واسطه‌های انتقال آثار و آراء میرداماد به هندوستان

The philosophical thought of MīrDāmād (d. 1040 AH) is considered as one of the milestones of the presence of Persian philosophers in India. Indian scholars interacted with the scientific personality of MīrDāmād in three general phases: the transferring phase, the spreading phase, and the establishing phase. The transferring phase commenced from the first half of the 11th Century AH, when Indian scholars became acquainted with MīrDāmād. In this paper, with a special focus on this era, we will trace back the historical origins and writings of MīrDāmād in India. We will explain how the philosophical thought of MīrDāmād during his life, and through his works like Jadhawāt, he connected with scientific and political personalities of India, and how it got there. Some of MīrDāmād’s students and family members moved to India. They taught rational and transmitted sciences, and had various political and judicial positions. These personalities were present in various geographic locations in the Indian subcontinent and had a noticeable influence at that time, spreading the works and views of MīrDāmād. The transferring era is strongly linked to the political ties the Safavid rulers had with their eastern neighbours, and the civil relations with the Mughal and Qutb Shahi Dynasties.

Introduction

According to historical documents, the intellectual heritage of Iranian philosophers reached regions such as South Asia (India), North Asia (Russia) and the Ottoman Empire during cultural exchanges and attracted the attention of scholars in these regions. The thinking of Iranian philosophers was developed by thinkers in these regions and, in conjunction with their theories, led to the presentation of new teachings and interpretations. However, in the historiography of Islamic philosophy, there is no mention of the extension and influence of the thought of Iranian philosophers in other parts of the Islamic world, except for some general references.
This deficiency has cast a shadow over the study of the influence of Islamic philosophy on Indian scientific circles more than any other area; Because the historical and geographical scope of the encounter of the scholars of this land with Islamic philosophy is very wide and the number and volume of their works in this field is unparalleled. The following article is written in order to correct this deficiency in the historiography of Islamic philosophy and, in particular, to examine the familiarity of the scientific circles of the subcontinent with the ideas of Mir Damad (died 1040 AH). The main issue in the following article is the identification of the intermediaries through which Mir Damad’s works and ideas were transmitted to India. This issue becomes important when we consider that after Jalal al-Din Davani (died 908 AH), Mir Damad is the second – and probably the only – famous Iranian philosopher whose ideas and works found their way into the scientific circles of the subcontinent during his lifetime.
1.1. Research Methodology
The history of Indian scholars’ encounter with Mir Damad’s writings and ideas has gone through three general periods: the “transition period” that covers the first half of the 11th century AH and part of Mir Damad’s lifetime; the “dissemination period” that covers the second half of the 11th century to the end of the 12th century AH; and the “consolidation period” that covers the beginning of the 13th century to the middle of the 14th century AH. In the following article, focusing on the first period, which is considered the precursor to Indian scholars’ acquaintance with Mir Damad, we have introduced the intermediaries through which Mir Damad’s works and ideas were transmitted to India, while following some historical and textual clues and collecting data using a library method. First, we have addressed the historical and geographical context of this transfer, and then we have classified and examined the aforementioned intermediaries in three separate sections.
 

Discussion

 A review of historical reports, their classification, and reference to some manuscripts show that Mir Damad’s writings and ideas reached India through three main channels:

Direct and indirect correspondence with scientific and political figures in Mughal India and the Deccan region.

Mir Damad wrote the book Juzvat va Muwaqit in response to an enigmatic letter from Indian scholars. His messenger was Mirza Barkhordar Khan Alam (d. 1029 AH), the ambassador of Jahangir Shah of Gurkani (r. 1014-1037 AH), and this letter was sent by the Gurkani family to the Safavid court as part of an official letter seeking a response or assessing the capabilities of Iranian scholars. According to Mirdamad’s report in the introduction to the Juzvat, some “famous Indian scholars” have raised the issue of “the wisdom of the non-combustion of the body of Moses (AS)” in the form of difficult phrases; however, the scholars of the time were unable to solve the problem and interpret their phrases. For this reason, Shah Abbas Safavi, through Mulla Muzaffar Munjjam Gonabadi (died 1038 AH), commissioned Mirdamad to solve this issue (Mirdamad, 1380: 5-6). After writing his detailed response between 1026 and 1027 AH, Mirdamad sent it to India. Accordingly, the book Juzvat and the Times is considered the first encounter of Indian scholars with Mirdamad’s philosophy.
Mir Damad sent a copy of his four medical compositions as a gift to the court of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah (r. 1020-1035 AH). Historical reports indicate that Mir Damad corresponded directly with the Qutb Shahi court and respected the king of this dynasty. He also wrote the treatise al-Tashififat in the name of Mir Muhammad Mumin Astarabadi (d. 1038 AH) and sent it to him as an attachment to a letter. In addition, in a letter addressed to the famous Gurkani minister and deputy, Mirza Abul-Hasan Asif Khan (d. 1051 AH), Mirdamad introduced one of his students, Muhammad Saleh Karami, and requested his respect and comfort (Mirdamad, 1381, vol. 1: 593-596). The recipients of Mirdamad’s letters were all high-ranking and influential figures in the Indian civil service.

The presence of Mirdamad’s Indian and Iranian students in South Asia and their presence in the Gurkani and Qutb Shahi territories.

According to historical reports, many students from Iran and India attended Mirdamad’s lectures. Some of them, after studying under the master, went to India and, in addition to teaching intellectual and traditional sciences, were established in various political and judicial positions - such as medicine, judgment, deputyship, and ministry. These scholars, who made a significant contribution to the dissemination of Mir Damad's works and ideas in the subcontinent, include: Muhammad Saeed Karahrudi (died 1045 AH); Muhammad bin Ali Amili, known as "Ibn Khatun" (died 1068 AH); Nizam al-Din Ahmad Gilani, known as "Hakim al-Mulk" (died 1066 AH); Muhammad Sharif Kashmiri; Mulla Muhammad Baqir al-Sabbagh; Muhammad Qasim Gilani (died 1025 AH); Jibra'il Tabrizi (died 1025 AH); Abhi Chand Lahori.

Residence of some of Mir Damad's close relatives in India.

According to the chroniclers, Mir Damad's elder brother, Imad al-Din Hasan Astarabadi, who was nicknamed "Yamani", resided in India for a long time. Before the conquest of Gujarat in 992 AH, he was in the service of Abdur Rahim Khan Khanan and resided in Delhi (Nahavandi, 1924, vol. 3: 1430-1435).
 

Conclusion

The transmission of Mir Damad’s works and ideas to India was linked to various aspects of politics: his connection with the Gurkani and Qutb Shahi courts was shaped by the Safavid government’s relations with its eastern neighbors; the recipients of his letters, relatives, and most of his students were high-ranking figures in Mughal India and the Deccan region.
Moreover, the frequency of these intermediaries across the subcontinent follows a similar pattern. All of the intermediaries were linked to the Gurkani and Qutb Shahi capitals, namely Delhi and Hyderabad. In addition to these two cities, Mir Damad’s students resided in various parts of India—such as Kashmir, Lahore, Burhanpur, Bijapur, and Daulatabad—which were important scientific and political centers of South Asia.
 

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