Confessional perception of historical memory: Mir Shams al-Din ʻIraqi through the eyes of the 18th c. Sunni author. (Based on manuscript B720 from the IOM RAS collection)

This article examines contradictory assessments of the activities of Shiite preacher Mir Shams al-Din ʻIraqi (1441–1526) in the religious history of medieval Kashmir. The study analyzes fundamental differences in interpretation of his role between contemporary Iranian historiography, which presents him as an outstanding religious reformer, and 18th c. Kashmiri Sunni sources that critically evaluate his missionary activities. Based on a comparison of the manuscript “Waqiʻat-i Kashmir” by Muhammad Aʻzam Didamari from the IOM RAS collection with works written by contemporary Iranian researchers, this study demonstrates how authors’ confessional affiliation influences the formation of historical memory regarding religious figures of the past.