Revised edition

© 2020 by the Nekbakht Foundation

Previous volumes in this series:

Biography of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan (1979)Complete Works of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan, Original Texts:

Sayings, Part I (Gayan, Vadan, Nirtan, 1982, rev. ed. 1989)Sayings, Part II (Bowl of Saki, Aphorisms, Unpublished Sayings,1982, rev. ed. 1989

Lectures on Sufism:1922 I: January-August (1990)

1922 II: September-December (1996)1923 I: January-June (1989)

1923 II: July-December (1988)1924 I: January-June (2004)

1924 II: June-December (2010)1925 I: January–June (2013)

1925 II: 14 June–22 November (2017)1926 I: December 1925–May 12 (2010)

1926 II: March 14–May 28 (2012)Published by the Nekbakht Foundation;

the Complete Works are downloadable fromnekbakhtfoundation.org

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Inayat Khan (1882–1927)Biography of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan (revised edition)

1. Inayat Khan 1882-1927 2. Sufis - India - biography

Uitgave en Distributie:Uitgeverij Panta Rhei, Katwijk aan Zee

ISBN 978-90-8840-213-5NUR: 738

5

Contents

List of photographs of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan 7Introduction 9Editor’s note to the 2019 Edition 13

Biography of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

Part I. Biography: 15

India 17 Baroda 18 Maula Bakhsh 19 Rahmat Khan 28 Khatidja Bibi 30 Infancy 33 Childhood 35 Ladhood 41 Boyhood 45 Youth 53 Maheboob Khan 102 Musharaff Khan 103 Ali Khan 104

Part II. Autobiography: 105

America, 1910-1912 107 England, 1912-1913 113 France, 1913 114 Russia, 1913-1914 115 France (again), 1914 123 England (again), 1914-1920 123 Switzerland, 1920 133 France (again), 1920 138 Holland, 1921 138 Belgium, 1921 141

6 contents

Germany, 1921 143 Switzerland (again), 1922 144 America (again), 1923 150 France (again), Suresnes, 1923 159 Switzerland (again), Geneva, 1923 159

Personal Account 161

Diary, 1923-1926 173

Part III. Journal: 193

Review of Religions 195 Organization 211 East and West 217 Music 229

Anecdotes 235

Epilogue 245

Illustrations 247

Biographical sketches of principal workers 341

Family Tree 379

Maps: 385

India 386 United States of America 388 Europe 390 Switzerland 392 United Kingdom 394 Belgium, Netherlands 396

Notes and Glossary 399

Index 439

7

List of Photographs

Frontispiece – portrait painted by M.H. Thurburn, Paris 1913 2 1. Childhood portrait, Baroda, India, c.1894 34 2. Playing the Jalatarang, Baroda, India, c.1898 80 3. With garland of flowers and gold medal, Madras, India, c.1902 82 4. Hyderabad, India, c.1905 84 5. Professor Inayat Khan with gold medals, India, c.1910 86 6. Performing the Tiger Dance, c.1910 88 7. Calcutta, India, c.1908 92 8. Calcutta, India, c.1909 94 9. San Francisco, USA 1911 9610. Pittsburgh, USA 1910 9811. San Francisco, USA 1911 (Taber Stanford Studio) 10812. Published in Paris, November 1912, in the Journal de la Société Unitive 11613. Published in Paris, November 1913, in the Journal de la Société Unitive 11714. In meditation, London, UK 1914 11815. London, UK April 1915 12016. Moscow, Russia 1913 12217. London, UK 11th December 1914 (J. Russell & Sons) 12418. London, UK October 1917 (Beresford Studio) 12619. Playing the vina, London, UK April 1915 12820. London, UK October 1917 (Beresford Studios) 13021. London, UK October 1917 (Beresford Studio) 13222. London, UK November 1918 (Beresford studio) 13423. Leaflet for a vina recital, London, UK 31st January 1920 13524. Geneva, Switzerland 18th February 1921 (Boissonnas Studio) 13725. Geneva, Switzerland 18th February 1921 (Boissonnas Studio) 13926. London, UK May 1921 (Beresford Studio) 14027. Leerdam, Netherlands, with child called Cochius, 5th February 1921 14228. Jena, Germany October 1921 (Alfred Bischoff Studio) 14529. In Cherag’s robe, c.1922 14630. Jena, Germany October 1921 (Alfred Bischoff Studio) 14731. Berlin, Germany October 1924 (Press Photo News Service) 14832. Katwijk Beach, Netherlands September 1922 149

8 list of photographs

33. Entering the gate of Fazal Manzil, Suresnes, France c.1926 15134. New York, USA 28th February 1923 (Underwood & Underwood Studios) 15235. New York, USA 28th February 1923 (Underwood & Underwood Studios) 15336. New York, USA Spring 1923 (Underwood & Underwood Studios) 15637. New York, USA 1923 (Underwood & Underwood Studio) 16338. With his wife Amina Begum in the Sufi Garden, Suresnes, France, 1926 16439. Birthday celebration in the Sufi Garden, Suresnes, France, 5th July 1926 16840. Conversation with a mureed in the Sufi Garden, Suresnes, France, 1926 17141. New York, USA, 28th February 1923 17542. London, UK May 1921 17743. Palace of Arts, San Francisco, USA 1923 17944. London, UK May 1921 18145. USA, 1926 18346. In the garden of Fazal Manzil, Suresnes, France c.1926 18547. On SS Majestic New York to Cherbourg, June 1926 18748. Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, 14 April 1926 (Fred Harvey) 18849. Suresnes, France 13th September 1926 18950. New York, USA December 1925 (Muray Studios) 22351. Playing the vina, London, UK June 1919 (Beresford Studios) 22852. Jena, Germany, October 1921 (Alfred Bischoff Studios) 23153. Haarlem, Netherlands with the Van Meerwijk children, 10th September 1921 239

9

Introduction

The age-old mystic philosophy known today in the East mainly in the differ-ent Sufi Orders, was given to the world by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan as the Sufi Message. A very short outline of the Sufi Message, where possible in his own words, may be appropriate here.

Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan explained that Sufism is the ancient School of Wisdom from which have sprung many cults of a mystical and philosophical nature such as the ancient School of Egypt. In this same school Abraham re-ceived his initiation. Traces of Sufism are to be found in different parts of the world and in all periods of history. To the ancient Greeks this wisdom was known as sophia, from the word sophos, meaning wise. But the Arabic word saf (pure) could be the origin of the word Sufi, for there was a time when Sufis were known as Brothers of Purity. The Prophet Muhammad called them the Knights of Purity. Although Sufism is in reality the essence and spirit of all religions, several Sufi Orders representing the esoteric side of Islam came into existence when this religion was spreading. As the Sufis expounded their free thought in Persia there was much opposition and persecution from the then current religions. So in that part of the world Sufism found its outlet in poetry and music through such great poets as Hafiz, Rumi, Shams Tabriz, Sa‘adi, Nizami, Attar and others, giving in this way its wisdom to the world.

He explained furthermore that although the Sufism he represented in the West was different in nature and character from Sufi Schools in the East, he used the same name, as both considered wisdom as a means to-wards the end. By pointing to wisdom, that same wisdom which is present in the various faiths and beliefs, Sufism makes men rise above the bound-aries of creed, race, caste and nation. It is the discovering of the essential Truth underlying all religions and beliefs which is the aim of the Sufi. In his search for what is behind things as they appear to be, in his search for the cause behind the cause, the Sufi not only comes nearer to that Ultimate Truth at every step he takes, but at the same time he becomes more loving and understanding towards his fellowmen. It is a harmonious development of the vertical and of the horizontal line: of one’s inner being and of the feeling of brotherhood.

In his Biography Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan describes the two periods of his life. The first part, called Biography, covers his life in India from child-hood to manhood, showing his character and interests. From the very begin-ning this period can be seen as a preparation for the task awaiting him: the

10 introduction

spreading of the Sufi Message. The second part he calls his Autobiography. In this he relates his experiences in studying the Western mentality, the Western way of life, his encounters and his work of delivering the Sufi Message, also the establishment of the Sufi Movement in the West.

The text of the Biography, as presented here, is his final version. Previous to this, two short biographical sketches had been published. The first one ap-peared as an article in the Bulletin Mensuel de la Société Unitive, Paris, of April 1913. It was rewritten as an introductory chapter to the book A Sufi Message of Spiritual Liberty and signed by Tserclaes. The other was a booklet written by Regina Miriam Bloch entitled The Confessions of Inayat Khan. This was published in London in 1915. Some passages of The Confessions have been copied from the Introduction signed by Tserclaes. Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan himself had long had the idea of producing an autobiography but the decisive push came from H.H. the Maharaja of Baroda. The Maharaja had encouraged Inayat in his musical career when he was a boy, and when many years later the two met in London, shortly after the first world war, His High-ness suggested that Inayat should write his autobiography. From then on he began to record in his pocket notebooks his various observations, notes and short anecdotes.

Part of the Indian period of his life, was dictated by him during 1919 and 1920 to some of his first mureeds in England among whom were Miss Khatidja Young1, Mrs. Hanifa Sheaf, Murshida Sophia Saintsbury-Green and Murshida Sharifa Goodenough, from notes about the situation in India at that time and about his family and childhood. These notes had been sent to him at his request by his brother-in-law Mehr Bakhshe and probably also by his uncle Dr. Pathan. Other notes were added in 1922 and 1923 at the time of the Summer School in Suresnes, France. Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan dic-tated a large part of the Biography to his secretary, Miss Sakina2 Furnée, who took his words down in shorthand. This part, besides the extra papers about his brothers and cousin, included his musical tour throughout Southern India, Ceylon, Burma and Calcutta. The encounter with his Murshid, Sayyed Abu Hashim Madani, the meeting of the dervishes at Ajmer and a few other passages included in the Biography have been taken from The Confessions of Inayat Khan.

The second part of the book, called Autobiography, begins with Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan’s departure from India to the United States of America. Between the summer of 1922 and the autumn of 1925 he dictated the events he wished to put on record to Miss Sakina Furnée and arranged them in the sequence given here in the text. The account of his lecture tour through the

1. A few words should be said here regarding an Eastern custom of a Murshid giving a new name, a Sufi name to mureeds in order to help them in their spiritual progress. The vibration of the sound and the meaning of the word itself make this name an instrument for the spiritual development of the pupil and an aid towards the fulfilment of a given purpose in the life of that pupil.

2. Later, Nekbakht, this is not further noted