This leela has been included by Poet Scholar Late Moti Lal Saqi in his compilation of Kashmiri devitional poems published in the 1993.

There used to be a vast stretch of land near soura in srinagar city known as Bagh e Ali Mardan Khan. Later ,Government set up an industrial estate on this land. Some years after that some industrial units shifted to other areas .Do we remember Ali Mardan khan now?

And Chashm e Shahi garden is his creation and gift to kashmir. He also built the famous Shalimar Garden Lahore .  He died in 1657AD.


(Autar Mota)

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