hoke Qazian, located near the historic Takhat Parri village in Rawalpindi tehsil, is renowned for its Qazi family, who significantly influenced social and religious life not only in Dhoke Qazian but also in the surrounding villages. Their ancestors were learned men who served as judges and played a vital role during the Gakhar reign in Pothohar. Many of these prominent men are buried in Takhat Parri and other villages across the Rawalpindi and Jhelum districts.

After the Sikh takeover of Takhat Parri village, members of the Qazi family dispersed to various villages in Rawalpindi. I will discuss the Qazi family of Takhat Parri and the Arazi villages in detail in a separate article. This piece focuses solely on the Qazi mystics of Dhoke Qazian.

I have visited Dhoke Qazian several times to study its cultural landscape and surrounding areas. The village is home to three prominent shrines: those of Syed Sultan Ali Shah Gilani, Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin and Qazi Muhammad Hasan Qadiri. I will discuss the shrine of Syed Sultan Ali Shah, the son of Syed Shah Mohiuddin Ahmed Gilani, in a separate article dedicated to the historic Takhat Parri village.

Qazi Ghiasuddin, grandson of Qazi Hidayatullah (d. 1772), migrated along with his sister and two sons, Qazi Muhammad Hasan and Qazi Muhammad Mohsin, first to Bishandot and later to Chamkani Sharif, Peshawar. Eventually, Qazi Muhammad Mohsin and Qazi Muhammad Hasan returned to Bishandot in Kallar Syedan. It is said that Qazi Muhammad Hasan settled in Sanghoi Sharif in Jhelum, while Qazi Muhammad Mohsin, after staying for some time and getting married in Bishandot, moved – at the request of the local people – to Arazi Khas village, where he established a mosque and began teaching. He was a deputy of Khwaja Masoom Ahmed, also known as Hazrat Jio Sahib Peshawari (d. 1817).

Qazi Muhammad Mohsin had nine sons. His eldest son, Qazi Ahmed Qadiri, moved to Dhoke Qazian, where he established a mosque, a madrasah and a khanqah, and began teaching. The village, previously known as Dhoke Jandi, came to be called Dhoke Qazi Sahib. It is now locally known as Dhoke Qazian.

According to Sahibzada Maqsood Ahmed Sabiri, the author of Tazkira Auliya-i-Pothohar (2005:89), Qazi Ahmed Qadiri was initiated into the Qadiriyya silsila by Akhund Abdul Ghafur (d. 1878), also known as Akhund Sahib or Saidu Baba. The shrine of Akhund Sahib is located in Saidu Sharif town in Swat.

Qazi Ahmed Qadiri was recognised as one of the most influential Sufi practitioners and scholars in Dhoke Qazian and its surrounding villages. He was known for his significant contributions to religious teachings and social welfare within the community. His teachings transformed Dhoke Qazian into a prominent centre of learning. Numerous individuals benefited from his extensive knowledge and subsequently became his followers.

Qazi Ahmed Qadiri had a son, Qazi Faiz Bakhsh, who, unfortunately, passed away at a young age, leaving a significant void in the family’s legacy. Recognising the importance of preserving religious teachings in Dhoke Qazian, Qazi Ahmed Qadiri called upon his nephew, Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin, who lived in Arazi Khas village. Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin shared a deep connection with his uncle, having made a bayat (a spiritual pledge of allegiance) with him. This bond affirmed his suitability to carry on the work that Qazi Ahmed Qadiri had begun.

According to Auliya-i-Dhoke Qazian wa Tuhfa Qadiriyya, compiled by Iftikhar Ahmed Hafiz Qadiri (2003), Qazi Ahmed Qadiri married his daughter, Faiz Bi, to Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin. The latter was the son of Qazi Muhammad Ahsan, who is buried in a graveyard in Arazi village.

After a life devoted to spiritual service, Qazi Ahmed Qadiri passed away in 1870 and was laid to rest on the premises of the mosque. His nephew and deputy, Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin, carried on his legacy. Under his leadership, the village developed into a centre for spiritual learning. Like his mentor, Qazi Mohiuddin made significant contributions to both religious teachings and the welfare of the community. He had a well excavated to benefit the villagers. During his tenure, the mosque, the madrasah and the khanqah thrived and expanded.

The ancestors of the Qazi family of Dhoke Qazian were learned men who served as judges and played a vital role during the Gakhar reign in Pothohar.

