Jul 9, 2026 7 min read

The Gay Naked Jewish Mystic at Mughal Court

Storytime in the House of Study

The Gay Naked Jewish Mystic at Mughal Court
18th c. depiction of the Persian Jewish poet Sarmad Kashani, who is believed to have translated the Torah into Persian, sitting with the Mughal crown prince Dara Shikoh

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So I thought it'd be fun, as we've done occasionally in the past, to share biographies now and then of Jews To Know throughout history. Have a look and offer your thoughts?

Today: The naked Jewish mystic possibly Sufi, probably Kabbalist Persian-Armenian likely gay teacher in Mughal India whose life was even more colorful than that topline description. Come and learn.

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