Written by: Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro
Posted on: March 18, 2025 | 
| 中文
The graves of Agha Syed Shah Zaman Badshah and his wife. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Bhadana is a historic village in Gujar Khan, home to three popular shrines. Like many other villages in Pothohar, Bhagana village, adjacent to Bhadana, also features the shrine of Nau Gazi Pir. These types of graves are referred to as Nau Gaza or Nau Gazi, which means "nine yards long." The local community often calls them "Nau Gaza or Nau Gazi Pirs." The earliest reference to the Nau Gaza grave in Bhadana village was made by Hafiz Shamsuddin Gulyanvi (d. 1902). He mentioned these graves in his book on Nau Gaza graves. Based on his research, he identified the Nau Gaza grave of Bhadana as that of Martosh. However, this information appears questionable and not authentic.
Today, when visiting the Nau Gazi shrine of Bhagana, one can see the name Baba Nau Gazi Sarkar prominently displayed on the façade of the main entrance to the tomb. On the headstone of the grave, his name is inscribed as Baba Shah Alam Ghazi (Nau Gazi Sarkar). It is noteworthy that almost every Nau Gaza Pir is referred to as either Ghazi or Shaheed (the martyr). In the Pothohar plateau, it is common to call any unidentified grave either Masoom Badshah or Shaheed Badshah. These titles reflect the reverence attributed to these dignitaries by the people, who often regard them as saints. Furthermore, new spiritual lineages are sometimes fabricated to enhance the perceived authenticity of these figures among their followers.
Grave of Nau Gazi Sarkar in Bhagana village. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Regarding the Nau Gazi or Nau Gaza graves (nine yards long), one might wonder if anyone could truly have been that extraordinarily tall. The answer is no. There are several interpretations for the creation of such long graves. One reason is that they were designed to reflect the status and power of the dignitaries buried within them during their lifetimes. Additionally, these graves may have been used for mass collective burials. There may be other interpretations concerning the notion of nine-yard-tall saints as well.
Apart from the shrine of Nau Ghazi Sarkar in Bhagana, there are two other well-known shrines in Bhadana. The earliest of these is dedicated to Mian Muhammad Azeem Qadiri Naushahi, who was a deputy of Mir Kalan Badshah, whose shrine is located in Gujar Khan’s Rokhia Sharif village. Mian Muhammad Azeem Naushahi devoted his life to preaching the Qadiriyya-Naushahiyya silsila. He passed away, leaving behind disciples and deputies to continue spreading his teachings. One of his prominent deputies was Syed Ghulam Shah, whose shrine is situated in Gujar Khan’s Mankrai village. I have visited the shrine of Syed Ghulam Shah three times: first in 2019, and then again in 2022 and 2023. The graves of Syed Ghulam Shah and his family are located in an enclosure where there are nine graves in total. The principal grave belongs to Syed Ghulam Shah, the son of Pir Syed Muhammad Ali Shah. Adjacent to his grave is the cenotaph of his wife, Hazrat Bi (d. 1904).
The shrine of Mian Muhammad Azeem Naushahi in Bhadana. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
To the east of Hazrat Bi's grave lies the grave of Syed Qasim Ali Shah, who was Syed Ghulam Shah's son. To the south of Hazrat Bi's grave is the grave of Syed Ameer Shah (d. 1907), also a son of Syed Ghulam Shah. East of Syed Ameer Shah's grave is the grave of his son, Syed Shah Hussain (d. 1911). To the west of Syed Ameer Shah's grave is situated the grave of Pir Syed Hyder Shah (d. 1910). To the south of Pir Syed Hyder Shah's grave, there are three additional graves belonging to Syed Afzal Hussain Shah (d. 1984), the son of Syed Bagh Hussain Shah; Pir Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah (d. 1980), the son of Pir Syed Hyder Shah; and Syed Shaukat Hussain Shah (d. 1975), the son of Syed Muhammad Ashraf Shah. Adjacent to the enclosure of Syed Ghulam Shah is the tomb of Baba Himat Khan, an ancestor and the patron saint of the Kalyal Bhattis of Mankrai village.
The followers of Mian Muhammad Azeem frequently visit his shrine in Bhadana village. In 1998, an impressive tomb was constructed over his grave. The grave of Muhammad Ji is also situated within the tomb of Mian Muhammad Azeem. Adjacent to the tomb is a mosque. Apart from the shrine of Mian Muhammad Azeem Naushahi, Bhadana is also known for the shrine of Agha Syed Shah Zaman Badshah. I interviewed Agha Shahid Jan, son of Agha Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah and great grandson of Agha Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, about the history of Agha Syed Shah Zaman Badshah. Agha Syed Shah Zaman Badshah was a Bukhari Syed, and his ancestors migrated from Baramulla in Occupied Kashmir to Peshawar. One of the ancestors of Syed Muhammad Abdul Fateh Bukhari permanently settled in Peshawar. The son of Syed Abdul Fateh Bukhari, Mir Shahmir Bala Pir, was renowned for his piety. He married the daughter of Shah Muhammad Ghaus, who was the son of Syed Hasan Gilani. Muhammad Amir Shah Gilani (1991) writes in Tazkira Mashaikh Qadiriyya Hassniyya that Shah Muhammad Ghaus Lahori, whose shrine is located on Circular Road beyond Delhi Gate in Lahore, was Syed Hasan Peshawari's son and the grandson of Syed Abdullah Shah, whose shrine is located in Sindh’s Makli. Shah Muhammad Ghaus died on 17th Rabi-Al-awwal, 1152/ 11 June, 1740.
