The connection between Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini and Uttar Pradesh, explained

Iran continues to reel from the death of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 86-year-old was killed in the joint US-Israel strikes that targeted his compound in Tehran on Saturday (February 28). Along with Khamenei, his family members, including his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law, were also killed.

Now, in the immediate aftermath of the Iranian supreme leader’s death, Iran has announced transition plans for its leadership. The plans include the formation of an interim leadership council including the president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council, the body that oversees legislation and vets electoral candidates.

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As Iran reels from the shock of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death, we go back in time and explore the history that Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, has with Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh.

World cheers and cries after Khamenei’s death

Cheers and mourning in Iran. Euphoric celebrations against the Iranian regime and angry protests against the war. A vast array of reactions have been witnessed following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The world greeted with jubilation, anger or trepidation the news that Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in the US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.

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In Iran, while one section of people took to the streets cheering with joy, setting off fireworks and playing celebratory music, thousands gathered in the centre of Iran’s capital, dressed mostly in black and some crying, chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel” in Enghelab (Revolution) Square, with many waving Iran’s flags and holding photos of Khamenei.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday branded Khamenei’s killing a “declaration of war against Muslims” by Israel and the United States.

In other parts of the world too, there were mixed reactions; some were happy, while others were in mourning.

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A look back at Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the country’s second supreme leader — the first being Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

In Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s image is everywhere, on currency notes, in classrooms, and in public buildings, often in stark black and white. He led the 1979 Islamic Revolution, removed the Western-backed Shah, and changed Iran forever.

America’s Central Intelligence Agency, in a 1983 report, said the revolution could not have happened without Khomeini’s influence. He believed religion and politics were inseparable: “Islam is politics,” he once said.

Khomeini’s beliefs were shaped early on. He grew up deeply connected to the Shia faith, influenced by his grandfather, Syed Ahmad Musavi Hindi, whose roots trace back to the Indian town of Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh.

Khomeini paved the way for a Shia-ruled Iran, putting it at odds with the US-Saudi bloc, and reshaping power in West Asia.

Khomeini’s link to Uttar Pradesh, explained

Khomeini, the man who led Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, drew inspiration from the spiritual path of his grandfather, Ahmad Hindi.

Ahmad’s move from India to Iran would go on to leave a lasting impact on Iranian politics and religion. Khomeini later became the country’s first Supreme Leader, turning Iran into a theocratic state.

According to BBC journalist Baqer Moin, Ahmad took on the name ‘Hindi’ to reflect his Indian roots.

Ahmad left Barabanki in 1830. His father, Din Ali Shah, had earlier travelled from central Iran to India during the 1700s.

Born around 1800, Ahmad grew up near Barabanki, about 30 kilometres from Lucknow, at a time when British control in India was growing after the decline of the Mughal empire. He was one of several scholars who believed that Islam needed a revival and that Muslims should reclaim their space in society.

How Ahmad ended up in Iran

Ahmad Hindi wanted to live a life where he could grow in faith and help others do the same. So in the early 1800s, he left India for Iraq, then called Persia, to visit the Tomb of Ali in Najaf in 1830.

By 1834, he had moved to the Iranian town of Khomeyn, bought a home, and started a family. His journey was driven by a strong belief in his religion and a desire to spread it.

In Khomeyn, he married three times and had five children. One of them was Mostafa, father of Ruhollah Khomeini, who was born in 1902, according to Baqer Moin’s account.

Ahmad Hindi lived until 1869, always keeping the name ‘Hindi’ as a reminder of his Indian roots. He is buried in Karbala.

Although he died long before Khomeini’s birth, the values and faith he passed down through the family played a key role in shaping his grandson and, through him, the future of Iran.

With inputs from agencies