From Barabanki to Tehran: How predecessor of Iran's supreme leader traces his roots to Uttar Pradesh

(FILES) A handout picture provided by the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office shows him waving during a ceremony on the occasion of 36rd death anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran on June 4, 2025.

As Israel intensifies its military campaign against Iran’s nuclear and military sites, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has emerged as the face of defiance. His speeches, strategy, and rhetoric are being closely watched around the world. But long before Khamenei, it was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, who shaped Iran’s revolutionary identity, and surprisingly, both men share a deep ancestral link to India.

Their story leads back to Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh, specifically the village of Kintoor, a centuries-old seat of Shia scholarship. It was here that Syed Ahmad Musavi Hindi, Khomeini’s grandfather and also Khamenei’s ancestor, was born around 1800. He later migrated to Najaf in Iraq in 1830 to visit the tomb of Imam Ali and eventually settled in Iran. His Indian origin stayed with him; he retained “Hindi” as part of his name, and it continues to appear in official Iranian records.

Who were Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Syed Ahmad Musavi Hindi?

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founding father of the Islamic Republic of Iran, holds a powerful presence in Iranian history and everyday life, from his black-and-white portraits on banknotes to his golden-domed mausoleum in Tehran. But few know that his roots trace back to India, specifically to Kintoor near Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh.

Khomeini’s grandfather, Syed Ahmad Musavi Hindi, was a Shia cleric born around 1800 in Kintoor. The surname “Hindi” reflected his Indian origin. Ahmad Hindi left India in 1830, first traveling to Najaf, Iraq, to visit the tomb of Imam Ali, and later settling in Iran. His family had originally migrated to India from Iran in the 18th century.

Ahmad Hindi’s religious ideals and calls for Islamic revival deeply influenced Khomeini, who would later lead the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the Shah. The CIA noted Khomeini’s fiery sermons, repetitive rhetoric, and hypnotic tone that mobilized millions.

Guided by his grandfather’s faith and revolutionary spirit, Khomeini transformed Iran into a Shia theocracy and reshaped West Asian geopolitics, while carrying a legacy that quietly began in the heart of north India.

Journey from India to Iran

After studying in Najaf, one of Shia Islam’s holiest cities, Syed Ahmad eventually moved to Mashhad, Iran, a major Shia pilgrimage city and home to the Imam Reza shrine. He settled there permanently and integrated into Iranian religious society, becoming part of its clerical elite.

The Musavi family – descendants of Imam Musa al-Kazim, the seventh Shia Imam – were traditionally respected for their religious and spiritual leadership. Syed Ahmad's move to Mashhad marked the beginning of the Khamenei family's rise within Iran’s clerical circles.

Khamenei’s early life in Mashhad

Ali Khamenei was born in 1939 in Mashhad. His father, Sayyid Jawad Khamenei, was a modest religious scholar and a descendant of Syed Ahmad Musavi Hindi. The young Khamenei was raised in a deeply religious environment, immersed in Shia theology, Islamic jurisprudence, and revolutionary thought.

Though Ali Khamenei has rarely spoken publicly about his Indian heritage, his family name and genealogical ties to Indian soil are widely acknowledged in scholarly circles. Some Iranian sources, including state-affiliated media, have mentioned these roots as a point of historical interest.