The Modern State and the Contestation of Succession in Sacred Spaces: Examining the Local Moral Authority of the Shrine of Baba Farid in Pakpattan (Punjab-Pakistan)

The Sufi shrines that emerged and developed in the Indian subcontinent during the medieval period had developed their respective patterns of succession to the office of their custodians based on relation to their separate Sufi orders. The office bearers also enjoyed a level of socio-religious, spiritual, and moral authority according to the status of their shrines in the realm. However, after the emergence of the modern state in the Indian subcontinent, the succession issues at the Sufi shrines became part of the judicial system established by the British. Likewise, the succession issues that emerged at the shrine of Baba Farid in Pakpattan (Punjab-Pakistan) during the colonial and postcolonial times were also dealt with through the new judicial apparatus. The arising phenomenon significantly impacted how issues were handled, affecting the office bearers local spiritual and moral standing. This study intends to explore the nature of the recent succession cases and analyze the effects of the encounter of the office of the sajjada-nishin of the shrine of Baba Farid with the modern state had on its socio-religious stature.