‘The boy from Barabanki’: The surprising Indian connection behind Iran’s most powerful man
Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Clerical Compass
Before missiles flew or sermons raged, Iran’s revolution drew from an unlikely source — an 1800s Shia cleric from a sleepy Indian village whose footsteps reshaped a nation’s destiny.
Hindi Ghost
In the heart of Iran’s supreme theology, an Indian honorific still lingers — “Hindi” — a ghostly reminder of Barabanki’s forgotten son echoing through Khamenei’s lineage.
Barabanki Blueprint
What does a small village in Uttar Pradesh have to do with Iran’s most powerful man? More than you think — and the blueprint dates back nearly two centuries.
Imam’s Detour
A pilgrimage to Najaf turned permanent — and fateful. One Indian cleric’s spiritual journey rerouted not just his life, but the future arc of the Middle East.
Tehran’s Secret
Iran’s leadership doesn’t advertise it, but dig deep into state archives and you’ll find something curious: Khamenei’s family tree leads straight to India.
Hind in Hegemony
As Iran tightens its grip on regional resistance, one word appears in Khomeini’s poetry and Khamenei’s ancestry: “Hind” — soft syllables shadowing hard power.
Legacy Unveiled
The Islamic Republic’s ideological spine may be rooted in Najaf and Qom — but its ancestral marrow pulses from Kintoor, India. And almost no one talks about it.
Silk Road Sermons
Move over oil pipelines — it’s ancestral memory that’s fueling West Asia’s hottest power plays. And the origins stretch all the way back to Mughal-era India.
Ancestral Arsenal
Missiles and militancy dominate headlines, but behind Iran’s hardline resolve is a quieter force: a centuries-old clerical tradition seeded in colonial India.