Malik al-Ulama Syed Shah Israil | |
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Personal | |
Born | |
Died | |
Resting place | Murarband Darbar Sharif, Chunarughat |
Religion | Islam |
Nationality | Bengal Sultanate |
Lineage | Syed Nasiruddin |
Relatives | Syed Pir Badshah (descendant) |
Muslim leader | |
Period in office | 16th century |
Syed Shah Isra'il ( Bengali: সৈয়দ শাহ ইসরাইল, Persian: سید شاه اسرائیل), also known as Shah Bondegi ( Bengali: শাহ বন্দেগী, Persian: شاه بندگی; lit. King of Worship), was a 16th-century Persian language writer from Bengal. [1] He is celebrated as a renowned medieval author of the Sylhet region. [2] [3]
Syed Israil was born into the aristocratic Bengali Muslim Syed family who were the landowners of Taraf, a renowned literary centre of learning in the eastern part of the Bengal Sultanate. His father was Syed Khudawand, the son of Syed Musafir - who was the son of Syed Sirajuddin, the son of Sipahsalar Syed Nasiruddin. [4] Israil was the second son; his older brother being Syed Mikail and his younger brother being Syed Bondegi Saif.
Famed for his high proficiency in the Arabic and Persian languages, he wrote Ma'dan al-Fawa'id (معدن الفوائد, Mine of Benefits) in 941 AH (1534 AD). [5] This is the earliest book in the Sylhet region, and thus Israil is considered Sylhet's first author.[ citation needed] He was awarded the title of Malik al-Ulama (ملك العلماء, king of scholars), just like his uncle Syed Ibrahim. [6]
Israil had 12 sons; Syed Hemad, Syed Taj Jalali, Syed Ismail (Chhoto Miah), Syed Abdullah Thani (Mezu Miah), Syed Ibrahim, Syed Muhammad, Syed Abdullah Muhammad, Syed Yaqub Faqirabadi, Syed Ilyas Quddus (Qutb al-Awlia), Syed Kamal, Syed Nuh and Syed Qutb.