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Āẕar Kayvān (born 1529-1533, died 1609-1618) was a Zoroastrian high priest native to the Fars province who emigrated to India and was the founder of the Zoroastrian Ešrāqī School. [1] [2] It was the first time, since the fall of the Sassanid Empire, that a new school of Zoroastrian thought had emerged.[1]
Biography
editChildhood
editAs a young boy, Kayvan showed signs of his calling to the contemplative life. Through dreams and visions, he received the teachings of ancient sages, which allowed him to give excellent responses and replies to the questions that he was asked at the madrasa, where he was a student. He had earned the nickname Ḏu’l-ʿolūm (master of the sciences) at the madrasa for his excellent responses. [2]
Adulthood
editKayvan started spreading his message in Iran, but was unsuccesful with the Safavid establishment. Nonetheless, he gathered many disciples. This initated suspicion among the Safavid officials who assumed a new relgious movement was spreading within the Safavid Empire. To escape oppression from the Safavids, Kayvan and his disciples emigrated to India, where a large number of Zoroastrians named Parsis lived. [1]
The Ešrāqī school produced a Zoroastrian Esraqi literature, which is dominated by the Esraqi doctrine and Zoroastrian terminology. It was the Zoroastrian reply to the project of Šayḵ al-Ešrāq Šehāb-al-dīn Yaḥyā Sohravardī which was a revival of the philospy of light taught by sages in pre-Islamic Persia. [2]
He spent 30-40 years of his life at Estakhr in contemplation. Here, he also assembled most of his disciples, and left with them for Patna in 1570s due to the religious revival which was occurring in India during the reign of Akbar. He continued to live in Patna for the rest of his life, until he died at the age of 85. [2]
Esraqi School
editKayvan was the founder of the Esraqi School or Zoroastrian Illuminative School.
References
edit- ^ a b c Khanbaghi 2006, p. 153.
- ^ a b c d Corbin 1989.
Bibliography
edit- Khanbaghi, Aptin (2006), The fire, the star and the cross: minority religions in medieval and early modern Iran, I.B.Tauris
{{citation}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Corbin, Henry (1989), "Āzar Kayvān", Encyclopedia Iranica, vol III, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, pp. 183–187
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