Amina Shah
Encyclopedia
Amina Shah is a prominent anthologiser of Sufi
stories and folk tales, and was for many years the Chairperson of the College of Storytellers. She is the sister of the Sufi writers Idries Shah
and Omar Ali-Shah
, and the daughter of Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah
and Saira Elizabeth Luiza Shah. Her nephew is the travel writer and documentary filmmaker Tahir Shah
; her nieces, the writer and documentary filmmaker Saira Shah
and Safia Shah
.
) who had their ancestral home at Paghman
, not far from Kabul
. Her paternal grandfather, Sayyid Amjad Ali Shah, was the nawab
of Sardhana
, in the North-Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
. The principality was awarded to his ancestor Jan-Fishan Khan during the British Raj
, and had been ruled formerly by the Kashmiri-born warrior-princess, the Begum Samru.
Her career as a folklorist and author has spanned seventy years. In that time she has travelled widely, collecting stories and studying folklore. Her travels have taken her through Africa
and the Middle East
, through the jungles of Sarawak
, across the Australian Outback
, Afghanistan
, and beyond.
Doris Lessing
, who became a student of Idries Shah's Sufism in the 1960s, championed the Shah family's efforts to disseminate such teaching stories
in the West, and penned an introduction for Amina Shah's The Tale of the Four Dervishes.
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
stories and folk tales, and was for many years the Chairperson of the College of Storytellers. She is the sister of the Sufi writers Idries Shah
Idries Shah
Idries Shah , also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi , was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.Born in India, the descendant of a...
and Omar Ali-Shah
Omar Ali-Shah
Omar Ali-Shah was a prominent exponent of modern Naqshbandi Sufism who lived from 1922 to 2005. He wrote a number of books on the subject, and was head of a large number of sufi groups, particularly in Latin America, Europe and Canada.- Life and work :...
, and the daughter of Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah
Sirdar ikbal ali shah
Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah was an Indian-Afghan author and diplomat descended from the Sadaat of Paghman. Educated in India, he came to Britain as a young man to continue his education in Edinburgh, where he married a young Scotswoman....
and Saira Elizabeth Luiza Shah. Her nephew is the travel writer and documentary filmmaker Tahir Shah
Tahir Shah
Tahir Shah , né Sayyid Tahir al-Hashimi is an Anglo-Afghan Indian author, journalist and documentary maker. He lives in Casablanca, Morocco.-Family origins and life:...
; her nieces, the writer and documentary filmmaker Saira Shah
Saira Shah
Saira Shah is an author, reporter and documentary filmmaker. She produces, writes and narrates current affairs films.- Life and work :...
and Safia Shah
Safia Shah
Safia Shah , now Safia Thomas is a British writer, editor and television news producer, following in the footsteps of her distinguished Anglo-Afghan Indian family....
.
Family origins and life
Shah was born into a distinguished family of Saadat (= Arabic plural of SayyidSayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
) who had their ancestral home at Paghman
Paghman
Paghman is a town in the hills near Kabul, Afghanistan. See also Paghman Gardens. It is center of the Paghman District which has a total population of 120,000 people, and another 20,000 returnees are expected , of which 70% are Pashtuns and 30% Tajiks.. Paghman District is situated in the western...
, not far from Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. Her paternal grandfather, Sayyid Amjad Ali Shah, was the nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
of Sardhana
Sardhana
Sardhana is a town and a municipal board in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located northeast of New Delhi, and 13 mi from Meerut...
, in the North-Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. The principality was awarded to his ancestor Jan-Fishan Khan during the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, and had been ruled formerly by the Kashmiri-born warrior-princess, the Begum Samru.
Her career as a folklorist and author has spanned seventy years. In that time she has travelled widely, collecting stories and studying folklore. Her travels have taken her through Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, through the jungles of Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, across the Australian Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and beyond.
Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing
Doris May Lessing CH is a British writer. Her novels include The Grass is Singing, The Golden Notebook, and five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos....
, who became a student of Idries Shah's Sufism in the 1960s, championed the Shah family's efforts to disseminate such teaching stories
Teaching stories
Teaching stories is a term used by the writer Idries Shah to describe narratives that have been deliberately created as vehicles for the transmission of wisdom...
in the West, and penned an introduction for Amina Shah's The Tale of the Four Dervishes.
Books
- Tiger of the Frontier (1938)
- Folktales from Central Asia (1970)
- The Tale of the Four Dervishes (1979)
- The Assemblies of Al-Hariri (1980)
- Tales of Afghanistan (1982)
- Arabian Fairy Tales (1989)
- Tales From the Bazaars (2002)
- Tales From Arabian Bazaars (2009)
External links
- New official 'Shah family' web pages
- http://www.octagonpress.com/authors/aminashah.htm