"With regard to hagiographical depictions of Sufis as warriors in the subcontinent, it is likely that some are more or less accurate, or at least accurately portray a certain ethos of Sufi jihad. Others, however, are more complicated and ought not to be taken at face value. In particular, we would do well to remember the symbolic function of hagiographical portrayals of Sufi friends of God as warriors. As an example of the former (i.e., the quasi-historical depictions of Sufi warriors), we may cautiously accept the anecdotes regarding Baba Palang Pūsh as reflecting the historical reality of Sufi shaykhs accompanying Muslim armies as spiritual guides and urging them on in their battles against unbelievers. As an example of the latter (i.e., the symbolic Sufi warrior anecdotes), we must understand the narrative of the conquest of Sylhet, in Bengal, by Shah Jalal as symbolizing the break between the region’s “Hindu past and its Muslim future.”"