________________ 428 Homage to Vaisali The szint of Basarh has narrated the whole of this episode in the 21st and 35th of about 60 chapters of his book so as to show how a disciple bas to undergo many trials and tribulations and how he has to develop a genuine feeling of devotion to his spiritual guide. v. Propagation of Islam in North Bihar During the remaining 20 years of a fairly long life Shaikh Qazin was engaged in propagating Islam and instructing people in the principles and practices of the Shuttari School of Sufism in Bihar. The present-day Vaishali district, which represents the Hajipur subdivision of the old Muzaffarpur district, was the special field of his activity. He died on the 24th of Shawwal, 901 A. H.-1495 A. D. vi. Tomb at Basarh It is at Basarb, on the historic site of ancient Vaisali, and "about 300 yards south-west of the ruined fort",1 on the top of a huge mound of a stupa of solid brickwork, about 24 ft. high, with a diameter of 140 ft. at the base, and approached by a long flight of steps on the south, that his tomb and that of his eldest son are still an object of veneration on the part of a large number of people. "This tomb", wrote Cunningham, "is generally believed to be five hundred years old." He was wrongly informed that the saint's name and that of his son were Mir Abdul and Makhdum respectively. An annual fair is held at the ruined Basarh stupa with the tombs on it on the 9th of the bright fortnight of Chaitra "when men of all ages dance round the holy spot with switches and fans in their hands, chanting a dirge of some kind".8 Cunningham rightly thought this fair to be a pre-Muslim festival as the occurrence of it is regulated by the solar reckoning of the Hindus and not by the lunar years of the Muslims. It is reasonable to suppose that "the Muslim saint used to take advantage of the annual gathering for preaching the law of Islam to the people". 4 "The fact that ever since his appearance in this country the fair has been held at his residence and burial place would indicate that he must have been a very celebrated preacher." of India Reports, 1. A. Cunningham, Archaeological Survey Vol. XVI (1883). 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid., p. 91. 4. Muhammad Hamid Kuraishi, op. cit., p. 27. .
