The First Migrations of the Alawites from Hejaz to Indian Subcontinent Sind, Multan, and India

The history of the influence of the Alawites and their migration to the Indian subcontinent is mixed with myths; but what is certain is that at the beginning of the first century of the Islamic era, the people of Sind, Kabul, and India, after the acquaintance with Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (AS), found great affection to him so much that some of them exaggerated about the Imam and this was the beginning of Shi'ism in the Indian subcontinent. During the Umayyad period and especially in the reign of the Abbasid in which the descendants of Ahl al-Bayt were exposed to oppression, a large number of the Alawites migrated to the Indian subcontinent due to the background of Shi'ism that people had in this area. The migrants faced with the welcome of the people in there. In this way, the Alawites were able to expand their spiritual and social influences in this area so that these migrations became more and more, and finally, the Alawites succeeded in forming the Shiite governments of Zaidiyyah and Ismailiyyah. This also led to the strengthening of the Shiite base throughout the Indian subcontinent and caused the extensive migration of the Alawites and their companions to this area, as well as the boom of their culture and customs in there. The cities of Sind, Multan and, more generally, the Indian subcontinent, are the first origins of the Alawites, and their migration from Hejaz to these cities and then to other cities such as Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Marw, Anbar, Makran, Transoxania, Samarkand, and Sistan increased. As a result, influential families in the history of Islam emerged in these areas. Hence, in the present article, only the Alawites living in Hejaz who migrated to the cities of Sind, Multan, and India are discussed.