Sociopolitical and Cultural Influence of Two Prominent Sufis in Early Eighteenth-century Shahjahanabad: A Critical Analysis

The eighteenth century witnessed a steep decline in the Mughal Empire and a consequent diminishing of power of groups oriented towards the Mughal court. This political decline was also felt by the Muslim religious elites. Here, we shall confine our study only to two important personalities who enjoyed respect and love from all sections of the community. How they saw, perceived and reacted to the situation is a concern of the present study. These two fascinating figures from a pivotal time in history were Shah Waliullah and Mirza Mazhar. The former is known for his staunch, orthodox world-view, while the latter’s outlook is discerned as liberal, accommodating multiple streams of socio-religious values. While Waliullah’s politics garnered enough attention, he being more of a hardline rabble-rouser, the more peaceful overtures by Mirza Mazhar have been somewhat less studied, bringing an imbalance in our understanding of the period. An attempt has also been made to provide a glimpse of the times and to situate the two Sufis in their cultural and political milieu and to re-evaluate, if possible, the debate and ideology of both and their possible success in terms of achieving their desired outcomes.