| Sultan Syed Shah Mutaharuddin Suhrawardi | |
| Birth Place: | Anatolia |
| Death Date: | 1038 CE (aged 69) |
| Death Place: | Tiruchirapalli, Chola Empire |
| Major Shrine: | Tiruchirapalli |
| Issues: | Halimah Saadiya (adopted daughter) |
| Tradition: | Hanafism |
| Venerated In: | Islam, especially in the Indian subcontinent |
Sultan Syed Shah Mutaharuddin Suhrawardi (969–1039),[1] also called Dada Hayat Mir Qalandar or Nathar Wali or Nadir Shah, was a Muslim preacher and mystic from Anatolia who in the 9th-10th century moved to Tamil Nadu, India, where he travelled about preaching Islam.[2] He went to Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, [3] The Tamil Warrior tribe converted by his preaching are known as Ravuttars in Tamil Nadu and Kerala are one of the earliest Muslim communities in the region.[4] [5] [6] The most important Islamic building in the city is Nathar Shah's Mosque, which contains the tomb of the saint Sultan Nathar Shah.[7] According to legend it is atop the grave of the three-headed Hindu demon Tiriasuran whom Dada killed.[8]
According to the source Tabl-e-Aalam, Nathar Shah was born Syed Shah Mutaharuddin into an aristocratic Persian Muslim Syed family of great influence and landholdings in Anatolia to the Emir of Bahanasa, Syed Shah Ahmed Kabeer, and Syeda Fathimunnisa. His younger brother, Syed Shah Jalaluddin became the Emir of Bahanasa after he left.
Nathar Wali left his comfortable life in search of murshid(spiritual preceptor).[9] He was a Qalandar (unmarried saint) who came to India along with 900 Qalandars to spread Islam. Before coming to India, he became the Mureed (Student) of Ibrahim Garamseel near the Pakistan region. After that, he traveled his journey towards different parts of India, and at last he reached Trichy and settled there. During this time, Tiruchirappalli was a part of the Chola Empire under the reign of Rajendra I, although Nathar Wali has never interacted with him. He was said to have performed miracles. Along with his qalandars, he came to Tiruchirapuram, which is now known as Tiruchirappalli, and led a religious life with his qalandars in a flower garden there.[10]
He died in Tiruchirappalli in 1039 and was buried there, and a mosque constructed at the spot. Tiruchirappalli's followers call him "Natharnagar".[11]