Saiyid Sarawan or Syed Sarawan

Board at Railway Station

A fine like 

Bamna

The mansion of Ali Kabeer Sb

Ali Kabeer Sb's

Mazar of Tajan Meera Baba

Community Centre ( Look at the members of community)

Khand'har bata rahe hain ki.......

Another one

Sifat ullah sahib's makan

The pond 

Here stood Ali Nazeer' Sb's house

Ali Ameer Sb's mansion

Here is one more 

View over the railway line

Dar o Deewar

Gateway

Close view of the mansion

A view of Kuti

Kuti

The Gate of Dargah of Haqqani Sahib

Mazar of Saiyid Muhammad Haqqani (Rahmatullah Alaihi)

Railway line passing through the village

Suhail Bin Rasheed , my uncle !

Eid Gaah 

A view of passing train !

Across the railway line

A passing goods-train

Sun Set in Saiyid Sarawan

Fields

Another View

Mustard crop

Fields 

The Iconic well ( Lala ka Kuan)

Illegible plaque at the Cross over Bridge

Cross over bridge built by Kotwal Masih uddin

Saiyid Sarawan / Syed Sarawan

Location

Saiyid Sarawan is a large village situated between the GT Road and the Delhi Calcutta Railway line. In fact the railway line bifurcates the village into two parts. It has a railways station also with the same name. Today it falls under Mooratganj Block in Tehsil Chail ,District Kaushambi. (Formerly Allahabad)

Nearby Villages are Chilla Shahbazi(2.3 k.m.) , Rasoolabad Urf Koilaha (2.6 k.m.) , Husain Mau (3.6 k.m.) ,Ratgaha (3.6 k.m.) ,Faridpur Chak Tajpur (3.7 k.m.)

Town of Chail Khas is 6.7 kms away while Manjhanpur  25.6 kms and Nevada 28.7 kms away from Saiyid Sarawan.

The district Gazetteer of Allahabad 1911 gave space to Saiyid Sarawan , I have pasted below a truncated view form the Gazetteer:-

Origin

This is an old settlement and as per the historical books ( eg.Manba al Ansab ) a 13th century saint Sayyid Muhammad Haqqani (Rah) was the first person to have settled at this place that later on came to be known after him as Sayyid ki Sarai or Sayyid Sarayan and ultimately got the name Saiyid Sarawan. 

The tomb of Sayyid Muhammad Haqqani Suharwardi (Rahmatullahi alaihi) situated on the western outskirts of the village close to the EidGah of the village , is still very much venerated.

Saiyyid Muhammad Haqqani was a Naqvi Sayyid who belonged to a family that came to India from Sabzawar (Iran) . Syed Haqqani was going to Bengal for an expedition when he came across a Saint Saiyid Shaban Rahmatullah alaihi at Jhunsi. He was so impressed with the saint that he gave up the thought of participating in the expedition and decided to live with the saint at Jhunsi. He was initiated into the Suharwardi Path , trained for two complete years and even got married to the daughter of his mentor Saiyid Shaban ul Millat Jhunsvi. Afterwards he was directed to leave Jhunsi and look for his abode a place near Charai ( Modern Charwa). Therefore he initially settled at Charwa but soon he found himself attracted towards the greenery inside the jungle which we can today identify with the present Saiyid Sarawan. Finally he moved to this place and spent his life here.

For almost five hundred years, from 13^th to18^th Century AD , Saiyid Sarawan was predominantly a Sayyid settlement and enjoyed a large Taluqdari during the Sultanate and the Mughal Rule. Haqqani Sadat of Saiyid Sarawan were held in high esteem due to their high ancestry, learning , piety and wisdom. People visited them to learn traditional sciences and Tariqat at their feet. Names of the learned Scholars of Haqqani Sadat can be found in the old books of Tazkirahs. 

Nuzhat al Khawatir ( Arabic ) detailing Sayyid Muhammad Haqqani

Manba ul Ansaab ( 8 Century Hijri Translated) Page 360

Sayyid Firoz Muwahhid and Sayyid Ibrahim Saim-ul-Dahar of Sayid Sarawan were the most respected Spiritual figures of their time.

Saiyid Faizullah was the last famous luminary of Haqqani Sadat of Saiyid Sarawan who actually built the Jama Masjid of Saiyid Sarawan . He had three sons, namely. 

Sayyid Muhammad

Sayyid Zahoor

Sayyid Qasim

All the Sunni Haqqani Sadat in Allahabad are the descendants of these three gentlemen.

