View source for Shah Makhdum Rupos (R)

<p class=NormalWeb style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom: 2.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:justify;tab-stops:.5in center 46.75pt left 60.95pt 111.0pt 2.25in">'''Shah Makhdum Rupos''' (R) 14th century Sufi saint. He preached Islam in the [[varendra]] area. ''Makhdum'' means religious leader and ''Rupos'' means a veiled one. The real name of Shah Makhdum (R) was Abdul Quddus Jalaluddin. He was the son of Azala Shah, the grandson of Hazrat Abdul Qader Zilani (R). He came from Baghdad with his elder brother Sayyed Ahmed alias Miran Shah in 685 AH (1287 AD). Miran Shah set up his ''Kh''''a''''nq''''a''''h'' at Kanchanpur of Lakshmipur district while Makhdum Shah set up his Khanqah at Shyampur near Kanchanpur. Later on he moved to Bagha (Charghat thana in Rajshahi district) with his companions Sayyed Shah Abbas, Sayyed Dilal Bukhari, Shah Sultan and Shah Karam Ali. Tradition goes that he used to cover his face with a piece of cloth in the manner of a section of the saints of the'' Chishtia'' order and hence was called ''Rupos''. His abode Bagha was soon named Makhdumnagar.

Shah Makhdum Rupos came to Rampur Bualia from Bagha in 687 AH (1289 AD). His arrival there is connected with several legends and there are many anecdotes about his ''Karamats ''(supernatural deeds). He defeated and killed the tyrannical ''t''''a''''ntrik'' Raja of the area and thus avenged the killing of [[shah turkan]] (r) and saved the people from the oppression of the Raja. Shah Makhdum sent his companions to adjacent localities to preach Islam. They set up khanqahs at different places. Their mazars are scattered over different places of Rajshahi. The mazars of Sayyed Shah Abbas, Sayyed Dilal Bukhari, Shah Sultan and Shah Karam Ali are situated at Bagha, Dilalpur, Sultanganj and Biraldah respectably. 

Shah Makhdum preached Islam for about a quarter century and died on 27th Rajab 713 AH (1313 AD). His mazar is at Dargapara, adjacent to the Rajshahi Government College. A small one domed square tomb was constructed over his grave in 1054 AH (1635 AD) by some Ali Quli Beg. The inscription fixed above the door of the tomb records the name of the saint as ''Saiyid Sanad Shah Darwish''.

The saint, himself a celibate, left behind a large number of followers. To the present day his'' Urs'' is performed on 27 Rajab every year. Devotees from far and near offer ''shirni'' in the form of ''chatis'' (earthen lamps), candles, rice, sweetmeats, fruits etc. On 10 Muharram every year a fair is held at the ''dargah'' of Shah Makhdum. ''Tazias'' are brought and ''l''''a''''thikhel''''a'' and fighting with dummy swords are organised. A Hall of the University of Rajshahi has been named after the saint. [Mosharraf Hussain Bhuiyan] [Bhuiyan, Mosharraf Hussain  Professor of Islamic History and Culture, Dhaka University]

[[Category:Biography]]

[[bn:শাহ মখদুম রূপস (রঃ)]]