Shaykh Muhammad Ghawth of Gwalior

Shaykh Muhammad Ghawth was a Sufi of the Shattari order, disciple of Shaykh Zuhur and of Hajji Huzur, also known as Hajji Hamid, his spiritual descent running through the Shattari line back to Abu Yazid al-Bistami, as Bada'uni relates. ^{1 3} At the start of his path he spent twelve years in severe austerities on the lower slopes of the hills of Chunar, living in caves and eating the leaves of trees, and he learned the science of invocation (da'wa) from his elder brother Shaykh Bahlul. ^{1 3}

He was on cordial terms with Babur, whose general Rahimdad is said to have obtained Gwalior fort through his mediation, and Humayun revered him and his brother above almost all others and learned the science of invocation from them. ^{1 3} Pressed under Sher Shah, he went to Gujarat, where he gained disciples, among them Shaykh Wajih al-Din. ^{1 3} He returned to Agra in AH 966/1558-59; Bada'uni says he enrolled the young Akbar among his disciples with much persuasion, that Akbar soon turned from his teaching, and that, his company being distasteful to Bayram Khan and Shaykh Gada'i, he withdrew to Gwalior, built a khanqah and devoted himself to sama', to training his disciples and to writing. ^{3 4}

He died at Agra in AH 970/1562 after completing his eightieth year and was buried at Gwalior in his celebrated tomb. ^{2 4} Abu al-Fadl places him in the second class of the learned men of the age in the A'in-i Akbari while accusing him in the Akbarnama of deceiving simple people; Bada'uni, usually severe, held him in esteem, though he records that some of those vowed to poverty blamed him for his worldly standing. ^{2 5 4} Among his disciples was the musician Tansen, who was buried at his feet. ^{6 7}