The saint who established the Chishti Sufi order in India, whose shrine at Ajmer is one of the subcontinent's greatest centers of devotion across communities.
Life
Moinuddin Chishti (1143–1236), a Persian-born mystic, settled at Ajmer and founded the Indian Chishti order, whose emphasis on love, service to the poor, tolerance, and music (sama) shaped South Asian Sufism. Called Gharib Nawaz, "cherisher of the poor," he drew followers across faiths. His dargah at Ajmer remains among the most visited shrines in the world, venerated by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and the Chishti order he began became the most influential in the subcontinent.