From oppression to freedom: A study of the Kaivani gnostics

by Kevin R.D. Shepherd

This book lists by association two obscure Zoroastrian phenomena. Part one presents a biography of the Zoroastrian mystic Sheriar Mundegar Irani (d. 1932), the father of Meher Baba. Part two is a preliminary treatment of the Kaivan School of the Mughal era, whose leader was Azar Kaivan (d. 1618). The Zoroastrian circle of Kaivan are still obscure, and associated with distinctive literature that has been variously assessed. The author's sympathetic treatment reverses the former British attitude of disdain for the Zoroastrian esotericists. Also highlighted is the Jewish Sufi known as Sarmad, who was executed by the ruling orthodoxy in 1660-1.

185 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 1988

About the author

Kevin R. D. Shepherd is a British author, born in 1950. His early interest in Indian religion developed into studies of Hazrat Babajan, Shirdi Sai Baba, Meher Baba, and other Indian saints. In 1981, he commenced a twelve-year phase of private research at Cambridge University Library, relating to the history of religions and philosophy. He is the author of 14 books, including Gurus Rediscovered (1986), Minds and Sociocultures: Zoroastrianism and the Indian Religions (1995), Investigating the Sai Baba Movement (2005), Hazrat Babajan: A Pathan Sufi of Poona (2014), and Sai Baba of Shirdi: A Biographical Investigation (2015). He maintains six websites and the blog feature Commentaries.