338 Account of a visit to the Shrine of Sakhi Sarwar. [No. 4. 



ul-Latif, bin Suyed Shaikah, bin Suyed Ismaaeil, bin Suyed I'mam 

 Mousa Kazim, who was one of the twelve Tmains, and the sixth in 

 relation from Ali the son-in-law of the prophet. 



" Zain-ul-Abadin — the father of Sakhi Sarwar — was one of the 

 attendants at the tomb of the prophet at Madina. One night in a 

 dream he saw the Prophet standing beside him, who gave directions 

 that he should proceed direct to Hindustan, — the people of which 

 country having lost their road to the true faith, were groping about 

 in darkness — for the purpose of bringing them again into the right 

 path. He accordingly set out for India ; and after some time 

 spent on the road, he at length reached the village of Salkot which 

 lies about fourteen or fifteen miles to the south of the city of 

 Miiltan. He first led back the people of this place to the path of 

 orthodoxy ; and after residing here for some time, Kehan Khan, Af- 

 ghan, who entertained great respect and friendship for the Suyed and 

 venerated him for his piety, gave him his daughter in marriage. 

 By her he had two sons — one Suyed Ahmed, known as Sultan Sakhi 

 Sarwar, and the other Suyed Dhoda. After some time he took the 

 daughter of Suyed Abd-ul-Khalik as his second wife, and by her had 

 three sons — Da'oud, Muhammad, and Soharah. Zain-ul-Abadin at 

 length died, and was buried at Salkot, above referred to ;* and Sultan 



* From enquiries made since the above was written, I find that there is a small 

 village near Kotlah Nijabat in the Pergunnah of Multan, at present known by the 

 name of Shah Kot, situated about fourteen miles south of the city. Its former 

 name is said to have been Seh Kot, (Three Forts) and has been inhabited for the 

 last hundred years; but the three Kots or Forts, from whence its name is derived, 

 are now in ruins. 



Near this village there is a place enclosed within four walls, in which there are 

 three Khdnkas (^small domes or chapels) each of which contains a tomb. The first is 

 that of Suyed Zain-ul-Abadin, who died about 670 H. — 1271-2, A. D. ; the second 

 of his wife Bibi iEya ; and the third of Suyed Mahunud their son. In the month of 

 Asarah (June) a Meld or fair, or more properly speaking, an assembly of the votaries 

 of the defunct, is held here, and numerously attended. 



Zain-ul-Abadin is said to have had four other sons — one Sakhi Sarwar who died 

 about 690 H. — 1291, A. D. ; and whose tomb is situated at the village bearing his 

 name, in the hills west of Derail Ghazi Khan ; the second Hirah ; the third Suyed 

 Da'oud who died at Bokhara; and the fourth Abd-ul-Ghanni who died at Ramak, 

 a small district near Ghazni, inhabited by the Lohani Afghans. 



The tombs which are in a very dilapidated state, formerly bore inscriptions in 

 Arabic ; but they have long since become entirely defaced. 



