Written by: Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro
Posted on: April 10, 2025 | 
| 中文
Grave of Syed Muhammad Shah alias Shah Jee. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
I first visited Chaki Shah Jee village in 2022 with Tariq Mehmood Malik, a historian and author of Talagang. He accompanied me on all my visits to various villages in the Lawa and Talagang tehsils.
Chaki Shah Jee is a historical village in Chakwal’s Lawa tehsil. This village is located about 12 km northwest of Kot Gulla village. It is known for the shrine of Pir Syed Shah Muhammad, after whom it is named Chaki Shah Jee. I interviewed many people in the village. However, Molvi Muhammad Moinuddin, who is a descendant of Pir Syed Shah Muhammad alias Shah Jee, was more knowledgeable than others. He told me that Pir Syed Muhammad Shah was from the Bukhari Sadaat family, who came from Tarap village and settled in the village. His ancestor had migrated from Kashmir to Jabi Shah Dilawar village in Talagang. Pir Syed Muhammad Shah was a deputy of Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman alias Pir Pathan (d.1850). Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleiman had several deputies in Pothohar. In Talangang, Pindigheb, and Jand tehsils of Chakwal and Attock districts, and had three prominent deputies. They included Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi, Khwaja Ahmed Mairvi and Pir Syed Muhammad Shah of Chaki Shah Jee.
Headstone of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah's grave. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The shrine complex of Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhad is the most popular in Makhad town in Attock’s Jand tehsil. Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi was born in 1750 in Batala in Amritsar, Punjab. His father, Muhammad Shafi, was an eminent religious scholar of his time. He received primary education under the supervision of his brother Ghulam Rasool at Batala. At the age of 22 in 1772, he travelled to Makhad to study at the Madrasa (seminary) of Mohkamuddin, which was then the most famous seminary in the town. Under the supervision of Mohkamuddin, Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi studied Fiqah and Tafsir. After completing his formal education, Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi started teaching in the seminary of Mohkamuddin and became an eminent religious scholar in Makhad Sharif. Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi visited the khanqah of Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman Taunsvi (1770-1850) at Taunsa Sharif many times, who initiated him into the Chishti silsila. Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi was asked by his mentor to continue to preach in Makhad Sharif. After receiving the robe of initiation, he returned to Makhad Sharif and started preaching the thoughts and ideology of his mentor, Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman Taunsvi. There were already many disciples of Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi, but after initiation into the Chishti Silsila by Khawaja Muhammad Suleman, the number of his disciples increased manifold. Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi did not get married. He passed away in 1837, leaving behind a legacy carried out by his deputies.
Graves in enclosure of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Another eminent deputy of Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman Taunsvi was Khwaja Ahmed Mairvi. Khawaja Ahmed Mairvi was born into a respectable family of the Khokhar tribe in 1832. His father, Barkhurdar, was a disciple of Khawaja Muhammad Shah Suleman Taunsvi. Khawaja Ahmad Mairvi was a still child when his father died. Later, he was raised by his maternal uncle Ali Khan. According to Faizan-e-Mairvi by Khawaja Muhammad, Fakharuddin Mairvi (2006), the maternal uncle of Khwaja Ahmad Mairvi, was a disciple of Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman Taunsvi. He used to visit him at Taunsa Sharif frequently. Once, Khwaja Ahmad Mairvi also accompanied his maternal uncle Ali Khan to the khanqah of Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman Taunsvi. It is said that Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman accepted Khwaja Ahmad Mairvi as his Khalifa at the age of 15. After receiving the robe of initiation, Khwaja Ahmad Mairvi travelled to many shrines in Kashmir, the northern areas (Gilgit-Baltistan), Multan, Delhi and Ajmer Sharif. After visiting the shrines of Sufi saints, he travelled to Pindigheb and reached Maira. The landscape of Maira impressed Khawaja Ahmad Mairvi greatly, and he decided to settle there. From Maira Sharif, he started preaching the ideology of his mentor, Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman, and within no time, many people became his disciples, and Maira Sharif became a centre of Chishti Nizami Sufis in Pindigheb tehsil. Khwaja Ahmad Mairvi passed away in 1911 and was buried in Maira Sharif.
