Shiraz University Persian Literary Studies Journal 2322-2557 9 1 2022 08 01 Qalandar in Persian Literature and Culture 13 38 7599 10.22099/jps.2024.48412.1128 EN Masoumeh Mohammadnezhad Shiraz university Journal Article 2023 09 21 The qalandars were a group of Sufis from the sect of Malāmatieh who expanded the practices of austerity fully appreciating the social and religious customs and rituals to the borders of insouciance and even non-conformity. Qalandarieh was well-known and at the height of its activities in Khorasan, India, Syria and some other countries around the seventh century AH, though their influence goes beyond this century. It seems that the word “qalandar” was first used as the gathering place for the followers of this sect of Sufism that was called Qalandari. However, from the sixth century, the word qalandar was used to refer to individuals. The word qalandar can be found with all its distinguishing characteristics in Persian poetry, since most of the Persian poets have somehow used the word on different occasions. In many poems, one can find the customs and rituals of the qalandars, too; and many of these poems have turned into proverbs through time. In this paper, the word qalandar and the history of qalandars and their customs and rituals are analyzed followed by a discussion of the relationship between these rituals and the Persian literature and culture using the word qalandar. https://plsj.shirazu.ac.ir/article_7599_9d4a00da1e1417b2ebc767505171df91.pdf