The grave of Mian Muhammad Azeem Naushahi in Bhadana. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Mir Shahmir Bala Pir Bukhari had a son named Mir Syed Muhammad Qabul Bukhari from the daughter of Syed Muhammad Ghaus Lahori. Mir Syed Muhammad Qabul had two sons, Mir Syed Muhammad alias Gul Badshah and Mir Syed Ahmed alias Phul Badshah. Moreover, Mir Syed Ahmed alias Phul Badshah had two sons, Mir Mehmood Bukhari and Agha Syed Zaman Shah Bukhari. They had followers in Punjab. Agha Syed Zaman Shah Badshah travelled to Punjab and first settled in Jhelum’s small village. He had followers in Bhadana village. Later, on their insistence, he settled permanently in Bhadana village. Mir Syed Muhammad alias Gul Badshah, the uncle of Agha Syed Zaman Badshah, had seven sons. Two of his sons, Agha Chan Badshah and Agha Munwar Badshah, also migrated to Punjab. Agha Chan Badshah settled in Rubal in Chakwal, and Agha Munwar Badshah settled in Dudiyan village in Pind Dadan Khan tehsil.
Agha Syed Zaman Shah Badshah did not have any male offspring, so he adopted Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan as his son. Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan was the son of Agha Syed Mazhar Ali Shah and the grandson of Agha Syed Munwar Shah Badshah. Agha Syed Zaman Shah Badshah passed away in 1911. It is said that during his lifetime, Agha Syed Zaman Shah made Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan his heir. Following his death, Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan became the custodian of his shrine.
The tomb of Agha Syed Zaman Shah Badshah is notable for its unique architecture in Bhadana village. It features an octagonal design, which is quite rare in the Gujar Khan tehsil, where square tombs are more commonly found. On the facade of the tomb, the name and date of death of Agha Syed Zaman Shah Badshah are inscribed. On the outer wall is a fixed foundation plaque of the tomb. The foundation of the tomb was laid on June 8, 2001 by Agha Syed Javed Ahmad, the son of Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan. The tomb was completed on June 13, 2008. The construction was supervised by Chaudhry Fazal Hussain, the son of Chaudhry Muhammad Farman. The interior of the tomb features intricate glasswork.
The grave of Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Inside the tomb of Agha Syed Zaman Shah Badshah, there are two graves belonging to him and his wife, Syeda Sultanat Begum (d. 1913). Outside the tomb, one can see the graves of Agha Syed Zaman Shah Badshah’s family and disciples.
The principal grave within the tomb complex belongs to Agha Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, the son of Syed Munwar Badshah. Agha Syed Mazhar Ali Shah had three sons: Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan, Agha Syed Baqir Ali Jan, and Agha Imdad Hussain Jan.
Another notable grave in the tomb complex is that of Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan (d. 1960), who had five sons: Syed Shabir Jan, Syed Tariq Masood, Syed Ali Akhtar Jafri, Syed Iftkhar Ahmed, and Syed Javed Ahmed. Other graves in the tomb complex include: Agha Syed Baqir Ali Shah (d. 1964), son of Agha Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, Agha Syed Saghir Hussain (d. 2018), son of Agha Syed Baqir Ali Shah, Agha Syed Ali Akhtar Jafri, son of Agha Syed Ali Asghar Jan, Syed Naveed Ahmed (d. 2022), son of Syed Hussain Alam, Agha Syed Imtiaz Hussain (d. 2003), son of Agha Syed Imdad Hussain, Agha Syed Altaf Hussain (d. 2017), son of Agha Syed Baqir Ali Shah, Syeda Saadat Jan (d. 1988) wife of Agha Syed Baqir Ali Shah, Agha Syed Javed (d. 2020), son of Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan, Agha Syed Shabir Jan (d. 2008), son of Agha Syed Asghar Ali Jan and others.
Tomb of Nau Gazi Sarkar in Bhagana village. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The tomb complex of Agha Syed Zaman Shah Badshah contains the graves of both male and female members of the Agha family. Furthermore, the tomb complex includes the graves of followers of Agha Syed Zaman Shah Badshah, with Chaudhry Niaz Ali Nambardar being one of the prominent dignitaries interred there.
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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