Sayed Kayan

Sayed Nadir Shah Kayani سید نادرشاه کیانی
Sayed Kayan
Religious leader
Personal details
Born	Sayed Nadir Shah Kayani (1897-08-02) August 2, 1897
Nationality	Afghan
Political party	Ismaili
Parent	Sayed Gauhar Khan (father)
Residence(s)	Kayan, Baghlan, Afghanistan
religion	Shia
Ethnicity	Sadat

Sayed Kayan or Sayed of Kayan is a title in northern areas of Afghanistan. A part of the Ismaili community in Afghanistan was led by a family of Syeds hailing from the village of Kayan.

Sayed Kayan Association

The Afghan diaspora in Toronto of Canada have established a cultural and social association under the name of Sayed Kayan Association, the name comes from Sayed Nadir Shah Al-Hussaini Kayani born in 1897, a prominent religious and cultural figure in Afghanistan. The organization aims to foster and promote education and social inclusivity among the Afghans in Canada and around the world. According to the information published on the official website of Sayed Kayan Association, the organization's press section focuses to publish contents about Ismaili studies which includes information about Ismaili history, well-known Ismaili figures through the history and the Ismaili books.

Family History and Leadership

For over two centuries, the Sayed Kayan family has played a major role in Afghanistan, as representatives of the Ismailia Imam and participating actively in the country's political landscape. This period, spanning approximately 250 years, has seen the family deeply involved in both religious and political activities within Afghanistan.

Throughout Afghanistan's turbulent history, members of the Sayed Kayan family have been instrumental in peace and reconciliation efforts at different times. Sayed Nadir Shah Al-Hussaini Kayan, also known as Sayed Kayan, was notably involved in traditional peacebuilding initiatives aimed at resolving nationwide conflicts during his era. His efforts were followed by those of his son, Sayed Mansoor Naderi, who played a significant role during the civil war of the 1990s. During the Mujahideen conflicts, Kayan, a location in northern Afghanistan, became a focal point for meetings and political negotiations.

In more recent times, Sayed Kayan's grandson, Sadat Mansoor Naderi, has continued this legacy by being appointed as State Minister for Peace. In this role, he has been responsible for managing the reconciliation process between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha.

Among the notable figures to hold the title of Sayed Kayan:

• Sayed Nader Shah: Sayed Nader Shah Kayani was a well-known tribal elder in northern Afghanistan. According to some supporters, he has written over 50 religious books, only few of them has officially been published and distributed including Payam-e-Shamal and Andarz Haye Payambar.

After his death, the title was passed on to his eldest son, Sayed Shah Naser Naderi.

• Sayed Shah Naser Naderi: He was first appointed by his father to lead the Afghanistan Ismailis after the death of his father Sayed Kayan. After few months or years, he was forced out of his position by his younger brother and he left Afghanistan and his younger brother Sayed Mansoor Naderi claimed to lead the Ismailis in Afghanistan.
• Sayed Mansoor Naderi: He played a significant role in leading Afghan Ismaili after his father Sayed Nader Shah Kayani, known as Sayed Kayan. He used the Ismaili community, largely naive and illiterate, to advance his political ambitions. At the height of his power, he is said to have over 12,000 armed forces in 1990s that was controlling several Northeastern provinces including Baghlan, Samangan, Kunduz and Parts of Balkh province of Afghanistan.
• Rawnaq Naderi (1940-1979), also known as Sayed Nooruddin Rawnaq Naderi (born 1940 in the valley of Kayan, Dushi district, Baghlan Province, Afghanistan) was a distinguished Afghan poet whose works have contributed significantly to Persian literature. As the son of Sayed Kayan, a prominent religious leader of the Afghanistan Ismailis, Naderi's upbringing was deeply influenced by a rich cultural and religious environment. Rawnaq was executed by the totalitarian regime of Hafizullah Amin in 1979 when he was only 39.
• Sadat Mansoor Naderi: He is the son of Sayed Mansoor Naderi who has been educated in the west. He has lived and studied in the United Kingdom. In 2015, he was appointed as the Minister of Urban Development and Housing of Afghanistan by Ashraf Ghani and in 2020 he was selected as the State Minister of Peace by both leaders in Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani.
• Farkhunda Zahra Naderi: She is the daughter of Sayed Mansoor Naderi who played a role during the democracy era in Afghanistan. She was elected as member of parliament from Kabul in 2010 and then served as a senior advisor to Ashraf Ghani in 2015. She received the N-Peace award in 2012 which was organized by the United Nations.
• Sayed Jafar Naderi: He is the eldest son of Sayed Mansoor Naderi who is also known as the Warlord of Kayan. He was the leading Ismaili commander in 1990s.
• Sayed Humayoon Naderi Sayed Naser's eldest son.
• Sayed Haroon Naderi the eldest grandson of Sayed Naser.

The Ismailis mostly live in different provinces of Afghanistan including Kabul, Parwan, Maidan Wardak, Bamyan, Baghlan, and Samangan, Balkh, Kunduz, Takhar, and Badakhshan.

Books and Publications

Sayed Kayan whose full name is Sayed Nadir Shah Kayani is said to have 56 published and unpublished books, mainly claiming to be in the arease of Islamic studies and Islamic philosophy. Among his books, Tarikh-e-Gharib is a history book that mainly covers the last 100 years of Afghanistan history from his point of view and primariliy focuses on Afghan kings Habibullah Khan and his son King Amanullah Khan.

External links

• The Ismailis of Afghanistan: THE SAYEDS OF KAYAN