The idea of ‘Farr-i Izadi’, on which the Mughal kingship was based, wa

The idea of ‘Farr-i Izadi’, on which the Mughal kingship was based, was first developed by which one of the following Sufi saints?

Shihabuddin Suhrawardi
Nizamuddin Auliya
Ibn al-Arabi
Bayazid Bistami
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2018
The idea of ‘Farr-i Izadi’, on which the Mughal kingship was based, was first developed by the Sufi saint Shihabuddin Suhrawardi.
‘Farr-i Izadi’ means ‘Divine Light’ or ‘Divine Effulgence’. This concept, signifying a divine effulgence that transmits sovereignty and legitimacy to the ruler, was articulated by the 12th-century Persian Sufi philosopher Shihabuddin Suhrawardi, the founder of the Illuminationist (Ishraqi) school. The Mughal emperors, particularly Akbar, incorporated this idea into their political ideology to assert their divine right to rule and project an image of a ruler possessing divine wisdom and authority, independent of orthodox religious clergy.
Akbar’s court historian, Abul Fazl, prominently used the concept of ‘Farr-i Izadi’ in his historical works, such as the Akbarnama and Ain-i Akbari, to legitimize Akbar’s universal kingship. He described the ruler as a recipient of this divine light, which bestowed upon him wisdom, justice, and the capacity for universal compassion, making him the ideal sovereign.
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