Bayazid began teaching at the age of 40. His message was well received by the
Mohmand and
Shinwari tribesmen. He then went to the
Peshawar valley and spread his message to the
Khalil and
Muhammadzai. He sent missionaries (
khalifas) to various parts of South and Central Asia. He sent one of his disciples, Dawlat Khan, along with his book
Sirat at-Tawhid to Mughal Emperor Akbar.
Khalifa Yusuf was sent along with his book
Fakhr at-Talibin to the ruler of
Badakhshan,
Mirza Sulayman. Mawdud Tareen was sent to propagate his message to
Kandahar,
Balochistan, and
Sindh. Arzani Khweshki was sent to India to convey the message to common people there. Besides, he also sent his deputies to
Kabul,
Balkh,
Bukhara, and
Samarkand. However, when he and his followers started spreading their movement amongst the Yousafzais, Bayazid came into direct confrontation with the orthodox followers of
Pir Baba in
Buner. He established a base in the
Tirah valley where he rallied other tribes. In
Oxford History of India,
Vincent Smith describes this as the first "Pashtun renaissance" against Mughal rule. When Mughal Emperor Akbar proclaimed
Din-i Ilahi, Bayazid raised the flag of open rebellion. He led his army in several successful skirmishes and battles against Mughal forces, but they were routed in a major battle in
Nangarhar by Mughal General Muhsin Khan. During the 1580s,
Yusufzais rebelled against the Mughals and joined the
Roshani movement of Pir Roshan. In late 1585, Mughal Emperor Akbar sent military forces under
Zain Khan Koka and
Birbal to crush the Roshani rebellion. In February 1586, about 8,000 Mughal soldiers, including Birbal, were
killed near the Karakar Pass between Buner and Swat while fighting against the Yusufzai lashkar led by
Kalu Khan. This was the greatest disaster faced by the Mughal army during Akbar's reign. However, during the attack, Pir Roshan was himself killed by the Mughal army near
Topi. In 1587, Mughal general
Man Singh I defeated 20,000 strong Roshani soldiers and 5,000 horsemen. Pir Roshan's five sons, however, continued fighting against the Mughals until about 1640. ==Successors==