User:Nptacek/sandbox

= Muhammad Yusuf Khoja = Muhammad Yusuf Khoja was the father of Afaq Khoja (Hidāyat Allāh), a religious and political leader adorned with the title Khwaja/Khoja (master, descendant of a Naqshbandi leader). Muhammad Yusuf Khoja, a Sufi, was a member of the Naqshbandi religious order which got its name from Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari. The Naqshbandi religious order is one of the most widespread and long lasting in Sufism. Their focus on dhikr and sharia practices allowed for discipline and imagination.

The Baishan School (白山派 )
Muhammad Yusuf Khoja was a part of the the Baishan School, sometimes referred to as the "White Mountain Khojas." The Baishan School developed in the 18th century and is oftentimes referred to as "White Hat School" and "White Hat Huizi” (白帽回子). This school of thought developed after the death of Ahmad Kasani when some Sufis followed the Great Master's older son (Ishan-i-Kalan). They were called the White Mountain Sufis (or White Mountaineers) and the supporters of Ahmad Kasani's younger son Ishaq were called the Black Mountain Sufis (Black Mountaineers). The Baishan School was a very specific sub-sect of the larger Naqshbandi order.

Genealogy
Muhammad Yusuf Khoja’s grandfather was Ahmad Kasani (1461–1542), a notable Naqshbandi leader sometimes referred to as the Great Master. Some Khojas in Central Asia were said to be Sayyids, descendants of Muhammad. Many Khojas were appointed to administrative positions by Mongol leaders in what is now present day Xinjiang, China, historically known as Altishahr. Ahmad Kasani himself never visited the Altishahr region but his descendants, Muhammad Yusuf among them, were involved in the area. “The saint's sons settled at Kashgar, where their father had married a wife and had received rich estates, and gradually established a theocracy, laying upon the necks of the submissive, apathetic people a heavy yoke which they still bear. In course of time two parties were formed whose influence on the subsequent history of the country has been profound. The supporters of the elder son were termed Ak Taulin or "White Mountaineers", from the name of the range behind Artush, their headquarters, whereas the supporters of the younger were known as Kara Taulin or "Black Mountaineers", from the hills near Khan Arik. Both parties of Khojas. as they were termed, aimed at political supremacy and intrigued with any external power that appeared likely to favour their ambitions.

— Sir Percy Sykes and Ella Sykes. Muhammad Yusuf Khoja’s wife Zuleiha Begum was from Baskerim. Her father was a wealthy property owner  from the village of Bashkerim. The two started a family when their son Afaq Khoja (Hidāyat Allāh) was born in 1626 in Kumul.

Preaching in Kumul
While in Kumul, Muhammad Yusuf Khoja was a preacher. This is where Muhammad Yusuf Khoja would meet and marry his wife and where they had their son, Afaq Khoja (Hidāyat Allāh).The primary Sufi order in the Kumul area at the time was 黑山派 (Hēishān pài), the Black Mountain School. This was founded by Ahmad Kasani's younger son Ishaq. The presence of the Black Mountain Khojas (sometimes referred to as the Black Hat school) made it challenging for the White Mountain school to gain a foothold in the area. So, Muhammad Yusuf Khoja moved to 哈密 (Hāmì) in the eastern Khanate.

When Afaq Khoja was 12, they moved to Kashgar. It was here that Muhammad Yusuf Khoja was able to generate a following for the Baishan school. While in Kashgar, the Baishan school was able to establish itself but still faced political struggles with the Qing dynasty and religious conflict with the opposing Heishan School (Black Mountain).

Conflict in Ye er Qiāng (葉爾羌)
After the death of a Black Mountain Khoja leader in Yè ěr qiāng, Muhammad Yusuf Khoja moved to the area in attempts to gain followers and preach. After attempting to persuade some Black Mountain Khojas to give up their faith and join the White Mountain Khojas he was met with fierce opposition by the opposing Heishan School (Black Mountain Khojas). This forced him to leave Yè ěr qiāng and return to Kashgar but suddenly died before returning. Many White Mountain Khojas (Baishan) believe that he was poisoned by the Heishan school. This created more animosity between the two factions and led to political conflict between Kashgar and Yè ěr qiāng.