afghanistanAfghanistan, for it is believed to be the last resting place of ‘Ali b. Abi
Talib, son-in-law and cousin of Muhammad. Heavily patronized by both
the Timurids and Tuqay-Timurids, the shrine is particularly renowned
for the miraculous healings that are said to take place during the Nauroz
festival. When Rasul arrived in Balkh, the capital of the wilayat, thou-
sands of people came out to see him and hailed him as Rasul-i Maddati,
the Apostle of the Age, and Imam bi-Haqq, the True Imam, titles which
suggest that Nadir Shah’s Afshar Shi‘a and Qizilbash garrisons believed
Rasul was the last Imam who had finally reappeared as the Mahdi. On his
arrival at Shah-i Mardan, Rasul took up residence in a cell that directly
abutted the tomb of Hazrat ‘Ali and large crowds came to visit him. It was
not long before some claimed that Hazrat Ishan had healed them. When
the Persian governor demanded proof of his supernatural powers, Rasul
is said to have raised two decapitated men from the dead in his presence.
Certain individuals, however, saw Rasul’s popularity as a means to raise
a rebellion against the Persian occupation. The chief conspirator was ‘Ismat
Allah Beg, head of the Qipchaq tribe and his tribe’s representative to the
Persian authorities. In this era the Qipchaqs numbered around 120,000
households and had been at the forefront of opposition to the Persian inva-
sion. ‘Ismat Allah Beg went in person to Hazrat Ishan and placed himself
and his tribe under Rasul’s spiritual tutelage. He then secretly began to arm
his tribe. In late 1741 the Qipchaq rebelled, defeated the Persian garrison in
Balkh and besieged them in the citadel. However, in a subsequent skirmish
The entrance to the tomb of Baba Wali, Andkhui.