Mian Jo Goth is a historic village in the Shikarpur district which is famous for the shrine of eminent nineteenth-century Qadiri Sarwari saint Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad Mahar. The village is located about 31 km from Shikarpur town. It is named after Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad Mahar, who was variously known to the locals as Mian Sahib and Pat Dhani. Due to the appellation of Mian Sahib, which was how Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad was often referred to, the village came to be called after him “Mian Jo Goth.” When he first settled in the village, there were only plains and uncultivable land called Pat in Sindhi, hence he was called Pat Dhani, the lord of the plains – an appellation which is still a popular identity of the saint.
According to Faqir Mian Ali Raza, the gadi-nashin of the dargah of Faqir Moulana Taj Muhammad, Mian Sahib received early education from Allama Mian Abdul Hakim Panhiyar who was a disciple of Syed Mosan Shah Jilani – the latter himself being a deputy of Siraj-al-Din Jamal Ahmed, a gadi-nashin of Sultan Bahoo (d. 1691). The shrine of Mohsin Shah Jilani is located in Ghotki. He learned Persian from his teacher and mentor Allama Abdul Hakim Panhiyar. Later, on his instruction, he went to the madrassah of Qazi Hakim Allama Noor Muhammad Laskani for further study. The madrassah of Qazi Hakim Allama Noor Muhammad Laskani was located adjacent to the shrine of Hamid Mahmood Syed Muhammad Rajan Shah in the Katcho area near the Indus. He completed his education in that madrassah under the supervision and guidance of Qazi Hakim Allama Noor Muhammad Laskani. After completing his education, he spent some time in his village.
Detail of wooden canopy over the graves of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad and his son, at Mian Jo Goth
Mian Ali Raza shares the story of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad and how he was connected to the Qadiri Sarwari order of Sultan Bahu. During his study in the madrassah of Qazi Hakim Allama Noor Muhammad Laskani, Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad suffered from severe headaches which were not relieved even though his teacher and mentor – who was also a hakim – gave him medicine. One day, a Sultani Faqir of Sultan Bahoo passed by the village and met Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad, who told him about his headache. On hearing his problem, that Sultani Faqir understood his problem: that he needed a spiritual master, and invited him to visit the shrine of his spiritual master Sultan Bahu. Following his advice, Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad visited the shrine of Sultan Bahu. This story actually reflects his seeking a spiritual master which he eventually found at the dargah of Sultan Bahu, where he met Hafiz Sultan Muhammad (1730-1811), a third gadi-nashin of the shrine of Sultan Bahu, who initiated him into the Qadiri Sarwari order.
The shrine of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad
Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad found spiritual solace at the shrine of Sultan Bahu and after obtaining initiation, and on the instruction of his spiritual master, he went back to his village where he established his Qadiri Sarwari Khanqah and started preaching. Many people responded to his preaching about the Qadiri Sarwari order and enrolled as his deputies and disciples. Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad used to visit his spiritual master frequently. According to Manaqib Hazrat Pat Dhani, a book by Faqir Dr. Hakim Abdul Haq Sani Qadiri Sarwari (2012) which was compiled by Dr. Sagar Abro, Hafiz Sultan Muhammad asked Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad that he now should visit Mian Ghulam Muhammad Sadique’s dargah, who was also Qadiri Sarwari saint and similarly associated with the dargah of Sultan Bahu. On the instruction of his spiritual master, he started visiting the shrine of Mian Muhammad Sadique frequently.
Mian Jo Goth became a centre of the Qadiri Sarwari Sufis in nineteenth-century Shikarpur. Mian Taj Muhammad had a large number of followers, not only in Shikarpur but also in Larkana, Ghotki, Sukkur, Khangarh (Jacobabad), Jhal Magsi and Kachhi districts in Balochistan. He was the most eminent Qadiri Sarwari saint in the entire Shikarpur district.
Faqir Dr. Hakim Abdul Haq Sani Qadiri Sarwari (2012), the author of Manaqib Hazrat Pat Dhani gives a list of the deputies of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad. The names of the prominent disciples and deputies include Syed Qalandar Ali Shah Bukhari, Khalifa Rahim Ditto, Faqir Nuh Dakhan, Allama Faqir Mian Mahmood ul Hasan Panhiyar, Faqir Muhammad Ishaque Soomro, Faqir Mian Muhammad Alam Khan Pathan and his sister Mai Shah Jahan Pathan.