I could not find mention of the village in any medieval chronicle, however in the later Mughal Era large zamindaris were conferred upon members of the Haqqani Syeds and the village was created a Taluka. A lot of neighbouring villages came under the this Taluka and some of them still bear that old name .eg. Jalalpur Taluka Saiyid Sarawan.

Their tryst with destiny continued for centuries , After the weakening of the Mughal rule, things started to change when the Awadh Nawabi took over the Subah of Allahabad.

Between 1750-1775 , majority of the Haqqani Sadat left this place after a property dispute that forced them to leave Saiyid Sarawan and acquire a large Zamindari in the Trans-gangetic plains of Allahabad awarded by Asaf-ud-daula , Nawab of Awadh. Almost the entire village became vacant and this was the time when the residents (Usmanis) of Muhiuddinpur (Near Ratgaha) were invited and permanently settled at Saiyid Sarawan.  

The Taluka of Saiyid Sarawan was disintegrated and shares were distributed and auctioned amongst a few selected landlords. The Era of Haqqani Sadaat came to an virtual end and a new Era of Usmani Shaikhs began at Saiyid Sarawan.The Usmanis Shuyukhs have ever since been living in the village with great respect and honour.

Curse

It is a fact that there arose a dispute in shares of Zamindari rights amongst the factions of Haqqani Syeds  that led the majority of Syeds leave their ancestral village and change their denomination of faith.. They left the village and were awarded large tracts of land in trans-gangetic plains in lieu of their shares in Saiyid Sarawan. Mogarsan was made a Taluka and was awarded to the Haqqani Sadat. The then head of the Haqqani Sadat at Saiyid Sarawan had reportedly asked (cursed) them not to return or keep any relation with the village. It has been recounted by so many generations and also recorded by Muzaffar Hasan Sahib in his book.

It is a documented fact that the Naqvi Haqqani Syeds of Gangapar do no touch or partake any food at/in the precincts of the village of Saiyid Sarawan owing to that particular commination. I have confirmed this with many of the Naqvi Sadat of Kohra, Fatuha , Mogarsan and they have testified that they still uphold that commination to be true.  

As a result the majority of the descendants of Sayyid Muhammad Haqqani (RA) are found today in Trans-Gangetic villages named Kohra, Fatuha, Mogarsan ,Pyarepur, Deoria etc . They do not touch the food and water produced at/in Saiyid Sarawan as a mark of their expulsion some two centuries ago. Fooding and Lodging is still a "Strict NO NO" to the Naqvi Sadat of Gangapar.

Only one branch of Haqqani line was left in Saiyid Sarawan represented by the family of Syed Ahmad (Syed Baba) who was amongst the last of the descendants in Syed Sarawan from Sadat Haqqani RA who died without leaving any male heir.

Amongst the remaining descendants of Syed Muhammad Haqqani in Allahabad are the Shia Syeds of Village Manauri, Chail Khas and a single family in Naraur along with the majority of Naqvi Sadaat of Trans Gangetic plains in Pyarepur, Kondru, Deoria, Kahra , Fatuha, Mogarsan, Pyarepur  

Due to this commination , a somewhat incorrect story was floated that Haqqani Sahib expelled some of his sons OR asked to leave the village due to a fall out between the villagers and his sons . Neither the reason given is true nor the incident happen during the lifetime of the saint. It was a later development during the Nawabi of Awadh and the reason was the dispute in the shares of property that lead to change of Faith and acquisition of Zamindari rights in the Gangapar. Of course the ban on their fooding and lodging continues to this date. 
 

Usmani Shaikhs

The present occupants and the erstwhile Zamindars of Sayyid Sarawan are descended from one military general named Salar Bahauddin Usmani who came to Kara in an expedition in 7t Century AD from Ghazni. After the victory at Kara , he was awarded a village near Saiyid Sarawan which is still present and known as Muhiuddinpur . This Muhiuddinpur is situated between Kundapur and RatGaha today and still bears the same name.

Over the years , The Usmani Shaikhs of Muhiuddinpur got attracted  and became a great devotee of the charismatic personality of Sayyid Haqqani. A lot of them became students and associates of Haqqani Sahib and this tradition of mutual love and affection continued for centuries amongst their respective descendants. 

