perhaps the most important figure in the history of the sayyid in uttar pradesh was sayyid basrullah shustari, who moved from mashad in iran in 1549 and joined the court of the mughal emperor akbar. akbar later appointed shustari as his chief justice, and shustari used his position to strengthen the position of the various sayyid families. they were preferred in administrative posts, and formed a privileged elite. when the mughal empire disintegrated, the sayyid played an important role in turbulent politics of the time. the new british colonial authorities that replaced the mughals after the battle of buxar also made a pragmatic decision to work with the various sayyid jagirdars. several sayyid taluqdars in awadh were substantial landowners under the british colonial regime, and many other sayyid still played their part in the administration of the state. after abolition of zamindari system many sayyid zamindars (e.g. that of ghazipur) had to leave their homes.