About 35 popular Sufi shrines in upper Sindh and Jhal Magsi and Kachhi district are connected to the dargah of Faqir Moulana Taj Muhammad
Amongst these disciples and deputies, the most outstanding khalifo of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad was Syed Qalandar Ali Shah Bukhari, who was from the Kachhi district and with the blessings of his mentor became known as Kachhi Dhani, the lord or owner of the Kachhi region of Balochistan. He was instructed by his spiritual master Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad to spread his teachings in Kachhi. As per the instruction of his mentor, he continued his missionary work in his region. He established his khanqah in a village that came to be called after him Mozah Qalandar Shah. He was also the founder of the Qalandari branch within the Qadiri Sarwari order: those who became his disciples were known as Sarwari Qadiri Qalandari Sufis. Many people became his disciples. According to Ishq Salamt Rahi, Bayaz Sufi Waryal Faqir Abro, a book compiled by Ameer Ali Abro in 2007, he was initiated into the Qadiri Sarwari Qalandari order by Allah Dino Sain (1811-1899) who was a deputy of Syed Qalandar Ali Shah Bukhari, an eminent khalifo of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad. The shrine of Allah Dino Sain is located in Jhal Magsi, Balochistan, whereas the shrine of his deputy Sufi Waryal Faqir Abro is located in Dittal Abro which is the centre of Qadiri Sarwari Qalandari Sufis in Kamber taluka in Kamber-Shahdadkot. He was a Sufi poet whose poetry is sung by his disciples at several other shrines of the Qadiri Sarwari Qalandari Sufis in Sindh and Balochistan. He had two eminent deputies, Syed Qalander Shah Jilani (d.1922) and Faqir Ghulam Qadir Gul Abro (d.1945), who spread the message of the Qadiri Sarwari Qalandaris in various villages in Larkana, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur and Jhal Magsi. The shrine of Syed Qalandar Shah Jilani, who was an eminent khalifo of Sufi Waryal Faqir Abro, is located in Nabi Shah Waggan village in Ratodero taluka in Larkana district. The most outstanding khalifo of Syed Qalandar Shah Jilani was Abdul Khaliq alias Ghazi Ghamdil Sain. He was an eminent Sufi poet of the Qadiri Sarwari Qalandari silsila. His Sufi treatise (Kalam) Diwan Gulzar-e-Ghamdil which was compiled by his disciple and gadi-nashin Faqir Lutuf Ali in 1989 is the most popular among his disciples. He died in 1972 and was buried next to the shrine of his spiritual master Syed Qalandar Shah Jilani.
About 35 popular Sufi shrines in upper Sindh and Jhal Magsi and Kachhi district are connected to the dargah of Faqir Moulana Taj Muhammad. He also translated the Holy Quran into Persian, a copy of which is available with the gadi-nashin of the dargah. He died in 1850, and was buried in Mian Jo Goth. Moulana Taj Muhammad left behind his one son Faqir Mian Muhammad Hashim. The latter, too, was an eminent Qadiri Sarwari Sufi of Mian Jo Goth. He used to accompany his father to the dargah of Sultan Bahu. He was initiated into the Qadiri Sarwari order by Sultan Ghulam Bahu, a gadi-nashin of the shrine of Sultan Bahu. Faqir Mian Muhammad Hashim continued to spread the teachings of his spiritual mentors in Sindh and Balochistan. He died in 1855 and was buried next to his father at Mian Jo Goth. He had two sons, Faqir Mian Jan Muhammad and Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad II alias Mian Budhro.
Detail of wooden canopy over the grave of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad and his son
Faqir Mian Jan Muhammad became the gadi-nashin of the dargah of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad and continued the Qadiri Sarwari Silsila. He obtained initiation from Sultan Muhammad Saleh, a gadi-nashin of the dargah of Sultan Bahu. He was the author of a few books in Persian. Moreover, he also built a mosque and madrassah in Mian Jo Goth. He had many disciples who spread the Qadiri Sarwari silsila in their respective villages and towns. He died in 1908 and was buried in the tomb of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad. Faqir Mian Jan Muhammad had five sons and two daughters. His four sons died during his lifetime and his eldest son Faqir Mian Muhammad Mubarak became the gadi-nashin of the dargah of Faqir Moulana Main Taj Muhammad. He became a disciple of Haji Sultan Noor Ahmed, a gadi-nashin of the dargah of Sultan Bahu. This successor played a very important role in spreading the Qadiri Sarwari silsila in Sindh and Balochistan. He died in 1929, leaving behind two sons-Faqir Mian Abdul Haye I and Faqir Mian Muhammad Arif II. The grave of Faqir Mian Muhammad Mubarak is located inside the tomb of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad.
Faqir Mian Abdul Haye I became the gadi-nashin of the dargah of Faqir Moulana Taj Muhammad. He was known for his piety. Many people became his disciples. He died in 1937 and was buried in the tomb of his great grandfather Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad. He had seven sons. His son Faqir Mian Ghulam Subhani became the gadi-nashin. During his time, the number of disciples increased. He was fond of travelling and kept visiting Sufi shrines in Sindh, Punjab, Delhi, Bombay (Mumbai) Ajmer Sharif, etc. He died in 1950 and was buried in the tomb of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad.
The sixth gadi-nashin of the dargah was Faqir Mian Mushtaq Ahmed Qadiri Sarwari who was also known for his piety. After he died in 1997, the seventh gadi-nashin of the dargah was Faqir Mian Abdul Haye Sani. Apart from preaching Qadiri Sarwari silsila, he also focused on welfare works in his village. He also took an active part in politics. He died in 2006 and was succeeded by his son Faqir Mian Ali Raza Qadiri Sarwari as the eighth gadi-nashin of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad.