While researching the Qazi families of Dhoke Qazian, Pind Jhatla and Arazi villages, I interviewed many individuals, including Qazi Abdur Rehman Farooqi, a descendant of Qazi Muhammad Mohsin (d. 1846). According to him, Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin was invited to the foundation-laying ceremony of the renowned Jamia Masjid in Rawalpindi. The foundation stone of the mosque was laid jointly by Pir Mehar Ali Shah Golarvi (d. 1937), Khwaja Muhammad Qasim Mohravi (d. 1942) and Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin Qadiri.

Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin lived a long life and passed away in 1948. He was buried to the south of the Jamia Masjid in Dhoke Qazian. He left behind a son, Qazi Ahmed Ji, who was a deputy of Khwaja Pir Syed Ghulam Hyder Ali Shah Jalalpuri (d. 1908). Khwaja Pir Syed Ghulam Haider Ali Shah was a deputy of Khwaja Shamsuddin, also known as Pir Sial (d. 1883), who was a deputy of Khwaja Shah Muhammad Suleiman Taunsvi, known as Pir Pathan (d. 1850).

Qazi Ahmed Ji became an eminent Chishti Nizami adept from the Qazi family of Dhoke Qazian. He frequently visited his spiritual mentor, Khwaja Pir Syed Haider Ali Shah, in Jalalpur. It is said that he often travelled alongside Syed Ghulam Ali Shah Hamdani (d. 1922), another deputy of Pir Syed Haider Ali Shah. On one occasion, Qazi Ahmed Ji went alone to visit his mentor. Upon seeing him without his companion, Khwaja Pir Syed Haider Ali Shah inquired about Syed Ghulam Ali Shah. It is said that Qazi Ahmed Ji immediately went to Maira Khurd, the village of Syed Ghulam Ali Shah, to bring him along for the visit. This anecdote illustrates the deep connection between deputies of the same spiritual master, or pir bhais, who worked closely together to spread their mentor’s teachings.

I have also visited the shrine of Syed Ghulam Ali Shah Hamdani, located in Maira Khurd on the Rawalpindi-Chakri Road. The village is also home to a historic mosque adjacent to the shrine that is believed to have been constructed by Syed Ghulam Ali Shah Hamdani.

Qazi Ahmed Ji Chishti Nizami played a significant role in publishing religious texts. He was instrumental in arranging funds for the publication of three comprehensive volumes of his spiritual mentor’s malfuzat (collections of discourses and teachings). These volumes reflect his mentor’s profound insights and serve as important texts in the study of spirituality. In addition, Qazi Ahmed Ji Chishti Nizami published several other literary works by various scholars. A passionate reader and book lover, he followed in the footsteps of his predecessors by expanding the collection of the Dhoke Qazian library.

Named after Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin, the library is one of the largest private libraries in Rawalpindi tehsil and houses a diverse collection of books on various subjects. Among its treasures are some valuable and rare manuscripts. Qazi Muhammad Raees Ahmed contributed a significant number of rare books and manuscripts to this esteemed collection.

Qazi Ahmed Ji Chishti Nizami had four sons: Qazi Muhammad Sharif, Qazi Muhammad Rafiq, Qazi Muhammad Hasan and Qazi Muhammad Suleiman.He also had five daughters. He passed away in 1959 and was buried next to his father. A tomb has been built over the graves of Qazi Ghulam Mohiuddin and his son, Qazi Ahmed Ji Chishti Nizami, located south of the Jamia Masjid.

Another notable tomb in Dhoke Qazian belongs to Qazi Muhammad Hasan Qadiri, the son of Qazi Ahmed Ji Chishti Nizami. Known for his piety, he passed away in 1983. A beautifully constructed tomb now marks his resting place. In addition to his grave, the tomb also houses the resting place of Qazi Muhammad Raees Ahmed Qadiri, a deputy of Sahibzada Hafiz Muhammad Faiz Sultan, the sajjada nashin of the darbar of Sultan Bahu. The tomb contains several other graves, including that of Qazi Abid Hussain Qadiri (d. 2015), as well as those of his mother, sister and other female members of the Qazi family.

Beyond the shrines and the library, I also visited the havelis of the Qazi mystics in Dhoke Qazian. Qazi Imran guided me through these historic residences, renowned for their stunning architecture and intricate artistic details. A distinctive feature of the havelis of the Qazi mystics is their elaborately carved wooden doors, a common sight in the old havelis of the Rawalpindi district. Both local elites and mystics placed special emphasis on wood carvings when constructing their homes. These ornate doors not only reflect the aesthetic sensibilities of their builders but also showcase the exceptional craftsmanship of local woodworkers.

The writer is an anthropologist at the Pakistan Ins titute of Development Economics, Islamabad. He has authored 17 books on Pakistan’s cultural heritage and anthropology. He tweets @kalhorozulfiqar. He may be contacted at zulfi04@hotmail.com