Apart from Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi, Khwaja Ahmad Mairvi, Pir Syed Muhammad Shah was also an eminent deputy of Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman. After receiving a robe of initiation from Khwaja Muhammad Shah Suleman, he established his khanqah at Chak Shah Jee. This village became a thriving Chishti centre in Lawa tehsil. Not much is known about his travels. Nevertheless, he devoted much of his time to preaching the Chishtiyya silsila in his village and the nearby areas. After his death, he was buried in Chaki Shah Jee village. Today, his grave lies within an enclosure containing several graves of his descendants. Apart from the graves of his descendants, there is also a grave of his friend Mian Muhammad alias Faqir Sahib, who was a deputy of Maulana Muhammad Ali Makhadi (d.1837). Mian Muhammad Chishti was known for his piety. He spent most of his time in Chaki Shah Jee. The grave of Mian Muhammad alias Faqir Sahib is adjacent to the grave of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah.
Graves of descendants of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah and Syed Nabi Shah. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The lineage of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah, displayed on marble slabs within the enclosure, provides a comprehensive understanding of his family history. He had one son, Syed Akram Shah, and a daughter who married Syed Nigh Ali Shah. Syed Nigh Ali Shah, the nephew and son-in-law of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah, was the son of Syed Nabi Shah, the brother of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah. The graves of Syed Nabi Shah and Syed Nigh Ali Shah are located within the enclosure of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah.
Syed Akram Shah was a revered figure who was blessed with two sons: Syed Ghulam Hasan Shah and Syed Miran Badshah. Both the sons of Syed Akram Shah were recognized not only for their spirituality but also for their welfare work in the village. Their piety and devotion earned respect within their community as they followed in their father's illustrious footsteps. All are buried in the enclosure of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah.
Grave of Syed Phul Badshah. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Syed Miran Badshah had three sons: Syed Chan Badshah, Syed Phul Badshah, and Syed Muhammad Shah II. Syed Miran Bakhsh is buried south of the grave of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah. The grave of Syed Phul Badshah, who passed away in 1942 and served as the Sajjada Nashin (custodian) of the Darbar of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah, is located southeast of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah's tomb. Next to Syed Phul Badshah's grave is the grave of his mother, who died in 1988.
Grave of Syed Chan Badshah. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The enclosure of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah contains several graves of dignitaries known for their piety. Notable tombs within this enclosure include Syed Chan Badshah, son of Syed Miran Badshah, Syed Muhammad Shah II, son of Syed Miran Badshah, Syed Lal Badshah, son of Syed Muhammad Shah II, Syed Muhammad Manzoor Hussain, son of Syed Phul Badshah, Syed Moinuddin Shah, son of Syed Chan Badshah, Syed Muhammad Shah III, son of Syed Chan Badshah, Syed Ghulam Mohiuddin, son of Syed Chan Badshah. These dignitaries are significant figures remembered for their contributions and spiritual legacy.
Grave of Syed Lal Badshah. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The graves of family members of Syed Nabi Shah are located within the enclosure of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah, also known as Shah Jee. Notable figures buried there include Syed Nigah Ali Shah, the son of Syed Nabi Shah; Syed Hidayatullah Shah, the son of Syed Nigah Ali Shah; as well as Ghulam Muhammad Shah and Syed Amir Hussain Shah, who were the sons of Syed Hidayatullah Shah. Syed Ameeran Badshah and Syed Altaf Hussain Shah, the sons of Syed Amir Hussain Shah, are also interred in this enclosure. Many other dignitaries are buried in this area as well.
The Chishti mystics from Chaki Shah Jee village were well-known for their spirituality in the region, continuing the legacy of Pir Syed Muhammad Shah. They were highly respected for their profound devotion and piety, which have greatly influenced the spiritual landscape of the village and beyond.
The writer is an anthropologist. He has authored 17 books on Pakistan's cultural heritage and anthropology. He tweets @kalhorozulfiqar. He may be contacted at zulfi04@hotmail.com
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