Tazkira
Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
Tazkira means "to mention and memorialise", that is, to remember someone. It is a genre of sufi literature made up of biographies of sufi saints. Sufis are Muslim mystics who seek God through love and devotion. Tazkiras were mostly written to show that their own sufi order, or silsila, was greater than the others. A silsila is a "chain" of masters and disciples going back to the Prophet. Tazkiras often contain fantastic miracle stories. Even so, historians value them for facts about sufi traditions and how they spread.
Example
The first Indian tazkira was the Siyar-ul-Auliya of Mir Khwurd Kirmani, written in the 14th century. It deals mainly with the Chishti saints. A later one is the Akhbar-ul-Akhyar of Abdul Haqq Muhaddis Dehlavi, who died in 1642.
Don't confuse with
- Malfuzat: a single shaikh's conversations, written down with his permission, such as the Fawa'id al-Fu'ad. A tazkira tells the life stories of many saints.
- Maktubat: letters written by sufi masters themselves, such as those of Ahmad Sirhindi.