During the late 18th century, when the descendants of Haqqani Sahib left the place due to their change of faith , The Usmani Shaikhs moved in Saiyid Sarawan at the instance of the then head of that family of Sadat-i-Haqqani and ever since Saiyid Sarawan has always been known for the Usmanis.

When the author of Aaina e Awadh visited Syed Sarawan in late 1870s , he found the Usmanis to be quite unaware and oblivious of their origin. He writes that they could not find a Shajra as well. Although he confirms that Usmanis are of pure stock and their blood line in intact. See below

Aaina e Awadh By Shah Abul Hasan Manikpuri about Usmani Shaikhs

It was a populous and lively place where people held literary discussions . Mushairas and Bait Bazi were the rage of the day. Selected few were engaged in self-purification and their disciples ran from one place to another to serve their mentors. A lot of persons served as the officials during the British Raj. Hakeems were so numerous that People from the rural Allahabad had left going to the city in search of Hakeems. Religious scholars and spiritual healers who healed through spiritual exercises abounded. 

The zamindars of Saiyid Sarawan were a powerful lobby and held considerable weight in the local politics in Allahabad. They were the biggest supporters of Maulvi Liyaqat Ali in 1857 when they helped Maulvi Sahib with Arms and ammunitions. Unfortunately after the debacle ,all the zamindaris were confiscated and the zamindars were reduced to pitiable circumstances.

After the phase of 1857 was over, during 1859 and 1910 , the village progressed and recovered its old glory to some extent due to their inclination towards modern education and subsequent employment in armed forces and government jobs. A lot of distinguished soldiers in Indian Army and Police were from Saiyid Sarawan. The next generation between 1910 and 1950 took a further leap and converted the village into one of the few highly educated villages in northern India.

During 1940 and 1970 , a great number of young men graduated from this village which was an achievement of its kind for a moderate village that it was. There was no walk of life where the guys of Saiyid Sarawan didn't left a mark , Poetry, Sufism, Sports (Cricket, shooting, athletics), armed forces, education etc.

It is this fame of Saiyid Sarawan which has lingered on till our time for the educated and polished class it produced during the last century. People from here excelled in every walk of life and made a mark in their respective careers. It would be  very long if I list the names of all those from Saiyid Sarawan however I would have to name a few , the most famous ones.

Kundapur (Kudapur)

Saiyid Sarawan has an extended inhabitation in the form of near-by hamlet across the  railway line named Kudapur (Sometimes spelt Kundapur). Kudapur or Kundapur as it is famous in Chail is an accidental village. It is still part of Saiyid Sarawan and has not got an independent village status so far. The Old timers tell us that when the railway tracks were being laid during 1858-1859, the detritus was dumped on another side of the village that made the village a bit upward, asymmetrical and disproportionate. The families who came in the way of tracks had to look for another place and finally they shifted towards the orchards side inhabiting a new place , the people would call that settlement as KUDAPUR (Where Trash or waste is thrown) , The famous Family of Hakeems that founded the Unani Medical School at Allahabad , Hakeem Ahmad Usmani hails from this place. Hakim Hammad Usmani , Dr. Haroon, Riyazat Husain Sahib , were among the well known persons from this part of village.  

During 1870- 1920 , the following four persons from Saiyid Sarawan were known throughout the district of Allahabad.

*
Foremost is Subadar Shaikh Imdad Ali Bahadur who rose to become an A.D.C to two viceroys of India. He was awarded Order of the British India twice ( OBI ),was among the thirteen officers selected to be sent to London to attend the jubilee celebration of Queen Victoria in 1887, Similary Subadar Buniyad Ali was also a famous soldier who was instrumental in the success of Burma War II. Shaikh Faiyaz Husain too was a renowned Subadar. In the later period Fazal-ud-din and Zain-us-Sajideen were also in army.

It is intriguing as to why there is a railway station in Saiyid Sarawan in between Manauri and Manohar Ganj since there is not much of a distance to have a third station here. Legend says it is because of the importance of the village while some opine it was because of some illustrious sons of the village eg. Subadar Imdad Ali.  We are not sure about it.
**
Second is Maulvi Sher Ali Vakeel  who was a very famous Mukhtar along with his sons , Abdul Jaleel , Abdul Qadeer and Abdul Lateef. A  renowned social figure in the city of Allahabad , He purchased numerous zamindari shares in and around the village after making fortune in Vakalat. Maulvi Sher Ali and his Son Maulvi Abdul Qadeer were acoomplished Aalim e Deen before taking up law as their profession.

