The Role of Iranian Judges in Propagation of Shi ism in India: Gurkanyan (Timurid) Period

From the beginning of the seventh century, because of the political, economic, and social problems induced by Mongols’ invasion to Iran, Iranians’ massive immigration to India was begun. With the rise of the Safavid government and strength-gaining of Gurakani Empire in India, a large number of Iranian people (including Shiite judges) immigrated to India who were appointed to important (judicial) positions by Gurkani kings. The question to which we are going to seek an answer is investigation of the role of Iranian judges in promotion of Twelve Imami Shi’ism in Gurkani period of India. The geographical scope of the study is the northern region of the Indian subcontinent including the cities such as Delhi, Kashmir, Lucknow and Lahore in today Pakistan in which some Shiite people are settled now. It seems that these immigrants were successful in their mission in different ways such as being occupied for key positions and applying the received authority out of them, training apprentices, and writing various works in jurisprudential, theological fields. The result of this analytic-descriptive research indicates that entrance of Shia religion to India has been carried out by some Shia scholars.