The Ismaili-Sufi Sage of Pamir: Mubarak-i Wakhani and the Esoteri ...

Although both histories lack comprehensive information concerning the history of religion, they do mention some important moments in the religious development of Pamir, especially in relation to establishing the genealogical lines or dynastic trees of the local rulers and religious clans of Shughnān. This issue will be further discussed in chapter 1, but, for now, it will suffice to say that these two works are the only representatives of the local historiography prior to the Soviet reign in Pamir and, therefore, one cannot underestimate their historical importance.

The primary sources for this study are Mubārak’s manuscripts, which were collected, read and analysed by the author during several research trips to the region. Most of the original manuscripts are kept in Mubārak-i Wakhānī’s museum in Yamg, but some of these are kept in a private collection belonging to the poet’s relatives. The total number of the manuscripts is twelve, which contain more than one book (risāla), yet one cannot root out the possibility of discovering other manuscripts in the region, especially in the Afghan province of Badakhshan. The existing manuscripts, which have leather bindings, are preserved in a very good condition. It is believed that the paper was produced by Mubārak himself, using a special mechanical tool. Some of his relatives claim that, during the 1960s, the machine was taken away by scholars from St. Petersburg. The handwriting is beautifully presented, mostly in nastalīq script, and contains elements of Islamic art, such as geometric figures and vegetal ornamentation. The main scribe (kātib) is Mubārak himself, but some of the books were drafted by one of his students, Mirzā Ābid, from the Tughgāz village of Wakhān.

It is necessary to mention that the manuscripts are not marked with categorical numbers and that there is no official library catalogue, either in the museum or in the private collections. Here, therefore, a numerical catalogue is created for each of the twelve manuscripts, which is shown as ‘MSS’ followed by numbers (one to twelve respectively), in a strict order relating to their year of composition, some of which are clearly indicated by Mubārak in the last pages of the manuscripts. There are also some manuscripts whose date of composition is not yet clear, but it may be assumed that they were composed sometime between 1310/1893 and 1320/1902.