SULTAN MAHMUD AND AYAZ ABU-NAJM
THE CALUMNY OF IRANIAN SOURCES

Sacred turned profane by propaganda

Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi was a puritan Muslim. He is termed a Hanafi, termed also as a Karramite, and even a Shafite in the school of Islamic thought, but essentially he was a kind of Muslim, whose only reference was the Quran itself. This was resented by many.

In 1005, a band of slaves were brought to the market in Ghazni. There was a sick Turk boy in the lot, and Sultan Mahmud felt great compassion for him. Not only was the boy bought, but sent for care and education under his supervision. The boy Ayaz Abu-Najm was son of Ademaq, and very adept at things. Very soon he acquired great proficiency in everything and became an asset for Sultan Mahmud.

It was after the death of Sultan Mahmud, that his son, Sultan Masud also patronized Ayaz, and recognizing his great skill, sent him as a chaperon (could a characterless person have been chosen for this) to his own son, Prince Majdud to Lahore. The Prince was a young child of eight years,, and it was Ayaz who governed Lahore. Within a short span of time, he made Lahore, Lahore, and to this day his contributions stand up in time. The fact is that many sources count Ayaz as the founder of Lahore itself.

There was a sister of Ayaz Abu-Najm (some historians think she was a cousin), and Sultan Mahmud was in love with her. He consulted his courtiers on the possibility of marrying a slave girl and the courtiers advised against this union. The history of Baihaqi is lost in many volumes, otherwise we would have learnt more about this girl. There is a great possibility that Sultan Mahmud may have married the sister of Ayaz Abu-Najm. This girl used to ride a lion in Lahore and is remembered as SHER DE BACHI to this day. A figurine of hers is in the collection of Chughtai Museum. More about her later.

The Iranians resented the advancement of Islamic values made under Sultan Mahmud. The Caliph of Islam had himself patronized Sultan Mahmud and bestowed many titles on him. The world had rejoiced at his victories. Not being able to speak for 500 or 600 years, the Iranians could restrain themselves no longer, and innovated the calumny of a homosexual relation between Sultan Mahmud and Ayaz Abu-Najm. A more ridiculous thing cannot be imagined by any sane mind. The character of both was without blemish, and this kind of accusation, to be made after five or six centuries is fit for laughter only.

The character of Ayaz Abu-Najm was so much without blemish, that he is loved to this day in Lahore. A mausoleum destroyed by the Sikhs, where only a grave was left, was repaired by some persons on a private scale, and today his ‘barsi’ death anniversary is commemorated by a dedicated group of people. If there had been a blemish in his life, today after a 1000 years, people would not have loved him as much as they do today.