HAMADANI, AL-

born Oct. 22, 1314, Hamadan, Iran died Jan. 18, 1385, near Kunar, Kashmir, India in full 'ali Ibn Shihab Ad-din Ibn Muhammad Al-hamadani mystic Persian theologian responsible for the propagation of the Kubrawiyah order of Sufis (Islamic mystics) in Kashmir. A scion of a famous Persian family of Sayyids (descendants of the Prophet Muhammad), he became a dervish (itinerant holy man) and traveled extensively throughout the Middle East. He visited Kashmir in 1372, 1378, and 1385. Through his efforts and those of his followers, the Kubrawiyah order of mystics became popular in Kashmir. Al-Hamadani's best-known work is his Dhakhirat al-muluk (Treatise on the State)a study of political ethics. His burial place, Kulab, is still a pilgrimage site.