Samad Mir

Samad Mir (1893 – 9 January 1959) was a Kashmiri Sufi poet^[1][2] His poetry explores themes such as divine beauty, spiritual longing, and his ethical ideals of the Sufi tradition.

Samad Mir
Born	1893 (1893) Alam Sahib Narwara, Srinagar, Kashmir
Died	9 January 1959(1959-01-09) (aged 65–66) Nambalhar, Budgam district, Jammu and Kashmir
Occupation	Poet
Language	Kashmiri
Genre	Sufi poetry
Notable works	Aknandun, Kulyaat-e-Samad Mir

Early life

Mir was born in 1893 in Alam Sahib Narwara, Srinagar. His parents, Khaliq Mir and Noor Khaliq Mir, were dervish members of a Muslim, specifically Sufi, religious order who had taken vows of poverty and austerity.^[3]

His father, Khaliq Mir, originated from Nambalhar, a village in the Budgam district.^[4] Khaliq was also a poet, and died shortly after Samad’s birth, sometime between 1893 and 1894.^[4]

Mir had two brothers, Rahim and Mohammad. Rahim remained in Narwara, while Mohammad died in his twenties.^[4] As an adult, Mir eventually returned to his ancestral village of Nambalhar.

During his youth and early adulthood, Mir worked as a labourer at the Hari Niwas Palace in Srinagar. He later married and became the father of three sons and one daughter.^[4]

Poetry and Sufism

Mir was illiterate and received no formal schooling.^[5][6] His verses were transcribed by Ali Shah of Wagar, Budgam.^[7]

A complete collection of his poetry, titled Kulyaat-e-Samad Mir, was compiled and edited by Moti Lal Saqi. The Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages has published revised editions of this collection multiple times.^[4] More than 200 poems are attributed to Mir.^[4]

Mir’s works incorporate a blend of Sanskrit and Hindi vocabulary,^[4] and contained references of prophets, Sufi saints, and religious figures.

A monograph on his life and literary contributions has been published by the Sahitya Akademi in both Urdu and Kashmiri.^[8]

Death

Mir died on 9 January 1959 in Nambalhar, Budgam district. He was buried in Agar, Nambalhar, where a shrine dedicated to him now stands.^[4]

Works

Mir’s works include:

Aknandun (“The Only Son”) – widely regarded as his most significant narrative poem^[9]

Praran Praran Tarawatiyay^[9]

A series of Na‘at poems praising the Prophet Muhammad.^[9]

Short devotional verses invoking prophets, awliyāʾ (saints), and Kashmiri Sufi masters.^[9]

His lyric poems are noted for their use of Sanskrit and Hindi loanwords.^[10]

Several of Mir’s compositions continue to be performed in Kashmiri Sufi musical traditions and have been interpreted by regional singers such as Abdul Rashid Hafiz.^[11]