Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani’s shrine lies in the southern part of Makli in Thatta district. It is one of the most popular shrines in southern Makli. Not much is known about Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani. All that is known is that he arrived from Baghdad, with no other information available about his early life, education, or the spiritual master whom he served as deputy or disciple.
However, local Syeds challenged the issue of his arrival in Makli. The information about Syed Barkhurdar Shah is recorded in Tuhfat al-Tahirin by Shaikh Muhammad Azam bin Muhammad Shafi Thattvi. It records his arrival from Baghdad and the local Syeds' refusal to accept him as a member of the Syed family. I will first discuss the story and later try to interpret it. Generally, such stories offer important insights into the rivalry between two opposing groups of mystics. One group of mystics tried to prevent the other from occupying the space where his followers were already dominant. This perspective must be taken into account when reading and understanding the hidden meanings and missing links. Usually, hagiographical accounts of Sufis and saints are full of miracles, which followers generally propagate, and later writers pick up when writing on the saints and Sufis.
Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani is believed to be a descendant of the celebrated Sufi saint Shaikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA), the founder of the Qadiriyya Sufi order. According to Shaikh Muhammad Azam bin Muhammad Shafi Thattvi, the author of Tuhfat al-Tahirin (1990), Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani came from Baghdad to Sindh. On his arrival, however, some local Syeds questioned his claim to Syed descent and refused to acknowledge his lineage. This disagreement appears to have caused considerable distress to him and his followers.
The Dispute Over the Banners
The narrative further relates that the Syeds intimidated him and his attendants. One day, when Syed Barkhurdar Shah was going somewhere with his attendants, who were carrying the Qadiri spiritual silsila banners, the Syeds stopped them and snatched the banners. These banners later became central to the dispute. As the narrative further relates, a local Syed allegedly took possession of these banners and locked them inside his house.
The arrival of an outsider claiming a prestigious Jilani lineage deeply threatened the established local Syeds, sparking a bitter rivalry over religious authority
The matter was subsequently brought before Nawab Izzat Khan, then Mughal Subedar of Thatta. Nawab Izzat Khan served as Subedar of Thatta twice under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. He first became subedar in 1077 AH/1666 CE and remained in this position for three years, until 1080 AH/1669 CE. He became subedar a second time in 1084 AH/1673 CE and remained in this position for six years, until 1090 AH/1679 CE. The incident appears to have occurred during his first tenure as Subedar of Thatta.
He summoned the Syed involved in the dispute, along with five other prominent Syeds of the town, and convened a gathering to settle the issue. Even in this gathering, however, the Syeds continued to question Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani’s claim to Syed descent.
According to the hagiographical account, those present challenged Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani to prove his claim, declaring that if he were truly a Syed, the Qadiri banners that had been locked away should appear before the gathering. Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani became deeply impassioned, and the colour of his face reportedly changed. He then invoked divine assistance, whereupon the banners are said to have emerged from the locked place and appeared in the assembly. Astonished by what they witnessed, the Syeds bowed their heads and sought forgiveness from Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani.
Interpreting the Miraculous
The story is characteristic of Sufi hagiographical literature, in which miraculous events (karamat) establish a saint's spiritual authority, sacred lineage, and divine favour. In this narrative, the miraculous appearance of the Qadiri banners serves not merely as a supernatural episode but as a symbolic validation of Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani’s contested Syed identity and his connection with the Qadiri spiritual tradition.
The account of Syed Barkhurdar Shah Jilani should be read primarily as a hagiographical narrative rather than a straightforward historical record. Its central concern is not simply his journey from Baghdad to Sindh, but the establishment and public recognition of his genealogical and spiritual authority. It suggests that Syed identity was not necessarily accepted merely based on an individual's assertion of descent; rather, genealogy could be contested, negotiated, and socially validated by established local lineages.
The conflict therefore appears to represent more than a personal disagreement. It can be interpreted as an encounter between an incoming religious figure and an already established local religious elite.
The local Syeds held their own social standing and genealogical authority, and the arrival of someone claiming descent from Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani may have introduced another source of sacred prestige into their social landscape. Their rejection of Syed Barkhurdar Shah's lineage may consequently preserve a memory of competition over religious legitimacy, status, followers, or access to patronage. Nawab Izzat Khan's later involvement adds another interesting angle. His role in summoning the disputants and convening an assembly indicates that questions of religious and genealogical status could extend beyond Sufi circles and involve political or administrative authority.
Symbols of Spiritual Legitimacy
The most revealing element of the narrative is the episode of the Qadiri banners (jhandas). These should not be understood merely as physical objects. Within the logic of the story, they function as visible symbols of Syed Barkhurdar Shah's affiliation with the Qadiri Sufi order and therefore of his spiritual legitimacy. Their seizure and confinement by his opponents can symbolically be read as an attempt to challenge or suppress his religious authority.
Conversely, their miraculous emergence from the locked place and appearance before the assembly reverses that challenge. What a genealogical argument could not establish, karamat—miraculous power attributed to a saint—does. The miracle thus acts as a hagiographical mechanism for resolving a dispute over legitimacy.
The account can be interpreted at several interconnected levels: as a genealogical narrative validating Jilani descent; as a Sufi hagiography demonstrating karamat; as a memory of competition between immigrant and local religious elites; and as evidence for the symbolic importance of Qadiri banners in expressing spiritual affiliation. Most importantly, it illustrates how claims to sacred genealogy in Sindh could be reinforced not only through written pedigrees but also through oral tradition, miraculous narratives, material symbols, public recognition, and political mediation.
Shaikh Muhammad Azam's Tuhfat al-Tahirin notes that Syed Barkhurdar's son, Barri Shah, was also known for his piety. He was buried next to his father. If one visits the tomb of Syed Barkhurdar, one finds two graves in the tomb. The first, on the right, belongs to Syed Barkhurdar Shah, and the other, on the left, belongs to his son, Muhammad Shah Hasan Barri, as per the inscription on his grave. The name Haji Barkhurdar appears on his grave. Several other graves surround the tomb of Syed Barkhurdar Shah and may belong to his family members and followers. His followers from Sindh and Balochistan frequently visit his shrine.