Posted on: 20 July 2012

PORTRAIT OF A SAYYED (DESCENDANT OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD)
Gouache and gold on paper
Bijapur, Deccan
c. 1650

An inscription on the back of the painting dated 1691 records it as having been in the Treasury at Adoni in the Deccan, near Kurnool, perhaps reflecting the dispersal of its contents when the fort was captured by the Mughals in 1686. The Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur was then absorbed into the Mughal empire.

This is a portrait of a Sayyed, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. It was painted at Bijapur in about 1650. Bijapur was the capital of one of the Muslim Sultanates of the Deccan, in southern India, until its fort was captured and it was absorbed into the Mughal empire in 1686. An inscription on the back of the painting, dated 1691, records it as having been in the Treasury at Adoni in the Deccan, near Kurnool.

Copyright: © V&A Images


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My mothers ancesters were Syeds from Bijapur.

That is good. But Sayyed is an Arabic word, that the Arab world use for "Sir", Janab", "Mahodeh","Respected" and so on. Even when Nehru visited Saudi Arabia as PM of india, the Newspapers of the Arab world carried the news with these words as "sayyed Jawaharlal Nehru". Ironically, this word is only used in the Subcontinent among the Muslims with this misguiding meaning.

no mr sami qureshi, Syeds are the descendents of HAZRATH MUHAMMED MUSTAFA SALLALAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM

@sami- what u r saying is partly true, i.e, syed is a term that is primarily a form of address used nowadays in the wahabi influenced areas such as ksa, uae, etc , the same way the word 'sir' and 'mister' r used in english and the word 'sahib' is used in urdu... However, u r wrong in ur assumption that the prefix or title 'syed' is used only in the subcontinent among muslims to denote or identify descendants of the prophet mohammad.... Firstly, 'sayid' is the proper arabic word written in the qur'an, where in one instance it has been used as an adjective for maryam, mother of eesa/christ... The arabic root word has meanings such as noble and its synonyms, contrary to contemporary usage and meaning of the word used in arab world... The same word 'sayid' was one of the prophet muhamad's many names, as well as attributed to his daughter fatima.... As far as the term's usage goes, descendants of the prophet muhammad thru his daughter fatima r recognised by the title 'sayid' with various spellings in iran, iraq, indian subcontinent etc, and by the title 'sharif' in the arab maghreb countries such as morocco, libya, tunisia, etc and also in ksa... The syed or 'sayid' lineages r established and settled all over the world, and all muslim religious scholars, as well as sufis recognise their existance... Plz google the term for more info... P.s. Most of the auliya, i.e. Muslim saints, were sayids who were spread and settled all over the world... Ghaus e azam sayid abdul qadir gilani mohiudin of baghdad was a direct descendant of the prophet muhamad and revered by all muslims the world over!

Well written. Interesting. But somewhere I differ when dare to enter the medieval ages, the period, our great scholars set the new trend of Islam by inerpreting various dogmas of religion in different ways according to their "time and space" , education, meditations and socio-political pressures. Fortunately or unfortunately, we are the followers of those schools of thoughts. One thing is significant. As you know, Balkh, Bokhara, Herat and Samarqand were the seats of learning before the advent of Islam. Zorostarians and Buddhists philosophy that had penetrated into the region, could never be faded out completely. I appreciate your scholarship. Thanks.