The tomb of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhmmad was built by Faqir Mian Abdul Haye I, the fourth gadi-nashin of the dargah. He brought the best and most skilled craftsmen from Shikarpur to make a wooden canopy over the graves of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad and his son Faqir Mian Muhammad Hashim. This wooden canopy (Kathehro) has no parallel in the entire district of Shikarpur. It was made by the celebrated Imam Baksh Bablani and his fellow wood carvers. One also can see an impressive wooden canopy over the graves of Mian Muhammad Jami (d. 1868) and his sons and grandson at Jami Ja Quba in Shikarpur. The domed canopy over the graves of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad and his son Faqir Mian Muhammad Hashim is a masterpiece made by the Bablani craftsmen of Shikarpur.
A Sufi Raag is the popular identity of dargahs connected to the dargah of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad. Such a Raag is also held on every Friday at the shrine of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad, where famous Sufi singers sing the poetry of Sultan Bahu and others
The shrine of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad is frequented by both Muslims and Hindus. The descendants of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad promoted religious harmony in Mian Jo Goth. Hindus traded and built impressive maaris (mansions) in the village under the conducive environment provided to them by Qadir Sarwari saints of Mian Jo Goth. Some eminent Hindu literary figures were born in Mian Jo Goth. Haseeb Nayab Mangi writes in his book Shikarpur Ja Amar Kirdar that Khiyal Das, who was an eminent literary figure of Shikarpur, was born in Mian Jo Goth on the 4th of April 1914. He played an instrumental role in the development of the Sindhi language. Khiyal Das was a teacher of renowned Sindhi poet Shaikh Ayaz. He migrated to Bhopal after the 1947 Partition, where he served as a professor in a college in Bhopal, India. He continued to promote Sindhi literature by publishing books and magazines in Bhopal, where he died in 1995.
According to Haseeb Nayab Mangi, Boolchand Wasumal Rajpal was another literary figure who was born in Mian Jo Goth. He was an editor of the monthly Sindhu magazine. He started publishing Sindhu magazine in 1922 from Mian Jo Goth. He left for India in the wake of the Partition. He continued to publish there, too, until 1966. Haseeb Nayab Mangi writes in an article published in the quarterly Sindhi magazine Challenge (April-June 2022) from Bhopal that Boolchand Wasumal Rajpal migrated from Shikarpur to Agra after Partition and continued to publish Sindhu magazine till 1966, dying in Ahmedabad in 1971. Apart from these literary figures, many other eminent Hindu traders, landlords and philanthropists were also born in the village.
A Sufi Raag is the popular identity of dargahs connected to the dargah of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad. Such a Raag is also held on every Friday at the shrine of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad, where famous Sufi singers sing the poetry of Sultan Bahu and others who were connected to the dargah of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad. The Sufi poetry of Sahib Dino Shah Bukhari, Sufi Waryal Faqir Abro (d. 1918) Syed Faqir Anwar Ali Shah Bukhari (d. 1961), Muhammad Azeem Golo alias Vairag Ali Faqir (d. 1974), Sufi Faqir Shaiq Ali Umrani (d. 1975), Syed Sattar Dino (d. 1998), etc, are sung by the Sufi singers. These weekly musical sessions also provide novice Sufi singers a space to learn from the celebrated Sufi singers. Simultaneously, these sessions also give space to literary discourse for many followers of the saint to write their kalam to be sung at the dargah.
Sufi Faqir Sahib Dino Bukhari, whose shrine is located at Vasti Inayat Ali Shah in Ghotki district, was a deputy of Syed Qalandar Ali Shah Bukhari, who was himself a deputy of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad. According to Faqir Karim Bakhsh Kalhoro (2010), who compiled Faqir Shaiq Sain Jo Risalo, Sufi Faqir Shaiq Umrani was a disciple of Syed Anwar Ali Shah Bukhari whose shrine is located in Jahanpur in Ghotki district, and the shrine of Sufi Faqir Shaiq Umrani is located in Muhammad Ali Khan Umrani village 5 km north of Jacobabad town. His spiritual master Syed Anwar Ali Shah was a deputy of Syed Sahib Dino who obtained direct initiation from Syed Qalandar Ali Shah Bukhari Kachhi Dhani, a deputy of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad Pat Dhani. In Diwan-e-Sattar, Faqir Karim Bakhsh Kalhoro (2001) writes that Syed Sattar Dino Qadiri Sarwai (d. 1998) composed poetry in Sindhi, Saraiki, Hindi, Urdu, and even Persian whose Sufi poetry is sung at the shrines of Qadiri Sarwari Sufi saints in Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Ghotki, and Kachhi district.
According to Faqir Mian Ali Raza, apart from the Sufi poetry of Sultan Bahu and disciples of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad, the Sufi poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai (d. 1752), Sachal Sarmast (d. 1827), Rakhial Shah (d. 1940), and Cheezal Shah (d. 1984) are also sung at the dargah.
Qadiri Sarwari Sufi poets which were connected to the dargah of Faqir Moulana Mian Taj Muhammad spread the message of love, humanity, harmony, tolerance and peace through their Sufi poetry, which is also popularised by Sufi singers at the Qadiri Sawari shrines in Sindh and Jhal Magsi and Kachhi districts of Balochistan.