Third was Shaikh Ehsan Ali, who was one of the few big landlords of Saiyid Sarawan and was famous as a knowledgeable Zamindar of Pargana Chail. Unfortunately He had four daughters without a son. His property was divided amongst his grandsons ( Nawasa) and today he is not known even to the villagers.

Fourth was a Saiyid of Haqqani descent An Aalim, Abbu Miyan who was a very hospitable , generous person known to be a great helper and benefactor of poor.

Other lesser known but very important Zamindars from the Usmani Shaikhs  were Shaikh Gauhar Ali, Shaikh Ghulam Makhdoom , Hakeem Ahmad Hasan, Shaikh Qamaruddin , Shaikh Rahat Husain sahiban. Shaikh Qamaruddin had Hakeem Jameel-ud-Din who was a very proficient Hakeem of his time.

Qawi Miyan and Haider Miyan were two prominent landholders of this villagers amongst who descendents were Imam Ali, Imaduddin, Azizuddin and Khaleeluddin Sahiban Marhoomein.

Standing row (from left to right)
1. Janab Ali Zaheer Sb. (Zeera Baba),2. Janab Ali aseer Sb. (Nissan Baba) 3. Janab Ali Nazeer Sb. (Sutti Baba)

Sitting row (from left to right)
1. Janab Ali Kabeer Sb.2. Janab Ali Ameer  3. Janab Ali Sagheer Sb. (Sattan Baba)
Khalid Bin Umar - Courtesy :Zahid Ameer 

In the following I am producing few well-known names who hailed from this village :-

Amongst the Ulama'i'Kiraam were the following from Saiyid Sarawan :-

• Mauvli Abdul Rahman, 
• Mauvli Bakhshish Ali, 
• Maulvi Fateh-ud-deen , 
• Maulvi Mushin Ali
• Hakim Maulvi Jameel-ud-Deen
• Shah Abdul Bari
• Maulvi Shujaat Husain
• Hafiz Qari Saeed'ud-Din
• Maulvi Abdul Jaleel
• Hafiz Qari Ateeq Ahmad 

Few advocates from older generation were 

• Maulvi Sher Ali, 
• Abdul Ghani, 
• Abdul Rab, 
• Abdul Quddoos , 
• Abdul Rauf Mukhtar 
• Mahboob Alam 

Few names in the police Service :-

• Ali Kabeer , IPS
• Nadir Ali Usmani - Jailor
• Aftab Ahmad DSP
• Sifat Ullah
• Khaleeq Ahmad
• Riyazat Husain
• Ali Nazir Usmani

Three illustrious Army -men :

• Subadar Shaikh Imdad Ali Bahadur ( Order of the British India twice )
• Subadar Shaikh Buniyad Ali
• Subadar Faiyaz Husai

What we all know is that Saiyid Sarawan has a long list of eminent persons in the later generation some of them are listed below :-

• Colonel Wajahat Kabeer, 
• Prof Nemat Zaheer, 
•  Jafar Nazeer Usmani (Pak) , 
• Dr. Islam Ahmad Usmani (UK), 
• Mazhar-ul-Haq Alias Majja TT ( a famous TTE in railways)
• Hasan Ameer Sahib son of Ali Ameer
• Wahid Nazeer Alias Gore Sahib - A famous sprinter/athelete of his time who was winner at national levels and was also a member of 4×440 yards relay team that finished fifth with Milkha Singh at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
• Ali Sagheer Usmani - Writer of famous hindi films "Chaudhvin Ka Chand", "Parvarish, "Jahanara" , "Phool Bane Angare" ( all 1960 classics)

Col (Retd) Wajahat Kabeer Now

Colonel (Retd.)Wajahat Kabeer,VSM - popularly known as Wajji is another illustrious son of Saiyid Sarawan who joined Army as an commissioned office after completing engineering from AMU in 1966. He is now working with a real-estate giant in Mumbai. His recent photograph is attached here.


I intend to include a comprehensive list in my book In sha'Allaah when I complete my research and survey about Chail.

