What is "mirwaiz"

The Mirwaiz (Urdu میر واعظ from mir, chief and waiz, preacher) is the title given to the spiritual leaders of the 10 million Muslims of the Kashmir Valley.

There are two main Mirwaiz lineages in the Valley. The better known lineage is based in Srinagar, with its seat at the historic Jama Masjid, Srinagar. The other lineage heads the Muslims of South Kashmir. Each lineage is traditionally the preserve of a single family that traces its roots to an ancestor who travelled to the Valley from Hamadanin Iran with Sheikh Amir Kabir in the sixteenth century. Only one or two members of the family can attain this title at a time after achieving a thorough and complete knowledge in the Qur'an and Sunnah from a University or an Islamic institute. In early days they were trained by special teachers or parents until the proper Islamic Institutes and Universities came into being.