In 20th Century

Professor Ali Ameer was a renowned academician from this place who one held the post of secretary of Union Public Service Commission and was known to be the best English teacher of his time alongwith Prof AN Jha and Prof Raghupati Sahai Firaq. His Brother Ali Kabeer was an Police officer known for his integrity. His other brothers  Ali Zaheer , Ali Sagheer , Ali Naseer were all men of knowledge and character. ……….Ali Zaheer was a very good poet of Urdu.  I would like to quote one of his ghazals here.

koii baat abhii huii hai k guzar gaye zamaane
vohii merii Khud_farebii, vohii aapke bahaane

yeh palak se chaand hii tak haiN sunehre taar tere
tu kise sunaa rahii hai merii chash-e-tar taraane

mire waaqi'aat ab tak haiN usii taraH ke saare
k suno to ik Haqeeqat, na suno to sab fasaane

mujhe hogaa koii dhokaa, na tumheN maza milegaa
mire dil ko ab na chheRo kisii cheez ke bahaane

tu yahaaN nahiiN yeh sach hai, maiN yehiiN huuN yeh bhii sach hai
mire dil ke faisle ko merii aaNkh bhii to maane!

tiraa Husn-e-be-niyaazii hai bahot qareeb mujh se
nahiiN door AB k yeh dil tiraa dard bhii na jaane

yeh nigaah door tak thii k chaman pe barq chamkii
isii raushnii meN mujhko nazar aaye aashiyaane

terii raHmatoN ke sadqe, mirii zeHmateN haiN tujh se
mujhe dekh le jo pahle to gunaah_gaar jaane

Another talented but short lived poet was Tufail Ahmad "Shameemi" .He was a mystic poet and was very close to Hadhrat Asghar Gondvi.Two of his collections have recently been published by his brother Shakeel Usmani Sahib. Here is a Naat of Tufail Ahmad Shameemi .

Today Saiyid Sarawan is also known for an active seminary and Khanqaah related to Shah Ameer Ali Chishti Nizami ( Shah Arif Safi ) who is quite competently managed by the current Sajjada Nasheen Shah Saeedulllah Safwi Urf Abbu Miyan Sahib. In the adjoining Madrasa , you shall find some 400 odd students committed to learn Quran and Hadeeth going through Junior classes of Aalimiyat. Here lives the oldest of buzurg of the village i.e Shakeel Baba at Kuti who is a treasure trove of old time stories.

Janab Ahmad Javaid.

Saiyid Sarawan should be proud of having produced another bright and robust chiragh extending the line of their scholarly tradition in the form of Janab Ahmad Javaid Sahab ( Javaid Ameer S/o Husain Ameer s/o Ali Ameer ) a scholar who enjoys a profound command on the original sciences of Islam with interests in Islamic philosophy, history, Tasawwuf, Iqbaliyat,Urdu literature and other subjects. Born in Saiyid Sarawan ,he studied in the primary school of the village and later on migrated with his parents. Today He is associated with Iqbal Academy as Director and lives in Lahore. A man of piety , he is endowed with a vision that forces me to call him a true Sahib-i-Baseerat.With vaired subjects of interest alongwith a rare set of combinations  coupled with amazing command on langauage and expression, he is now one of the most credible scholars in Pakistan.His live shows and lectures are available on internet and highly regarded for his original , genuine and unadulterated views on different subjects.He had authored several books as well. With a stunning command on several languages , he is a one of the chosen few and a rarity and gem amongst the modern islamic thinkers, if you believe my opinion. One of his English poems is as follows


Glimpses 
A white shadow
Of a white falcon 
Moving toward nowhere 
  
A symbol 
Veils the meaning 
Indicantly 
  
An unexplored star 
Of an unexplored sky 
Shining beyond light 
  
An unsketched image 
Fills the canvas 
With unseen 

Word and meaning 
Jungle and tiger 
Not really identical 

History and time 
A real fruit and a fake tree 
A rising wave and a non-ocean 
  
A genuine flame 
Never burns 
Out of heart 

Today Saiyid Sarawan is a mere shadow of its past and I would say not even a shadow to find. After the partition of the country + abolition of Zamindari, the creamy layer of this village migrated to Pakistan and the remaining to the cities like Allahabad , Bombay and abroad  leaving the village to become a virtual sarai. You cannot imagine or visualize its grandeur from its present look. It bears a ghostly look now. 

Saiyid Sarawan has a special place for me as my paternal grand-mother came from this place. His nephew and my uncle Sohail Bin Rasheed is now busy with the construction of his new mansion here after his retirement from CISF as Asstt Commandant.

I attach some of the recent photographs of the place.

Wait for my tour to a next village......

I am compiling a book based on my research on the history of muslim settlements in Pargana Chail. If you have something relevant to my quest, do forward me a copy with your family accout, Shajra etc.....contact me at khalid.umar@in.ey.com